Geneva
A lake city of quays, banks and embassies, with the Jet d'Eau over the harbour, the old town on its hill, and the Alps a short flight away.
- Arrival
- Geneva Airport · GVA
- To the city
- About 6 minutes by train to Cornavin
- Private jets
- Business aviation terminal T3 at GVA
- Best time
- July
The city
The lake, the old town and the mountains.
Geneva sits where the Rhône leaves the lake. The grand hotels line the right bank, facing the Jet d'Eau; across the water, the old town climbs to St Pierre Cathedral, where Calvin preached from 1535. To the north stands the Palais des Nations, the largest seat of the United Nations after New York.
It is also the door to the Alps. Helicopters reach Chamonix in about twenty minutes, Gstaad, Verbier and Megève in about half an hour, and Courchevel in under an hour. In the city itself, summer is at its best in July.
Arriving
A terminal of its own.
Geneva Airport is about four kilometres from the centre, with the longest runway in Switzerland and trains to Cornavin in six minutes.
- Zurich 40 min
- Nice 45 min
- Marrakech 3 h 00
- Cairo 4 h 00
- Tokyo 12 h 55 long-range jet
When to go
July.
Cold, grey winters and warm summers, with rain spread through the year. July is the warm month with the least rain; June, August and September are as pleasant but wetter. From December the mountains take over.
- 3° J 78
- 5° F 77
- 9° M 74
- 14° A 71
- 18° M 86
- 22° J 94
- 25° J 72
- 24° A 90
- 20° S 90
- 14° O 79
- 8° N 93
- 4° D 84
What to see and do
Days in and around Geneva.
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Landmark
Jet d'Eau
A column of water 140 metres high off the harbour wall, lit after dark.
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Landmark
St Pierre Cathedral
Begun around 1160, with a north tower that looks over the old town, the lake and the Alps.
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Landmark
Palais des Nations
The European seat of the United Nations, open for guided tours booked in advance.
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Culture
Musée d'Art et d'Histoire
Opened in 1910, the museum holds more than 650,000 objects, among them Konrad Witz's Miraculous Draught of Fishes.
Official site -
Culture
Patek Philippe Museum
Five centuries of watchmaking fill this Plainpalais museum, from early watches, automata and enamel miniatures to the maker's own masterpieces.
Official site -
Opera & music
Grand Théâtre de Genève
Opera and ballet share the 2026/27 season, which opens with La Tempête in September and closes with Candide in June.
Official site -
Opera & music
Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
Daniele Gatti begins a complete Beethoven symphony cycle with the city's orchestra in 2026/27, spread over two seasons.
Official site -
Nature
Téléphérique du Salève
From Étrembières, just over the French border, the cable car lifts visitors to 1,097 metres on the Salève.
Official site -
On the water
CGN Belle Époque steamers
Historic paddle steamers of the CGN fleet sail the Geneva Grand Tour past the Pierres du Niton, with a glass of Geneva wine on board.
Official site
On the calendar
Dates to plan around.
Dates as published by the organisers. Runways, hotels and slots fill early around these weeks: the sooner we know, the more choice you have.
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1–14 Feb 2027
Skiing
FIS Alpine World Ski Championships
The biennial world championships of alpine ski racing, with races on the Mont Lachaux and Nationale slopes in Valais.
Mont Lachaux, Crans-Montana, about 104 km away
In 3 months
-
5–11 Apr 2027
Luxury & fashion
Watches and Wonders Geneva
Annual watchmaking fair gathering major Swiss and international maisons, with trade days first and public days from 9 to 11 April.
Palexpo
In 5 months
Where to stay
Along the quays and above the lake.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
- The Woodward A 1901 building on the lake turned into twenty-six suites, with L'Atelier Robuchon, a Guerlain spa and the only three MICHELIN Keys in Geneva.
- Beau-Rivage Open since 1865 opposite the Jet d'Eau, where Empress Sissi and General de Gaulle both stayed.
- Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues Built in 1834 where the Rhône leaves the lake, with Il Lago downstairs and a lap pool in the spa.
- The Ritz-Carlton Hotel de la Paix On the lake since 1865, with an Art Deco suite named after Grace Kelly, a frequent guest.
- Hotel d'Angleterre Forty-five rooms facing Mont Blanc and the harbour, and live music late at the Leopard Bar.
- Hôtel Les Armures Thirty-two rooms in an old family house beside the cathedral, with fondue and raclette in the vaulted carnotzet.
- La Réserve Genève A lakeside park of ten acres at Bellevue, with Tsé Fung for dinner and a boat into town.
- Mandarin Oriental, Geneva Built on the Rhône as the Hôtel du Rhône, the first luxury hotel to open in Geneva after the Second World War, and now home to SACHI and Ottolenghi.
- Hotel President Wilson Two hundred and twenty-six rooms on the right bank, a heated pool on its first-floor terrace, and Bayview with one MICHELIN star.
- Hôtel de la Cigogne A town palace that first took guests in 1901, part of Relais & Châteaux since 1989.
- Hôtel Métropole Genève On the left bank beside the Jardin Anglais since 1854, with the MET Rooftop & Lounge at the top.
- InterContinental Genève Three hundred and thirty-three rooms, and cigars and cocktails at Le Fumoir.
Where to dine
Stars by the lake and in the vineyards.
From the MICHELIN Guide Switzerland 2025, the current edition; the next selection is announced on 2 November 2026. Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these restaurants.
- L'Atelier Robuchon Two Michelin stars French contemporary The Woodward, Quai Wilson
- Il Lago One Michelin star Italian Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues
- Bayview by Danny Khezzar One Michelin star Creative Hotel President Wilson, Quai Wilson
- Tsé Fung One Michelin star Chinese La Réserve Genève, Bellevue
- Domaine de Châteauvieux One Michelin star Modern French Satigny, among the vineyards
- L'Aparté One Michelin star Modern French Hôtel Royal, Rue de Lausanne
- F.P.Journe Le Restaurant One Michelin star Modern French Rue du Rhône
- La Micheline One Michelin star Mediterranean Gare des Eaux-Vives
- Arakel One Michelin star Modern Rue Henri-Blanvalet
Elsewhere in Switzerland
More reasons to come.
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Zurich
The largest city, its old town on the river, and the country's main airport.
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St. Moritz
The Engadin and its frozen lake, with Samedan, the highest airport in Europe, next door.
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Gstaad
The car-free Promenade, the Palace on its hill, and chalets all around.
- Verbier The Four Valleys, two hours by road from Geneva.
- Zermatt Electric taxis in a street without cars, and the Matterhorn at the end of it.
Flying to Geneva?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.