Geneva vs Zurich: which city is better to visit?

Switzerland’s two best known cities, French-speaking Geneva and German-speaking Zurich share lakeside locations, but in many ways are very different cities, albeit each with unique sights. 

But if you have just a few days for a short break, which one should you visit: Geneva or Zurich?

In this post I set out information to help you decide which city to visit. I cover: the top things to do in each city; their location; how to get there and how to get around; the weather and climate; the museums you can visit; day trips out of the cities; food and drink; and some of the top festivals and events.

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Geneva vs Zurich

Geneva or Zurich? Which one should you prioritise for a visit? This is a hard question to answer as both cities are wonderful and both have lots to commend them.

Both cities are located in spectacular locations – right next to beautiful lakes with mountain backdrops – and both offer a superb and varied choice of visitor attractions. 

Close to the French border, Geneva not surprisingly feels like it has been influenced by its larger neighbour, most notably in some of its architecture and cuisine. Likewise, Zurich clearly has been influenced by Germany to the north in the same way.

However, both possess a unique Swiss character and flair. They are well maintained, clean cities, with highly efficient public services, particularly when it comes to transportation. 

They also have great cultural diversity and are international cities thanks to the presence of global financial and political institutions. As you wander Geneva and Zurich no doubt you’ll be struck by the superb quality of life that the inhabitants of both cities enjoy.   

Geneva and Zurich are also excellent bases from which to explore the nearby landscape. Think outstanding countryside, crystal clear lakes, soaring mountains and rolling hills, as well as beautiful valleys with picture postcard Alpine villages nestled in them. There’s easy access to other Swiss towns and cities each with their own unique sights. 

Geneva and Zurich?

Then again, if you have enough time, you could try and combine a visit to both. Although Switzerland isn’t cheap, it’s not a large country and the train network is incredibly efficient.

The fastest direct train between the two cities takes a little under three hours. If you do explore this option, you will be rewarded with some amazing scenery as you travel between the two. You will also get to see some other Swiss cities and towns, which you may want to visit on another occasion.

But if you do have to choose just one city, I’ve outlined some of the top attractions to help you decide which one to prioritise.

I’ve then done a Geneva vs Zurich comparison and set out a few points that you might want to consider when deciding on which of these top cities to visit. 

And if you want to read more detail on each, I have written separate posts on both Geneva and Zurich.

The top things to do in Geneva 

Below is a flavour of the some of the best things to do in Geneva.

For more information and ideas for things to do in Geneva, see my separate post.

The top things to do in Zurich

Below are some of the top things worth seeing and doing on a short break to the country’s largest city.

See also my separate post on Zurich for more information.

These are just some of the many highlights of both Geneva and Zurich. Read on for a summary of how the two cities compare and contrast on different features.

Geneva vs Zurich: Location

Geneva

Switzerland’s second largest city stands right next to the stunning Lake Geneva (Lac Leman) and is only a few kilometres from the French border in the far southwest of the country. In the other direction, there is the Swiss Riviera with the stunning Montreux and Lausanne.

This makes it a perfect base to explore places of interest nearby, both in western Switzerland and also across the border in France. You could, for example, easily visit Annecy or Lyon in France.

It’s also worth noting that some of the southern shore of the lake lies in France. This means that you can visit Switzerland’s larger neighbour easily by boat.

Zurich

The largest city in Switzerland and the country’s financial capital, Zurich also has a waterfront address. Located on Lake Zurich in the north of Switzerland, it not far from the German border.

Its location (and excellent train network) makes it a great base for exploring other places of interest. This includes places in northern and central Switzerland and even across into southern Germany and eastern Austria.

And if you fancy visiting tiny Liechtenstein – Europe’s fourth smallest country, with its castle high on the hill – then Zurich is for you.

