Things to do around Thonon and Évian: 30 activities between lake and mountains

On the southern shore of Lake Geneva, Thonon-les-Bains and Évian-les-Bains sit at the heart of one of the richest territories in the Alps. From the lake shore to the Alpine valleys, there are extraordinary sites within an hour in every direction — and Annecy, Chamonix and Geneva are all within easy reach for a day trip. Here are 30 activities and visits to discover around Thonon, Évian and the Chablais.

Icons: ☀ best in good weather · ☔ fine in rain · ❄ winter activity · 🍀 summer activity · 🏠 cultural · 🌳 nature

What’s within reach — the territory around Thonon and Évian

Visiting Thonon-les-Bains and Évian-les-Bains

• Évian-les-Bains — Art Nouveau on the lake ★★
  On the lake shore [☀ 🍀 🏠]
  World-famous for its mineral water, Évian has preserved a magnificent Belle Époque and Art Nouveau architecture. Drink the water free at the Source Cachat spring, stroll the flower-lined lakeside promenade, take the historic funicular (free in summer) and visit the Palais Lumière — a former thermal establishment hosting major art exhibitions twice a year. An unusual extra: take the solar boat to visit the Jardins de l’eau du Pré Curieux, a preserved lakeside site accessible only by water.
• Thonon-les-Bains — capital of the Chablais ★★
  On site [☀ 🍀 🏠]
  Thonon occupies two levels, connected by its own funicular: the upper town with its viewpoint, and the lower Port de Rives with its fishermen’s quarter. The essential visit is the Château de Ripaille — former residence of the Dukes of Savoy, now a historic site, arboretum and reputed wine estate on the lake shore. In the evening, the Port de Rives is the place to eat perch fillets from the lake.

Things to do on the shores of Lake Geneva

• Yvoire — the finest medieval village on the lake ★★★
  16 km west of Thonon [☀ 🍀 🏠]
  Yvoire is the most beautiful village in the area — a medieval walled village, member of the “Plus Beaux Villages de France”, with a distinctive bulb-topped church spire, a famous five-senses garden and an almost Mediterranean lakeside atmosphere. See our guide to the most beautiful villages in the French Alps.
• Swimming at Excenevex — a natural sandy beach ★★
  12 km from Thonon, towards Sciez [☀ 🍀 🌳]
  Just beyond Yvoire, Excenevex has everything of a seaside beach — sun loungers, beach volleyball, natural sand, boats at anchor — except that it is in Haute-Savoie, on the shore of Lake Geneva, with the Alps as backdrop. The water is warm in summer. Go early in the morning to avoid the crowds.
• Aigles du Léman — birds of prey ★
  Sciez, 9 km from Thonon [☀ 🍀]
  An animal park dedicated to birds of prey — eagles, vultures and over 80 raptor species across 18,000 m² of aviaries. Demonstrations and the chance to get close to the birds make it an excellent family half-day.
• Views over Lake Geneva from above ★★
  10–30 minutes from Thonon and Évian [☀ ❄ 🍀 🌳]
  The Dent d’Oche is the emblematic summit of the area, but it requires some scrambling at the top. Easier panoramic views can be had from Thollon-les-Mémises directly above Évian, or from the Swiss side via the Montreux funicular heights. All offer exceptional lake and Alpine views.
• A boat trip around the lake ★★
  From Thonon, Évian, Yvoire and other ports [☀ ☔ ❄ 🍀 🏠]
  CGN ferries connect French and Swiss ports all around Lake Geneva. Crossing to Lausanne from Thonon by boat is faster than driving around the lake — and considerably more enjoyable. Good option in any weather and a pleasant way to avoid traffic.

Switzerland — the Lake Geneva Riviera and Lavaux

• The Lavaux UNESCO vineyards ★★★
  1h by car from Évian, less by boat [☀ 🍀 🌳 🏠]
  Switzerland is not usually associated with wine, but the Lavaux terraced vineyards above the lake — south-facing, overlooking Lake Geneva with a Mont Blanc backdrop — are one of the great surprises of the region. A UNESCO World Heritage Site producing Chasselas and around twenty other varieties. An extraordinary landscape that most visitors to the area never discover.
• The Swiss Riviera — Montreux and Château de Chillon ★★
  30 min to 1h from Évian and Thonon [☀ 🍀 🏠]
  Between Lausanne and the entrance to the Valais, the Swiss Riviera has the feel of a miniature Côte d’Azur — grand hotels, Belle Époque villas and remarkable cultural life. The Château de Chillon (an island castle on the lake, made famous by Lord Byron) is one of the most visited historic sites in Switzerland. Montreux hosts the famous Jazz Festival and has a remarkable lakeside sculpture trail. A few kilometres on, Chaplin’s World is a museum dedicated to Charlie Chaplin, who spent the last 25 years of his life here.
• Aquatis — Europe’s largest freshwater aquarium (Lausanne) ★★
  1h10 from Évian via Montreux [☀ ☔ ❄ 🍀 🏠]
  Lausanne’s Aquatis is the largest freshwater aquarium in Europe — no dolphins or sharks, but Alpine fish, piranhas and extraordinary freshwater ecosystems from around the world. An excellent wet-weather option, particularly when combined with a visit to the Lavaux vineyards.
• A day in Geneva ★★
  ~30 minutes from Thonon and Évian [☀ ☔ ❄ 🍀 🏠]
  Geneva is Swiss affluence at its most concentrated — and a genuinely fascinating city to visit. Beyond the luxury boutiques, chocolatiers and watchmakers, it is a culturally active city on the lake, home to the European UN headquarters and some of the finest museums in Switzerland. In a day: a museum, the Jet d’Eau (a 140-metre water jet on the lake), the old town and the lakeside promenade.

