Zurich

Mount Pilatus Summer Day Trip from Zurich

Badge of ExcellenceZürich, Switzerland
Mount Pilatus Summer Day Trip from Zurich

From USD 187.94

Select Date and Travellers

Free cancellation
Up to 24 hours in advance.
Zurich Tours
All Zurich Tours
Audio Guides
Likely To Sell Out
Private and Luxury
Unique Experiences
  • 9 hours 30 minutes
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Overview

Immerse yourself in the mountainous majesty of Mount Pilatus on a full-day excursion from Zurich. Ascend to vertiginous vantage points on a gondola, aerial cable car and enjoy sweeping vistas of the dramatic Alps mountain range. Embark on a moderate hike down the verdant Dragon’s Path and the world’s steepest cogwheel railway before taking a short cruise on Lake Lucerne. Relish the convenience of round-trip transportation from Zurich on this enriching full-day tour.
  • Summer day trip from Zurich to Mount Pilatus
  • Ride an aerial cable car gondola to the top of Mount Pilatus
  • Hike to the summit and descend on the world's steepest cogwheel railway
  • A boat ride across Lake Lucerne is included

What's Included

  • Panoramic gondola and aerial cableway Dragon Ride (except during maintenance)
  • Steepest cogwheel train in the world (from Jun 5 to Nov 19)
  • Boat ride on Lake Lucerne (from 18 May - 22 Oct 2023)
  • Transportation in comfortable coach with AC
  • Fully guided tour by professional multilingual guide
  • Carbon-balanced operations certified by myclimate
  • Gratuities
  • Hotel pick-up and drop off
  • Food and drinks, unless specified
  • Personal expenses

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

  • Best of Switzerland Tours AG
    Sihlquai Coach Parking, Limmatstrasse 4, 8005 Zürich, Switzerland

    The official departure point for all tours departing from Zürich is Sihlquai Coach Terminal, close to Zurich’s main train station (Zürich HB). Please check in at least 15 minutes prior to departure at the white ticket office marked with “Best of Switzerland Tours” or “City Tours & Excursions”.

Start time

09:30 am

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

After pickup at a centrally located spot in Zurich, admire the picturesque scenery as you travel to Lucerne in a comfortable, air-conditioned coach. Disembark for a leisurely stroll around the historical highlights of the city, visiting monuments like Jesuit Church and Chapel Bridge. Stop for a scenic photo stop en route at Lake Lucerne. Spend some relaxed free time exploring the city at your leisure, and then return to the coach to travel to your next destination.

Continue to Kriens and climb aboard a panoramic gondola and aerial cable car traveling to the 7,000-foot (2,132-meter) summit of Mount Pilatus. Appreciate breathtaking views of the surrounding snow-smothered spires and enjoy some relaxed free time to absorb the views.

Follow the Dragon’s Path to Mount Pilatus’ summit and then descend the mountain’s steep side on the cogwheel railway, which with its 48% gradient is the steepest railway in the world. Back at sea level, climb aboard an awaiting boat for a tranquil cruise across Lake Lucerne.

Return to your vehicle and relax during the journey back to Zurich, where the tour concludes.

Please see the Itinerary section from seasonal service times of each transport method.

Zurich (Pass By)

Lake Lucerne

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Old Town Lucerne

50 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Pilatus Luzern

1 hour 50 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Lake Lucerne

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Zurich (Pass By)

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 12 hours 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
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Stroller accessible
  • Service animals allowed
  • Near public transportation
  • Infant seats available
  • Travellers should have a moderate physical fitness level
  • Boat ride available until Oct 22. From Oct 23 onwards a lunch voucher will be provided as compensation
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 48 travellers

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.

