There are so many great reasons to spend a few days in Switzerland. In fact, you should plan to spend at least 5 days in Switzerland on your next trip, and even then, you will only see a small portion of what makes Switzerland so amazing.
So, if you’re thinking, “Are there enough things to do in Switzerland?” The answer is a resounding YES!
Switzerland is famous for its chocolate and cheese, mountains and modern cities, alpine lakes and dramatic cliff faces. So many options for Switzerland day tours! The fact that Switzerland is one of the most expensive countries in the world won’t deter me from recommending it to you.
Geneva in One Day
As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This page may contain affiliate links. I would love your support through clicking on the links. Read the full disclosure here.
If you land at the Geneva Airport, it only makes sense to spend time visiting the sites around Geneva before setting off on the best Switzerland day tours as well as a day trip in France (or two!) There are some monumental things to do in Geneva in one day.
Jet d’Eau
First stop after leaving the airport as you explore Geneva in one day? The Jet d’Eau.
Drive to the lakefront in downtown Geneva. You should easily spot the Jet d’Eau on the water. The Jet d’Eau, literally meaning “water jet,” is an impressive fountain in Lake Geneva that is a featured landmark of Geneva.
The fountain, one of the tallest in the world, was originally built “to control and release the excess pressure of a hydraulic plant at La Coulouvrenière. It quickly became a remarkable symbol of the city and so it was amplified and relocated to the center of the Lake.” ~ Geneva
If you would like to get a close-up view of the fountain, there is a pathway along a stone jetty from the left bank of the lake. You can walk along the jetty, pose for a few pictures, and feel the spray of the fountain as you get close.
United Nations
If you plan to tour the United Nations while you are exploring Geneva in one day, you may wish to drop someone from your party off at the tour ticket line to wait while you try to locate a place to park. When our family visited, I waited in line with my oldest daughter and the wait took long enough that Chris, Misha, and Kristen were able to join us before we reached the front of the line.
You won’t need your passports or ID for purchasing the tickets, but you WILL need identification once you enter the building. Take note: student ID’s are not acceptable.
Here’s a tip: Save a copy of your passport (your whole family’s too) on your phone in a secure password manager such as 1Password. The electronic passport versions are acceptable.
The United Nations tour takes about one hour. If you have just landed from a very long flight, beware that every time you sit down to listen to the tour guide, you might just have to fight to stay awake.
Fun fact: The land for the United Nations was donated by the Revilliod de Rive family, and in the giving, they stipulated that peacocks should roam freely on the grounds.
Botanic Gardens
If you have time after your United Nations tour, spend some time at the Geneva Botanical Gardens and Conservatory located about a mile from the United Nations building. Our family was still battling a giant case of jet lag when we stopped while exploring Geneva in one day, and our girls were too tired to wander around much. Chris stayed with them while I took a little stroll through the gardens with my Canon 6d Mark II Camera. It was the perfect way to start our first of 5 days in Switzerland.
What will you find at the Geneva Botanical Gardens and Conservatory?
- An Enchanted Forest playground for children
- The Fairy Tale Carousel
- A Botanical Shop
- Library
- Cafe & Restaurant
- Drinking fountain
- Free Wifi hotspots
- Free toilets
Want to know how to maximize your travel experiences and become a frequent traveler? Read 10 Super Smart Travel Hacks to Plan the Perfect Trip
Switzerland Day Tours
After touring Geneva in one day, we drove to our hotel in Evian-les-Bains, France. You may be wondering, “If you’re traveling to Switzerland, why are you staying in France?”
We planned our trip using reward points for our air travel and hotel stays.
When we first started brainstorming where we wanted to travel in Europe, Switzerland was at the top of our list. We began by searching for the Hilton Hotels in Switzerland. There were only two Hilton properties in Switzerland and then the Evian property in France (but still along Lake Geneva).
Tip * If you plan to fly into the Geneva International Airport and want to rent a car, make sure you inquire about rentals from the French sector as well as the Switzerland side. The cost of our rental was significantly less in France.
Staying in Evian-les-Bains meant traveling each day across the border for our 5 days in Switzerland; however, we found the savings in lodging outweighed the cost of renting a car and making road trips for Switzerland day tours.
We were happy to drive through the French and Swiss countryside for Switzerland day tours.
Check availability at the Hilton Evian on Booking.com
1. Things to Do In Montreux
After touring Geneva in one day and then getting a sufficient amount of sleep at our hotel in Evian, our family was excited to begin exploring different cities and villages over the next 5 days in Switzerland. It was a short distance around the lake from Evian to Montreux on our first of many Switzerland day tours.
