By Gemma Tedaldi | Published: 25 August 2025 | Updated: 25th August 2025
Lausanne is a place in Switzerland perfect to while away a long weekend, with a medieval old city sitting alongside the newer modern city, wonderful day trips to nearby towns and villages and beautiful views over Lac Leman. It is also home to the International Olympic Committee headquarters, Olympic Museum and Olympic Park, so ideal for anyone who is interested in both the sports and history of the Olympics. So here is our Lausanne itinerary for how to spend 1 to 3 days in this beautiful and underrated part of Switzerland:
📍 Lausanne Itinerary Day 1: Lausanne
📍 Lausanne Itinerary Day 2: UNESCO Lavaux Vineyards
📍 Lausanne Itinerary Day 3: Montreux & Vevey
Planning Your Trip? Use our favourite travel resources below:
Accommodation: We recommend Booking.com
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Flights: We recommend Kiwi.com
Tours: We recommend Get Your Guide & Viator
Currency Conversion: We recommend Wise
Travel Insurance: World Nomads
Lausanne Itinerary Map
Lausanne Itinerary: 1 to 3 Days
This is our suggested Lausanne itinerary, but of course feel free to switch the days around if the weather is better one day over another, it won’t be enjoyable walking through vineyards if it is bucketing it down! It is worth saying that your experience may differ a lot depending on the time of year you visit. We visited in the autumn and it was the perfect blend of warm days and cool nights, with the new harvest wine thrown in! However, visiting in the sprin,g you will be met with hundreds of tulips and daffodils lining the lake and mountain sides, summer is time for dahlias and hot days, and of course the winter is the time for Christmas markets, (the one in Montreux is particularly lovely) and a dusting of snow.
Also, when you book a night stay in any of Lausanne’s hotels, B&B’s or campsites you will receive the Lausanne Transport Card giving you free public transport throughout Lausanne for your entire stay as well as numerous other discounts on attractions and activities.
Lausanne Itinerary Day 1: Lausanne
We are starting the Lausanne itinerary off in Lausanne itself, exploring the Altstadt, the waterfront and the Olympic Museum and Park. Lausanne is often overlooked for the larger more well-known destinations in Switzerland, like Geneva, Zurich and Lucerne, but it a wonderful city, filled with stunning architecture, beautiful lakeside walks and incredible views across Lac Léman. (Don’t call it Lake Geneva, especially when visiting the area, as that is not its name and you will get the disappointed eye from the locals!).
Start the day off by exploring the Palais de Rumine, not only a beautiful historical landmark palace, but a building home to 4 museums under one roof, archaeology & history, geology & zoology, coin & medal collections and one of the most beautiful libraries you will see. The permanent exhibitions are all free, with temporary exhibitions costing from CHF 8.
From the Palais de Rumine it is just a short 5-minute walk up to Cité and Lausanne Cathedral, the Gothic masterpiece that overlooks the city. It costs CHF 2 to get into the cathedral but it is well worth it, especially when you can climb to the top of the Belfry and get near 360 views and see the stunning stained glass windows in all their glory. Be sure to come back here between the hours of 10pm and 2am to see / hear the Cathedral Watchman call out the time every hour, as they have been doing for the last 600 years!
From here head via the Vue des toits de Lausanne, (another beautiful viewpoint over the city), then down the Escaliers du Marché, historic wooden covered steps with coffee shops and independent shops along the side, (they are really quite something to see, and you’ll be glad you are walking down not up!). These connect the Cathedral with the lower parts of Lausanne and bring you out into a beautiful area of the old town.
At the bottom of the stairs, you will find yourself at Place de la Palud with its colourful Renaissance fountain and historic town hall, both of which are often covered in a giant Swiss flag! The cobbled streets with historic buildings around here are well worth a wander through too, before making your way to Downtown Lausanne for some delicious lunch.
After lunch hop on the M2 Metro at Lausanne-Flon just a short 15-minute trip down to Ouchy-Olympique, or you can walk which takes around 30 minutes, arriving at the Port of Lausanne-Ouchy. Here take the short walk around the nearby park, L’horloge Fleurie and along the Place du Port and Quai d’Ouchy before arriving at The Olympic Museum and Park, (the Veneta ice cream stand along here does fantastic ice cream and crepes!).
