Mount Pilatus Summit from Lucerne With Lake Cruise
Overview
Available languages
5 hours 15 minutes
Mobile ticket
Enjoy a day of Alpine adventure in Switzerland on this half-day, summer trip to Mt Pilatus from Lucerne. Begin your journey toward the skies with a 30-minute panoramic gondola ride to Fräkmüntegg, and then hop aboard the aerial cableway for your ascent to the summit of Mt Pilatus. Relax at your leisure on the peak or take a short hike to make the most of the stunning scenery below. Descend to Alpnachstad aboard the world's steepest cogwheel train and cruise out onto Lake Lucerne to admire the views from the water.
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Specialized infant seats are available
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
20.10.-07.11.2025: Ascent and descent by cogwheel train, no boat ride but lunch voucher included
08.11.-14.11.2025: Ascent by cable car, descent by cogwheel train, no boat ride but lunch voucher included
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
1-hour boat ride on Lake Lucerne (until 19.10.2025)
Fully guided tour by professional multilingual guide as per description
Panoramic gondola and aerial cable car "Dragon Ride" (except from 20.10. - 07.11.2025)
Lunch voucher up to 20 CHF (from 20.10.2025 - 14.11.2025)
Transportation in comfortable coach with AC
Steepest cogwheel train in the world (from 12.05.2025 onwards)
Carbon-balanced operations certified by myclimate
Gratuities
Food and drinks, unless specified
Hotel pickup and drop off
Personal expenses
What To Expect
Lucerne
Meet your guide in central Lucerne in the early afternoon.
Pilatus Luzern
Hop aboard your comfortable coach for the short journey to Kriens, at the foot of the imposing Mt Pilatus. On arrival, begin your ascent to the mountain’s lofty summit with a 30-minute panoramic gondola ride to the Fräkmüntegg terminus. Enjoy beautiful views over the rolling hills and lush pine forests below. At Fräkmüntegg, hop aboard the aerial tramway — a spacious and modern cabin with panoramic windows designed to give the feeling of flight. Continue your climb to the summit at a dizzying altitude of 7,000 feet, and take in spectacular views over the Alpine peaks and lakes from your vantage point on the mountain. During your free time atop Mt Pilatus, perhaps sit down to a high-altitude lunch among the peaks (own expense) or relax on the expansive sun terrace. Venture down the Dragon's Path and take a short hike around the summit to enjoy the amazing views.
Options
Standard tour
Reviews
1,135 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Observing nature at its finest
Howard D,
Aug 27, 2025
- Viator
5.00An awesome experience that truly makes you think of the wonders of nature. Our guide Dominick was terrific, very knowledgeable and extremely helpful. He provided a sense of serenity.
Very well organized and...
Nancy M,
Aug 27, 2025
- Viator
5.00Very well organized and informative. Our guide was great!!! What an experience, that you can’t even describe.
A Great Tour for those wanting someone to manage the details
Michael H,
Aug 24, 2025
- Viator
4.00This was a great experience, but there are some shortcomings. First, understand you can book the 2 key activities yourself directly. We opted to book this tour to have someone else handle the logistics. The meeting point was ambiguous. It caused some undue stress, but we got over it. The melting point was at a bus parking lot across the street from an Avia petrol station. Google maps sent us about a half mile from there. Once we located the meeting location, the whole tour loaded in a motor coach and we were on our way. The first activity was Mt. Pilatus. Incredible! You ride to the top on 2 separate gondolas. First a smaller (2-4 people), then a larger (up to 55 people). The views are wonderful, assuming it is not foggy. It was foggy for us. The fog lifted a bit on one side of the mountain while we were at the summit. The views are extraordinary! We had a lovely lunch at the hotel restaurant, albeit a bit pricy. My wife and I recommend the spinach ravioli. Delicious! There is a gift shop with all the souvenirs you need/want, including fine time pieces. Our guide struggled to speak loudly enough for the whole group to hear. There are a lot of people at Mt. Pilatus (in August). The 35 minutes ride down on the other side of the mountain was on the cogwheel train. Fantastic! Great scenery and a unique experience. Mt. Pilatus was the highlight of the tour. All told, we had 2ish hours at the top. If you go when it is foggy, take photos as soon as the fog lifts. For us, that was a short window. The lake tour was a relaxing ride across Lake Lucern, which is beautiful. A calm boat ride on clean smooth water. The tour ends in downtown Lucern, not too far from the meeting location. The tour was worth it for us. They got us to Mt. Pilatus and managed our time to be down at the boat within 10 minutes of departure. If you can or want to manage those yourself, have at it! There was no food voucher included.
Guide Melvin was great with thorough instructions and keeping track of his hers!
vestmar,
Aug 24, 2025
- Viator
5.00Great time other than the clouds at the top. Recommend this trip! Great guide. Very organized friendly helpful.
Transport to Mt Pilatus
Donna M,
Aug 23, 2025
- Viator
4.00This is a great way to experience Mt Pilatus. The guide, Milton, was very helpful and informative. This is not really a guided tour but assistance in connecting various modes of transportation to the summit. Cable car, gondola, train and relaxing boat ride. I prefer smaller groups, adults only. Perhaps there could be an option for adults only with a limited size.
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Operated by Best of Switzerland Tours