Palais des Nations

Palais des Nations

Palais des Nations
4
Points of Interest & LandmarksGovernment Buildings
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
Closed
Sunday
Closed
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Address
Neighborhood: Ariana
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  • IJB
    Pfaeffikon, Switzerland17 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    Complicated registration process
    Tedious, poorly organized - downright daunting - registration process, due to the high security requirements. There are only a few tours for individuals. It makes sense to book well in advance. Extremely friendly and competent guides. Many large conference rooms are shown; in some cases you can follow international conferences. We were all nice and interested - so we were also shown the library in the old main building.
    Visited April 2024
    Traveled with friends
    Written May 12, 2024
  • Lucia L
    5 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Unforgettable
    I booked a private tour to experience with my daughter who is studying international law. It was an unforgettable experience. Alice, our guide, introduced us to the buildings, the rooms, the history, the art, the gardens, the dynamics of the discussion sessions with extreme professionalism and availability, answering all our questions exhaustively. It allowed us to immerse ourselves in this beautiful reality of seeking the common good. Thank you
    Visited May 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written May 20, 2024
  • Manuepourtripadv
    Jura, France2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    First steps into involving into a UN sustainable world
    School Day Trip to Palais des Nations with 66 15-year-old pupils and 7 teachers, split in two groups. Excellent comments from both guides, adapted to the audience 's age : pragmatic information within these large conference halls, as to the languages used and interprets's jobs as well as general knowledge about The United Nations ' history and contemporary functions. All of us ( teens and teachers ! ) appreciated and actually enjoyed this 1-hour visit. (too short though !) Thank you for the pain taken at every organization level to enable us to attend to this brilliant visit.
    Visited May 2024
    Traveled on business
    Written May 21, 2024
  • Andreas H
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    School trip to geneva
    We were welcomed to a very organized tour of the UN building. The students were a mixed-abled group of 15 / 16 year olds. The tour was interesting and informative, the students were able to ask questions and felt to be taken seriously. There were very good feedbacks from the students about the tour.
    Visited June 2024
    Traveled with friends
    Written June 28, 2024
  • kaledoniain
    91 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Guided UN tour
    The tour spots are snapped up fast online. Ours was booked as English language but they split us into two, French and English. No need to wait outside if you arrive early; you can take a seat inside on the red couches. There is airport-style security before the tour starts. I would have liked to see more of the inner workings of the UN but the tour was okay. To get there, take tram 15 to the end of the line, Nations, cross the street to the flags, go left and walk to the Pregny gate, which is across from the big Red Cross HQ building.
    Visited August 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written August 24, 2024
  • Paul F
    Signal Mountain, Tennessee2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Family Tour (11 & 13 year old girls)
    Our tour was very informative and entertaining. Our tour guide was Monica who was very nice and did a fantastic job answering our questions and interaction with our group. Our two daughters (13 & 11) enjoyed learning about the UN and Monica (our guide) was able to relate the mission of the UN to historical and current events the girls are learning school. Fantastic. I highly recommend.
    Visited October 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written October 18, 2024
  • Maria Jose I
    Santander, Spain37 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A good way to get an idea of what you do at the UN
    We did the guided tour in English because it was the only option we had at the time. For a little bit they didn’t do it in Spanish, as we were a small group, but there was a family that didn’t understand our language and in the end it was in English and yes they told us that if we didn’t understand something, to say it and clarify it in Spanish. No need to. It was well understood. They explain the operation of this body, how it is financed and how it is organized in a simple way, as you enter several rooms. They showed us three of them, which at the time were unoccupied, if there were any meetings, you see them from a gallery that surrounds them and you can hear what they say. The one with the dome made by Mikel Barceló is impressive. They also tell you about gifts and artworks that are displayed in the hallways and that are donations from some countries. In total, between the time you enter, you are asked for accreditation and you make the visit, we spend an hour and a half there. The staff is very friendly. We liked it and you come away with an idea of what that organism is for. It's worth it.
    Visited November 2024
    Traveled with friends
    Written December 8, 2024
  • angiebsby
    Horley, United Kingdom26 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    So interesting and enjoyable
    Visited on a day trip to Geneva. Excellent visit. Security and admission was smooth. But the highlight was our guide Monica. She was so knowledgable and enthusiastic, getting the perfect balance between history and current affairs, all done with a smile and passion. Prior to the trip I wasn’t sure it was worth us doing, but it was absolutely the best bit about our trip to Geneva.
    Visited December 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written December 10, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles1,588 reviews
Excellent
755
Very good
556
Average
194
Poor
45
Terrible
38