Traveller Photos

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Featured review
Agnes_C
It’s an amazing, relaxing tour. Anna, our tour guide is friendly, organised and experienced. Got to experiences cable cars, cogwheel and lake cruise with breath taking view. Would highly recommend others to join this tour. ☺️

Reviews

4.5
424 reviews
Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
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Reviews by Viator travellers.
Showing 1-10 of 424 reviews
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Sharmi_C, Sept 2023
Anna was a very friendly and warm guide. She answered questions patiently, very energetic and easy to talk to. You
Stunning Mt. Pilatus
Elizabeth_S, Sept 2023
Excellent tour with so much to see! Monica did a great job keeping the large group of us together and where we were suppose to be, so everything went smoothly. The sites were absolutely stunning and should not be missed!
Amazing and well organised tour
Agnes_C, Sept 2023
It’s an amazing, relaxing tour. Anna, our tour guide is friendly, organised and experienced. Got to experiences cable cars, cogwheel and lake cruise with breath taking view. Would highly recommend others to join this tour. ☺️
Good choice
Samantha_K, Sept 2023
Great experience!!! Mount Pilatus and Lucerne were spectacular. Thankfully Viator has an unheard of “5 minute” wait rule before the bus leaves for the tour. We are usually never “those people” to be late but unfortunately our night jet train was over an hour late getting in. We ran to the tour desk (which is about 8 min from the train station) and made it!!! We are so happy that we did. The mountains were incredible. The tour gave us ample time to walk around the paths on the top of Mt Pilatus and get a bite to eat. We took the funicular up and the cogwheel down the mountain. Both were cool rides. Our time in Lucerne was quicker and just okay. It was definitely more of a business and industrial feel vs. a cute Switzerland town. Overall, it was a good time. We recommend it!
Misty and cloudy, could...
Alice_C, Sept 2023
Misty and cloudy, could not see any view from top of mountain. Very disappointing. Tour Guide only present to give instructions and did not interact with group.
Response from Host, Sept 2023
Dear Alice, Thank you very much for participating in our Mt Pilatus tour and sharing your feedback with us. We're truly sorry to hear that the foggy weather impacted your experience on the day of your tour. Regrettably, weather conditions are beyond our control and especially in the mountains, the weather is even more unpredictable. While it might seem cloudy or foggy at one moment, the situation can change rapidly with some wind, thus improving visibility. Also, this kind of weather is very popular in Switzerland. Thus, we run all our tours regardless of the weather as long as the cable cars and cogwheel trains are operating and our guests' safety is guaranteed. Additionally, our cancellation policy allows booking modifications/cancellations free of charge if requested up to 24 hours prior to the indicated departure time. We believe that this offers our guests great flexibility to check the weather forecast a day before the tour and to make any necessary changes to their plans. As for the tour guide, we regret to read that she didn’t interact much with the group. This surprises us as we always have received positive comments about her guidance and attitude. Yet there is always room for improvement and will definitely share your feedback with her to help her enhance her services. We are happy to hear that you enjoyed the boat cruise on Lake Lucerne and look forward to welcoming you on one of our other mountain tours (hopefully on a sunny day). Best regards, Ambika from Best of Switzerland Tours
Mt. Pilatus day tour
Bill_S, Sept 2023
Excellent tour and tour guide was very good. The views from the cable cars and cog railroad were awesome. Only wish we had more time in Lacerne…
average experience
ghazaleh_b, Sept 2023
over all was a good experience specially for short visit to zurich .. but nothing super special and perhaps if you have more time you can go in your own .. bus itself was ok ( no toilet inside , no wifi , did have charger ) .. little too crowded for my liking but i guess that’s how it is or else you can book small group for a lot more ..
Response from Host, Sept 2023