Zurich vs Geneva: Getting there

Geneva

Thanks in part to Geneva being the United Nations’ headquarters, the city’s international airport has a truly global reach, with visitors flying in from all corners of the world. Geneva Airport is served by budget airlines as well as national carriers. You can also easily reach Geneva by train from France and the capital.

The capital city of Switzerland, Bern, is under 2 hours away by train.

Zurich

Because Zurich is Switzerland’s largest city and also the country’s financial hub, you will find regular flights to and from many countries, both within and outside Europe. Again, you can fly to Zurich via both budget airlines and also with national carriers. You can also get to Zurich from places in southern Germany such as Freiburg, as well as Liechtenstein.

Bern can be reached by train in less than an hour.

Geneva vs Zurich: Getting into the city from the airport

Geneva

Geneva’s international airport is very close to the city centre. Only 4 km outside Geneva, the highly efficient and regular Swiss trains will whisk you into the centre and the city’s main station – Geneva Cornavin – in less than 10 minutes. 

Zurich

Like Geneva, Zurich airport is not far from the city centre. In fact, you can be downtown at the main train station in about 10 minutes. You can then catch a tram or bus elsewhere if you’re not staying right in the city centre.

As the city is quite spread out, you may prefer to book a private transfer from the airport (especially if your arrival time into the city is very early or very late).

Zurich vs Geneva: Getting around

Geneva

Geneva is a city you will want to walk around and its relatively modest size means you can do this easily, certainly in terms of the centre. 

You can either sightsee independently or book a walking tour.

The Geneva City Pass

Depending on how long you have, you may want to purchase a the Geneva transport card (the Geneva City Pass).

This enables you to use Geneva’s public transport system for 24, 48 or 72 hours for free. You also get discounted entry to some museums and lake cruises as part of the purchase price.

However if you only have a short time in the city, and want to tick off seeing the main sights, then the best option might be to book a sightseeing bus as this will cover all the city’s main highlights.

Zurich

As noted earlier, Zurich is Switzerland’s largest city and is quite a sprawling urban area. Having said that, the main part of the city around Zurich’s old town, the Limmat River and leading up to the lake, is within easy reach of each other and quite walkable.

You can book walking tours of the old town here.

The city also has a highly efficient public transport system, including trains, trams, local buses and even boats. We really loved riding the trams in Zurich, which are a great way to see the city and the different districts.

The Zurich Card

If you want to get around by public transport, you may be interested in the Zurich Card.

This provides visitors with unlimited access to second-class travel on public transportation for either 24 or 72 hours. It also includes other benefits such as boat trips and cruises, and discounts on entry to museums.

Geneva vs Zurich: Weather and climate

Geneva

Thanks to its stunning scenery – standing on Lake Geneva and with the Swiss Alps clearly visibly from the lakeshore – I would argue that there isn’t a best time to visit the city of Geneva.  

However, for the optimum weather conditions, go in the summer months from June to August when the temperatures range from the early to mid-20s in centigrade. During this time you can really make the most of outdoor activities such as walks around the lakeshore, swimming in the lake, and sitting outside enjoying refreshments at the many outdoor bars or cafés you will see.

However, winter can be incredibly magical, especially when it snows and when there are Christmas markets in the city. In December and January (the coldest months), expect temperatures to hover around two to three degrees centigrade, although it can get colder.

If you are a keen winter sports enthusiast, this time of year is definitely the best time to visit, as you can use the city as a base to pursue these activities.  

In fact, apart from when the weather is really atrocious – and there are lots of world-class museums and art galleries to keep you occupied if this is the case – Geneva is an all-year-round city. 

Zurich

Like Geneva, Zurich has a temperate climate. Switzerland’s largest city also has a dramatic setting and summer and winter are both special times of the year to visit. Temperatures are pretty much the same as in Geneva.

This means it’s also difficult to say when the best time of year is to go weather wise – it really depends on what you want to do.   In the summer it’s a lovely place for boat trips, wandering around the parks and gardens, and for swimming in some of the lidos dotted around the lake.

