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Visitor’s Guide To Mount Pilatus in Lucerne, Switzerland

February 14, 2017 by Heather 12 Comments

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golden tour mount pilatus lucerne switzerland

Thank you to Rail Europe for providing me with their Swiss Travel Pass! As always, all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through these links. You can see my full disclosure policy here.

If you are visiting Lucerne, then a trip to Mount Pilatus is a must! Composed of many peaks, its tallest, Tomlishorn, stands at 6,982 feet (2,128 m). The views from the top are absolutely gorgeous and exactly what you would picture when you think of mountains in Switzerland! Make a day trip out of this, have lunch at the top and take the world’s steepest cogwheel train to go up or down! Here is my Visitor’s Guide to Mount Pilatus!

Lucerne Resources & Recommendations

  • Accommodations– Compare prices on Agoda | Booking.com
  • Swiss Travel Pass– Provides convenient, unlimited travel in Switzerland by boat, train, and bus
  • TripAdvisor– Read reviews and book tours, hotels and more
  • Allianz Global Travel Insurance– Make sure to protect your trip and YOU-get a free quote!
  • Skyscanner– Compare flight prices and get the best deals
  • Lonely Planet Switzerland Travel Guide– the best destination (and my favorite) guidebooks out there! You can also preorder the new 2018 version here.


The Way Up

golden tour mount pilatus lucerne switzerland

We actually did what’s called the Golden Tour and it consists of visiting Mount Pilatus round-trip from Lucerne by taking a boat, cogwheel railway, gondola and cable car! We did it in the reverse by taking the gondola and cable cars up and descending via cogwheel railway. Because we had the Swiss Travel Pass from Rail Europe, we got our tickets half price!

golden tour mount pilatus lucerne switzerland

We started by taking the bus from Lucerne to the town of Kriens.

golden tour mount pilatus lucerne switzerland

From there, it’s just a short walk to get on the panorama gondola.

golden tour mount pilatus lucerne switzerland

The views looking back on Kriens were beautiful!

golden tour mount pilatus lucerne switzerland

Between Kriens and the top of Mount Pilatus is Fräkmüntegg. It takes around 30 minutes to get to this point. This is where you change from the gondola to the cable car to finish your ascent.

golden tour mount pilatus lucerne switzerland

The stop at Fräkmüntegg offers rides on Switzerland’s longest summer toboggan! At 4,429 feet long (1350 m), it has several speedy curves and tunnels called “dragon caves”.

golden tour mount pilatus lucerne switzerland

At the end, no worries about hiking back to the top. There’s a lift that pulls you back up! We had so much fun and I highly recommend it!

golden tour mount pilatus lucerne switzerland

The cable car takes you the rest of the way up to the top of Mount Pilatus!

At The Top

golden tour mount pilatus lucerne switzerland

Once you’re at the top there’s plenty to explore!

golden tour mount pilatus lucerne switzerland

Take in the views…

golden tour mount pilatus lucerne switzerland

from all sides…

golden tour mount pilatus lucerne switzerland

because they are breathtaking

golden tour mount pilatus lucerne switzerland

and stop for a moment to realize you are in the Swiss Alps!!!

golden tour mount pilatus lucerne switzerland

Don’t forget those perspective photos

golden tour mount pilatus lucerne switzerland

Also, keep your eyes open for wildlife. We got to see a family of Ibex (also called Capricorn) and the baby decided to pose. To see them this high up is rare according to a native who frequents the summit. She said this is the first time she’s seen them in 17 years!

golden tour mount pilatus lucerne switzerland

Cows are more commonly spotted. While they may not be as exciting as Ibex, a cool thing about them is that they all wear true cowbells! Yes, you can hear them…loud and clear! 🙂

golden tour mount pilatus lucerne switzerland

See that little zig-zag trail? For all the adventurers out there, you can hike to the top!

Time For Lunch

golden tour mount pilatus lucerne switzerland

After you take in all the sites and get those amazing photos, have lunch outside the Hotel Pilatus-Kulm and continue to relax with stunning panoramic views!

golden tour mount pilatus lucerne switzerland

The menu offers a good variety and includes Swiss cuisine; however, for me, it was a hamburger kind of day 😉

golden tour mount pilatus lucerne switzerland

Can’t leave out dessert!

