Swiss Parliament

The Seat of the Swiss Government has been sparkling with fresh splendor since May 2008 after comprehensive renovations. Guided tours are available.

In 1848, Bern was elected as Switzerland’s Federal Capital. However, the Bundeshaus, with its terrace and the Bundesplatz square, is much more than just the seat of the Swiss government. 

Regular guided tours of the Parliament House premises are available for visitors as well as there is much to see in the outside of the building: The terrace is a welcoming place rest as you enjoy the views of the Marzili public baths, the Aare, and the Gurten, Bern’s iconic local mountain.There is also a number of activities and traditional Zibelemärit (onion market) and Christmas markets in Bern, etc.

Important note

Due to the current Covid situation, guided tours of the Parliament building are not possible until 7 May 2021.

INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS OF UP TO 9 PEOPLE

Outside the parliamentary sessions, guided tours are offered in 4 languages (Tuesday to Saturday) generally at the following times:

RESERVATION

Guided tours are free of charge and last a maximum of 60 minutes. There are 20 spaces on each tour.

You can make your bookings online, at the earliest three days before your scheduled visit. You will receive your ticket with all the terms and conditions per mail, immediately after completion of your reservation.

It may happen that no dates and periods (of time) with available places appear on the booking page. This means that no guided tours will be provided at least for the following three days or even longer.

We kindly ask visitors to present their ticket at the visitors’ entrance at least 20 minutes before the tour is due to begin.

Please note that all visitors aged 16 and over are required to deposit an official identity document with security (ID, passport).

RULES TO FOLLOW ON YOUR VISIT (PDF)FORMAT CHANGE

No tours are offered when Parliament is in session.

GROUPS OF 10 OR MORE

BOOKINGS

We offer guided tours free of charge when Parliament is not in session. The tours are available in 4 languages (D, F, I, E) and take place from Tuesday to Saturday, normally at the following times:

The tours are free of charge and take around an hour. You can book a visit online up to six months in advance (180 days exactly). After you have requested a booking, you will immediately receive confirmation of your request. If your request is approved, you will receive confirmation by email, together with your ticket.

A maximum of 20 people can take part in the tour.
If a group has not booked all the places for a time slot, the available places will be offered on the booking platform.
The tour is organized to meet the requirements of the first group to book the time slot, i.e. the language selected and type of group it selects. The remaining places can only be booked by a group of the same type that speaks the same language.

Please note that the booking platform only shows days on which guided tours take place, up to six months in advance (180 days exactly). No tours take place on dates that are not listed.

INFORMATION ON ACCESS

Group leaders are kindly requested to report to the security desk with their ticket 30 minutes before the start of the tour and to ensure that all members of their group are present. The ticket must be shown in paper form, on smartphone or tablet.

Visitors then must deposit a valid ID document at the security desk before proceeding to the security check (this rule does not apply to persons under 16). The following ID documents are accepted: passport, ID card (from CH and EU states), driving licence (from CH and EU states), CH foreign national identity card.

RULES ON ACCESS (PDF)Format Change

You will find information on tours held during Federal Assembly sessions here.

INFORMATION ON ACCESS

Group leaders are kindly requested to report to the security desk with their ticket 30 minutes before the start of the tour and to ensure that all members of their group are present. The ticket must be shown in paper form, on smartphone or tablet.

Visitors then must deposit a valid ID document at the security desk before proceeding to the security check (this rule does not apply to persons under 16). The following ID documents are accepted: passport, ID card (from CH and EU states), driving license (from CH and EU states), CH foreign national identity card.