TIP * Pack a tote bag in the bottom of your suitcase for your Switzerland day tours. While it doesn’t take up much space, the bag is perfect for carrying rain jackets, snacks, or drinks and keeping things organized in the rental car.
If you are looking for things to do in Montreux, your first stop of the day should be Chillon Castle.
The castle had some pretty amazing rooms. The “indoor” latrines were an interesting piece of work. One was a double seater where Amy joked as she posed next to Kristen, “How’s thou’s day?”
Leaving the castle, the girls were thrilled to learn of a Freddie Mercury Statue along the lakefront. We snapped pictures with our iPhones and my camera and posed with other tourists and fans trying to do the same… fans who were also loudly singing Queen songs.
Patience is a virtue when trying to take pictures without other tourists filling the shot.
We opted for a quick lunch at McDonald’s. Not cheap, but quick. You will find that everything is spendy for your days in Switzerland.
We also found and toured the Queen Studio Experience which is now housed in a casino. Forty years ago the casino, with its great acoustics, was the recording studio.
Distance from Geneva to Montreux: 1.5 hours by car, 1 hour on the fast train.
2. Things to Do In Lausanne
Lausanne is set on a hillside, and our research suggested that we should park further up the hill. We arrived just after 5 pm and had to take a bus then the metro down to the main area of town.
We walked around the Old Town of Lausanne, walked through the Church of Lausanne, and passed by Swiss banks. We joked about setting up a Swiss bank account. We didn’t.
Lausanne, Switzerland also houses the headquarters for the International Olympic Committee in the Louis-Bourget Park. It was late in the day when we stopped by and the building was closing. We’ll have to plan more Switzerland day tours on a return trip to visit the IOC.
Distance from Geneva to Lausanne: 1 hour by car, 45 minutes by train
3. Things to Do In Ballenberg
On the second day of our Switzerland day tours, we drove through the mountains to Ballenberg where we spent the morning exploring the Ballenberg Swiss Open Air Museum.
The creators of this museum have been buying, carefully deconstructing, moving, and rebuilding houses from all over Switzerland. The mountainside museum was covered with roads, homes, churches, cheese huts, and barns to show what life was like (and probably is still like) for many living in the region.
The Open-Air Museum Ballenberg, a paradise for families, covers an area of 163 acres. It is not only interesting for adults, but great fun for children too. There is so much to do here: for example, make friends with the 200 farm animals, have a ride on the old carousel and try out our playground and some traditional toys.
You can discover how your great-grandparents lived, watch fascinating displays of handcrafts and in the «hands-on-house» feel free to touch whatever you like.
Ballenberg Swiss Open Air Museum
You can tour some of the homes, watch cheese being cooked over a fire in a huge kettle drum, smell the wonderful smell of wood being cut at a saw mill, and watch a woman give a weaving demonstration.
For lunch, we purchased a loaf of bread and some cheese from the cheese-making shed and enjoyed a simple lunch outside on a bench.
The cows on this mountain enjoyed a lush diet of grass, flowers, and clover. And in case you wonder, the boundary fence which just looks like string, is really electrified. Amy didn’t realize it as she backed up to it. Yikes!
We bought chocolate from the Chocolaterie before leaving the mountainside museum. And unlike other European countries we have visited, our experience in Switzerland thus far offered an abundance of WCs (bathrooms)—at no charge even.
Distance from Geneva to Ballenberg: under 3 hours by car, 4 hours by train and bus
4. Things to Do In Lauterbrunnen Valley
You don’t want to miss the amazing waterfalls in Trummelbach close to Lauterbrunnen when you are planning your days in Switzerland. We were able to take a funicular up to the 10th waterfall. This series of 10 waterfalls in a cave-like environment roar through the inside of the mountain in the Lauterbrunnen Valley. They are a UNESCO World Heritage site.
I would recommend that you bring your rain jackets as the spray from the falls is like a shower at times along with the moisture dripping from the ceiling. I had to tuck my camera inside my jacket to keep it from getting soaked.
Instead of a return trip to the base on the funicular, we took the stairs down and were able to see waterfalls one through five with small lookouts along the way overlooking an amazing view of the whole valley.
We wandered around the small town of Lauterbrunnen and took pictures at the base of the Staubbach Falls. Misha jumped at the chance to buy an authentic Swiss Army Knife and had her name engraved on it.
