Hôtel Lavaux
Why we like it: Four-star hotel at the entrance to Cully, between the lake and the vineyards, two minutes from Epesses station and with free parking.
Duration2 nights
From GenevaTrain, a little over 1 h
From SpainDirect flight to Geneva (GVA) and train
Getting aroundOn foot, by train and by boat
CarNot needed
Best timeApril – October; grape harvest in September and October
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed for arriving on Friday evening and returning on Sunday, without a car, sleeping in Cully. Saturday is the day for the walking trail and tastings; Sunday for the vineyard train and lunch at Le Deck. From May to September, add the Train du caveau on Saturday evening, and from April to October you can swap Sunday morning for the Lavaux Express and the boat.
Friday
- 117:05Train from Geneva to Cully
A little over an hour with a change at Lausanne. Leave your suitcase at the Auberge du Raisin: check-in is from 15:00 to 20:00.
- 219:30Dinner at the Auberge du Raisin
Spit-roasted meats and spring chicken by the fireside, or the CHF 110 tasting menu, for two at minimum. Open Tuesday to Saturday.
Saturday
- 109:00Terrace trail
Train to Lutry, five minutes, then a waymarked path through the vines towards Grandvaux, Cully and Epesses, with the lake below.
- 212:30Lunch at the Auberge du Vigneron
In Epesses, right on the route. Perch fillets at CHF 39 or game in autumn. The kitchen closes at 13:30: book by phone.
- 314:30Tasting at the Lavaux Vinorama
Walk down to Rivaz, about an hour on foot. Three chasselas from three domaines for CHF 17. You return to Cully by train from the same station.
- 418:30Train du caveau, May to September
The little train leaves Lutry for a winegrower's cellar, with a 45-minute tasting: CHF 28. Book on the Lavaux Express website.
Sunday
- 110:00The vineyard train
Train from Cully to Vevey and the regional to Chexbres-Village, about 12 minutes between terraces. Stroll around the village before lunch.
- 212:30Lunch at Le Deck
The glass-walled dining room of Le Baron Tavernier above the lake, open every day. Menus from CHF 95 to 145 or à la carte from CHF 24. Book.
- 315:00Down to Rivaz and home
Walk down through the vines to Rivaz or Saint-Saphorin and take the lakeside train to Lausanne and Geneva.
Lavaux is a two-night getaway without a car: the terraced vineyards above Lake Geneva, between Lausanne and Vevey, are explored on foot, by train and by boat, and the villages are five or ten minutes apart by train. With two nights you get a whole day for the terrace trail with lunch in Epesses and a chasselas tasting in Rivaz, and a morning to take the vineyard train up to Chexbres and have lunch at Le Deck, perched above the lake. You sleep in Cully, in a 15th-century inn on the town hall square.
How do you get there?
From Geneva, by train. It is a little over an hour from Genève to Cully, with a change at Lausanne. If you are coming from Spain, Geneva (GVA) has direct flights from several Spanish cities, and the station is beneath the terminal: about 70 minutes by train from the airport to Cully. With the Swiss Travel Pass the trains and the CGN boats are included. In Lavaux you don't need a car, and in the villages there is hardly anywhere to park.
Where to sleep
| Accommodation | Area | Who for |
|---|---|---|
| Auberge du Raisin | Cully, town hall square | Ten rooms in a 15th-century house, a short walk from the quay and station |
| Hôtel Lavaux | Between Cully and Epesses, next to Epesses station | Four stars with 64 rooms, many facing the lake, and family rooms |
| Le Baron Tavernier | Above Chexbres, on the Corniche | Hotel with spa and lake-view balconies, for a treat |
The Auberge du Raisin closes its restaurant on Sunday and Monday, and on those days reception moves to Le Major Davel, on the waterfront: bear it in mind if you arrive or leave on a Sunday.
If it is summer
From April to October, change Sunday morning: the Lavaux Express leaves Lutry at 10:30, for CHF 17, and afterwards you eat by the water at Cambuse Plage, on the Cully shore. In the afternoon, take the CGN boat to see the terraces from the lake; in summer the Belle Époque paddle steamers sail.
What it costs
Not counting the train from Geneva or the hotel: lunch in Epesses, CHF 45 to 65; the tasting at the Vinorama, from CHF 17; the Train du caveau, CHF 28; Le Deck, CHF 95 to 145 for the menu; and dinner at the Auberge du Raisin, around the CHF 110 tasting menu or less à la carte. Breakfast at the inn costs CHF 20 per person.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Lavaux, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Lavaux
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Where to stay
Where to stay in Lavaux
Auberge du Raisin
Why we like it: Ten-room inn on Cully's town hall square, in a 15th-century house, with a grill restaurant beside the fireplace.
Le Baron Tavernier
Why we like it: Spa hotel on the Corniche road above Chexbres, with 25 rooms, most with a balcony over Lake Geneva, and the Le Deck restaurant.
Where to eat
Where to eat in Lavaux
Auberge du Vigneron
What to order: the perch fillets with house butter, CHF 39, or in season the game; to start, the breaded tomme vaudoise salad with hazelnuts
Kitchen 12:00 to 13:30 and 19:00 to 20:30; outside those hours tables are not booked. Best to book by phone.
Le Deck, at Le Baron Tavernier
What to order: on weekdays, the lunch menu at CHF 49 with starter, main and coffee; for an occasion, The Chef's Table, five courses, CHF 145
Open every day. Book on the website or on +41 21 926 60 00 and ask for a table by the window.
Cambuse Plage
What to order: a pinsa, CHF 19, or the "Tout d'bon" board to share, CHF 48, with a glass of Lavaux white; in the evening, the entrecôte Parisienne style, CHF 25
Open only in the summer season; the website does not publish the 2026 dates. Book if you are a group or going in the evening.
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Book all three tables
The Auberge du Vigneron, Le Deck and, on Friday, the Auberge du Raisin.
- 2Sleep inside a village
From Cully you do everything on foot or in five minutes by train.
- 3Check the calendar
The Lavaux Express and the Train du caveau only run in season, and the Vinorama is closed from 1 to 21 January.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How many days do you need for Lavaux?
One for the walking trail with lunch and a tasting; with two nights you add the vineyard train, the boat and a good table without rushing.
Can it be done without a car?
Yes, and it is best that way: everything is on the lake train line and the CGN boat.
Where is the best place to sleep?
In Cully, for having a station, a quay and restaurants on foot. For a treat with a spa, Le Baron Tavernier, above Chexbres.
When should I go?
From April to October, with the little train and the wineries open; September and October are the grape harvest.