Place · Plainpalais and the university quarter
Patek Philippe Museum
A watch museum for people who like objects and craft: it is open only some afternoons, so check the day before you go and pair it with Plainpalais.
- Watches
- Rain-day pick
- Check opening days
- Go afternoon on an open day
- Mostly indoors
Highlights come from Voykit's own data and desk notes, not from reviews. Hover a tag to see its source.
Rules in force · 10Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…The old town is cobbles and steep lanes
- Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
- Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
- Central Europe ↗Six of the nine countries here — Austria, Switzerland, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia — charge a time-based motorway vignette, mostly digital and linked to the number plate; buy it before the first motorway past the border, because cameras, not toll booths, do the checking.
- Central Europe ↗Temporary police checks at internal Schengen borders are common in this region in 2026 (Germany, Austria, Poland, Slovenia among others — check): keep your passport on you on every cross-border train, bus and road even though there is no fixed control post.
- Switzerland ↗Switzerland is in the Schengen area but not the EU: check entry rules, the EU Entry/Exit System and any travel authorisation requirement for your passport on official sources.
- Switzerland ↗Switzerland is outside the EU customs area: allowances on meat, alcohol and tobacco are strict and checked at borders.
- Switzerland ↗Motorways need a vignette (sticker or e-vignette) before you drive on them.
- Lake Geneva Region ↗Trains between Geneva, Lausanne and Montreux run all day; check the last train home before a late dinner.
- Geneva ↗The old town is cobbles and steep lanes: bags go by tram or car to the door, never on a walk.
- Geneva ↗Most shops and many restaurants close on Sunday; plan meals and errands for Saturday or Monday.
More
Map & directions
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Plan
Open now, best time to go, opening hours
Go now?
hours and prices: check on the day- Open
- Hours unknown
- Crowds
Go afternoon on an open day
MonTueWedThuFriSatSunQuietest Mon–Fri · busiest Sat, Sun · desk estimate
- Tickets
- Adult: about CHF 10 (≈ US$13) (2026 estimate; check)
Reductions for students and children; check.
- Time to spend
- 75–105 min · up to 150 min if you linger
Best time to go
Quiet on weekdays; Saturdays busier.
By weekday: quietest Mon–Fri, busiest Sat, Sun.
Opening hours
- Note
- Opening days and hours are limited; check the museum site before you go.
- Hours note
- Usually Tue–Fri afternoons and Saturday; closed Sun and Mon (check).
Which month is quietest
- Janbusy
- Febbusy
- Marbusy
- Aprbusy
- Maybusy
- Junbusy
- Julheavy
- Augheavy
- Sepbusy
- Octbusy
- Novbusy
- Decheavy
Quietest Jan–Jun · Sep–Nov · busiest Jul–Aug · Dec.
Estimate: desk reasoning from season, weekend and holiday patterns; not counted. Holidays and events move these weeks.
Weather here, next 7 days
Loading forecast…
Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.
Not checked in the last 12 months (no check date on file).
On the ground
Getting in, access, sensory load, what to bring, and where to go if it does not work
Getting in
- Stop
- Walk or tram to Plainpalais; the museum is on Rue des Vieux-Grenadiers
- Ticket
- on site · official site
- Stairs
- Not recorded
- Shoes
- Shoes on.
Accessibility
- PartialStep-free entrance
- Check firstLifts
- Check firstAccessible toilet
- YesWheelchair · A modern building with lifts; check accessible toilets.
- YesStroller · A modern building with lifts; check accessible toilets.
Sensory load
- Sensory load3/5 Medium
Exposure: low
What to bring and the rules
- A small bag · Larger bags go to the cloakroom.
- Larger bags go to the cloakroom.
- Photography rules apply in some rooms; ask at the desk.
Rules and prices change: check the official site before you go.
Bailouts
- rain: Stay inside: it is the rain plan
- heat: Stay inside: it is cool
Nearest rescue anchor: C — Bd Georges-Favon café (AC, field-verify)
Problem
Red lines
- Bags go to the cloakroom; no photography in restricted rooms (check).
Not checked in the last 12 months (no check date on file).
Map and nearby
Where it is, how to get there from your hotel or from where you stand, and what is around it
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Nearby places
Eat nearby
More detail
Everything else we know about this place
Tickets, prices and entry
Tickets & entry
- Where to buy
- Buy at the entrance on the day.
- Buy from the official site or the ticket desk; resellers add a fee for the same ticket.
- Bags & lockers
- Larger bags go to the cloakroom.
- Photos
- Photography rules apply in some rooms; ask at the desk.
- What's closed
- Sunday and MondayClosed (check).
- Public holidayscheckExtra closures.
“Check” dates move year to year: confirm on the official page for your date.
| Ticket | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Adult entry | about CHF 10 (≈ US$13) (2026 estimate; check) | Reductions for students and children; check. |
| Audio guide | check | May be included or extra. |
What to see, in order
01
Antique watches and enamel
Pocket watches from the 16th century on.
02
Modern complications
Displays of mechanisms by the maker.
How to do it well
- 1Go on a weekday afternoon.
- 2Combine with the Plaine and a walk back through the old town.
Facilities
- toilets
- Inside the museum.
- tickets
- At the desk.
- shade
- Indoor.
Time on site, inside and your plan
Time on site
Minimum
45min
Worthwhile
75min
Typical
105min
p95
150min
How much time do you have?
Enough for a typical visit (105 min).
With the other 15 min, these are a walk away (their own visit time is on their page):
- Plaine de Plainpalais6 min on foot · 9 min spare
- Old Town15 min on foot · 0 min spare
Visit times are typical figures, not promises; queues and closing times can change them.
Inside, in order
Antique watches and enamel
Pocket watches from the 16th century on.
Modern complications
Displays of mechanisms by the maker.
Step-free check, who it suits, facilities
Step-free check
- Step-free entrance: partly · partly
- Lifts: check · check
- Accessible toilet: check · check
- Wheelchair: yes · yesA modern building with lifts; check accessible toilets.
- Stroller: yes · yesA modern building with lifts; check accessible toilets.
A modern building with lifts; check accessible toilets.
With kids
- with kids
- Better for teenagers and adults; young children tire quickly.
- child price
- check
Combine with
Combine with
- 6 minPlaine de Plainpalais
- 15 minOld Town
- —Maison Tavel
Walk the Plainpalais and the university quarter area · the cluster page has the walking order, rescue stops and after-dark notes
Best photo time
Deep dive
Questions, photos, and where our facts come from
Questions and answers
Questions and answers
Do I need to book?
Not usually; check the day’s hours and any group visits.
Checked 2026-09-29 · Voykit desk
Is it only for watch fans?
No, but it is object-heavy: skip it if that is not your interest.
Checked 2026-09-29 · Voykit desk
Photos
Deep dive
Sources
- officialOfficial site
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Source: Price
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
Prices are 2026 estimates. The official site has the current price.
Source: Opening hours
Source: Best hour
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
The quietest window written into this guide. Crowd levels are desk estimates, not counts.
Source: Bag rating
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
Rated for the whole walking cluster, from desk research, not for this entrance.