Welcome to Thonon-les-Bains, a small French town on Lake Geneva shores, often simply called Thonon. Once it was the capital of the historical district of Chablais and now is one of the official SPA towns. Together with a scenic lakeside location, close proximity to the Alps, plenty of hiking and cycling trails around, and a delightful old town you’ll end up with a truly great destination to explore. Stay with us and discover great things to do in Thonon-les-Bains, France.
Interesting fact. Thonon is one of the municipalities belonging to the Chablais UNESCO Global Geopark, a remarkable natural area, between Lake Geneva and Mont Blanc.
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Thonon-les-Bains, France FAQ
Thonon-les-Bains is a French town located on the southern shore of Lake Geneva (fr. Lac Léman) in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. The town lies at an altitude of 426m a.s.l and is close to popular places like Geneva, Evian les Bains, Lausanne, or Yvoire medieval village.
Thonon les Bains is a town with a great vibe and charm that definitely is worth visiting. Whether you are into charming colorful towns, history, relaxing in SPA, outdoor activities or just admiring breathtaking views – you’ll find something for yourself there.
Thonon is a small and fairly quiet SPA town which thanks to its great lakeside location and close proximity to the Alps is now a popular holiday destination, both in winter and summer. If you’re looking for a pleasant, relaxing destination – Thonon will be a perfect choice.
Thonon is a great destination for a day trip while exploring Haute-Savoie. Without rushing, you’ll visit the most important town spots in just a few hours. The town is also a great place for relaxing weekend getaways, winter or summer holidays, and serves as a good home base for digital nomads who want to discover the region.
Things to do in Thonon-les-Bains, France
Thonon Old Town streets
Thonon les Bains Old Town is located on a small hill on the south shore of Lake Geneva. Take a lovely walk among charming colorful streets, admire the typical of this region’s French buildings, and enjoy spectacular views of the lake, town port, and Switzerland just across the lake. Discovering all the crooks and crannies of the old town is definitely one of the coolest things to do in Thonon-les-Bains!
In Thonon old town, you’ll find places of interest like the Church of Saint-Hippolyte, Basilica Saint-François-de-Sales, Belvedere Park, Thonon Funicular and Sonnaz Castle with Chablais Museum.
Thonon Tourist Office is located in the Chablais Museum, just a few steps from the funicular. It’s a great place to pick up maps and get helpful sightseeing tips.
Church of Saint-Hippolyte & Basilica Saint-François-de-Sale
The Church of Saint-Hippolyte and Basilica Saint-François-de-Sale are two adjoining buildings.
Baroque-style Saint-Hippolyte church (fr. Église Saint-Hippolyte) is Thonon’s oldest church dating back to the 12th century, which over the years was rebuilt and restored several times.
Basilica Saint-Francois-de-Sale (fr. Saint François de Sales Basilica) is a neo-Gothic church that was supposed to replace the Saint-Hippolyte church, which was about to be demolished. Construction began in 1889 but in 1894, due to financial issues, it was postponed. Work restarted in 1920, and finally, the church was completed in 1930. The church was given the basilica title in 1993.
Belvedere Park
Belvedere Park is a terraced park above Lake Geneva that offers spectacular panoramic views over the lake, port, Switzerland coast, and Jura Mountains. Just sit on one of the many benches, and enjoy the views. The Belvedere Park is open all year round and there’s no entrance fee. Visiting Belvedere Park and soaking in the views is truly one of the greatest things to do in Thonon-les-Bains.
Thonon Funicular
Since 1888 funicular (fr. Funiculaire de Thonon-les-Bains) connects the shores of Lake Geneva with the upper part of town. And it was the second funicular built in France! It helped to overcome the difficulties of communication between the city center and the port. In 1989 funicular was automated.
Thonon Funicular runs from the Port up to the Belvedere Park. Ticket costs €1.2 for a one-way trip, and €2.4 for both ways (July 2026). To check out current prices and hours of operation visit thononlesbains.com website.
If you prefer to walk, there is also a footpath available but it’s quite steep so get ready for some exercise.
Sonnaz Castle with Chablais Museum
Right next to Belvedere Park and Funicular, you’ll find Sonnaz Castle (fr. Château de Sonnaz) which was built in the 17th century, on the ruins of the medieval castle. Now the castle is home to the Chablais Museum (fr. Musée du Chablais) and Thonon-les-Bains Tourist Office. In the museum, you’ll find permanent exhibitions about the region, and changing temporary exhibitions.
Entrance to Chablais Museum cost €3.5 for a normal ticket, and €2.6 for a reduced one. Also, the museum is free every Sunday (July 2026). For current prices and opening hours, visit thononlesbains.com website.
Thonon-les-Bains Port
In the lower part of town, on the shores of Lake Geneva, you’ll find the port area with a promenade and many restaurants, bars and shops lining the waterfront. The place also offer magnificent views so be sure. to stop for a moment and soak it up – it’s one of the most memorable things to do in Thonon-les-Bains!
Fishing and Lake Ecomuseum
In port, you’ll also find open-air Fishing and Lake Ecomuseum (fr. Écomusée de la Pêche et du Lac), which is set up in three traditional fishing huts. It tracks the evolution of fishing techniques and displays various fishing equipment, such as boats, nets, and traps. In four aquariums, you’ll also observe fish like trout and perch that live in the lake nearby. There’s also a display with stuffed, lake-dwelling birds.