Poleinahole
Switzerland2,410 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2023
I booked a private VIP tour for up to five people (CHF 280) because I couldn't get tickets for the free public tour. (Tours are restricted until June 2023 when renovation work on the UN buildings is due to be completed). Even the VIP Tours are limited so book early.

You need to be at the entrance 45 minutes before the tour to get your printed badge (you have to send the UN your ID details in advance), clear security and have a guide walk you through he UN grounds about ten minutes to the main entrance where your tour begins. It's an interesting walk with a great photo opportunity after you clear security of the UN building and all the country flags. You can also use the toilet before your tour. There is also a gift shop for souvenirs at the end of your tour.

Note: because of renovation work, the entrance is NOT at the main entrance where taxis want to take you to. Instead it's at the Peace Gate near the huge broken chair statue at the Nations Bus Stop.

We visited on a Friday and learned that this was usually an easier day to get tickets for a tour because there are fewer conferences and most visitors want to listen in on a conference. The best months to hear conferences are apparently May, June and September.

Maria, our Mexican English speaking tour guide, was superb. Very enthusiastic and knowledgeable, including about international law. We saw the UN grounds (including the beautiful peacocks that must always be kept on UN grounds due to a stipulation in the grant of the man who donated the grounds to the UN), small museum and the conference center. Our tour went on for about 80 minutes. Thanks Maria for being so generous with your time. Maria, like the other tour guides we met, was studying to become a translator.

Despite it being a Friday, we were lucky to listen in o a disarmament conference. It was interesting to see the seating protocol and hear about how the translators work. They are the among most highly paid UN employees and must be passively fluent in two languages. They work tandem with a colleague in shifts of 30 minutes (one translator works as the other listens so understands what the gist of the conference is and then takes over after 30 minu. their work demands such high concentration. They have to deal with accents and poor sound quality because of delegates who participate from cars or other poor network areas. Each delegate can only speak for two minutes so they speak super fast. So the translators speak at breakneck speed!

This was a highly interesting tour. If you want to have an upmarket lunch, try the Vieux Bois restaurant just steps from the main entrance to the UN where the tour ends. It's the restaurant of the Geneva Hotel School.

Across the main entrance of the UN, is the International Red Cross Museum, though sadly this is less interesting than it could be.
Written March 19, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

IJB
Pfaeffikon, Switzerland17 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Couples
Very interesting to see this famous complex of buldings from inside and learn more about history and the United Nations. The guides were great, humorous nice ladies, however the procedure to obtain permission to enter the aerea is overly complicated. Entrance fee is low, but as its often booekd out, you have to schedule several months before. Group visits see to be easier to get.
Written January 31, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

permia
Ireland67,095 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Couples
While waiting for admittance there was time to peruse the laudable Avenue of Flags, each flag representing a member state.

An engaging guide throughout the tour expanded in some detail on all these countries aspiring to work together. No easy task when vested interests and real-politik intervene.

It was interesting to sit in on a debate, a plethora of which undoubtedly take place on a weekly basis. Leading to some agreement and more importantly action on pressing global problems.

Amongst the art works on display is In Women’s Hands by the Italian artist Clara Garesio. It was donated by the EU to the UN in 2013.

