THE GENEVA PASS – SEE THE CITY ON THE CHEAP
by Chené Koscielny
Have you done Geneva – I mean really DONE Geneva? Whether you’ve only been here a few days, for months or even years – I bet there are many of the city’s 50 + top attractions you haven’t explored yet.
Have you done a Segway city tour, river-rafted down the River Arve, explored the city from a taxi bike? How many of the many guided walks, sightseeing tours, boat cruises and museums have you done? Have you done the cruise of the mermaid?
If you’re not sure what to do during the Jeûne Genevois weekend, consider becoming a tourist for a day or two and buy the Geneva Pass, which gives you free or discounted access to more than 50 of the coolest city sights. (The offer for a free pass during this weekend has now closed, but the pass is still reasonable at CHF26 for 24hours!)
IS THE GENEVA PASS ON YOUR RADAR?
If, like us, you’re always on the lookout for fun, quirky things to do in Geneva – especially on a budget, the Geneva Pass should definitely be on your radar.
Similar to tourist passes in other cities, you usually buy the Geneva Pass (either for 24h, 48h or 72h) to get free entry or discounts on some of the city’s top things to do. The pass is reasonable (CHF26 for 24 hours) compared to other city passes in other big world cities and offers a great variety of cultural activities, sports and other things to do. We found lots of activities on our to do list here.
The pass also gives you access to free transport, including the buses, trams and mouettes (yellow boat taxis on the lake)
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The Geneva Pass, offered by Geneva Tourism and their city partners is aimed at tourists, but also very much at encouraging locals to become tourists in their own city.
WHAT CAN YOU SEE AND DO?
Here are some of the FREE and discounted activities covered by the GENEVA PASS, which caught our eye. (There are many more, so check out the list yourself.)
CITY CENTRE
SIGHT-SEEING:
Mini-train tours – free
Open bus tour – free
City bus tours – half-price
TaxiBike tours – 20% off
Guided Old Town visits – free
Segway beginner city tours – 20% off
SPORT AND RELAXING:
CGN boat cruise –free
Pedal-boat on the lake – 30 minutes free
MUSEUMS AND CULTURE:
MAMCO (museum of Modern and Contemporary Art) – free entry
MAH (Museum of Art History) – free entry
Natural History Museum and many other museums – free entry
GREATER GENEVA:
SIGHTSEEING:
Guided walks in Carouge – free
Mont-Salève cable car – free
SPORT AND RELAXING
Single-seater kayak or canoe rental – one hour free
Geneve Plage – free entry
River rafting on the River Arve – 30% off
MUSEUMS AND CULTURE
Red Cross Museum, Museum – free entry
Swiss Abroad and other museums – free entry
WHAT IF IT RAINS?
Some activities are, of course, weather dependent and may be cancelled, so check their website or Facebook pages before you set off.
Luckily, many of the available attractions can also be enjoyed when it’s gloomy outside.
MORE INFO
To find out more about the Geneva Pass and the attractions and activities covered, click here.
Download the brochure here.
