Mount Pilatus is a tall mountain near Lucerne, with one of the most spectacular viewpoints in this region. Besides sightseeing, this mountain has lots of activities: summer toboggan, ropes park with zip lines, treetop path, and short hikes to peak viewpoints.
In summer, you can visiting this mountain with the "Golden Round Trip" excursion, which includes a boat ride, mountain train, and cable car ride.
When to go: mid May to mid October
Flow of day
We suggest starting with the bus + gondola so you can do the amusements first, before longer lines in the afternoon. Here's a sample flow.
9:00 – 9:22 Bus Kriens to Lucerne
9:30 – 10:00 Gondola Kriens to Fräkmüntegg
10:00 – 11:00 Fräkmüntegg summer toboggan, tree top path, forest flyer
11:00 – 13:00 Cable car to Pilatus Kulm & enjoy viewpoints
13:24 – 13:57 Mountain train down to Alpnachstad
14:07 - 15:27 Boat to Lucerne
Need help adapting this plan for your group? Book a consult.
Tickets
⚠️Book in advance: You need to book the Pilatus tickets in advance, so you can reserve a timeslot for boarding the mountain train.
The ticket type depends on which travel pass you have.
➡️ Swiss Travel Pass (& Saver Day Pass/GA):
The boat and bus are free with the STP. So you only need a one way ticket for the train and aerial cableways. Buy via the Pilatus website and select your discount card to get your 50% discount.
Boat first? Buy a one way ticket for "Alpnachstad-Kriens"
Bus+ gondola first? Buy a one way ticket for "Kriens-Alpnachstad" .
➡️ Swiss Half Fare Card, Eurail, or Interrail pass OR no pass
Buy the Golden Round Trip "combo" ticket, which includes all transportation necessary on this round trip (boat, mountain train, cable car, gondola, bus). During booking, choose your direction of travel.
Buy it on the Pilatus website where you can reserve a time for the mountain train and apply your travel pass discount.
➡️ Lucerne Tell Pass:
The whole excursion is free with this pass. But you can book a timeslot for the mountain train here.
Seat Reservation
During booking, you need to choose a timeslot for the mountain train.
Choose one that includes enough time for your desired activities AND coordinates with the boat. Check schedule here.
For example, mountain train departs Pilatus at 14:34 and arrives Alpnachstad at 15:07. Transfer to boat that departs 15:17.
💡If you didn't make a seat reservation when you bought the Pilatus ticket, you can book just a seat reservation on the Pilatus website.
How to get there
Start with boat: go to Pier 2 across from the Lucerne train station.
Start with gondola: bus to Kriens, Pilatus Bahnen (22 mins, check schedule)
By car: Best to park at the Lucerne train station P3 Parking, which is near the boats and bus
More info SwissFamilyFun.com
Pilatus Website: www.pilatus.ch
Conditions: live status • webcam • forecast