Entrance to Fishing and Lake Ecomuseum cost €3.5 for a normal ticket, €2.6 for a reduced one, and children under 18 years old enter for free (July 2026). For current prices and opening hours visit the thononlesbains.com website.
Castle of Ripaille
A bit outside the town center, 25 minutes by foot or about 5-10 minutes by car, you’ll find another great place to visit in Thonon-les-Bains – the Castle of Ripaille (fr. Château de Ripaille). This fine estate was originally built in the middle of the 15th century and was the home of the Dukes of Savoy. In the 17th and 18th centuries, it was a Carthusian monastery, and then a ruin until the end of the 19th century.
In 1892 a local textile factory owner, Frédéric Engel-Gros, bought the property and restored it. Since then the Castle of Ripaille has been in the hands of the Necker-Engel family, descendants of Mr Frédéric.
Around the castle, there are also 22 hectares of vineyard with Chasselas grapes, the oldest known grape originally coming from Egypt! Doesn’t seeing and tasting them seem like one of the coolest things to do in Thonon-les-Bains?!
Entrance to Castle of Ripaille costs €12 for a normal ticket, €9 for a reduced one, and is free for children under 7 years old (July 2026). For current prices and opening hours, visit the ripaille.fr website. V
Activities around Lake Geneva
Do you need more ideas for things to do in Thonon-les-Bains? No problem! Just tell us what you prefer: active or passive rest? Ok, it doesn’t really matter, because near Lake Geneva everyone will find something for themselves!
Sports enthusiasts can choose from activities like paddleboarding, kayaking, kayak-rafting, windsurfing, sailing, canoeing, water skiing, or just swimming. Also, there’s a possibility to rent a small boat, with or without a license.
If you are not into watersports, you can head to the lakeshore to relax, sunbathe, and take a nice refreshing dip in the lake. You can choose free beaches along the shore, or head to a municipal swimming pool/beach which can offer you various facilities like swimming pools, slides, and restaurants. For more information, current prices and opening hours, visit the ville-thonon.fr website.
In our opinion, the best free beaches are right next to Ripaille Castle – they are pebbly but quiet, and it’s easy to find many shady places. It’s even possible to make a few new animal friends!
Cycling & MTB biking
In no other place, we’ve seen so many cyclists and MTB lovers. We can’t say much in this matter but there are many cycling routes to choose from in, or near, Thonon-les-Bains. If that’s something that interest yoy, check out websites like outdooractive.com and komoot.com to discover more.
How to get to Thonon-les-Bains, France?
Thonon-les-Bains is located about 10km from Evian-les-Bains, 35km from Geneva, 100km from Chamonix, and 75km from Annecy. The most convenient way to get to Thonon is by car or by train.
Where to park in Thonon-les-Bains?
There are a few parking lots in Thonon-les-Bains, both paid and free. We left our car in this free parking lot, located only one kilometer (10 minutes on foot) from the town center.
Airports near Thonon-les-Bains
The closest airports to Thonon-les-Bains are in Geneva, Switzerland (40km away) and Lyon (190km away). Both airports have train and bus connections with Thonon. To check the connections that interest you please visit rome2rio.com website.
To Thonon-les-Bains by train
France is very well connected by trains. For example, the trip from Geneva will take about 1 hour, 10 minutes from Evian-Les-Bains, and 3.5 hours from Lyon. To learn more about train connections that might interest you, visit the sncf-connect.com or rome2rio.com website.
To Thonon-les-Bains by bus
You can also quite easily get to Thonon-les-Bains by bus. For example, the trip from Evian-les-Bains will take about 35 minutes, 1.5 hours from Annecy, and 1h 45 minutes from Geneva. To learn more about bus connections that interest you visit rome2rio.com website.
To Thonon-les-Bains by ferry
You can also get to Thonon by ferry from Lausanne in Switzerland. The journey will take about 50 minutes and will cost around €30.
Camping in Thonon-les-Bains
If you’re traveling by camper, campings like Camping Du Lac, or Camping Disdillou might interest you. All are located in or near Thonon.
Explore local attractions
Things to do in Thonon-les-Bains, France – Summing up
Now you know that there are many amazing things to do in Thonon. Admiring spectacular views, spending time on Lake Geneva shores, exploring the colorful old town, visiting cozy restaurants, relaxing in thermal baths… What would you need more for the perfect holidays? We hope that you’ll have a truly amazing time in Thonon les Bains. Enjoy!
Our opinion about Thonon-les-Bains
We lived in Thonon for 6 weeks (May to mid-June) during season#1 of our digital nomad life. During that time the town was still very quiet, without huge crowds and only with few tourists. We loved living there and we’ll gladly come back one day. Until today we fondly remember beautiful sunsets, relaxing on lake shores during hot days, lovely streets, and really friendly people.
We also found Thonon les Bains as a fantastic starting point for discovering the Haute-Savoie region and places around Lake Geneva. Cons? None! Ok… Maybe except for quite high prices in supermarkets.
Restaurants, accommodations, and map
Check out various recommended places below.
Where to eat in Thonon-les-Bains?
Here are your best, high-rated options in Thonon-les-Bains:
