Things to do in Lausanne for a day trip cover a compact but varied mix of history, sport, and lakefront scenery, all packed into a city built on a series of hills above the northern shore of Lake Geneva. As the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee and a major university city, Lausanne carries more cultural weight than its size suggests, and its layout — a hilltop Old Town connected to the lakeside district of Ouchy by metro, funicular, or a pleasant downhill walk — makes it unusually easy to structure into a single well-paced day. Roughly forty minutes from Geneva by train and just under an hour from Montreux, Lausanne works well both as a standalone day trip and as a stop on a longer Lake Geneva itinerary.

This guide breaks the day down by area, starting in the historic centre and working down toward the lake, with a few notes on timing and how to get there for travelers who’d rather skip the train connections.

Explore the Old Town and Lausanne Cathedral

Lausanne’s Old Town sits on a hill at the centre of the city and is best explored on foot, with narrow cobbled streets, small squares, and the Gothic Lausanne Cathedral anchoring the district. Widely regarded as one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in Switzerland, the cathedral is worth climbing the tower for, with a viewing platform offering wide views over the rooftops toward Lake Geneva and the French Alps beyond.

A night watchman still calls the hours from the tower, a tradition that’s continued in Lausanne since the Middle Ages.

Place de la Palud, the Old Town’s main square, hosts a market on Wednesday and Saturday mornings and is flanked by the ornate town hall, making it a natural stop for coffee or a light breakfast before continuing on to the rest of the day’s itinerary.

Visit the Olympic Museum

Lausanne has been the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee since 1915, and the Olympic Museum, set in landscaped gardens along the lakefront in Ouchy, is one of the most popular things to do in Lausanne for a day trip, particularly for visitors travelling with children or with an interest in sport.

The museum traces the history of the modern Olympic Games through interactive exhibits, historic memorabilia, and multimedia displays, and the surrounding Olympic Park offers open lawns and lake views that make for a natural break between exhibits.

Because the museum is thorough, most visitors spend one and a half to two hours inside, which is worth factoring into a day trip itinerary alongside time to walk the gardens outside. Its lakefront location also makes it an easy stop to combine with the rest of the Ouchy waterfront described below.

Walk the Ouchy Waterfront

Ouchy, the lakeside district below the Old Town, has a noticeably different character from the hilltop centre — wide promenades, palm trees, and open views across Lake Geneva toward Évian and the French Alps.

It’s the departure point for lake cruises run by the CGN paddle steamer company, which connect Lausanne to towns along the shore including Montreux, Vevey, and Évian, and a stroll along the promenade is one of the more relaxed things to do in Lausanne for a day trip when the goal is simply to enjoy the lake.

The Château d’Ouchy, a small castle turned hotel near the waterfront, and the nearby marina add some visual interest to the walk, and several lakefront cafés and restaurants make Ouchy a natural lunch stop between the morning in the Old Town and an afternoon museum visit.

Visit the Plateforme 10 Arts District

For travelers with an interest in art and design, Plateforme 10, Lausanne’s dedicated museum quarter near the train station, brings together the Cantonal Museum of Fine Arts (MCBA), the Museum of Design and Contemporary Applied Arts (MUDAC), and the Photo Elysée museum in a single, purpose-built district. It’s a more recent addition to the city’s cultural offerings and gives Lausanne a concentrated art district that rivals collections in much larger Swiss cities.

Given its location close to the train station, Plateforme 10 is a convenient stop either at the start of a day trip after arriving by train, or at the end of the day before heading back, without requiring a detour from the main route between the station and the Old Town.

Try Vaudois Cuisine in the Old Town or Ouchy

No day trip is complete without a proper meal, and Lausanne’s restaurant scene reflects its position at the heart of the Vaud wine region.

Dishes built around local Chasselas wine, lake fish such as perch fillets (filets de perche), and regional cheese specialties are common on menus throughout the Old Town and the lakefront district, and several restaurants near Place de la Palud specialise in traditional Vaudois cooking.

For a lighter option between sightseeing stops, the market at Place de la Palud on Wednesday and Saturday mornings is a good source of local produce and quick bites, while the cafés along the Ouchy promenade tend to suit a slower lunch with lake views.

FAQ: Things to Do in Lausanne for a Day Trip

A well-planned day trip covering things to do in Lausanne can realistically combine the Old Town and cathedral, the Olympic Museum, and a walk along the Ouchy waterfront, with the metro connection between the two areas making the whole itinerary far more manageable than the hilly terrain might suggest.

Whether the priority is sport history, Gothic architecture, or simply an afternoon by Lake Geneva, Lausanne packs enough variety into a single day to make the short trip from Geneva or Montreux worthwhile.