What Chillon Castle costs with the Swiss Travel Pass
The gate price is CHF 15 for anyone 16 and over, CHF 7 for children 6 to 15, and nothing at all under 6. With the pass you walk up, show it, and walk in. Around 400,000 people a year come through here, which makes it the most visited historic monument in Switzerland.
The one thing the pass won't cover is the audio guide, which is about CHF 6 on top and sold separately no matter what ticket you hold. You do get a folded paper guide with the numbered map, in 17 languages, included with entry.
| Item | Without the pass | With the pass |
|---|---|---|
| Adult entry | CHF 15 | CHF 0 |
| Child 6 to 15 | CHF 7 | CHF 0 |
| Audio guide | about CHF 6 | about CHF 6 |
| Train, bus or boat from Montreux | paid separately | CHF 0 |
Getting to Chillon Castle from Montreux: train, bus or boat
The castle sits ten minutes from Montreux and there are three ways to cover that distance, all of them included on your pass.
- Train to Veytaux-Chillon, then a 7 minute walk down to the water.
- Bus 201 from Montreux or Vevey, every 10 to 20 minutes, stopping directly in front of the castle.
- CGN boat from the Montreux Embarcadère, 10 to 20 minutes, docking two minutes from the entrance. Sailings are longer and more frequent April to September.
Take the train or bus one way and the boat the other. It costs you nothing extra, and the Belle Époque paddle steamers work this stretch of Lake Geneva. Coming from further afield, Zurich to Montreux is roughly 2h 45m.
If you'd rather walk, the lakeside footpath from Montreux is 3km and flat, 30 to 40 minutes, and it gives you the postcard view of the castle across the water that you cannot get from inside it. A car can drive right up to the drawbridge to drop someone off, which is worth knowing if you're travelling with anyone who'd struggle with the walk from the bus stop.
What you actually see inside Chillon Castle
This is 25 buildings, three courtyards and 46 numbered rooms, and the paper map walks you through them in order. The one everybody comes for is the dungeon, where François Bonivard was chained to a pillar for six years and where Byron got his poem. Above that you get original 14th century wall paintings, Gothic vaulted rooms, the crypt, hidden passageways, and staircases tight enough that a big bag is better left in the castle's storage.
There are temporary art and culture exhibitions on rotation, and the castle runs its own 12,500m² vineyard producing red and white. Two screens in the cafeteria play eight short films in nine languages, which is a genuinely useful place to park yourself if the weather turns.
How long to spend at Chillon Castle
Allow two hours. Reports run from an hour and a half to people who made a full day of it. Arrive at opening time if you can, because the passages are narrow and 400,000 people a year add up.
The one thing worth paying for
Without a guide, plenty of people find the rooms read as faded. A guided tour changes that, and the CHF 6 audio guide is the cheap version of the same fix. You've saved CHF 15 at the gate, so CHF 6 of it back is not a hard decision. Come in January and it can be quiet enough that a single tour group has the place.
Opening hours and when to visit Chillon Castle
April to September it's open 09:00 to 19:00 with last admission at 18:00. March and October run 09:30 to 18:00, last admission 17:00. There's no annual closing day.
You don't need to reserve anything as an individual. Groups of 15 or more and anyone wanting a guided tour do have to book.
Accessibility at Chillon Castle
The operator says it outright, and it is worth repeating: this is not an accessible building. Narrow passages, many stairways, and cobbles that get slippery in the rain. A wheelchair reaches the cobbled courtyards, the cafeteria and its adapted toilets, the Bazaar gift shop and Café Byron, and no further. It's not suitable for pushchairs either, and there is storage at the castle if you need to leave one.
A few other house rules. No dogs except assistance animals. No public wifi. Photography is fine, but no flash or tripods indoors. And there's a dress code: no swimwear, bare chests or bare feet.
Eating at Chillon Castle
The eating is split between inside the walls and the lakeside in front of them, and the seat with the view is outside.
- Café Byron, directly in front of the castle, glass-fronted and facing it. The better seat.
- The cafeteria inside, with a drinks machine.
- A self-service restaurant at the exit.
- A refreshment bar in the Savoy garden on the lake, open in good weather.
Café Byron and the garden bar both do picnic food when it's warm, and there's a park beside the castle to eat it in.
Building a day around Chillon Castle on the pass
Because everything within reach is also included, the castle anchors a day rather than being a twenty minute stop on the way somewhere.
- Rochers-de-Naye, the cogwheel out of Montreux, free as far as Haut-de-Caux and 60% off above that.
- Lavaux, 800 hectares of UNESCO vine terraces: train to Vevey then the S2 towards Lausanne, or take the boat to Cully or Lutry. Chexbres and Corseaux sit up among the vines rather than down on the shore.
- Vevey, a short hop along the lake and an easy add-on either side of the castle.
- Chaplin's World and Gruyères, both doable on the same trip, neither included on the pass.
If you're collecting the big free ones, this pairs naturally with Rhine Falls in the north and the Bellinzona castles south of the Gotthard, both free on the pass in the same way. The full list is on the free attractions page.
FAQ
Is Chillon Castle free with the Swiss Travel Pass?
Yes, entry is fully covered and you save CHF 15 as an adult. Just show the pass at the entrance, no reservation needed.
Is the audio guide included in the Swiss Travel Pass?
No. The audio guide is about CHF 6 extra and isn't included in any ticket. You do get a free folded paper guide with the numbered map in 17 languages.
How do you get from Montreux to Chillon Castle?
Three ways, all on the pass. The train to Veytaux-Chillon, then a 7 minute walk. Bus 201, which stops in front of the castle every 10 to 20 minutes. Or the CGN boat from the Montreux Embarcadère, docking two minutes from the entrance. You can also walk the flat 3km lakeside path in 30 to 40 minutes.
How long do you need at Chillon Castle?
Two hours covers the 46 numbered rooms at a comfortable pace. Some people are out in an hour and a half, others stretch it to a full day with the exhibitions and the lakeside garden.
Is Chillon Castle wheelchair accessible?
Largely not. A wheelchair can reach the cobbled courtyards, the cafeteria with its adapted toilets, the Bazaar shop and Café Byron, but the castle route itself has narrow passages and many stairways. It's not suitable for pushchairs, and the cobbles get slippery when wet.
Do you need to book Chillon Castle in advance?
Not as an individual, you can turn up any day it's open. Groups of 15 or more and anyone wanting a guided tour do have to book ahead.