The Way Down

golden tour mount pilatus lucerne switzerland

When you’re ready to leave, your return trip starts with the world’s steepest cogwheel train. Starting in the afternoon, there can be long lines for the cog train. There was a mass exodus when we left so we were told it would be about an hour and a half wait! Thank goodness it moved faster than this, but we did have a pretty decent wait.

You might also like: BEST THINGS TO DO IN LUCERNE SWITZERLAND

golden tour mount pilatus lucerne switzerland

Going down!

golden tour mount pilatus lucerne switzerland

There were gorgeous views on our way…

golden tour mount pilatus lucerne switzerland

as well as a few tunnels

golden tour mount pilatus lucerne switzerland

From the cogwheel train, you transfer to a ferry (also covered by the Swiss Travel Pass from Rail Europe) in Alpnachstad and sail on a very picturesque journey back to Lucerne. Out on the open water sailing on Lake Lucerne…I love being on a boat so I can’t think of a better way to spend my afternoon!

golden tour mount pilatus lucerne switzerland

This was probably my most favorite view while sailing. Does it not remind you of a postcard especially with the Swiss flag on the mountain?


golden tour mount pilatus lucerne switzerland

But I couldn’t ignore this white castle either!

golden tour mount pilatus lucerne switzerland

We even passed our hotel coming back into Luzern! If you are looking for the best place to stay, check out Palace Luzern!

TIPS

  • Don’t forget your jacket. Even in the summer!
  • The cogwheel train is closed during the winter from mid-November to mid-May
  • A Swiss Travel Pass will get you 50% off cable car tickets
  • Keep in mind there could be a long line for the cogwheel train
  • You don’t have to make reservations in advance
  • Have fun!

PIN IT!

Read here to see how to maximize a truly fantastic day trip with my Visitor's Guide to Mount Pilatus in Lucerne Switzerland! #mountpilatus #lucerne #luzern #switzerland #daytrips #mountains #adventure #travel #europe

golden tour mount pilatus lucerne switzerland

I can’t recommend the Golden Trip to Mount Pilatus enough! It’s definitely a highlight of Lucerne and leaves lasting memories! Be sure to check out where to eat and the best things to do in Lucerne!



If you do this trip, I would love to hear how it went! 

‘Til next time…

Trimm Travels,

Heather
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Categorized: Destinations · Tagged: Day Trips, Europe, Guides, Lucerne, Outdoor Trips, Sponsored, Switzerland

Leave a Reply - I Love Comments!

  1. Juliet says

    September 9, 2017 at 12:12 am

    Hello! I had a quick question, I’m in a really light manual chair and pretty adventurous. I went to Machu Picchu last year, so from what you saw, do you think this adventure could maybe accomadate my wheelchair?

    Reply
    • Heather says

      September 9, 2017 at 12:40 am

      Hi Juliet! I think that it could! I can’t swear by it and I would recommend emailing the company to be sure, but in thinking about the golden circle, I’m pretty sure I saw a wheelchair folded on the gondola. I think you could get it on the cogwheel, but I’m not sure about storage (that would be a definite question). The boat shouldn’t be a problem. Moving around at the top of the mountain might be a but trickier as there are different levels (the very top, the restaurant on the other end, etc) that are steps. I did Machu Picchu in May and consider it to be much more difficult than Mt Pilatus!!! I think it would boil down to storage of the wheelchair on the cogwheel train and what their rules and regulations are. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  2. Dilnaz Bharucha says

    January 28, 2018 at 7:04 am

    Hi Heather
    I absolutely love following your travel blogs and have picked up a few tips. For the trip to Mt. Pilatus you mentioned that the cogwheel train doesn’t operate from mid November to mid May. I’ll be traveling in the first week of May so if the cogwheel is not operational what is the alternative we can use?

    Reply
    • Heather says

      January 28, 2018 at 4:05 pm

      Hi Dilnaz! Thank you, I appreciate that! I’m so glad it’s been helpful-that’s my primary goal! As for the cogwheel train, correct. It doesn’t operate from mid-November to mid-May (ish). They are a bit ambiguous as to what day the start of the season is in May. It *might* be (depending on when during that first week of May you’re planning to do this activity) that it’s open. I would think emailing them would be worth it to see if this can be determined ahead of time. The only other alternative that I’m aware of is to take the gondolas up and back and do a boat tour of Lake Lucerne on its own as these operate all year long and are pretty inexpensive. Hope that helps! 🙂 Thank you so much again for reading!