In winter, there are lots of places nearby to partake in some winter sports and the city hosts a number of Christmas markets.

You can also day trip to nearby places – I have written about things to do in Lucerne in winter – and this is less than an hour away by train.

Again, when the weather makes it impractical to be outdoors, Zurich has a superb range of museums and art galleries to explore.

It also has a wonderful spa that I’ve visited several times and would recommend. At the very top is a thermal rooftop pool which gives you fabulous views out across the city and river. Even in winter this is an option as the pool is heated.

Zurich vs Geneva: Museums

Geneva

Geneva has a superb selection of museums.

Switzerland has a long history of neutrality and the city’s is known for its role as a world centre for diplomacy, human rights and international organisations. This explains why Geneva is where you’ll find a museum that celebrates the International Red Cross and Red Crescent movement.

Another top museum worth exploring is the Museum of Art and History (Musee d’art et d’histoire), one of Switzerland’s largest. This houses an impressive collection of fine arts, graphic arts, archaeology and applied arts.

You may also want to check out the International Museum of the Reformation, located next to the cathedral. Here you can learn about the history of this influential movement that transformed the European political landscape.

Three other museums you may want to consider visiting during your stay in Geneva are the Patek Phillipe Museum (covering the subject of watchmaking), the Musee Ariana (glass and ceramics), CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research, which tells the story of the world’s largest particle physics laboratory) and the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Arts.

Entry to many of these museums is free or discounted with the Geneva City Pass.

Zurich

Like Geneva, Zurich is home to some excellent and quite often unique museums. Probably one that will be top of many people’s list (and fits into both descriptions) is the FIFA World Cup Museum.

This covers all of the tournaments and showcases a fantastic exhibition that includes football kits and trophies as well as interactive sections.

If you are interested in seeing some of Switzerland’s historical and cultural art works, then check out the Swiss National Museum (the Landesmueum Zurich). 

For art, there is the Kunsthaus Zurich, which contains the largest collection of art in Switzerland, as well as the Rietberg Museum. Or you could visit the Museum of Design (Museum Fur Gestaltung).

More niche is the Zurich Tram Museum, a definite one for train buffs. And for something quirkier, try out the Wow Museum, which bills itself as the ‘room for illusions’.

Chocolate lovers will also love the Lindt Home of Chocolate Museum. You get unlimited tastings!

Finally, should you have time on your hands (pardon the pun), you may want to visit the Beyer Museum, which traces the development of timekeeping over the centuries.

Geneva vs Zurich: Day trips

Both Geneva and Zurich are well located for most popular destinations in Switzerland. And as noted above, the Swiss train network is reliably punctual and there are regular and frequent services. 

The Swiss Travel Pass

If you are considering taking the train to visit several nearby places of interest, you might want to consider buying a Swiss Travel Pass.

Not only does the pass enable you to use public transport (trains, buses and boats) across the network free of charge (this covers over 90 towns), but you can also use it to enter many of the country’s museums (over 500 in fact!).

The Swiss Travel Pass also includes half price mountain trips which is a real bonus if you’re spending some time in the country, as these sorts of excursions can turn out to be quite expensive.

Day trips from Geneva

Geneva is superbly located for exploring the French-speaking region of Switzerland. However, it’s also only around two hours to Switzerland’s capital Bern and a little short of three hours to Zurich.

Basel is also an option for a day out with its medieval old town, grand gothic cathedral, and distinctive red brick town hall. The travel time is just under three hours. 

Also, thanks to the city’s close proximity to the French border, you could combine a trip to Geneva with a visit to nearby Annecy, as this is a little over an hour away. Lyon meanwhile is only around two hours away by train and is another great day out.

If you don’t want to go into France, there is no shortage of great day trips to cities and towns in French-speaking Switzerland that are within easy reach of Geneva. Most notably there is Lausanne and Montreux.

