Few day trips from Montreux pack more flavour into one outing than Gruyères: a medieval hilltop town, a working cheese dairy and a chocolate factory that has been making Cailler in Broc since 1898 — all within about an hour of Montreux by train, and all combinable in a single day.
Short answer: take the regional train (MOB) from Montreux to Gruyères (about 1 h 15), tour the car-free medieval town and its castle, watch Le Gruyère AOP being made at La Maison du Gruyère beside the station, then continue to Broc for the interactive Maison Cailler chocolate visit — cheese first, chocolate second, back on the lakeshore by evening.
Record crowds: Maison Cailler drew a record 482,428 visitors in 2025 — its third record year in a row — and the museum counts around 400,000 guests a year.[1][2] Source: Keystone-SDA report on Maison Cailler (bluewin.ch, 2026); Association Gruyère-Chocolat.
In this guide
The medieval town of Gruyères
Gruyères sits on a green hill above the Sarine valley, its cobbled main street lined with fountains, painted facades and fondue restaurants. The town is car-free: you park at the foot of the hill (paid P1–P3 lots) and walk up 10–20 minutes past the castle walls.[3] Pringy station, where the train arrives, is at the bottom of the hill.
- The castle (Château de Gruyères): a 13th-century fortress of the Counts of Gruyères, restored and open every day of the year — April to October 09:00–18:00, November to March 10:00–17:00. Adults CHF 13, children 6–15 CHF 5, family ticket CHF 29; last entry 45 minutes before closing.[3] Free with the Swiss Travel Pass or Swiss Museum Pass; a combined castle + dairy ticket costs CHF 17.[3]
- HR Giger Museum (Château St-Germain): the surrealist artist behind the Alien creature filled a second castle with his biomechanical works — adults CHF 12.50, children CHF 4.[4] The famous Giger Bar with its bone-white ribs is a few doors up the street.
- Tibet Museum: a quiet collection of Buddhist art installed in a former chapel, on the same street.
- Lunch: the main street is practically a fondue district — a perfect place to put Swiss fondue on the day's menu before the chocolate finale.
La Maison du Gruyère: cheese made in front of you
Right next to Gruyères station, before you climb to the village, La Maison du Gruyère is a working dairy with a show visit: you follow the process behind glass — copper vats, the pressing, the brine bath — through an interactive exhibition, then taste the results in the shop.[5] The cheese-making demonstrations run in the morning, so arrive before noon if you want to watch. Adults CHF 8; the visit works well with children, and in rain.[5] Le Gruyère AOP is a protected designation made in this valley — the same cheese that goes into every proper fondue.
Maison Cailler in Broc: 200 years of Swiss chocolate
Ten minutes past Gruyères, the village of Broc is home to Maison Cailler — and the Broc-Chocolaterie railway station sits right at the factory door.[6] Cailler is Switzerland's oldest chocolate brand: François-Louis Cailler started making chocolate in 1819, and his grandson moved the factory to Broc in 1898 to be close to fresh mountain milk — milk that still comes from farms within a 30 km radius.[6] The visit is a self-guided, interactive tour with an audioguide, taking 45–60 minutes and ending in the tasting room.[6]
- Prices (2026): adults CHF 17, children 6–15 CHF 7, students/seniors CHF 14.[6]
- Hours: open daily 10:00–18:00, last tickets at 17:00 — all year round.[6]
- Booking: book online in advance; on busy days the ticket-office queue can reach 3 hours.[6]
How to get there from Montreux
Option 1 — the Chocolate Train (MOB). The scenic package: Belle Époque carriages leave Montreux around 09:45, ride the GoldenPass line to Montbovon, then a coach takes you to the cheese dairy (~11:00), the village for lunch and the castle (12:10–14:15), and Maison Cailler (14:30–16:15), returning to Montreux around 17:00.[7] Tickets 2026: CHF 89 per adult in 2nd class, CHF 99 in 1st; CHF 69 with a Half Fare Card, CHF 59 with a Swiss Travel Pass.[7] It runs 1 May – 29 September 2026 on selected days (May–June: Tue, Thu, Fri, Sun; July–August: Tue, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun; September: Tue, Thu, Sun).[7]
Option 2 — do it yourself by regional train. Hourly MOB trains link Montreux to Gruyères in about 1 h 15; the dairy is at the station, and the short hop to Broc-Chocolaterie takes about ten minutes by train or bus. This works every day of the year, lets you set your own pace, and the train rides are covered by the Swiss Travel Pass.[5][6]
Option 3 — by car. Take the A12 motorway to the Bulle exit: about 45–50 minutes from Montreux. Park at the foot of the village and walk up; Maison Cailler has its own parking in Broc.[3]
| Getting there — at a glance | Detail |
|---|---|
| Chocolate Train (Montreux ⇄) | Full-day excursion incl. entries — CHF 89 adult 2nd class (2026); May–Sep only[7] |
| Regional train Montreux ⇄ Gruyères | ~1 h 15 each way, hourly, all year[5] |
| Gruyères ⇄ Broc-Chocolaterie | ~10 min by train or bus[6] |
| By car | ~45–50 min via A12, exit Bulle; village car-free[3] |
When to go & tips for a perfect day
- Any season works — the castle is open 365 days and Maison Cailler is indoors, which makes this one of the best rainy-day trips from the Riviera. Only the Chocolate Train is seasonal (May–September).
