Feast your eyes on the medieval monuments and colorful, half-timbered houses of Annecy on a half-day tour from Geneva. Admire the stunning Swiss countryside as you travel by air-conditioned coach to the French town considered by many to be the "Venice of the Alps." Take a guided tour of the quaint cobbled streets of Annecy and delve into the town’s rich history as you visit interesting landmarks like Palais de l’Isle and Château Annecy. Take a stroll on the shores of Lake Annecy and then spend the remaining tour time exploring the Alpine gem at your own leisure.

Explore Annecy Old Town’s colorful pedestrian lanes on a narrated walking tour
Snap photos of Palais de l'Isle, the town’s most iconic landmark
Browse exhibits in Château d’Annecy and stroll along the beautiful boat-filled lake
Peruse the markets of Le Thiou

What's Included

Air-conditioned vehicle
Return trip in coach
45 minutes Guided Walking Tour
Guide for more than 10 people or driver guide for small groups
Free time for shopping

Food and drinks
Entrance fees (Chateau d'Annecy: 12 euros)

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

Geneva Bus Station
1201 Geneva, Switzerland
Place Dorcière 1201 Geneva

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Depart from a centrally located Geneva pickup point in an air-conditioned coach and embark on a scenic journey across the Switzerland-France border. Gaze at the snow-capped spires of the Alps as your guide sets the historical scene of Annecy, a medieval town shrouded in legend.

As you approach, marvel at the emerald waterways that weave their way around the town hailed as the "Venice of the Alps;" appreciate the picturesque tableau of colorful houses decorated with flower-filled balconies, and set out on a short orientation tour of the town, exploring the Old Town and its charming collection of monuments. Capture photographs beside the renowned Palais de l’Isle, a 12th-century island fortress, and absorb sweeping city vistas from its vertiginous vantage point.

Venture to Château d’Annecy, a grand castle whose hilltop perch affords more impressive panoramas, and peruse the interesting exhibits housed in its museum. See models of Alpine chalets and informative panels on the history of Lake Annecy.

Enjoy some leisurely free time to eat lunch and then explore the town independently for the remainder of your tour perhaps strolling down Le Thiou.

After thoroughly exploring Annecy, reconvene with your guide and group and relax during the journey back to Geneva.

KeyTours S.A.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Lake Annecy (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Confirmation for this product will be received at time of booking
Tour is operated in English and French unless otherwise specified
A current valid passport is required on the day of travel
Important: in July and August for the 2:15pm option, there is not guide but audio guide

Stroller accessible
Near public transportation
Infant seats available
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 50 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Traveler Tips

The short half day trip from Geneva is worth the money as you can imagine how was life in medieval ages.

The city is very nice and worth a visit, specially in a good sunny day.

Reviews

4.0

156 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-10 of 156 reviews

A nice time

Lisa_B, Mar 2023

This was a beautiful half day. We didn't have too many crowds and it was an easy drive over. It just didn't feel like enough time because many of the shops didn't open until we were about to leave. I think that if I were to do it again, I would prefer to take an afternoon option. I think there is a full day option that might also be nice because then you could do the two museums in the area, get something to eat without being rushed, and enjoy the beautiful area. I would recommend using this company again for another tour.

Annecy is really a...

Phuong_P, Dec 2022

Annecy is really a beautiful fantastic old city. I enjoyed the beautiful lake and charming old houses there.

Response from Host, Dec 2022

Good morning, thank you very much for your review. we are happy you spend a nice time in this beautiful city of Annecy.

Stunning Annecy

Joanna_W, Dec 2022

Exceeded expectations, Annecy was stunning. Views spectacular. Our guide Zara was bubbly and very knowledgeable. Bus driver Italian Daniel was very good! Would highly recommend this trip! Only thing could be improved would have been an extra hour or two there, as trip was 5 hours including hour each way travelling.

Response from Host, Dec 2022

Good morning, thank you very much for your review. We are glad you enjoyed the tour. We will pass your message to zara and David. Safe travel

Lovely trip to a great destination.

Anthony_B, Nov 2022

Outstanding tour guide made the whole trip fun and informative. Absolute star who brings a lot if credit to her employer.

Response from Host, Dec 2022

Good morning, thank you very much for your review. We are glad you enjoyed our tour to Annecy, the venice of the Alps. We will pass your message to our guide! Safe travel

Awesome half day tour

Laura_M, Oct 2022

What a beautiful nornjng tour this was. Our guide took us to the most beautiful spots in Annecy. Would highly recommend

Response from Host, Oct 2022

Good morning, thank you for your review! We are glad you enjoyed the Venice of the Alps, the colorful houses and littles canals are typical :) Best regards

A Trip to Annecy is a Must when in Geneva

Melodie_M, Oct 2022

Just walking through this quaint town was a wonderful experience! The tour guide was wonderful. The only complaint, if you will, was that the timing was so short. Two hours to walk around and have lunch is do-able but rushed. A full day option or maybe three and a half hours to walk around would be terrific!

Response from Host, Oct 2022

Hello Melodie, Thanks for your review. We are very happy that you appreciate your visit at Annecy. Annecy is a small place but so beautiful ! See you next time

Wonderful day out in Annecy

Rizwana_H, Sep 2022

Great tour guide who was very informative and knowledgeable, a very enjoyable day out in a beautiful place.

