City of Geneva Guided Tours
Walkman Tour:
The simplest method is the self-guided tour. All you have to do is get a Walkman and a set of headphones from the tourist office. This offers informative walks through the various districts of Geneva, and, without boring the listener, introduces them to the monuments, restaurants, art galleries, museums, and other such attractions of the particular area. Of course, the tour is conducted at you own pace and ease – you may pause, rewind, play, or fast-forward as you wish. The tour consists of an introduction to 25 attractions, and the tape is approximately two and a half hours long. A map is also given for guidance, and the recordings are available in various languages including French, Spanish, Italian, German, English, Chinese, Arabic, Russian, Korean and Japanese.
The apparatus is lent out for a maximum duration of four hours on displaying a valid passport or ID.
Rent: normally CHF 10 and a further CHF 50 is kept as security deposit and refunded when you return the apparatus.
Timings for the self-guided Walkman Tour: Monday 10am-6pm, Tuesday to Saturday 9am-6pm. Summer: Sundays also: 9am-6pm
Office to pick up the apparatus: Geneve Tourisme, Rue du Mont-Blanc 18 (Head Office)
Brochure-led Tour:
Another form of the self-guided tour is the “Geneva on Foot” service. This is similar to the Walkman service, except that the walkman and earphones are replaced by colorful and interesting brochures which can lead you through the various tourist sites throughout the city. The plus points – it is a lot cheaper (some brochures are simply free of charge), more convenient for any number of people, and the tour can be paused and resumed at any time.
Group Tours:
These are official two-hour tours where a guide accompanies a group of people. There are various packages. These tours are generally around CHF 10-15. Packages include a walk through the Old Town, historic capital of Geneva; important landmarks like the United Nations and Red Cross buildings; medieval Geneva, highlighted primarily by its museums; the international aspect of the city, outlined by its world famous monuments, parks, gardens, and other places of interest; the nightlife around Geneva; and so on. More details about these packages, their rates, and their timings are easily available at the head office.
Geneve Tourisme & Bureau des congres
Rue du Mont-Blanc 18
Case postale 1602
CH – 1211 Geneve 1
Tel. +41 (0)22 909 70 00
Website: www.geneve-tourisme.ch