Here you will find a permanent exhibition on the Olympics heritage, the athletes, the kit, the stadiums and of course the various sporting events. There is also a wonderful sculpture park full of Olympic experiences, like how fast you can run, and how quick Usain Bolt is in comparison, (spoilers he is unbelievably fast!), and an Olympic flame you can see as well.
Buy your Olympic Museum Entry Ticket here.
After spending some time exploring the Olympic Park and Museum we recommend heading a little further along the lake edge to Parc du Denantou, another beautiful city park full of statues and a golden Thai pagoda.
Be sure to stop at Les Brasseurs Lausanne for dinner, the flammkuchen and locally brewed beer are great!
If you want to do something really unique to Switzerland, then why not book to do a Fondue Flight in a Hot Air Balloon! Seeing the world from above in a hot air balloon is something everyone should do in their lifetime and with the added bonus of getting a fondue too, it’s a win win! (Having lived in a city famous for its balloons in the UK, Bristol, we have had our fair share of ballooning experiences!).
Lausanne Itinerary Day 2: UNESCO Lavaux Vineyards
Day 2 and we are heading a short 15-minute train ride away from Lausanne to St-Saphorin in the UNESCO Lavaux Vineyards. This area is one of Switzerland’s somewhat hidden gems that is only really known to Swiss wine lovers, with vineyards as far as the eye can see, (it is Switzerland’s largest continuous vineyard area after all), as well as some stunning views over Lac Leman.
There is a 32km path from Lausanne to Chillon Castle near Montreux that you can walk or cycle along to explore the 800 hectares of the winegrowing terraces in Lavaux and the surrounding area, but instead we are going to walk from St-Saphorin to Grandvaux a short 10km part of the route taking in some of the best views, (and some of the nicest wineries!), before enjoying the paths through the vineyards between Grandvaux and Cully. It takes around 3.5 hours to walk this entire route, but it is split up with stops in different vineyards / wineries, so it feels like a lovely leisurely day.
If you want to explore more than just the first part of this route, you can easily add on the rest of the path to Lutry if you fancy, making the walk around 15km. If you would rather not walk then there are tourist trains that run through the vineyards along a set route too, you can find out more about them here.
Before setting out be sure you have proper footwear, the vineyard paths can be steep or gravelled, and plenty of water if visiting in the summer months, (there is little to no shade along the route). Also, it is worth noting that most wineries / caves will be closed over lunch between 12-2pm, so plan accordingly if there is somewhere that you really want to visit.
After arriving in St-Saphorin and exploring this little medieval village, it is time to head out on the route to Grandvaux, following the 113 Terrasses de Lavaux path winding through the vineyards. (We have mapped the route above, or you can use the Swisstopo app, but it is well signposted and if you get lost there is always someone to ask for directions). From Grandvaux it is then a short walk downhill to Cully where you can take either the train or boat back to Lausanne. If you choose to walk the whole route to Lutry, simply keep following the signs and there is again a train or boat connection back to Lausanne there as well.
This route it is stunning every way you look, and in every season, winding through small villages, past winegrowers huts and all through the panoramic terraced vineyards meaning plenty of stops in cellars / wineries on route! We recommend stopping in the following cellars along the way, some of which you will have to book ahead for wine tasting:
🍷 Winery #1 – Lavaux Vinorama, Rte du Lac 2, 1071 Puidoux, Switzerland. With more than 300 wines on offer from all over the region, this is the place to go if you don’t want to visit lots of different places. Be sure to book ahead here.
🍷 Winery #2 – Auberge du vigneron, Rte de la Corniche 16, 1098 Bourg-en-Lavaux, Switzerland. Place with a pretty terrace perfect for tasting a variety of local wines.
Before the next winery and after arriving in Grandvaux, be sure to stop at Auberge de la Gare, (at the station), for lunch. With a gorgeous panoramic terrace overlooking the vineyards and modern Swiss cuisine, what’s not to like? Plus you will need some sustenance after / before wine tasting!
🍷 Winery #3 – Domaine Croix Duplex, Rte de Chenaux 2, 1091 Grandvaux, Switzerland. Close to Grandvaux station this family-run winery not only has a beautiful panoramic tasting terrace, but is famous in the area for Chasselas, Pinot Noir, and sweet wines.