Things to do in the mountains (Chablais and Mont Blanc country)

The hinterland of Thonon and Évian is classified as a UNESCO Global Geopark — one of the most geologically remarkable territories in the Alps.

• Gorges du Pont du Diable ★★★
  La Vernaz, 20 min from Thonon [☀ ☔ 🍀]
  The Dranse river has carved a deep canyon through the limestone — one of the most dramatic gorge sites in Haute-Savoie. Walkways allow you to descend into the heart of the gorge. Spectacular in all weathers, and wonderfully cool in summer.
• Lac du Vallon, Bellevaux ★★
  Vallée du Brevon, 30 min from Thonon [☀ 🍀 🌳]
  A wild and peaceful natural lake formed by a historic landslide, with submerged trees still visible in the clear water. The circuit on foot is flat and accessible for all — ideal for a family picnic in a calm, mysterious setting at the foot of the Roc d’Enfer.
• Abondance valley and its Abbey ★★
  30 min from Thonon [☀ ☔ 🏠]
  Driving up the Dranse valley, the village of Abondance has a remarkable Gothic abbey with a 15th-century painted cloister — one of the finest pieces of Savoyard heritage in the region. Stop to buy Abondance AOP cheese directly from producers. See our guide to the best French Alpine cheeses.
• Rafting on the Dranse or the Giffre ★★
  Minutes from Thonon [☀ 🍀 🌳]
  The Dranse just above Thonon is one of the most accessible rafting rivers in Haute-Savoie — several operators run half-day descents from April to September. More adventurous: hydrospeed (bodyboarding the river solo). Also available on the Giffre near Samoëns and the Arve near Sallanches.
• Châtel — Fantasticable giant zip line ★★
  40 min from Thonon [☀ ❄ 🍀]
  Fantasticable at Châtel is one of the longest zip lines in the Alps — two sections of over a kilometre each, launched head-first. Operates in summer and winter. Châtel is a beautiful border village at the top of the Abondance valley, with the Swiss Valais on the other side. See our guide to the best giant zip lines in the French Alps.
• Samoëns — a full mountain day ★★
  ~1h from Thonon and Évian [☀ 🍀 🌳 🏠]
  One of the most beautiful villages in Haute-Savoie — a pedestrian stone-built centre at the heart of one of the finest valleys in the Alps. Here you can admire the waterfalls of Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval, try rafting on the Giffre, hike the Col de Joux Plane with views over Mont Blanc — or simply stop in a tea room, browse the shops and buy good local cheese. See our guide to the most beautiful villages in the French Alps.
• Cirque du Fer-à-Cheval ★★★
  1h30 from Thonon [☀ 🍀 🌳]
  One of the most beautiful natural sites in Haute-Savoie — a vast glacial cirque (closed to motor traffic) from which dozens of waterfalls cascade down impressive limestone walls into green meadows below. A sense of grandeur and unspoiled wilderness. Nearby: the Cascade du Rouget and the village of Samoëns.

• Alta Lumina light trail at Les Gets ★★
  45 min from Thonon [☀ ❄ 🍀 🏠]
  An immersive evening sound-and-light trail through a forest above Les Gets — open most of the year. The trail follows the story of a music peddler and his hot-air balloon on a journey across the mountains. A magical family experience, well worth the short drive.
• Canyoning ★
  45 min by road [☀ 🍀 🌳]
  Descending a mountain torrent on foot — rappelling, jumping into natural pools and sliding down rock chutes with a guide. Available at Magland (Canyon de Balme) and at Morzine. Accessible from age 12.
• A night in a mountain refuge ★★
  Under an hour by road [☀ ❄ 🍀 🌳]
  The characteristic accommodation of the high Alps — mountain huts at altitude offering half-board at reasonable prices. Near Lake Geneva: the Refuge de la Dent d’Oche, Refuge de Bise and Refuge de Tindérêts all offer lake views and a genuine high-mountain experience.
• Château des Rubins nature museum at Sallanches ★★
  40 min by road [☀ ☔ ❄ 🍀 🏠]
  A recently renovated Alpine nature interpretation centre in a historic château — geology, glaciology, flora, fauna and the human history of the Alps, presented in an engaging modern format. Excellent for all ages and an ideal wet-weather visit.
• A spa day in the Alps ★★
  15 min to 1h by road [☀ ☔ ❄ 🍀]
  The spa culture of the Alps — rooted in thermal bathing traditions — produces some of the finest wellness experiences in France. Particularly noteworthy near Thonon and Évian: the spas at Chamonix (QC Terme), Saint-Gervais (Bains du Mont Blanc — see below), Châtel and Megève. See our guide to the best spa centres in French ski resorts.
• A gastronomic meal in the mountains ★★
  15 min to 1h25 by road [☀ ☔ ❄ 🍀 🏠]
  Haute-Savoie has an extraordinary concentration of Michelin-starred restaurants. Closest to the lake: Les Fresques, Le Moulin de Léré, O Flaveurs and Le Refuge des Gourmets. Further: the Hameau Albert Premier and Bois Prin in Chamonix; Emmanuel Renaut’s Flocons de Sel in Megève (3 Michelin stars, 5 Gault et Millau toques). In Switzerland, Anne-Sophie Pic holds two stars in Lausanne. On Lake Annecy: Laurent Petit (3 stars) and Jean Sulpice (2 stars).

