Lausanne

Lausanne is a vibrant city located on the northern shore of Lake Geneva. 

A day trip from Geneva to Lausanne is a perfect way to experience the beauty and culture of this region. With a 40-minute train journey, you will arrive in Lausanne from Geneva.

Once you arrive, head towards the city center or the beautiful Ouchy Promenade.

If you head to the Ouchy Promenade, don’t forget to visit the Olympic Museum, which is also located in Ouchy.

Spend your time exploring Lausanne’s charming Old Town (Vieille Ville). Walk in the streets and take in the beautiful view from the Lausanne Cathedral.

Also, if you are interested in wine, take a short trip to the nearby Lavaux Vineyards (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), where you can explore and taste local wines.

Gruyères

Gruyères is one of the cutest villages in Switzerland. It’s located in the Swiss canton of Fribourg and is known for its world-famous cheese, Gruyère.

From Geneva, it is about an hour and a half to get there, and you have to change at least once to get there. But it’s definitely worth it.

Once you arrive in Gruyères, you’ll see La Maison du Gruyère right there at the train station. This is a cute little museum where you’ll be able to witness how they made the cheese and how the cheese ages.

They will also give you three different cheeses to try from different ages.

After that walk through the cobblestone streets of Gruyères’ medieval old town, including Town Hall and other medieval houses.

The Gruyères Castle is a magnificent medieval fortress that offers panoramic views of the surrounding countryside.

You must try cheese fondue and traditional Swiss pastry meringues with double cream.

Also, you can take a 12-minute bus ride from Gruyères to the Maison Cailler, the chocolate factory.

Chamonix

Chamonix is often referred to as Chamonix-Mont-Blanc. It’s located in the French Alps.

Chamonix is about an hour away from Geneva by car. You can also access it by bus. The bus leaves from the airport and the main train station. You can book tickets online.

They run regularly in the winter but irregularly in the summer and other times of the year.

If you want to go to Chamonix and you are a skier, this will be your paradise.

You can ski down the slopes with amazing views but only in the winter season.

If you’re visiting Chamonix in the summer, there are beautiful places to hike as well.

One thing I want to recommend is to take the Aiguille du Midi cable car up to 3,842 meters (12,605 ft).

This ride will give you goosebumps, and also you can enjoy the panoramic views of Mont Blanc and the surrounding Alps. It looks like a kind of white sea to me.

After that, take the Montenvers cogwheel train to the Mer de Glace glacier, and the ride takes about 20 minutes.

Visit the ice cave, the Glacionium (a museum about glaciers), and take in the views of the Mer de Glace. It’s just like nothing else I’ve ever seen.

Chamonix has so many things to offer, and I think it’s underrated.

Yvoire

Yvoire is a very cute medieval village on the shores of Lake Geneva. This village is located in France. 

You can go there in 1 hour and 20 minutes from Geneva by boat. From Geneva, a boat leaves at 10:45 am. You can enjoy beautiful views of Lake Geneva during the journey.

After arriving in Yvoire, the first thing to do is walk in the narrow cobblestone streets of Yvoire and explore the beautiful medieval village.

You will see lots of quaint shops in Yvoire, and they sell local crafts and souvenirs. It’s a great place for shopping.

Try local Savoyard dishes at one of Yvoire’s restaurants. Many of them offer outdoor seating with lovely views of the lake; try to select one of them.

After eating, visit Yvoire Castle, but you can’t enter the castle because it’s privately owned.

There you can enjoy the castle’s exterior and surrounding gardens.

Annecy

Annecy is also located in France. You can travel there from Geneva in an hour and 45 minutes.

It is a stunning medieval town, often referred to as the “Venice of the Alps” because there are a lot of canals that run through the beautiful old town.

It’s an amazing place to walk around and pay a visit to the Quai de l’Évêché and Quai de la Tournette to enjoy the atmosphere.

Annecy is on the Lac d’Annecy, which is an amazing lake, and the watercolor of this lake is just crystal clear turquoise.

Also, there’s a 12th-century castle, Palais de l’Isle, that is situated on a very small island in the Thiou River. Don’t forget to check out the castle and the little island.

Montreux

Montreux is accessible from Geneva and Lausanne. It is about an hour by train from Geneva and 20 minutes by train from Lausanne.

Montreux is also known as the Swiss Riviera, the part of the lake. It’s basically the exact opposite end of the lake from Geneva, and it is just beautiful.

There is something going on there with the climate. They have a little bit of like a subtropical climate, and you have a lot of gorgeous foliage that feels like you’re in the tropics on the promenade in Montreux.

There is so much to do and see in Montreux. You can walk all the way down the gorgeous promenade to the Château de Chillon, and that’s something really nice to see.

This is a medieval castle that has a huge museum inside, and there are so many things to explore.

Also, pay a visit to the Freddie Mercury statue on the promenade while walking.

If you’re here in the winter, Montreux has one of the best Christmas markets in Switzerland.

In the end, find a spot on the lakeside promenade to enjoy the sunset over Lake Geneva.

Téléphérique du Salève

Téléphérique du Salève is a popular tourist attraction near Geneva. You need to take bus 8 and then take the gondola to arrive at the Téléphérique du Salève.

From there, you can see the stunning views of Lake Geneva, the city, and the surrounding Alps.

On a clear day, you can also see Mont Blanc in the distance.