Response from Host, Oct 2022

Good morning, thank you very much for your review! we are glad you enjoy the venice of the alps!

Great

JENNY_B, Sep 2022

Very beautiful town. Our guide Zara was very informative and kept everyone's needs in mind when showing us around and recommended some amazing ice cream places

Response from Host, Sep 2022

Good morning, thank you for your review. We are glad you enjoyed the tour and the guide. We hope you keep good memories of Annecy!

Annecy is a very...

Brian_B, Aug 2022

Annecy is a very beautiful city. Definitely worth visiting. Going on a aviator tour is a great way to go.

Response from Host, Aug 2022

Good morning, thank you very much for your review. We are glad you enjoyed the tour and the lovely town of Annecy. it's a charming place.

A charming French town

Judith_C, Aug 2022

A beautiful day in a lovely town in the Alps. We were lucky to have an upbeat guide who was knowledgeable about the area.

Glorious Annecy

Fletcher_F, Jul 2022

The stunningness of Anency. Loved walking around and eating in Annecy for just a few hours was perfect timing! Seeing the mountains and canals was great! Good ice cream too.

Driver and tour guide...

margy, Jul 2022

Driver and tour guide were fabulous. Annecy is a beautiful town and we enjoyed every minute Architecture is unbelievably beautiful. Food options are unlimited.

Good guidance, time...

Pham_L, Jul 2022

Good guidance, time duration is suitable. Beatiful city. Peaceful. It is very impression about the roof of the house. The canal look like Vernice with a lot nice restaurants along

Beautiful old Town. Good...

Paula_S, Jul 2022

Beautiful old Town. Good history. Rolling hills of farmland. Easy to walk in tourist area. Easy to find the bus.

Could have taken a bus or driver ourselves

Stephen_C, Jun 2022

Visit to Annecy This was not a “tour” It was a bus ride from Geneva to Annecy No information about history

Response from Host, Jun 2022

Good morning, We are very sorry to read your review and very surprise. You have a walking tour to the Old town so we wonder why you didn't do it? We still hope you enjoyed the views and the sightseeing in Annecy

An expensive bus ride.

Sally_G, Jun 2022

This trip is essentially a bus ride to Annecy for time on your own. The guide provided little information about the city and little if no historical information. She quickly escorted us through the town and left.

Response from Host, Jun 2022

Good morning, we are sorry you did not enjoy the tour. The tour includes a walking tour of 45 minutes and most of the time is free for shopping as Annecy is very famous for gastronomy and shops. Best regards

Nice little trip to a pleasant old town and lovely lake

Jason_N, Jun 2022

Nice little journey to a pleasant small town with an old town side to it. Not massive and hardly comparable to Venice but does have some canals going through quaint little paths and alleyways. Area is of course full of restaurants, cafes and tourist souvenir shops. Still very nice and some nice pictures to be had. Tour has a guide tell you about the prison and castle. I personally would skip this and go off on your own so you have more time to look about. The lake area is lovely when the sun is out and you can see the mountains in the background. More time for yourselves means to be able to go in places and perhaps a boat trip. A full day here is only needed if you want to spend the day on the lake and go in museums for every detail.

I would did it again!

Daniel_O, Apr 2022

The guide was a wonderful gentleman and quite informative and lovely. Our driver was great too. Excellent value for the price. We loved it!

Response from Host, May 2022

Good morning Daniel, thank you very much for your review. We are glad you enjoy Annecy and lijed the tour. We wish you a nice holiday

Save your money,go on a regular bus.

gabriela_n, Mar 2022

This was a waste of money. All it was a round trip to Annesy. The information given on the trip was more based on the tour guides opinión, in which I really didn't care about. I wanted to sleep.most of the trip, and I found his non stop talking annoying. When we arrived there was an issue where to park because of carnival. This is something that as tour guides should have known and organized. I found the driver incredibly irresponsible! The driver picked up two calls while driving. The phone rang non stop, and not to mention the driver kept looking at his phone.

Response from Host, Mar 2022

Good morning, We are sorry to read your review. If you prefer to sleep, maybe it's better to take a public bus and not a guided tour. The guide did a history degree and the point of the tour is to have explanations. Whenever there is an event, there is special parking for the bus which is very organized. You got is much faster than on a public transport actually because there is special klines for touristic buses. The carnival is the most visited attraction in Annecy. And of course, famous event brings more people to the town. Have a nice holiday

Beautiful & historic Annecy

Matthew_M, Oct 2021

Annecy is a very beautiful place. It's quite a compact & historical little town which makes it very easy to get round and the weather was great which made it even better. Would have been good to have had a few more hours there, but a good trip nonetheless if you're pressed for time. Gabriel was a very polite and professional tour guide who answered all of our questions

Response from Host, Jan 2022

Good morning, We would like to thank you very much for your comment. We will send it to Gabriel. We decided to organise it as a half day tour but of course it's so pretty that you could stay more. The old town is very interesting and the buildings are full of charms. Thank you again and we hope you enjoyed your holidays.

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