🍷 Winery #4 – Caveau Corto, Chem. du Four, 1091 Grandvaux, Switzerland. This small little wine bar has some of the best views over the vineyards, as well as some delicious new season wine. If visiting in the autumn be sure to get a portion of heisse marroni, (roasted sweet chestnuts), too, they’re delicious!
🍷 Winery #5 – Les Frères Dubois SA, Chem. de Versailles 1, 1096 Cully, Switzerland. Small family owned winery with one of the most friendly hosts you will find!
Be sure to grab a souvenir bottle of your favourite wine to take home with you!
Lausanne Itinerary Day 3: Montreux & Vevey
For the final day of the Lausanne itinerary, we are again hopping on board a train or even a boat, and this time heading to two towns along the lake edge, Montreux and Vevey. These towns have some of the most beautiful lake side promenades and mountain views across Lac Léman as well as a rich history around music and comedy, so all in all the perfect places to spend a day exploring!
Start the day off by hopping on board an early train or boat to Montreux, the train takes around 20 minutes, and the boat around 2 hours, so if you opt for the boat make the most of it and grab breakfast on board. If coming via train grab breakfast when you arrive in Montreux, Tea-room des Alpes or Sleepy Bear Coffee on Avenue des Alpes are both great options with delicious pastries and coffee. Once in Montreux it is a short walk down from the train station to the lake side promenade if you come via train.
Montreux, often called the Pearl of Lac Léman, is famous for music events, picturesque old town and its beautiful lakeside paths lined with gardens and statues, including the famous Freddie Mercury statue and the Statue Les Amoureux. If you are visiting during the month of July expect pop up music stages and events throughout the town and along the lake for the Montreux Jazz Festival, one of the biggest music festivals in Switzerland, (and well worth going too if you are visiting then!).
After grabbing some breakfast we recommend heading down to the lake side and taking a leisurely stroll along the various promenades / quais. The route taking in the Promenade sur les quais de Montreux, Quai de Montreux, Quai de la Rouvenaz, Quai Earnest-Ansermet and Quai des Fleurs is by far the nicest, and even when we last visited in the autumn, still very much in bloom!
If it is of interest to you, and assuming you arrived into Montreux early, we would highly recommend taking the 30 minute walk or 10 minute bus / train around the lake edge to Château de Chillon and Fort de Chillon, a medieval castle situated right on the water and an underground fortress hidden in the mountain side opposite.
Get your Château de Chillon Entrance Ticket here.
Get your Fort de Chillon Entrance Ticket here.
After your fill of Montreux it is time to head back along the lake towards Lausanne but stopping in Vevey on the way. It takes around 20 minutes by train or by boat, (just be sure to get on the quick boat otherwise it will take you 1 hour and 20 minutes!).
If you choose to hop on board one of the local boats the grab your Montreux Riviera Cruise ticket here.
Vevey is somewhat unknown in comparison to other destinations along Lac Léman but it a beautiful little town to visit and home to some fantastic lake side eateries perfect for lunch. We can highly recommend Le Café Littéraire along the Quai Perdonnet, (the food is incredible and the views if you sit outside even more so!), or Bla Bla Vevey along the Place du Marché.
After filling up for lunch, we recommend visiting the Alimentarium & lakeside promenade statues. To start head out along the lakeside east on Quai Perdonnet to the statue of Charlie Chaplin, (he lived here the last few years of his life), there are a few other statues along here too including a giant 8 metre tall fork statue inventively called The Fork or La Fourchette coming out of the lake, (it is a really surreal statue as it really does look like the lake is a giant bowl!).
Opposite the giant fork you will find the Alimentarium, a museum created by Nestle dedicated to food and nutrition, it sounds odd by it is really quite interesting! This takes around 1 hour to explore fully and costs from CHF 15 per adult. For more information and tickets check out the link here.
After exploring all along the lake edge, head into the centre of the town, winding through its pretty streets lined with historic buildings and shopping boutiques and visiting the Place du Marche, which is the place to go for farmers markets or seasonal events. You can then grab dinner in Vevey or head back to Lausanne for the evening. Both Ze Fork on Rue du Lac 75 and Le Mazot on Rue du Simplon are perfect spots to unwind with traditional Swiss dishes.
