Five Modes of Transport, One Unforgettable Day

Boat, cogwheel railway, aerial cableway, gondola and bus, all in a single day. The Golden Round Trip to Mount Pilatus is the classic day trip in Central Switzerland and one of the reasons families from around the world come to Lucerne. At 2,132 metres, a panorama awaits across Lake Lucerne, the Alps and on clear days all the way to the Black Forest. For children, riding the steepest cogwheel railway in the world is an adventure they will not soon forget.

The round trip is available from mid-May to mid-October, when both the cogwheel railway and the gondola are running. Outside this period, you can reach Pilatus from Kriens by gondola and aerial cableway, but the full round trip is not possible.

Important note: on sunny summer days, Pilatus gets extremely crowded and you may have to queue for a very long time. We have therefore put together an alternative for you: A Day on Lake and Mountain.

Your Route Through the Day

Take the S1 from Buchrain to Lucerne. At Lucerne station, walk to the boat pier at Bahnhofquai. The boat to Alpnachstad departs from Pier 2. The journey takes about 90 minutes and crosses the entire southern arm of Lake Lucerne. You can have breakfast on the boat and take in the mountain scenery.

In Alpnachstad, board the Pilatus cogwheel railway. The valley station is just steps from the boat pier. The railway climbs a maximum gradient of 48 percent, making it the steepest in the world. The ride to Pilatus Kulm takes about 30 minutes through forests, across alpine meadows and past rock faces.

At the summit, take your time to explore, hike and eat. Several restaurants with panoramic terraces are available. If you like, you can walk to the Esel viewpoint or the Tomlishorn in about 20 minutes. The Dragon Path tells the legends surrounding Mount Pilatus.

For the descent, take the Dragon Ride aerial cableway from Pilatus Kulm to Fräkmüntegg, then the panorama gondola down to Kriens. At the intermediate station Fräkmüntegg, there is a rope park and a large playground for children. At Krienseregg, you will find PILU-Land, an adventure playground for younger children where you can also stop. From the Kriens valley station, VBL bus line 1 takes you directly back to the stop at the Mall of Switzerland, from where you can walk back to the apartment.

Important: Reserve a Seat on the Cogwheel Railway

Mount Pilatus is one of the most visited mountains in Switzerland. On sunny days, especially during summer holidays, waiting times at the cogwheel railway in Alpnachstad can be several hours without a reservation. We strongly recommend reserving a seat in advance. You can do this online at pilatus.ch/reservation or by phone at +41 41 329 11 11. Reservations cannot be cancelled, but you can change your time slot up to 30 minutes before departure. A reservation is also recommended for the descent from Pilatus Kulm by cogwheel railway if you are doing the round trip in the opposite direction.

Tickets and Booking

The Golden Round Trip ticket includes all five modes of transport: boat, cogwheel railway, aerial cableway, gondola and bus in Lucerne. The easiest way to buy it is online at pilatus.ch. The S-Bahn or bus between Buchrain and Lucerne is not included in the Golden Round Trip. A single ticket costs just a few francs and you can buy it at the ticket machine at the station or in the SBB Mobile app.

Important to know: Mount Pilatus has different rules from many other Swiss mountain railways. SBB day passes, Supersaver tickets and municipal day passes are not valid. FAIRTIQ does not cover the Pilatus railways either. You can however use FAIRTIQ for the S-Bahn between Buchrain and Lucerne, which is not included in the round trip ticket.

For international visitors, the Swiss Travel Pass is the best option. It fully covers the boat, bus and S-Bahn. On the Pilatus railways themselves (cogwheel train, gondola and aerial cableway), the Swiss Travel Pass gives you 50 percent off. If you hold a Swiss Travel Pass, you only pay half price for the Pilatus portion, saving considerably compared to the full round trip ticket.

Children travel free on all Pilatus railways with the Children’s Co-Travelcard when accompanied by an adult. For international families: the Swiss Family Card (included with the Swiss Travel Pass) is also valid. Dogs are welcome on the entire round trip but need a separate ticket.

The boat to Alpnachstad operates seasonally. Current timetables are available at lakelucerne.ch and Pilatus railway schedules at pilatus.ch. Plan a full day.