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Where to go in April / Switzerland in April / Lake Geneva & Valais / April

Switzerland · Mountains

Lake Geneva & Valais
in April.

Illustration of Lavaux vineyard terraces near Rivaz overlooking Lake Geneva
Lavaux vineyards above Lake GenevaDestination view, not month-specific.

Is April a good time?

Temperature unit

Mild days.
Fewer overnight stays than March.

April averages 61°F afternoons, with about 9 rain days. Later April is typically warmer.

Afternoons
61°F
Rain days
9
Visitor demand
51%of August peak

Historical Région lémanique regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Geneva, Lausanne, Montreux, Zermatt and Verbier; conditions vary within the region.

Overall match

6.2/10 · scores & priorities

This weather score measures sightseeing comfort. Snow and ski conditions need a separate check.

What matters most?

Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%

#5 of 12 months here · Balanced mix

Weather6.8/10Good
CrowdsModerate seasonvs its own year; overnight stays do not measure queuesFor its size, busier than most of Europe this month
CostExpensivefor Europe; Switzerland-wide price level

Overall combines weather, overnight demand and cost. It does not include sea temperature.

Plan your April

What to expect.

What should I pack?

Afternoons around 61°F (16°C): light layers; nights around 40°F (5°C): a warm coat. Bring rain gear: about 9 days with at least 1 mm of rain. About 14 hours of daylight.

A typical day: temperatures & daylightAfternoons, nights & daylight Show detailsHide details

About 14 hours of daylight.

Sunrise 06:46Sunset 20:1740°F61°F00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00

The sun rises about 06:46 and sets about 20:17 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 40°F (5°C); afternoons reach about 61°F (16°C). Expect rain on about 9 days in a typical April.

Typical afternoon
61°F (16°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Aprils
Night low
40°F (5°C)
average daily minimum
Daylight
13h 31m
on the 15th, computed from latitude

Early, middle or late?

Early or late April?

Late April is typically warmer. The afternoon high averages 58°F on the 1st, versus 63°F on the 30th. Historical wet-day frequency rises from 30% to 47% between those dates.

Early April 1 April

58°F

Typical afternoon high

30% historical wet-day frequency

Mid April 15 April

61°F

Typical afternoon high

26% historical wet-day frequency

Late April 30 April

63°F

Typical afternoon high

47% historical wet-day frequency

Historical daily averages from 2011–2025, smoothed over two weeks. A seasonal pattern, not a forecast. This does not establish which week has the lowest prices or fewest visitors.

Daily calendar & holiday datesApril 2027 · historical weather & dated holidays Show calendarHide calendar

April 2027 calendar

Weather shows historical patterns, not a forecast. Holidays and events use the dates shown for 2027.

MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
158°258°359°459°
560°660°760°860°960°1060°1160°
1261°1361°1461°1561°1662°1762°1862°
1962°2062°2162°2262°2362°2462°2562°
2662°2762°2863°2963°3063°

Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event

Afternoons warm from about 59°F (15°C) in the first week to 62°F (17°C) in the last. The chance of a wet day runs 26–47%.

Some schools here are off between 1 and 9 April 2027 (Easter holidays); the dates differ across the region. Other school-holiday dates this month may be missing. Elsewhere in April 2027, the share of people living where schools are out on a typical day: France 47%, Netherlands 23%, Belgium 29%, Greece 23%. (School holidays: OpenHolidays, ODbL.)

Crowds, cost and getting there

Visitor season

Will it be busy?

Moderate season. April averages 51% of August's overnight stays per day. Fewer overnight stays than March.

Overnight stays across Région lémanique do not measure queues, day visitors or congestion at individual sights. For its size, busier than most of Europe this month.

Hotel price season

Will it be cheaper?

About usual. Estimated from national hotel prices and local visitor demand; no measured regional room rate is available.

Fewer overnight stays do not automatically mean cheaper rooms. Check actual quotes for your trip.

Switzerland as a whole
Well above EU average
2024 restaurants and hotels price level: 171 where the EU average is 100. A relative index, not a room rate.
Recorded US nonstop flights · 2024
Recorded this month
from New York JFK, Newark and Washington Dulles; 2024 schedule, Eurostat

Year-to-year variation

How much does April vary?

Across the recorded years

In the 15 years from 2011 to 2025, the month's afternoons averaged between 57°F (14°C) and 67°F (20°C); in 8 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 61°F (16°C). Rain days ranged from 4 to 18; half the years had 7–13.

