Your guide for a day trip to Gruyères in Switzerland

This page was last updated by Annika on 5 January 2024.

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Gruyères: must-knows

This charming village in western Switzerland is home to a cheese factory, a castle, several museums, and chocolate and cheese shops.
Walk up to the castle even if you don’t plan to enter it: the views of the surrounding rolling hills are beautiful here.
The town center is car-free. Travel by public transport if you can, or park your car outside the village.
Make a free day trip with the Swiss Travel Pass: the ride to Gruyères and access to the cheese factory, castle, and H.R. Giger Museum are all covered.

Min. time required: 1:00

Season: all year

Recommended season: all year

Max. altitude: 810 m (2657 ft)

What is Gruyères?

Gruyères ("Greyerz" in German) is an attractive medieval town in the western Swiss canton Fribourg ("Freiburg" in German). It's located on a hill at an altitude of 810 m, with good views over the surrounding hilly landscape. Gruyères houses a castle, several museums, and many culinary highlights, such as the cheese factory La Maison du Gruyère.

Gruyères is a good base town for a holiday in Fribourg area, but also a popular day trip destination from eastern Lake Geneva (Montreux, Vevey or Lausanne) and western Bernese Oberland (Bern, Gstaad, or Thun).

Journey and access prices for Gruyères

What it costs to reach Gruyères

Acces to Gruyères is free. If you don't have a rail pass allowing free traveling, such as the Swiss Travel Pass, you will have to pay for your journey though.

The travel costs depend on where you're coming from. Just an example: a 2nd class return ticket without rail pass discounts between Bern and Gruyères costs CHF 72 in 2024.

You can find prices for your trip in the Swiss timetable.

Access tickets to the castle and museums

The Swiss Travel Pass allows free entrance to the cheese factory, the Gruyères Castle, and the H.R. Giger Museum. Without this pass, you'll have to buy admission tickets. Find costs for the cheese factory and the nearby chocolate factory below:

Tours to Gruyères

You can book a tour to Gruyères from many Swiss towns. Such tours may include admission to the cheese factory, the castle, and/or the chocolate factory in nearby Broc. Check the conditions for each tour.

Get your tickets or tours for Gruyères

Gruyères Medieval Town, Cheese Factory and Maison Cailler Tour from Interlaken

Culinary (cheese), Culinary (chocolate)Guided day tour

Embark on an intimate journey with our small-group tour from Interlaken to Gruyères. Limited to six persons, travel by van and explore the cheese-making process with a visit to the Gruyères cheese factory. Immerse yourself in the medieval charm of Gruyères village during a leisurely two-hour lunch stop. In the …

Offered by Viator: www.viator.com

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Gruyères Medieval Town, Cheese Factory and Maison Cailler Tour from Bern

Culinary (cheese), Culinary (chocolate)Guided day tour

Embark on an intimate journey with our small-group tour from Bern to Gruyères. Limited to six persons, travel by van and explore the cheese-making process with a visit to the Gruyères cheese factory. Immerse yourself in the medieval charm of Gruyères village during a leisurely two-hour lunch stop. In the …

Offered by Viator: www.viator.com

Easy, online, free cancellation in most cases
Lowest Price Guarantee: Viator will refund the difference if you find a better price.
Extra Support: if you buy here, MySwissAlps can also assist if you have questions about your order.

Gruyères Tour from Geneva With Train, Chocolate and Cheese

Culinary (chocolate), Scenic train tripDay tour

Set off and discover traditional produce while taking in Switzerland's landscapes on a full day combined coach and train trip from Geneva. Soak up the enchanting atmosphere at Gruyeres and admire the rolling hills and meadows as you descend the hills to Montreux, overlooking Lake Geneva and the towering Alps. …

Offered by Viator: www.viator.com

Easy, online, free cancellation in most cases
Lowest Price Guarantee: Viator will refund the difference if you find a better price.
Extra Support: if you buy here, MySwissAlps can also assist if you have questions about your order.

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Save money with your rail pass

The Swiss Travel Pass and Swiss Travel Pass Flex grant free traveling to Gruyères, as well as free entrance to the cheese factory and the castle.

The Swiss Half Fare Card allows you to buy 50% discounted travel tickets to Gruyères. Access to museums and castles is not included though.

Pass	Discount
Swiss Travel Pass	Free: Entrance fee castle Entrance fee H.R. Giger Museum
Swiss Travel Pass Flex	Free: Entrance fee castle Entrance fee H.R. Giger Museum

How to reach Gruyères: directions and map

How does the timetable work?