Lausanne, Switzerland’s fourth largest city, is only a short train journey from Geneva along the northern shores of Lake Geneva.

You could easily spend a few days here, but if you only have a day, the highlights include exploring the old town, walking along the lakeshore at Ouchy and visiting the Olympic Museum.

If you don’t have much time in Geneva and can only day trip to Lausanne, check out my post on one day in Lausanne.

A bit further along the northern shores of Lake Geneva from Lausanne is Montreux, famous for its annual international jazz festival. One of the main attractions here is the lakeside promenade. There’s also the medieval Chateau de Chillon right beside the water.

Science enthusiasts may want to visit CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research Museum), which is located 8 km to the west of Geneva straddling the border with France. If you do decide to visit what is the world’s largest particle physics laboratory, you will get the unique opportunity to learn about the Large Hadron Collider.

Finally, closed at the time of writing but due to reopen in 2023, one of the best places to get incredible bird’s eye view of Geneva is from the cable car of Mont Saleve.

When it does restart operations, you’ll be carried to an altitude of 1,100 metres in a matter of minutes. Not only will you be rewarded with unbeatable views of Geneva below, but you can see the Alps and the Mont Blanc mountain range.

From Zurich

Like Geneva, you will find there is no shortage of excellent day trip options. Not only do these include sights in northern and central Switzerland, but also the option of travelling into southern Germany, eastern Austria and Liechtenstein, one of the world’s smallest countries. 

If you do fancy visiting a neighbouring country, trains to Freiburg in Germany take around two hours. You can also travel by train to Innsbruck in Austria, a journey that takes a bit longer, around three and a half hours.

Alternatively, why not wander around tiny Liechtenstein? If this interests you, you need to get a direct train from Zurich’s main train station to Sargans. The journey time is between 40 and 60 minutes. You then need to get a bus outside the station to Liechtenstein’s capital Vaduz. This takes about 30 minutes.

To find out what there is to see and do in Vaduz, I’ve written a separate post about this.

Switzerland’s capital, Bern, is slightly closer to Zurich than Geneva and would make a great day trip. You can take direct trains to Bern and the journey time varies from an hour to an hour and 15 minutes.

Bern is much smaller than either Zurich or Geneva, but once there, you can wander around the old town (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), visit the museums dedicated to Albert Einstein, and see the city’s famous bears.

Basel is a similar journey time and again you can take a direct train. The city also has a lovely old town to wander around and as it straddles the border with France and Germany, you can visit the spot where the three countries intersect.

However, if you don’t want to travel so far, there are quite a few interesting towns and cities near to Zurich that you may want to consider. These include Rapperswil, Winterthur, St Gallen and Schaffhausen.

The latter is near Europe’s largest waterfall, The Rhine Falls. 

Another attractive option is historic Lucerne, a lakeside city with the 14^th century Chapel Bridge straddling the Reuss River. This is about 45 minutes away by direct train.

Zurich vs Geneva: Food and drink

Geneva

With its close proximity to France, you’ll notice a clear French influence in some of the menus of the restaurants in Geneva. As you wander around, you’ll come across some top brasseries. We found quite a few in the streets leading down from the main station to the lake, but there are other areas where you’ll find top notch eateries.

However, being an international city, you will also be able to find many other cuisines available. 

Of course, if you like your fondue, there is no shortage of establishments to explore and tuck into some gorgeous melted cheese and bread. The same goes for raclette and rosti dishes.

For some top tips, TripAdvisor lists some of the most highly rated restaurants in the city for 2023.

Likewise, Geneva is home to some fantastic bars. In the summer, you’ll find lots of pop-up bars around the lake.

Zurich

Like Geneva, Zurich is an international city and therefore you will be able to find a good range of different cuisines. However, being the largest German-speaking city in Switzerland, it’s not surprising that there are lots of Alpine style restaurants selling mouth-watering sausages, sauerkraut and potatoes.

