Visiting Geneva? Don’t want to spend a fortune on expensive tours? Here’s our list of the best free and cheap tours available!
Geneva is a wonderful city to explore, and with so much to do you may not know where to begin. To help you make the most of your trip there are plenty of tour services to choose from that will show you the best places to shop, see the wonderful architecture and take you to the brilliant landmarks the city has to offer. Most of these tours are free, so you won’t have to spend a fortune in order to see the best bits.
Free Walk’s ‘Heart of Geneva’
If you have a couple of hours to spare from your busy trip, then meet a guide from Free Walk at the Clock Tower Pont de l’Ile at Place Bel-Air at 11am any day of the week, for their Heart of Geneva tour. This walking tour will take you to a variety of landmarks such as the vibrant flower clock; the world's tallest jet, the Jet d’eau; and, to top it all off, a visit to the commercial district.
Geneva Greeters
Geneva Greeters offer a similar service, inviting people on free tours guided by a local. The tour will take you to the main shopping streets of Geneva and its luxury boutiques. You will also visit the Parc des Bastions, where the Reformation Wall is held. The meeting point for this tour is Quai des Bergues at either 11am or 3pm each day. It is important to book online in advance (at least 24hours) to make sure you receive a place.
The GPSMYCITY App
GPSMYCITY has an app available with a variety of self-guided tours around the city. Some of the tours available include a walk to all the most famous chocolatiers in Geneva, the most famous landmarks, and even a City Center shopping walk.
Tired of Walking? Take a Segway Tour!
If all the walking is daunting, then maybe consider a Segway tour around Geneva’s old town for an hour and a half, or take the international tour to the UN and through beautiful parks by the lake for two and half hours.
To take part in the Segway tours, enter the Shopping Center les Cygnes and take the elevator to level AD. There are signs from there, so it is easy to find. To take part you must be 18 or over, and have at least a motorbike license. If you’re unfamiliar with using a Segway you don’t have to worry, as you will have plenty of time to get used to it after being taught at the beginning of the tour.
Walking around takes a long time, and the advantage of the Segway is that you can get around a lot quicker and see all the sights in just a few hours. Your guide will also be taking pictures of you during the tour, in front of various monuments. The photographs will be sent to you within 24 hours after the tour, so you will have something to remember this unique experience by.
How to Get to Geneva
You can travel to Geneva by airplane or by train. If you’d prefer to fly then you can travel straight from London City Airport to Geneva.
On the other hand, you may prefer to take the Eurostar across the English Channel and through to Paris. Once in Paris you can go from Paris Gare de Lyon to Gare de Bellegarde, then to Genève station.
Once you have arrived at the airport, Geneva airport transfers are available to get you to your hotel; transfers are also available to get you from the train station. I find it best to pre-book a shuttle ride online to help make the trip run smoothly, so I have one less thing to think about when on holiday.
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