      Reply
  3. Diana K says

    February 17, 2018 at 3:07 am

    I loved reading your blog about Lucerne. My husband and I will be visiting Lucerne over easter weekend and were wondering about the Golden Tour you took to Mountt Pilatus. You mentioned that you were able to book roundtrip tickets for half-price as you had a Swiss Travel Pass, we’d like to do the same. How did that work w/ showing proof of your travel pass, did you purchase tickets the morning that you planned to go to Mount Pilatus (and where, if so), or, did you book through a specific travel agent, website (e.g., GetYourGuide, Viator, etc.)? Thanks in advance for your help!

    Reply
    • Heather says

      February 17, 2018 at 6:28 pm

      Hi Diana! First, thank you for reading and I’m so glad that it’s helpful to you. You will love Lucerne! Correct, we were able to purchase tickets half-price using our Swiss Travel Pass. We did not book ahead of time. We purchased our tickets as we went. We actually did the trip in reverse from what’s most popular so we went up the gondola, back down my the cogwheel train and back to Lucerne via the boat. When we purchased our tickets at the gondola side, we showed them our Swiss Travel Pass. We didn’t use or need the assistance of a travel agent/group/website. It was really pretty easy! One thing I did want to point out. You mentioned you are traveling over Easter weekend which is April 1st this year. The cogwheel train is closed in the winter and doesn’t open back up until beginning to mid-May so keep that in mind. Everything else (if I remember correctly) operates year-round. Hope you have a great time and thanks so much again for reading! 🙂

      Reply
  4. C Henry says

    August 10, 2018 at 2:44 pm

    Loved this informative & picture-filled recount! How long would say the full trip for the golden tour?

    Reply
    • Heather says

      August 11, 2018 at 3:50 pm

      Hi! If I remember correctly, we left first thing in the morning and got back around mid-afternoon. It will depend on how you do the tour and what the lines are like so that could vary, but that’s a roundabout timeframe. So glad you like the post, thanks for reading! 🙂

      Reply
  5. Joan Wright says

    February 8, 2019 at 11:05 pm

    Hi Heather, a friend and myself will be going to Lucerne mid May this year. We were going to do a tour to Mount Pilates. Would you suggest doing the trip on our own rather than a guided tour?

    Reply
    • Heather says

      February 8, 2019 at 11:20 pm

      Hi Joan, Well in full disclosure, I haven’t compared the two because we did it on our own and didn’t do a guided tour. So, I can’t say which is better having not done one. But, what I can say is that it is very easy to do it on your own which then allows for you to control your time and how you would like to do the trip itself (which way you want to go, how you want to go up and come down)…however, do check the the cogwheel because if I remember correctly, it opens in mid-May so will depend on its actual opening date and your trip dates. Hope that helps and thank you for reading! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Hélène says

    July 28, 2019 at 4:12 pm

    Bonjour j’ai grandement apprécié les détails et les photos pour se rendre au mont Pilatus. Je prévois visiter la Suisse en mai 2020. Est-ce que c’est avantageux d’acheter un Suisse Travelling Pass de Rail Europe si nous restons 2 semaines en Suisse. Je demeure au Québec

    Reply
    • Heather says

      July 29, 2019 at 12:42 am

      Hélène-Bonjour! Oui!!! Sorry, I don’t speak French but yes it is very advantageous to get the Swiss Travel Pass if you are going to spend two weeks in Switzerland. We were there 16 days and used it for SO much! Hope that helps and I love Québec! Thanks for reading! 🙂

      Reply

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Welcome to Trimm Travels!

Hi! I'm Heather and I like to say I'm a hybrid as I'm a born and bred Southern girl who lived in California for a few years and left part of her heart there! I have a passion for travel, food and photography and I am so excited to share my experiences with all of you! I hope to discover as much of God's creation as possible before I leave it and I would love to have you follow along on my journey! Read More…

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