- Budget about CHF 38 per adult for the three visits (castle CHF 13 + dairy CHF 8 + Cailler CHF 17), or CHF 89 for the Chocolate Train with transport included.[3][5][6]
- Go early on summer weekends — Gruyères and Broc are busiest in July and August, and the dairy demos finish before noon.
- Extend the day: the thermal baths of Les Bains de la Gruyère in nearby Charmey make a relaxing finish, or ride the funicular up the Moléson for a higher panorama.
- From the Riviera: the excursion slots neatly into a longer stay — see how it fits a 1, 2 or 3-day Montreux itinerary.
Base yourself in Montreux
RivieraHost manages apartments across Montreux and Clarens, steps from the station — the natural base for a Gruyères day trip and everything else on the Swiss Riviera.
Check availabilityRelated reading: Where to eat in Montreux: fondue, raclette & vin chaud · Rochers-de-Naye: the cogwheel day trip from Montreux · Thermal baths in Vaud & Valais · Montreux in 1, 2 or 3 days
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Frequently asked questions
How far is Gruyères from Montreux?
About 1 hour 15 minutes by regional train (MOB line via Châtel-Saint-Denis and Bulle), or roughly 45–50 minutes by car on the A12 motorway.
Can I visit Gruyères, the cheese dairy and Maison Cailler in one day?
Yes — it is the classic Swiss day trip. The Chocolate Train packages Gruyères, the dairy and Cailler from Montreux from early May to late September; with regular trains you can do the same loop on your own all year round.
How much does the cheese-and-chocolate day trip cost?
Adults: around CHF 13 for Gruyères Castle, CHF 8 for La Maison du Gruyère and CHF 17 for Maison Cailler (2026 prices). The all-in Chocolate Train costs CHF 89 in 2nd class, transport and entries included.
Is Maison Cailler open in winter?
Yes — the chocolate factory visit runs daily from 10:00 to 18:00, last tickets at 17:00, all year round. Only the Chocolate Train excursion is seasonal (early May to late September).
Do I need to book Maison Cailler tickets in advance?
Booking online is recommended — waiting times at the ticket office can reach 3 hours on busy days, according to the official Maison Cailler page.
Sources
- Association Gruyère-Chocolat (gruyere-chocolat.ch) — Maison Cailler welcomes almost 400,000 visitors a year — gruyere-chocolat.ch/en/the-project
- Keystone-SDA report via bluewin.ch (2026) — record 482,428 visitors in 2025, third record year in a row — bluewin.ch
- Château de Gruyères, official information page — opening hours, prices, combined tickets, car-free village — chateau-gruyeres.ch
- HR Giger Museum, official visiting page — prices and hours — hrgigermuseum.com
- La Maison du Gruyère (lamaisondugruyere.ch) and mySwissAlps planning page — adult CHF 8, demos in the morning — lamaisondugruyere.ch · myswissalps.com
- Maison Cailler, official visit page — prices, hours, directions, booking advice — cailler.ch
- MOB — The Chocolate Train official pricing and 2026 calendar — mob.ch
- Photos: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA — Château de Gruyères (Giles Laurent), medieval village of Gruyères, Maison Cailler Broc.
Base yourself in Montreux
RivieraHost’s apartments sit steps from the lake — with kitchens, more space and better value than a hotel for families and groups. Every one is right on this guide’s doorstep.