Rain days in each April

Historical rain days; exact figures in the table below. 2011: 4 rain days420112012: 18 rain days182013: 11 rain days112014: 10 rain days102015: 9 rain days92016: 14 rain days142017: 8 rain days82018: 6 rain days62019: 8 rain days82020: 5 rain days52021: 7 rain days72022: 9 rain days92023: 14 rain days142024: 13 rain days132025: 8 rain days82025
Rain days
9
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 14 in a wet year
Mostly sunny days
7 of 30
cloud cover under 30%
Years with a 95°F+ day
0 of 15
no April in the last 15 years had a day at or above 95°F (35°C)
Good weather days
17 of 30
rated very good or better
See every recorded AprilHistorical monthly averages, year by year Show detailsHide details
Historical monthly averages, not daily extremes.
YearAfternoon highRain days
201166°F4
201258°F18
201359°F11
201462°F10
201561°F9
201659°F14
201760°F8
201866°F6
201959°F8
202067°F5
202157°F7
202259°F9
202357°F14
202461°F13
202564°F8

Checked against 23 local weather stations. How we check

Compare dates

March, April
or May?

Historical regional averages. Overnight demand vs August peak, measured as average stays per day.
Typical conditionsMarAprMay
Afternoons54°F61°F66°F
Rain days9912
Overnight demand73%51%51%

March: Cooler afternoons than April. More overnight demand. March guide →

May: Warmer afternoons and more rain days than April. May guide →

Overnight demand measures accommodation stays, not queues.

Compare any of the 12 monthsChoose another month and compare it with April Show comparisonHide comparison

Yellow marks the top three months on the Balanced mix. April stays as your reference.

June to September have a Weather score at least 1.0 point higher than April, but more overnight stays.

Your comparison

April or March?

Overnight stays are 73% of the busiest month.

National hotel prices and local visitor demand suggest a little above usual. No measured regional room rate is available.

Read the March guide →
April compared with another month
Typical conditionsAprilMarch
Afternoons61°F54°F
Nights40°F35°F
Rain days99
Visitor seasonModerate seasonBusy season
Overall / 106.25.1
Month rank#5#9
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
All 12 months. Scores and ranks follow your priorities. Explore the whole year.
MonthOverallRankHighLowRain daysWeatherVisitor season
January4.1#1143°F28°F143.9Busy season
February3.8#1247°F30°F84.8Peak season
March5.1#954°F35°F95.8Busy season
April6.2#561°F40°F96.8Moderate season
May6.4#366°F47°F127.1Moderate season
June6.4#275°F55°F118.2Busy season
July5.6#778°F58°F108.4Peak season
August5.6#879°F57°F98.4Peak season
September6.4#171°F51°F98.3Busy season
October6.4#463°F44°F97.0Moderate season
November5.9#651°F36°F115.0Moderate season
December4.4#1044°F30°F144.0Busy season

Near here

Nearby places in April

Nearby regions, nearest first. Distances are centre to centre, as the crow flies; they are not road distances or journey times.

Elsewhere in Europe

Better April weather than Lake Geneva & Valais

Lake Geneva & Valais' weather ranks 17 of 28 mountain regions this month. These mountain regions outside Switzerland have clearly better weather on your dates, nearest first, each compared with Lake Geneva & Valais.

All of Switzerland in April · Everywhere in April

How we knowSources, regional scope & scoring method Show detailsHide details

It's moderate season, 51% of the busiest month and 26% below its average month. That means about 33,000 overnight visitors on a typical April night across the region, 48% of them from Switzerland itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 5,700 more: 17 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.

Climate suitability (HCI:Urban, 0–100)69
How our weather was checked23 open weather stations in this region, January and July: afternoon highs typically within 1°F (0.7°C), night lows within 2°F (0.8°C).
Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day19
Busiest month hereAugust · 37
Visitors as share of people present1.9%
Rank among Europe's regions this month76th percentile
Domestic share of nights48%
Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights17
Visitor share if every platform night were extra2.2%
National hotel-price seasonSwitzerland historical 2024–2025 index: About usual (−1% vs its average month). Not a local room quote.
Population used1.8 million
Statistical regionCH01 · Région lémanique

Crowds: Eurostat nights spent at tourist accommodation, by month and NUTS 2 region, 2024–2025 average. Overnight visitors per night is the month's nights divided by its days; the per-1,000 figure is Eurostat's, against each year's population. Platform rentals: Eurostat nights booked via Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor, 2024–2025 average, shown separately because some properties are in both counts. Weather: Holiday Climate Index computed from ERA5 reanalysis with daily highs, night lows and rain days corrected from open national weather-service station records, 2011–2025, population-weighted to the region; day-by-day figures are the same data averaged by date. Heat and rain odds are counted across those years. Sunrise and sunset: NOAA solar equations, local time. Prices: Eurostat price level index and HICP, national. Full method · this region's data.