One of our favourites is this bierkeller located a stone’s throw from the river. It has a nice outside patio for summer dining, but also a lively warm interior for colder days.

However, if you are a vegetarian or vegan don’t despair. Zurich is also home to one of the top vegetarian outlets you will find anywhere, the fabulous Haus Hiltl, the world’s oldest vegetarian restaurant.

Here, and elsewhere, you can try some traditional dishes – including the popular spaetzle, a noodle/pasta type dish – alongside more modern takes on Swiss food.

Haus Hiltl is a particularly great place to visit on a Sunday when you pay a flat fee to eat as much as you like from their brunch buffet dishes. We’ve been and loved it.

Although the cost might seem a little on the high side, for an expensive city (it’s ranked as one of the most expensive cities in the world), and the fact that you can spend hours here trying out all sorts of different dishes, means its actually good value for money. There are also some drinks thrown in for the price.

As you’re in Switzerland, you will also find some great chocolatiers. If you are after exclusive brands, head to Bahnofstrasse where you’ll find Sprungli, Laderach and Tuescher confiseries. In some cases, the outlets include cafes where you can try some cake.

If you are looking for unique cafes and bars, Zurich has lots to offer. Some of our personal favourites include Café Odeon, Café Felix and the Storchen Zurich hotel. I particularly like the riverside terrace in the latter where you can sit watching the sun go down in the summer.

Geneva vs Zurich: Festivals and events

You may not have a particular time of year when you want to visit Geneva or Zurich. Even so, it’s worth knowing about a few of the festivals and events that run throughout the year in both cities or in towns that are not that far away. As an example, if you absolutely love jazz, you may want to attend the Montreux Jazz Festival in July and you can reach Montreux from Geneva by train easily.  

Geneva

• Montreux Jazz Festival: Arguably one of the most famous Swiss events and one that attracts international acclaim, this annual jazz event (other genres are also represented) takes place in July in Montreux at the opposite end of Lake Geneva. There is a regular train service from Geneva that takes around an hour.

• National Day: Every Swiss town and city celebrates national day on 1 August. This marks the birth of the Swiss Confederation in the 1290s. If you are in Geneva (or Zurich) on this date, expect to see fireworks and street processions.

• Fete L’Escalade: Held in the second week of December, this is the biggest festival in Geneva’s calendar. The event celebrates the city’s defeat of invading Savoy troops in the early 1600s. Should you be lucky enough to be here when it takes place, you’ll see torch-lit processions and the cathedral square hosts a bonfire.

• Christmas markets: In addition to the Fete L’Escalade, Geneva also hosts a Christmas market to get you in the mood for the festive season.  This is held in the Jardin Anglais from late November.

Zurich

• Sechselauten: Celebrated in April, this event marks the end of winter and start of spring. If you happen to be in Zurich on the date (the third Monday in the month), you’ll see a parade of people dressed in historical costumes. There is also the traditional burning of a winter snowman; apparently the faster the snowman – Boogg – burns, the better the summer weather will be.

• The Street Parade: This massive celebratory event held in mid-August brings huge numbers out for what is apparently one of Europe’s largest festivals of electronic music.

• The Limmat River Swim: Another event in August, the Limmat River Swim sees thousands of people swim or float along the length of the river. It’s a fun event for all the family.

• Christmas markets: Zurich has several Christmas markets to visit if you’re in the city at this time of year. One such market is held on the main station concourse and has a Christmas tree adorned with thousands of Swarovski crystals.

Geneva vs Zurich

So overall, taking into account all of the above, which city wins? 

I actually don’t think either ‘wins’. For me, it’s worth visiting both – but then I would say that given Switzerland is one of my favourite countries and I love visiting both Geneva and Zurich. Both have fabulous things to do and see and both are within easy reach of other places.

If you can, I’d say visit them both, and do your own Geneva vs Zurich assessment!