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Mount Pilatus Summit from Lucerne With Lake Cruise
Badge of ExcellenceLuzern, Switzerland
From USD 164.14
Select Date and Travellers
Free cancellation
Up to 24 hours in advance.
Lucerne Tours
Attractions
- 5 hours 30 minutes
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Spend an afternoon in the Swiss Alps during this seasonal trip to Mt Pilatus from Lucerne. Your 5.5-hour round-trip journey includes a 30-minute panoramic gondola ride from Kriens to Fräkmüntegg terminus plus an ascent by aerial cableway to the peak of Mt Pilatus. After free time at the summit, take the world's steepest cogwheel train down to Alpnachstad, where you’ll board a boat for a 1-hour scenic cruise on the tranquil waters of Lake Lucerne. Enjoy commentary from your guide and coach transport from Lucerne.
- Take a panoramic gondola ride to the Fräkmüntegg terminus
- Hop aboard the aerial cableway to the summit of Mt Pilatus at 7,000 feet (2,132 meters)
- Descend from the summit via the world's steepest cogwheel train
- Cruise out onto Lake Lucerne during a 1-hour boat ride (May to October)
Why Travellers Choose This Tour
If the weather doesn’t cooperate for a lake cruise, this Mt. Pilatus tour offers complimentary lunch instead.
What's Included
- Transportation in comfortable coach with AC
- Fully guided tour by professional multilingual guide
- Ascent by gondola and aerial cableway
- Gratuities
- Food and drinks, unless specified
- Hotel pickup and drop off
Meeting And Pickup
Meeting point
- Frankenstrasse 2Frankenstrasse 2, 6003 Luzern, Switzerland
Our meeting point is located at Frankenstrasse 2-4, 6003 Lucerne, a side street next to the Lucerne train station. Please wait there on the sidewalk, your tour guide will pick you up.
Start time
12:30 pm
End point
- Abfahrtssteg 3Landungsbrücke 3, 6006 Luzern, Switzerland
The tour ends at the pier in Lucerne, only 7 minutes walking distance from the meeting point.
What To Expect
Climb aboard your coach in central Lucerne for an afternoon excursion to the top of Mt Pilatus, situated at a dizzying altitude of 7,000 feet. You’ll make the brief journey to Kriens where your guide accompanies you aboard the panoramic gondola for a 30-minute ride to the Fräkmüntegg summit terminus.
Look down upon forested views, then swap your gondola for the aerial cableway at Fräkmüntegg — it's a quick 3.5-minute ride to the summit. The cabin’s spacious and sleek design on this ‘Dragon Ride’ affords more magnificent views over the Alpine lakes and rugged peaks seen from your vantage point high above.
During your free time atop Mt Pilatus, you can venture on a high-altitude hike, grab lunch (own expense) or enjoy the vista from the terrace. Then meet up with your guide for the descent to Alpnachstad aboard the world's steepest cogwheel train. Ride past sheer rock faces and pretty mountain streams toward the fertile meadows below.
On arrival, enjoy a 1-hour boat ride across picturesque Lake Lucerne and view the scenery from a different angle before your tour concludes here in the evening.
Please note: The aerial cableway is under maintenance between late October and mid-November. In this case, you will ascend and descend Mt Pilatus by cogwheel train. The Lake Lucerne boat cruise operates from early May until late October; if you are traveling when the boat is no longer in operation, you will instead receive a complimentary lunch and return to Lucerne by train.
Look down upon forested views, then swap your gondola for the aerial cableway at Fräkmüntegg — it's a quick 3.5-minute ride to the summit. The cabin’s spacious and sleek design on this ‘Dragon Ride’ affords more magnificent views over the Alpine lakes and rugged peaks seen from your vantage point high above.
During your free time atop Mt Pilatus, you can venture on a high-altitude hike, grab lunch (own expense) or enjoy the vista from the terrace. Then meet up with your guide for the descent to Alpnachstad aboard the world's steepest cogwheel train. Ride past sheer rock faces and pretty mountain streams toward the fertile meadows below.
On arrival, enjoy a 1-hour boat ride across picturesque Lake Lucerne and view the scenery from a different angle before your tour concludes here in the evening.