We advise you to travel to Gruyères by train. The car-free village center can be reached on foot from the railway station, or by bus.

Take a train to the railway station of Gruyères

You can reach Gruyères by train from the directions of Bern/Fribourg, Lausanne/Bulle and Montbovon. Montbovon is located on the GoldenPass route and can be reached from the directions of Montreux and Bern/Thun/Interlaken.

From the Gruyères railway station to the town

The railway station of Gruyères is near, but not in the old town center. The village itself is located on a hill. You can walk up there in about 15 minutes. There are stairs along the way. Buses between the town center and rail station are available too.

The Chocolate Train from Montreux

The Chocolate Train is a day trip from Montreux, combining visits to cheese and chocolate factories and some free time in Gruyères.

Traveling by car

The small town center of Gruyères is car-free. There are several parking lots near the town. One is located near the rail station and La Maison du Gruyère.

Map of Gruyères in Fribourg, Switzerland

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Opening dates and timetable info

When the village and activities are accessible

Gruyères and its castle are accessible all year round. Please consult opening dates for other activities you’re interested in separately. Examples:

How to plan your journey with the Swiss timetable

If you plan your journey with the Swiss timetable, use these names:

"Gruyères" for the rail station
"Gruyères, gare" for the bus stop next to the rail station
"Gruyères, ville" for the bus stop in the town center

Best season to visit Gruyères

You can visit Gruyères in any season. Each time of the year has its own charm:

We think that the scenery in and around Gruyères is at its best in spring (especially April and May) and autumn (especially late-October). This is when there may be snow on the hilltops that surround Gruyères, while vegetation in the lush valleys is either green, or brightly colored in autumn shades.
Gruyères is vibrant and attractive in summer.
The village is very atmospheric during winter days. But it's at a relatively low altitude. Snow in the town can occur, but chances are rather slim.

Weather info and forecasts for Gruyères

Clear and sunny weather is ideal for a trip to Gruyères. It adds to the charm of the village and the views over the hills of Fribourg. But there are more than enough indoor options to enjoy yourself in bad weather too.

5-day forecast for Gruyères

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What to expect in Gruyères

What Gruyères looks like

Gruyères is a charming small village on a gentle hill, dating from the Middle Ages. The small town center looks very picturesque. It has colored facades, cobblestones, and fountains. In spring and summer, it’s adorned with colorful flowers.

The castle and museums

The 13th-century castle ”Chateau du Gruyères”, which is accessible to visitors, is a highlight. Walk up there, even if you don’t plan to enter the castle. You’ll have great views of the Fribourg scenery from the castle site.

Another museum is that of H.R. Giger, a Swiss designer and visual artist who worked for the movie ‘Alien’. There’s a small museum on Tibetan art as well.

Chocolate and cheese activities

Gruyères is a great destination if you’re interested in Swiss cuisine. It’s home to the famous “Le Gruyère AOP” cheese. You can learn all about it in the cheese factory next to the railway station (about 15 minutes on foot from the town center. Many restaurants and shops in Gruyères offer this cheese.

Lovers of chocolate are also served well. You’ll find chocolate bars and pralines in several stores. “Chocolaterie de Gruyères” is a small museum that explains about local chocolate creations and offers workshops. The nearby town of Broc is home to the famous Cailler chocolate factory.

How long it takes to visit Gruyères

The small town center and the castle site can be explored in about 1 hour from the rail station. Count on half a day or more if you also want to explore Chateau du Gruyères, the cheese factory, museums, shops and restaurants.

You’ll also have to take travel times into account. Examples of how long a one-way train ride to Gruyères takes:

from Lausanne: 1h15
from Montreux: 1h25
from Bern: 1h20
from Gstaad: 1h05
from Thun: 1h50
from Interlaken: 2h25
from Zurich: 2h25
from Lucerne: 2h40

What more to see and do in the Gruyère area

This is what you can do in the wider area (which is called “Gruyère” without an ‘s’):

You can combine a trip to Gruyères with a visit to the Maison Cailler chocolate factory in nearby Broc.
There’s a dairy hiking path near the village.
Cheese fondues can be enjoyed not only in restaurants, but also during romantic coach rides or in the fondue train from Bulle.
From May to September, visitors are welcome at the alpine cheese dairy in Moléson.
Pre-arranged day trips from Montreux can be made with the Chocolate Train.
Another culinary train ride from Montreux is the Cheese Train to Chateau d’Oex.