Longer day trips — 1h to 1h30

• Vitam Parc aquatic centre ★★
  Saint-Julien-en-Genevois, 50 min from Thonon [☀ ☔ ❄ 🍀]
  A large aquatic complex at the Swiss border — waterslides, hydrotherapy pools, wave pool and an excellent spa. One of the finest public aquatic centres in the region, with a climbing wall and shopping centre alongside.
• Annecy old town and lake ★★★
  1h by car via the A410 [☀ ☔ ❄ 🍀 🏠]
  The medieval old town of Annecy — canals, painted facades and a magnificent lake setting — is one of the most beautiful in France. Genuinely worth the hour’s drive. The lake shore is lined with lawns and promenades; the cycle route around the lake (41 km) is one of the finest in the Alps. From the Col de la Forclaz above the lake, paragliding instructors offer tandem flights with extraordinary lake views. See our guide to Annecy.
• Fondation Gianadda ★
  Under 1h by car (via the lake shore or via Chamonix) [☀ ☔ ❄ 🍀 🏠]
  In the splendid Swiss Valais, the Pierre Gianadda Foundation organises major exhibitions on great names of art — Turner, Cézanne, Matisse, Cartier-Bresson. An unexpected cultural treat in the heart of the Alps.
• Bains du Mont Blanc thermal spa ★★
  Le Fayet / Saint-Gervais, ~1h15 by car [☀ ☔ ❄ 🍀]
  One of the finest thermal spa experiences in the Alps — recently entirely renovated, using naturally warm spring water from the Mont Blanc massif. Indoor and outdoor pools, treatments and a genuinely beautiful setting. See our spa guide.
• Tramway du Mont Blanc and the Prarion ★★
  Le Fayet / Saint-Gervais, ~1h15 by car [☀ ❄ 🍀 🌳]
  A historic rack railway climbing from Le Fayet to the Col de Voza and on to the Nid d’Aigle — the starting point for the Mont Blanc ascent. The Prarion summit, accessible on foot from the Col de Voza in summer, offers one of the finest views of the Mont Blanc glaciers in the Alps. In winter, the col gives access to the Houches ski area and snowshoe trails.
• Chamonix and the Aiguille du Midi ★★★
  1h20 by car [☀ ❄ 🍀 🌳]
  If you have never been to Chamonix, the drive from Thonon and Évian is entirely worth it. The Aiguille du Midi cable car rises to 3,842 m in two stages — placing you at the heart of the glaciers, face to face with Mont Blanc. “Le Pas dans le Vide” (Step into the Void) — a glass box suspended above 1,000 m of air — is a genuinely extraordinary experience. The Montenvers rack railway gives access to the Mer de Glace glacier. The town itself is cosmopolitan, beautiful and unlike anywhere else in the Alps. See our guide to 30 best things to do around Chamonix.

What to do around Thonon and Évian — quick reference

Mood / Weather	☀ Fine weather	☔ Rainy day	❄ Winter
Culture & Heritage	Yvoire village, Château de Ripaille, Lavaux vineyards	Palais Lumière (Évian), Abbaye d’Abondance, Fondation Gianadda	Geneva museums, Chaplin’s World (Montreux)
Nature & Landscapes	Dent d’Oche, Lac du Vallon, Cirque du Fer-à-Cheval	Gorges du Pont du Diable	Snowshoeing in the Abondance valley
Water & Wellbeing	Excenevex beach, Lake Geneva ferry, Dranse rafting	Aquatis Lausanne, Vitam Parc, Bains du Mont Blanc	Thermes d’Évian, Bains du Mont Blanc
Families	Aigles du Léman, Château de Chillon, Alta Lumina	Aquatis, Vitam Parc, Chocolaterie Cailler	Alta Lumina, ice rinks, Tramway du Mont Blanc

👉 Read also: Most beautiful villages in the French Alps · Ski resorts near Geneva · Best French Alpine cheeses · Giant zip lines in the French Alps · Things to do around Chamonix