Please note: The aerial cableway is under maintenance between late October and mid-November. In this case, you will ascend and descend Mt Pilatus by cogwheel train. The Lake Lucerne boat cruise operates from early May until late October; if you are traveling when the boat is no longer in operation, you will instead receive a complimentary lunch and return to Lucerne by train.
Lucerne (Pass By)
Pilatus Luzern
3 hours • Admission Ticket Included
Alpnachstad (Pass By)
Lake Lucerne
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
Lucerne (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 1 day of travel. In this case confirmation will be received as soon as possible, subject to availability
- From Oct 23 to Nov 10: ascent and descent by cogwheel train, no boat ride but lunch voucher included
- From Nov 11 to 19: Ascent by cable car, descent by cogwheel train, no boat ride but lunch voucher included
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infant seats available
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
- Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Traveller Photos
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Featured review
Susan_C
Of course the views were spectacular, we're in Switzerland! I was very impressed by our guide Monica, who was so efficient , kind and knowledgeable. She cared that everyone have a good time and went beyond what was required or even expected. The variety of transportation was also a great find with the bus, gondola, cog train and boat.
We have been well taken care of in all our excursions and tours by the well trained, professional staff and guides. Viator seems to deal only with the best suppliers. Our greatest thanks.
Reviews
4.5
757 reviews
Reviews by Viator travellers.
Showing 1-10 of 757 reviews
Spectacular
Joseph_B, Sept 2023
Had a great experience, the journey up is exciting, the views on top are incredible, try to do as many as the mini hikes as you can
#1 tour in Lucerne.
Royce_J, Sept 2023
A great tour and on such a beautiful day. Highly recommend this trip to everybody. Easy trip for young and old.. You'll love it!!
The tour would have been wonderful if the tour guide had done his job. TERRIBLE Tour Guide!!! 17Sept2023 pt2023
Julie, Sept 2023
The beauty of the mountain & the areas around Lucerne were stunning. Unfortunately the tour guide for our group was TERRIBLE. He knewf nothing about the history of Mt. Pilatus nor was he able to talk over the crowd. He did not keep his group together & was generally the worst tour guide I've ever had with Viator. This was Saturday 16Sept23
Excellent pilatus
Jitendra_A, Sept 2023
Everything was well organised
Flower trail was great guide was very nice and cooperative bus was good
Enjoyed looking at the...
Muriel_B, Sept 2023
Enjoyed looking at the countryside on the way up and down the mountain. Unfortunately, we were fogged in at the peak. The boat cruise back to Lucerne was lovely and relaxing.
Worth the time and money
Angela_C, Sept 2023
It was organise well and the tour itself to Mt Pilatus was amazing, the tour guide was excellent informative and clear
Beautiful
Christine_B, Sept 2023
The scenery was out of this world. Going up in the cable with the mountains in plan view above and beside us was beautiful. Words can’t describe the mountains greatness
Fun Exciting Memorable
maryellen0912, Sept 2023
The cog wheel train was great - weather was cloudy and done rain but the experience was well worth it
no visibility
dansonhussain, Sept 2023
Very disappointing. Requested to change just under 24 hours due to the poor weather and was rejected
Response from Host, Sept 2023
Dear Danson,
Thank you very much for joining our Mount Pilatus from Lucerne tour and for taking the time to write this review.
Switzerland is a country where it tends to rain a lot, especially during this time of the year. For this reason, all our tours take place as planned regardless of the weather. Only in the exceptional case that partners (such as cable car companies) must close lifts and railways for safety reasons, the program will be amended and an alternative attraction will be visited.
Additionally, our cancellation policy allows our guests to make any modification to their booking or cancellation up to 24 hours prior to departure time. This gives our guests great flexibility to check the weather forecast the day before and make the necessary changes to their plans. As your request was only sent three hours prior to departure, we had to unfortunately reject it. A further reason is that we plan the resources the day before according to the number of bookings. Your seats were blocked and couldn’t be sold to any other potential customers in such a short amount of time.
We are sorry to hear that you would have liked to join the tour on another day but we still hope you enjoyed a great stay in Switzerland.
Best regards,
Magdalena from Best of Switzerland Tours
Worth the money.
Melissa_B, Sept 2023
Great experience riding the cable cars and cog train! It was a nice day for the boat ride back to Lucern and our guide Judy was excellent! She was so informative.
...
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Mount Pilatus Summit from Lucerne With Lake Cruise
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