A work in ceramic it shows a large circular panel containing only outstretched hands, each with a symbolic motif.
Written January 9, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

rcole123
New York City, NY6 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2024 • Couples
My wife and I have visited the UN in New York and enjoyed the tour very much. We were thus looking forward to our tour in Geneva. Unfortunately, we found the Geneva tour to be less rewarding. The problems are multiple. First, visitors meet at the main gate, go through security, and then have to walk about 500 meters to the entrance on the other side of the campus. When we visited in April 2024, the day was cold and rainy. It was a nasty slog to get dry. If you go, be weather aware. Once we assembled inside, the tour started by walking back outside to a parking lot to view a burial vault of the man who donated the land and the original facade. We found this trip useless as an experience. We then went back inside and walked to the other end of the building, which is when the tour really began. We saw some conference rooms and had an OK description of the UN work and mission. We saw no exhibitions, like in NY, and the building and spaces are sad looking and in need of major upkeep. When the tour ended, we were told to exit through a different gate which was a good walk from where we first assembled and to transportation. It was still rainy and cold. UN guest services need to seriously rethink what is important for a tour to be meaningful as well as how best to navigate the areas of most interest given the limited time.
Written April 12, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Asma A
Oakbrook Terrace, IL19 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Family
I gave this tour a 3 rating because for our family, getting to see UN headquarters in Geneva was going to be the highlight there and we were left a bit underwhelmed. We had purchased a private tour. Maybe it was that it seemed the tour was very much dependent on the tour guide and ours was low energy and focused her own areas of interest whereas it should have been more general and covered all the basics. For example, she spent a whole 10 minutes explaining the art in one of the meeting rooms and as much as we like art, our teens were almost ready to sleep. Our teens are pretty worldly and avid Model UN students but that’s not what they wanted to learn about at a tour of UN. Anyways, that was just one of the examples. All in all, would we recommend it? Yes, but don’t have high hopes and definitely pray that you get a tour guide who can read the room.
Written August 27, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Hockeydad900
La Canada Flintridge, CA378 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2023 • Couples
I visited here many years ago and was shocked to see what has become of the former League of Nations now United Nations buildings in Geneva. These beautiful buildings were approachable and made for a great visit illustrating the importance of international diplomacy to seek world peace. Now they are surrounded by high iron fences that keep everyone far away and by snarling security guards who threatened me when i tried to take a picture of the UN building from a distance. You would think it was the Russian embassy (which sits across the street mostly unnoticed) and not a supposed beacon of hope to the world.
Written October 1, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Zfy Ed
Singapore, Singapore10,995 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2023
The Palace of Nations (or UN building) is the home of the United Nations Office at Geneva. It was built between 1929 and 1938 to serve as the European headquarters of the League of Nations.

It is one of the largest diplomatic conference centers in the world with around 8,000 meetings are organized each year.

This is our revisit here and it's good to be back. On the day of our visit, we saw a group of demonstrators (according to our guide, there are demonstrations almost everyday here) standing across the road (in front of it) holding banners and cards on "Stop the War in Ukraine". Although there were some shout outs from the demonstrators, they were well organized and behaved.

We felt that regardless of how big or small a country is, every citizen on earth has his/her right to peace and freedom and as such we hail the good work of the UN and pray and hope that (through it) the invasion of Ukraine can be put to a halt soon!
Written July 5, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Joan R
2 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2021
The visit costs 15CHF for 1 hour, in which a brief historical review of the UN is given and only the Human Rights and Alliance of Civilizations Room and the outside of the building are visited.
We expected a more detailed guided tour, although we understand that after COVID the tours guides may be a bit rusty.
Way to improve!
Written November 15, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Rajesh S
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2024 • Family
Difficult to reach
Communication is not clear
I missed the tour because was not able to reach on time. No one to guide and several people like me reached late and missed the tour. One pays so much for the tour and when you reach; there is no one to speak and security at UN is rude.
Written August 22, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Travel529
New York City, NY287 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
The entrance is opposite Red Cross Museum, you will have to pay around 15-16 CHF per person. After security check, your identification is scanned and you are given temporary ID. You may opt for any of the available language(English, French etc) for the tour with guide. The tour is very knowledgeable, takes around 1 hour, you get to see conference rooms/auditorium (both new and old), it’s always an honor to visit such place. There is a souvenirs shop inside. It’s must see if you are in Geneve. It’s not too far from Broken Chair.
Written February 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Palais des Nations, Geneva

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