We only spent an afternoon in this area, but its beauty demands a return trip for hiking and scenic train rides. Just think if you were to paraglide off the mountain!
Interlaken is not too far from Lauterbrunnen. Interlaken is perfect if you are looking for more picturesque vistas on the lake.
Distance from Geneva to Lauterbrunnen: 2.75 hours by car, 3.5 hours by train
>> Related: My Favorite Crossbody Bag for Travel
5. Things to Do In Broc
Our days in Switzerland were filled many Switzerland day tours from Evian. Broc (pronounced Bro with some throatiness) is a perfect destination for a chocolate tour at the Cailler Chocolate Factory.
Our girls were all for this factory tour and the option to taste the chocolate at the end of the tour was a huge bonus. They thought it was one of the best places to visit in Switzerland by car!
You may wish to tour the Gruyere Cheese Factory in Gruyere next as it isn’t too far from the chocolate factory.
Distance from Geneva to Broc: 1.5 hours by car, 2.5 hours by train
6. Things to Do In Moleson
We made the most of our 5 days in Switzerland and visited the mountain resort of Moleson for another one of our Switzerland day tours.
Things to do in Moleson:
- Ride the “Bob-luge”
- Buy round trip or one-way tickets on the Moleson Funicular
- The funicular connects Moléson-sur-Gruyères to Plan-Francey, a departure point for many hiking trails. If you chose, you can then walk back down the mountain.
Check out my husband’s The North Face Recon backpack. (I travel with The North Face Recon women’s backpack which is made specifically with a woman’s frame in mind.) As with any hike that we go on at home or abroad, we pack it with energy snacks, M&Ms, and a Camelbak water reservoir. Read about the Camelbak Water Reservoir in this post: Hiking Essentials: What to Pack for The Best Day Hikes in 2024.
If you are looking for more options for Hiking in the Alps, check out this Ultimate Guide with over 10 awesome trails to choose from.
Distance from Geneva to Moleson: under 2 hours by car, no direct train, but you could take the train to Broc which is close by
Plan a Day Trip In France (or Two!)
Chamonix, France
Since we were staying in Evian-les-Bains, it only made sense to plan a day trip in France.
One destination was Chamonix and Mont Blanc (the tallest mountain in Europe). As we were leaving Evian, Chris missed the exit in the roundabout and joked, “The advantage of a roundabout is that I get multiple tries to get it right.” We circled around again.
We stopped at a rest stop after an hour or so. Chris and I got out to use the facilities and check out the view of the mountains. As we returned to the car, our teenage girls were still sitting in the backseat. Chris had activated the child safety locks and locked the car and they couldn’t get out. Made for a good laugh for Chris and me.
Chamonix was packed with people. We figured it was so busy since it was the unofficial first day of summer, it was a Friday, and the weather was much improved from earlier in the week. We parked close to the base of the ski resort.
While Chris stood in line for tickets for the funicular up the mountainside, the girls and I looked for lunch food. We found a bakery for bread (and chocolate-filled beignets as a special surprise for Chris) and then a grocery store for sliced deli meat. We wandered in to a butcher shop and quickly exited when we realized they didn’t have cooked meat and it was stinky!
Finding the cute city center, Misha and Kristen bought some postcards and art. Lucky for Misha, the art fit in the padded section of my backpack.
We met up with Chris as he finished purchasing the tickets for the Montenvers Train, a little red train that offered a panoramic ride up to France’s largest glacier and ice cave, Mer de Glacé. Even though the ice cave and the gondolas were closed to the public for maintenance, we still opted to board the train for the 20-minute journey and enjoy a picnic lunch overlooking the glacier.
As we arrived atop the mountain and exited the train, the mountain vista opened up to a fantastic view of the glacier. While at the top of the mountain, you can:
- Visit the Glaciorium. The small museum offered an interactive display on the formation of glaciers all over the world.
- Enjoy the café at the top or the restaurant at the Grand Hotel du Montenvers.
- Take the hiking trail down the mountain and then ride the gondola back up.
Distance from Geneva to Chamonix: Approximately 1 hour by car, 2.5 hours by train
Yvoire, France
On our last morning in Switzerland, we drove toward the Geneva Airport with a day trip in France to Yvoire and then Annecy.
I think Yvoire was one of my favorite villages of our entire visit. Check out a few of my other favorite Charming European Towns.
Yvoire sat nestled along the shore of Lake Geneva. With a population of approximately 800 people, Yvoire was a traffic-free village, boasting a medieval look with walls, gates, a castle, and cobblestone streets. If I had a chance to return to the area, my choice would be to find an Airbnb in Yvoire.
