Cern Entrance Tickets; Prices, Guided Tours & Booking
The European Organization for Nuclear Research, known as CERN (Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire, in French), is the most visited scientific center in Switzerland. Below, you will find information on how to enter CERN, guided tours, participation requirements, and availability on your desired days and hours.
How to Enter CERN?
Small groups of fewer than 12 people and individual visitors can visit Science Gateway at CERN without a reservation and free of charge. However, if you want to gain a deeper understanding of the complex and to visit some experiments (like ATLAS, SC, Data Center etc) through guided tours, you need to make a reservation. Those tours are also free of charge but the reservations should be done months ago (next available tour can be 9-10 months ahead).
Are Tickets/Entrance Free of Charge?
There is no paid ticket system for entering CERN. Entry is free of charge
Do I Need to Make a Reservation?
Reservations are only required if you wish to join the guided tours within CERN.
Couldn’t find availability for your proper day or time?
If the reservation dates for guided tours given to you at CERN do not fit in your program, please contact us through the form below.
Any Long Waiting Time or Lines to Visit CERN?
Due to high demand for guided tours, reservations are often scheduled for much later dates. Depending on the time of year, there might be some queueing during entry as well.
Any Special Procedures for Children, Students, Individuals, and Groups?
There are no different procedures for these special visitor groups regarding entry and reservation. However, it is more appropriate for young children to visit the regular exhibitions instead of the guided tours. Guided tours are more comprehensible, enjoyable, and beneficial for older children and students. Seniors and families can find places to sit and rest in the exhibition areas. Wheelchairs and folding chairs can be provided if needed. Additionally, guide dogs are allowed to enter.
What is the Best Time (Month, Season, Day) to Visit CERN?
The best times to visit CERN are during the winter months when schools in Europe are open. During these months, the number of visiting student groups decreases, making it easier to get suitable reservation dates.
What to Visit and See in CERN?
Within CERN’s main building, there are two different exhibition and experience areas: Science Gateway (https://visit.cern) and experimental areas.
- Discover CERN: This exhibition includes multimedia presentation on topics such as particle physics, the large Hadron Collider, the Higgs boson, the smallest building blocks of the universe, and how scientists at CERN work. No reservation is required.
- Our Universe: Here you can learn about the history of Universe.
- Quantum World: Where you can discover quantum physics.
- Guided Tours: These tours conducted by scientists working at CERN and provide an opportunity to see the experimental areas up close. Depending on the content of the tour, groups can be either 12 or 24 people. You can also ask questions to the guide scientists. These tours last about 2 hours and require prior reservation.
- More details on exhibitions
What Are the Opening Hours and Days?
CERN in Geneva is open from Tuesday to Sunday, six days a week, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The last entry time is at 4:30 PM. You can find the current opening and closing days and hours here.
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