CERN and Mont Blanc, dark and frozen matter: Switzerland and France
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Phone +44 (0)20 7593 2284
28 April 2025 – Sold out
7 October 2025 – 6 days for £3,379 per person
April and October 2026 - Register at tours@newscientist.com and we will contact you when confirmed details, including dates and prices, are available.
Prepare to have your mind blown by CERN, Europe's particle physics centre, where researchers operate the famous Large Hadron Collider, nestled near the charming Swiss lakeside city of Geneva.
This tour focuses on CERN and Geneva's fascinating history before heading to Chamonix in France to explore Mont Blanc and a nearby glacier. During the tour, you will enjoy a private lecture from particle physicist Darren Price, who will also give you a personal guided tour of CERN.
In Geneva, you will also explore the old town, cruise the lake and learn about horology at the Patek Philippe Museum.
In partnership with Kirker Holidays.
DAY 1: ARRIVE INTO GENEVA
On arrival, check into the 4-star Hotel Royal, located in the centre of Geneva. The remainder of the afternoon will be free for you to explore this beautiful city.
In the evening, meet with your tour leader and the group for a welcome session followed by dinner at a local restaurant.
Day 2: OLD TOWN AND AN INTRODUCTION TO CERN
This morning, you will start with a walking tour of the old town centre of Geneva, including the cathedral where John Calvin preached in the 16th century and a visit to the Patek Philippe Museum, where you will discover over 2500 watches, automata and precious objects representing five centuries of Genevan and Swiss horological innovation.
This evening particle physicist Darren Price will join you to give a talk on particle physics and his work at CERN, followed by dinner together.
DAY 3: CERN AND THE LARGE HADRON COLLIDER
Today is devoted to the CERN complex, where the European Organization for Nuclear Research operates the world’s largest particle physics laboratory, including the famous Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The largest machine ever constructed, with a circumference of 17 miles, the LHC is one of the most important research establishments in the world. Darren will accompany your visit to CERN and you will see a number of areas of the site, including the new Science Gateway, a striking complex of buildings designed by Renzo Piano, which houses immersive exhibitions, demonstrations and workshops.
DAY 4: CHAMONIX AND MONT BLANC
Heading out of the city for the day, you will travel into the Alps which provide Geneva’s striking backdrop. You will visit the charming small town of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc and take the mountain railway to the Mer de Glace, where you will visit an ice cave carved into the glacier.
In the afternoon, you will take a cable car up to the summit of the Aiguille du Midi, the highest vertical ascent cable car in the world, from 1,035 to 3,842 metre, with spectacular views of Mont Blanc.
DAY 5: LAKE GENEVA SCENIC CRUISE AND FREE AFTERNOON
Today you will start with a scenic cruise on Lake Geneva. In the afternoon there will be free time to visit the Museum of the History of Science, located by the lake, which opened in 1966 in the neo-classical Villa Bartholoni. The museum houses exhibits relating to astronomy, microscopy, meteorology and electricity, including a collection of old scientific instruments from the 17th to 19th century, such as microscopes, telescopes, thermometers and astrolabes.
DAY 6: MORNING AT LEISURE BEFORE DEPARTING GENEVA
This morning will be free for independent sightseeing. In the afternoon, there will be a group transfer to Geneva airport for the flight home.