Dear ghazaleh_b, Thank you very much for providing us with your feedback about your recent tour to Mt Pilatus. We regret to hear that you felt this tour was not worth your time and money. Mt Pilatus has proved to be one of the favourite tours of our guests, especially because of the great combination of the cable car, cogwheel train, and boat ride. One can enjoy panoramic views of the Swiss Alps and the Lake Lucerne from the summit. It is also one of the most popular destinations in Central Switzerland, attracting both foreign and local visitors, thus it can get crowded on a typical summer day. As any other destination in Switzerland, Mt Pilatus can of course be visited individually. While it would cost CHF 150.- per person from Interlaken without the Swiss Travel pass, our tour costs only CHF 14.- . We find our rate quite fair considering that the group is being accompanied by an experienced guide who offers valuable insights, local knowledge, and historical context that enhance the overall understanding and enjoyment of the destination. Additionally, many guests appreciate our tour as a convenient and hassle-free way to get to Mount Pilatus including the cable car, the cogwheel train, and the boat cruise. We hope that you take fond memories from your stay in Switzerland and look forward to welcoming you on tour again on your next visit to our country (perhaps a small group tour). Best regards, Ambika from Best of Switzerland Tours
Brilliant
Debbie_L, Sept 2023
The views. The cable cars and the cog wheel train. Our guide was very informative and to the time to interact with all of his clients.
Amazing!!
steve_c, Sept 2023
Fantastic trip the guide was unbelievable, helpful, spoke in various languages, always going around the group and checking to make sure people were ok and it was a large group. Mt Pilatus was absolutely spectacular the gondola ride up, fantastic, when up the top so many gr8 viewing spots and trails to make sure you can get a gr8 view and the views were SPECTACULAR. The cogwheel down incredibly steep and lots of fun. Really enjoyed finishing off with a very pleasant cruise on Lake Lucerne toped it off nicely
Love Lucerne
PeterD, Sept 2023
Fantastic day! Great tour guide with info and humor! Lovely adventures in Lucerne, Mount Pilatus and Lake Lucerne! Could not have had a more beautiful day!
Highly recommend
Michelle_C, Sept 2023
Eduodo was exceptional as a guide. Great driving from Phillipe. The whole trip was wonderful. Thank you
Experiencing creation...
GERT_P, Aug 2023
Experiencing creation with the special view from the top. The majesty of the Creator who made the earth for man felt close.
Mount Pilatus and Lake Lucerne Tour
Pamela_Y, Aug 2023
This was an absolute fantastic tour. Annette, our tour guide, was delightful and kept our group on task and explained both the areas and time frames well. 10/10 would recommend.
Breathtaking
Kathryn_K, Aug 2023
An exceptional tour! We loved every minute - from the cable car, cog train, most spectacular scenery and beautiful Lucerne. Would recommend to all.
Great trip
Dees_N, Aug 2023
It was a perfect day with an amazing tour guide. Everything was easily accessible. The cable cars, cogwheel trains and the boat trip was magnificent.
Amazing views!
Maria_G, Aug 2023
To say this was a very scenic tour is an understatement! I wish we had a but more time in Lucerne, but we made it work with the limited time we had. He bus ride was comfortable. The sights on and around Mount Pilatus were breathtaking! We went up by gondola and came back down by train. Up there we had plenty of time to do some hiking and visit all the main attractions. Our guide was very knowledgeable and seem passionate about the history of it all. At the end we took a boat ride on the lake and, while the views were amazing, we were under the hot sun the whole ride, so that wasn’t as fun. Overall, this was a great tour, not to be missed!
Worth the money.
Henry_A, Aug 2023
Well organised. The weather was not too kind. It was misty and could not see the landscape. Luckily, it cleared a bit just before we left the mountain.
Great Trip
Shimon_E, Aug 2023
Dulce was a great tour guide. Great views in Lucerne and Mount Pilatus. Timing was perfect, just enough time to explore everything.
Wonderful day trip with beautiful views.
Tayler_N, July 2023
Wonderful experience! This was a well curated trip & you got to see a lot all in one day. Beautiful views.
Day trip from Zurich
Jutta_S, July 2023
This is a trip worthwhile, it was amazing and well organised. The scenery speaks for itself and to top it was the boat ride back to Lucerne, very relaxing. Our tour guide was great and organised the group very well, we had a short stop in Lucerne, sadly a little too short but it was ok to get a few good photos. We had about 2 hours up Mount Pilatus, enough to walk the peaks and a little hike around ( we skipped buying lunch, we brought our own). A definite to do day trip when in Zurich.
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