Distance from Geneva to Yvoire: Approximately 40 minutes by car, 50 minutes by train
Annecy, France
We continued on to Annecy and arrived to find everyone else wanting to visit Annecy too. The city was packed with tourists.
I wandered around to capture the aesthetic of the Old Town (Vieille Ville) while Chris and the girls walked to Lake Annecy. I snapped one of my favorite pictures along one of the winding canals.
You will likely recognize this iconic photo of Palais de l’Ile. Standing on the Pont sur le Thiou (bridge) will give you the best view for taking pictures.
Our 5 days in Switzerland, with a little bit of France on the side, did not disappoint.
Distance from Geneva to Annecy: 50 minutes by car, 55 minutes by train
The Top 5 Waterfalls in Switzerland
Switzerland is a country of epic waterfalls! If your goal is to discover waterfalls during your days in Switzerland, you have many options. Here are five spectacular options for Switzerland day tours to waterfalls:
- Trümmelbach Falls: Ten glacier waterfalls located inside a mountain in the Lauterbrunnen Valley.
- Staubbach Falls: This is one of the highest free-falling waterfalls in Switzerland, and quite famous on Instagram. It is also located near the town of Lauterbrunnen.
- Reichenbach Falls: A series of waterfalls near Meiringen. You might have read about them in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes story, “The Adventure of the Final Problem.”
- Giessbach Falls: 14 stunning cascading waterfalls located near the town of Brienz.
- Rheinwaldhorn Glacier: Located near the border of Switzerland and Italy in the canton of Graubünden this waterfall is beautiful and remote.
Travel Must-Haves
- Travel Adapter: Not all international countries use the same adapters. Be sure to check before you go. Purchase one here.
- Travel Backpack: Chris and I both like our North Face Recon Backpacks. They have a standard version and a woman’s version.
- Get a Travel Credit Card: We often travel worldwide for free with a travel credit card as well as using travel rewards. The Chase Sapphire Reserve is one of our favorite travel credit cards.
- Favorite Camera: I am all about taking photos and keeping memories alive from all of our trips. My favorite camera is the Canon 6d Mark II.
- Favorite Electronics: We are a family of Apple users. We love our watches, phones, tablets, Airpods, and AirTags. Don’t forget the cables and chargers too! Check out our electronic suggestions here.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the official languages of Switzerland?
The four official languages of Switzerland are: German, French, Italian and Romansh. The majority of the country speaks Swiss German.
Is it worth it to get a Swiss Rail Travel Pass?
We enjoyed having a rental car during our stay, but you can reach many destinations by train as well. If you plan to spend more than a few days in Switzerland, consider investing in the pass.
A 15-day Swiss Travel Pass is approximately 500 CHF, so while it is not cheap, it may be more affordable than buying a bunch of point to point tickets. With it you have access to Switzerland and Liechtenstein as well.
Is Switzerland part of the EU?
No. Switzerland is not part of the European Union. They do not use the Euro note. The national currency of Switzerland is the Swiss Franc and is considered to be one of the most stable currencies globally.
When is the best time to visit Switzerland?
The best time to visit Switzerland depends on what you want to do. Spring, summer, winter and fall, you’ll find diverse adventures and sports.
What type of travel adapter do I need for Switzerland?
Switzerland uses Type J outlets.
What is the tipping culture in Switzerland?
To tip or not to tip. In Switzerland, the cost of service is already included in the price, so tipping is not expected.
Love this Post? Pin it!
Final Thoughts on 5 Days in Switzerland
If Italy is my first choice, then Switzerland is Chris’ first choice for a travel destination. And, it was beautiful. I highly recommend that you make Switzerland a part of your next European vacation.
If you want to know all that goes into planning an international trip, I highly recommend my more in depth eBook “Plan a Trip to Europe: Essential Advice to Begin Your Travel Adventures.” It outlines even more steps that we follow whenever we plan international vacations.
Great post! Switzerland is definitely on my bucket list!
It is still on my bucket list.
Switzerland is so beautiful. I travelled there as part of my backpacking around Europe trio in my early twenties. I’ll never forget, the best hike I ever took I walked down steep mountain terrain to find a field of cows with bells around their necks. (I haven’t been able to eat cows since)! I would love to go back again. You have beautiful photos 🙂
I am going to be living in Geneva next year, so I love all these ideas for day trips! Your photos are beautiful – and it was fun to hear tidbits about your family, too 🙂
What a fun adventure to be living in Switzerland! Take some great pics for me.
