Season guide · Geneva · Switzerland
Geneva in spring
March–May: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Torbjorn Toby Jorgensen, CC BY-SA 2.0
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Quick answer
Blossom along the quays and changeable weather; quieter than summer, with boats returning to full timetables. Expect highs up to 19°C (66°F) and lows around 2°C (36°F), with about 29 rainy days across March–May. May is among the best months of the year to visit.
Key facts
- Months
- March–May
- Temperatures
- 2°C (36°F) to 19°C (66°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 29
- Crowds
- Moderate
- Hotel prices
- Average
Weather in spring
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March | 11°C (52°F) | 2°C (36°F) | 9 | 11.8 h | 2/5 |
| April | 15°C (59°F) | 5°C (41°F) | 9 | 13.5 h | 3/5 |
| May | 19°C (66°F) | 9°C (48°F) | 11 | 15 h | 3/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 15°C (59°F) against a yearly 15°C (59°F), and 29 of the year's roughly 109 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 3/5 and hotel prices 3/5 on average.
Good choices for spring
Neighbourhood · Old Town
Old Town and Place du Bourg-de-Four
The Old Town's lanes lead to Place du Bourg-de-Four, the city's oldest square, on the site of a Roman forum.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Iconic
- Rainy day
Historic site · Nations
Palace of Nations
Bring photo ID and arrive early for security screening at the visitors' entrance.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Museum · Nations
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum
Opposite the Palace of Nations, this museum's main exhibition, The Humanitarian Adventure, covers defending human dignity, restoring family links and reducing natural risks through testimonies and interactive installations.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
Museum · Plainpalais
Patek Philippe Museum
Start on the top floor with the antique collection, then work down to the company's own watches.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
- Art
Museum · Old Town
Musée d'Art et d'Histoire
Geneva's largest museum covers archaeology, applied arts and fine art from antiquity to the 20th century.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Art
- Free
- Rainy day
- History
Day trips in spring
- Lausanne (About 40 minutes by train) — A steep lakeside city with a Gothic cathedral whose night watchman still calls out the hours, the Olympic Museum in a lakeside park at Ouchy, and a lively old town connected by a small metro.
- Montreux and Chillon Castle (About 1 hour 10 minutes by train) — Montreux's flower-lined promenade, with its statue of Freddie Mercury, leads to the medieval Chillon Castle on a rock in the lake, made famous by Lord Byron's poem.
What to pack
- Layers, a warm sweater and a jacket for cool evenings
- Shoes with good grip for icy pavements
- A packable rain jacket for showers
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is spring a good time to visit Geneva?
Yes: May is among the best months. Blossom along the quays and changeable weather; quieter than summer, with boats returning to full timetables.
+What is the weather like in Geneva in spring?
Highs of up to 19°C (66°F) and lows around 2°C (36°F), with about 29 rainy days over the season.