The Salève, Geneva's mountain: cable car, panorama, hikes and places to eat

From the quays you see it every day: a long limestone cliff to the south-east of the city. The Salève is the Genevans' mountain, where they go up on Sundays to see the lake from above. It has one feature that surprises visitors: it is in France.

This page answers the three questions that make or break the outing. How to reach the cable car from Geneva, how much and when, and above all how to tell, that very morning, whether the view will be there.

How do you get to the Salève from Geneva?

Photo: Schnäggli, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The cable car leaves neither from Geneva nor from the airport. Its lower station is at Étrembières, in Haute-Savoie, just across the border. The official route: public transport to the Veyrier, douane stop, then 9 minutes on foot to the station.

The tpg sell a combined ticket at 21 CHF that bundles unireso transport and the cable car. Ordinary Geneva tickets and the Geneva Transport Card do not cover the cabin, which is French and charges in euros.

There is also access from Annemasse, and by car the station is a few minutes from the customs post. The bus journey from the centre and the zone 10 boundary are explained in getting around Geneva, and the Salève is marked on the map of Geneva.

How much does the Salève cable car cost?

The official price list published for the period from 17 January to 1 November 2026:

The online shop shows "from" prices that do not always match the adult return: check the exact product before paying. The price list changes after 1 November 2026, and there is no free first Sunday of the month here, unlike Geneva's museums.

What are the opening times, and when is it closed?

From 1 April to 1 November 2026, the tpg list daily opening. Sunday to Wednesday, the cabin runs from 9am to 6:45pm, last ride up at 6:30pm. Thursday to Saturday, it runs into the evening, from 9am to 10:45pm, last ride up at 10:30pm.

Cabins leave every 15 minutes, with no booking needed for an ordinary trip, and climb in 4 minutes to around 1,100 metres.

Two exceptions you absolutely need to know:

• Annual maintenance closes the cable car from 2 to 26 November 2026, reopening on 27 November 2026 with reduced hours at the end of the year.
• On Nuits Magiques evenings, five dates a year, access closes from 5pm to anyone without an evening ticket or a booking at the Vertiges restaurant. Coming for the sunset on those days means being turned away.

One official page also shows hours of 9am to 5pm depending on the period viewed. Hours change with the seasons: check the cable car's "opening times and access" page on the day.

How can you tell whether the view will be clear?

Photo: Calimo, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

It is the only real criterion, and the brochures never mention it. On a clear day, the view takes in the whole conurbation, Lake Geneva, the Jura and, beyond, the Mont Blanc massif. In haze or under low cloud, you pay for a mechanical ride up to a walk with no view.

A sunny day in town is no guarantee: haze often clings to the lake in the morning, and the summit can be in cloud while the quays are in sunshine. Our field test is simple: if Mont Blanc is visible from the right-bank quays, go up.

Our sources do not establish that a reliable official webcam exists. Look at the mountain itself from the city instead, and at the visibility forecast, not just the sunshine.

The best time is the morning, once the haze has lifted, or late afternoon for the light on Geneva. Seen from above, the Jet d'eau becomes a tiny line in the landscape: to see it up close, you need the quays and the Eaux-Vives pier.

What is there to do at the top?

The panorama and a short walk

For most visitors, this is the main thing: the view from around the upper station, then a walk along the plateau paths. Allow 1.5 to 2 hours for a quick return trip, 3 to 4 hours with a proper walk and a break.

Hiking

The summit is the starting point for trails of all levels, towards the viewpoints and the observatory. A good formula is to ride up and walk down, or the reverse, with a one-way ticket at €13. Paths can be muddy, slippery or exposed: no town shoes.

The Maison du Salève

It tells the story of the mountain's geology, landscapes and uses, in a visit of about an hour, for €6. It is the right plan B in cloudy weather. Its hours are narrow outside summer: Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday from 2pm to 6pm from February to June and September to December, Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm in July and August. Closed all January.

The history of the cable car

A guided tour of about an hour tells the story of how the line was built. It is free with a transport ticket and costs €15 without. Check the slot and the language in advance: an English version is not guaranteed at every session.

Where can you eat on the Salève?

Photo: Oeneis, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Vertiges restaurant, linked to the cable car, lets you dine with the view, and a booking gives access to the evenings when the cabin closes early to other visitors. It does not work like a panoramic café open all day: hours, services and events change access.

A complete, up-to-date list of places to eat at the top is not published consistently. For a meal, book; for an impromptu outing, bring a picnic.

For an unusual night, the Cabanes du Salève rent accommodation on the mountain, with check-in between 4:30pm and 7pm. These are private lodgings, not a visitor site.

How much time should you allow?

These durations are our field estimates; none are published by the operator. Avoid the middle of the day at weekends: it is the busiest slot, in the cabin and in the car park alike.

Overrated bits, and what you need to know

• This is not high mountain country. About 1,100 metres, above a conurbation: a quick panoramic escape, not the Aiguille du Midi.
• The price does not guarantee the view. The ticket gives access to the summit, not to visibility.
• The departure is in France. Think euros, ID, and the combined ticket if you come by public transport.
• The activities are not permanent. Climbing, exhibitions and children's activities depend on the season and the programme.

How do you fit it into a stay in Geneva?

The Salève fits into half a day, ideally a clear weekday. It works well instead of a museum in our weekend itinerary, and it is the best breather during Watches and Wonders week, between two days at the fair.

For other outings around the city, Annecy makes a day trip (from Geneva to Annecy), and in winter the ski resorts are less than an hour away (skiing from Geneva). The season most favourable to visibility is discussed in when to go to Geneva.

Sources

Sources: Salève cable car (opening times and access, 2026 prices, history tour schedule, English version of the timetable), tpg (the Salève cable car, 2026 combined ticket), Geneva Tourism (cable car page), Maison du Salève (2026 opening times and prices), Les Cabanes du Salève (prices), City of Geneva (Jet d'eau).

Visit durations are field estimates. Research carried out on 22 October 2026; the price list changes after 1 November 2026.