I miss Switzerland so much! I can’t wait to take the kids when it is easier to travel.
Us too. But I think we will leave our girls home next time.
My best friend lives in Switzerland and even though she’s gotten to visit me a few times in the US (and was even in my wedding), but I have yet to be able to visit her. I’d love to go – and this post makes me want to go even more!
All the pics on Instagram make want to travel anywhere
Where in Switzerland?
Fingers crossed travel will open up sooner rather than later.
This looks like such a beautiful place! If we ever do a full trip to Switzerland, we’ll definitely have to check these out. (We spent an afternoon in Lugano when we were honeymooning in Italy, but that’s hardly any time at all!)
A honeymoon in Italy sounds amazing too!
Always something wonderful to see and do in Switzerland.
Looove this blog post! Thanks for all the tips and info!
Thanks!
Switzerland looks like such a beautiful country! I’d love to visit and explore. I’d definitely love to go hiking in the mountains, the views look spectacular! Thanks for the great guide!
Good to know about the United Nations tour ?lol! I love that peacocks roam the land there.
We struggled with where to visit when we were in Switzerland. You picked some great spots that we missed on our trip. And have given me some good reasons to go back. We were sorry we did not spend more time in the mountains. And would have loved a side trip to Chamonix!
What a lovely itinerary! I’ve not had the chance to visit this region of Switzerland but I’d love to spend time in Geneva, Montreaux, and eating the fresh bread and cheeses in the mountains!
Super impressed at all the variety you managed to pack into 5 days. Everytime we sit down to plan out Switzerland the hardest part is narrowing down what we want to see, there is just sooo many beautiful spots! This is a great starting place for us to curate our future trip. Thank you
We are anxious to return to Switzerland. So much still to see.
5 delightful days indeed! You covered a lot of ground and sounds like a dream trip. I’ve only ever been to St Gallen but long to see more of Switzerland.
I’m DREAMING of visiting Lauterbrunnen, it looks so magical!! Would love to do a road trip one day. Thanks for the tips!
We are visiting Switzerland next month and some of the places from your list are in our itinerary too. Can’t wait to explore the beautiful country. We hope to see some of the waterfalls from your list. Thanks for the detailed post.
What a fun itinerary! I did something similar before after a wedding in France. Also added Gruyère as I love cheese! But think Lausanne was my favourite in Switzerland. Lovely post!
Looks like you had a wonderful five days experiencing Switzerland. Helpful and great post. I’d love to visit and experience the places you’ve shared.
I love Switzerland – it’s expensive but it’s such a beautiful place. Loved visiting Lausanne and montreux. Wish I had made it to Moleson!
Switzerland looks so beautiful!! And look at those cows!! Seems like my kind of place bc I love cows! Will definitely add this to my bucket list!
sigh…this is my dream trip!! Esp Geneva- I love your recs there.. someday soon I will get to Switzerland..thanks for the inspiration!
We had a hard time deciding where to go on our first visit to Switzerland. We sadly missed Montreux even though we had it as a day trip on our longer stay in Geneva. And I now see we need to add a visit to the waterfalls in Trummelbach on our next visit. Lots of reasons to go back more than once.
I had forgotten that Switzerland has so many places to see. Thanks for the reminders. Plus I never got to see the Freddie Mercury statue – this is on my bucket list for my next trip to Switzerland.
Switzerland has been on my list for a while now and I would love to visit soon! Great to know that you can do so much in 5 days!
Switzerland is on my list! Especially all the chocolate and fondue. The open air museum looks like it was a lot of fun!
What a delightful trip! The Lauterbrunnen Valley and Moleson look very scenic and it would be lovely to hike there.
I love your commentary of your trip making it personal and funny. I agree that mixing a bit of time in Switzerland and France is a great combo. I’d never heard of the Freddie Mercury statue!
I wish we had time during our visit to Switzerland to plan at least one day trip over to France. You certainly covered a lot of ground on your trip!
While you only saw roughly a quarter of Switzerland, what you saw is very appealing. Geneva is so useful to travel to France as well. Thanks for sharing.
What I fun trip! There is so much to explore in Switzerland, I’ve only been to Montreux but you’ve given me plenty more ideas for future travel 🙂
Being from Austria, it’s kind of embarrassing I still haven’t been to Switzerland. It’s one of only two neighboring countries that are still missing. Seems like you had such great 5 days there, I think I need to put it on my list for this or next year 🙂