If you fancy visiting the Chaplin’s World Museum instead, it is a short 15 minute bus ride out of Vevey, (on various routes 211, 212, 213, 216 or 217), where you can learn all about his life and work. It takes a couple of hours to visit the museum in its entirety. Be sure to buy your Chaplin’s World Entrance Ticket in advance here.
From Vevey it is then just a short 25 minute train ride back to Lausanne, (you can also get the boat from here too but for some reason it is always at least a 1 hour journey, so only do that if you have the time to spare).
More days in Lausanne
If you have more days to spend in Lausanne / the area around Lausanne, and especially if you are visiting during the spring, then you be sure to visit Morges for its annual Tulip Festival, one of the largest flower festivals in Switzerland or the Dahlia Festival, and the hills surrounding Montreux for the beautiful white daffodil fields.
There are also numerous boat trips that you can take on Lake Léman from Lausanne – Ouchy, including foodie trips, riviera cruises, evening cruises and combined lake and mountain excursions. Check out all your Lake Geneva cruise options here.
Where to stay in Lausanne
We stayed at Hotel du Marché, and it was a great location to be close enough to the city centre and public transport, but also far enough away to be quiet at night. For more accommodation options, check out the map below:
Lausanne Itinerary FAQs
Where is Lausanne
Lausanne is located in the canton of Vaud in eastern Switzerland, just a short trip along Lac Léman from Geneva.
How to get to Lausanne
Getting to Lausanne is very easy with public transport from across Switzerland, be it by train, ferry or bus. The main train station, Lausanne Gare, connects to destinations throughout Vaud as well as further afield, and the Lausanne Ouchy ferry stop connects Lausanne with locations all along Lac Léman.
From Geneva to Lausanne:
🚄 Public transport – From 35 minutes by train
🚗 Car – From 50 minutes / 65km
From Zurich to Lausanne:
🚄 Public transport – From 2 hours 15 minutes by train
🚗 Car – From 2 hours 30 minutes / 225km
From Lucerne to Lausanne:
🚄 Public transport – From 2 hours 15 minutes by train.
🚗 Car – From 2 hours 20 minutes / 215km
From Basel to Lausanne:
🚄 Public transport – From 2 hours 15 minutes by train
🚗 Car – From 2 hours 15 minutes / 200km
How to get around Lausanne
Lausanne is a city which is easily walkable, but it is rather hilly, so to save your legs from constant up and down hill walking there is well connected Metro and bus network throughout the city and from Lausanne Gare down to the lake edge at Ouchy, (which is quite a walk if you choose to walk it). Most accommodation in Lausanne will give you the Lausanne public transport card that allows you to use any public transport for free for the duration of your stay, so you can save your legs and your money.
Best time to visit Lausanne
We visited Lausanne in the autumn and not only was the weather perfect but the city and its surroundings during the autumn are simply stunning, with the crunch of autumn leaves and vineyards turning bright yellow. Plus if you visit in the autumn that is when the new season wine is made and when vineyard caves open there doors for tastings!
How many days are needed in Lausanne?
We spent 3 days in Lausanne and it was a great amount of time to not only visit the city but also take trips out to nearby places such as Montreux and Lavaux. If you have a couple of days to explore Lausanne then a couple for day trips that would be ideal.
Is it worth visiting Lausanne?
Lausanne is definitely worth visiting! If not for the beautiful city itself but for the Olympic history and the opportunities to visit nearby towns and villages, as well as the Lavaux Vineyards UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Which is better to visit Lausanne or Geneva?
Both cities are very different to one another and both well worth visiting. Geneva is often busier than Lausanne however as it is not only the location of an international airport but also just more well known by tourists than Lausanne.
Conclusion: The Perfect Lausanne Itinerary: 1 to 3 Days
So there is how to spend 1 to 3 days in Lausanne. From the historic city, to the lake side Olympic park, boat trips on Lac Leman and day trips to nearby vineyards and villages. We think this is the perfect Lausanne itinerary to enjoy Lac Leman views, delicious food and even more delicious Swiss wine!
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Gemma Tedaldi
Gemma is the owner and author of The Travelling Tedaldi, a travel blog helping travellers to discover the best road trips and travel itineraries throughout the UK and Europe. When she isn’t writing about her favourite travel destinations, she can often be found out exploring local hikes or planning future trips.