24 Hours Around Lake Geneva

Lake Geneva is located in both France and Switzerland, in the heart of the Alps mountains. In this blog post I’ll be discussing what to do within 24 hours in the area. Indeed, it is very likely that you will transit through Geneva if you’re going anywhere near a Swiss ski station, the French Alps, or the French town of Annecy which is located further South. There are many little cute towns around Lake Geneva, but if you’re only going to spend one day there, you’ll need to prioritise and choose two or three. I chose to spend a half day in Geneva itself, then drive around Lake Geneva (also called Lac Léman in French) and stop at the medieval village of Yvoire and Chillon castle in Montreux. 

Exploring Lake Geneva

7:00AM: Wake up call

Ideally, you will have flown in the night before and rented yourself a car to have more autonomy and be ready to leave Geneva the next day. My advice if you’re only staying there one night is either to book a hotel room downtown, or find an Airbnb anywhere near a tram station. 

8:00AM: Take the tram to Place de Neuve

Almost every tourist attraction opens at 9:00am in Geneva, including the famous Jet d’Eau. Leaving your place around 8:00AM to take the tram will give you plenty of time to just walk around towards Jet d’Eau. Geneva’s public transit is very easy to use, and you can buy a day-pass at any station using money or your credit card. As you exit the tramway, try to get as close to the lake as quickly as possible. There is a nice walk that can be done by the water and you’ll likely pass by the SwissWheel, and a few parks along the way.

9:00AM: Take a few snaps at Jet d’Eau

Eventually, you’ll get to Jet d’Eau… you can’t really miss it. At first, I expected Jet d’Eau to be a bit disappointing, but once you get there in person it is actually quite impressive as its size is so big. You’ll probably be spending 15-20 minutes in the area.

9:30AM: Climb to the top of St. Pierre’s Cathedral

Start walking towards the Old Town and St. Pierre’s Cathedral. Once you get to the cathedral, I highly recommend buying tickets to get to the top of its towers. It only costs 5 CHF and you’ll get a pretty cool view over the entire town and Lake Geneva. 

10:15AM: Walk towards Parc des Bastions

It is located about 10 minutes away from the cathedral and it’s a nice place to just chill. They’ve installed giant chess games where you can play if you want to.

10:45AM: Go get brunch at Birdie Food & Coffee

By the time you’ve reached Parc des Bastions, you’ll probably be hungry. I’d suggest heading to Birdie Food & Coffee restaurant, and try on of their amazing brunches. I came across this place online, and thought it looked super cool and the food looked delicious. I confirm that both assumptions were accurate + the service was awesome! Big thumbs up for this place :) The place is a 10-min walk from the park.

11:30AM: Start heading back to your hotel

You’ll need about 20-30 minutes to go back to your hotel to get your car, and get ready for a road trip.

12:00PM: Drive to the French town of Yvoire

This village has made it to the list of the most beautiful French villages since year 1985. In order to get there, you’ll need to drive South along the coast of Lake Geneva for about an hour.

1:00PM: Explore Yvoire

Spend anywhere between 1 and 2 hours exploring the beautiful medieval town, its streets, castle, port, parks, and so on. You’ll find something beautiful on every corner, and will definitely want to take tons of photos as the place is so picturesque. If you’re still hungry, there are many places where you can grab a snack. Some are located in the heart of the town, others right next to the lake and offer incredible views. I personally didn’t get anything, but if I would have, it would have been at Hotel Restaurant du Port.

3:00PM: Head East to Montreux

Continue your little road trip to the city of Montreux. In fact, you’ll be stopping just a little before you enter Montreux at Chateau de Chillon. This stunning medieval castle has been built right next to the lake and is absolutely stunning. The scenery in Montreux is much different than the one in Geneva even though you’re still around the same lake.

5:00PM: Start heading towards your final destination

Whether you need to travel back to Geneva, or go to the Swiss or French Alps, I suggest heading towards your next destination anytime between 5 or 6pm to give you enough time to drive there or to stop somewhere else on your way. I personally drove to Annecy, but if you’d like to stay in the area, Lausanne is another beautiful city to stop in.