Private Mount Titlis, Fürenalp & Cheese Tour from Lucerne

Engelberg and the Train Ride from Lucerne

Engelberg lies at about 1,000 metres in a wide green valley at the foot of Titlis, around 45 minutes from Lucerne by train. The line runs along the shore of Lake Lucerne, through Stans and up the Engelberg valley, climbing the final steep section through a tunnel on a rack track. The village grew around a Benedictine abbey founded in 1120, and today it is one of the main summer and winter resorts of central Switzerland.

Many travellers ask how to get to Engelberg from Lucerne: the direct train is simple, but on this private Engelberg tour your guide handles every ticket and connection, so you can simply enjoy the views. Engelberg itself has a pleasant main street, the abbey church and plenty of cafes. Halal food is limited in the village, so we suggest vegetarian or fish options or a packed lunch.

Titlis Xpress and Lake Trübsee

From the valley station in Engelberg, the Titlis Xpress gondola climbs over forests and meadows to Trübsee, a mountain lake at about 1,800 metres lying in a wide basin under the glaciers of Titlis. In summer the lake is surrounded by grassy slopes, pedal boats and a level path around the shore; in winter it lies frozen under deep snow and becomes a playground for snowshoe walks and sledging.

The gondola continues to Stand, the station where you change to the Rotair for the final climb. Your guide points out the route of the old glacier, the ski slopes and the peaks of the Engelberg valley on the way up. If time and weather allow on the way down, a short stop at Trübsee is a peaceful contrast to the busy summit, and a lovely spot for family photos.

Rotair, the Titlis Summit, Cliff Walk and Glacier Cave

Opened in 1992, the Rotair was the first rotating cable car in the world: its cabin turns a full circle during the five-minute ride from Stand to the top station at about 3,020 metres, so everyone sees the glacier crevasses and the peaks below. Titlis itself reaches 3,238 metres. From the station, the Cliff Walk, opened in 2012, is the highest suspension bridge in Europe, about 100 metres long, with a drop of around 500 metres beneath your feet.

Inside the glacier, a tunnel lit in blue leads through ice that stays below freezing all year. In summer the Ice Flyer chairlift glides over the glacier to a snow park where children can sledge. The summit is often in cloud while the valley is sunny, so your guide checks the live webcams before going up; is Titlis worth visiting on a cloudy day? Yes for the snow and the cave, but the distant views are never guaranteed.

Fürenalp, a Hidden Plateau above Engelberg

Away from the crowds, a small cable car climbs from the valley floor east of Engelberg to Fürenalp, a sunny terrace at about 1,850 metres. From here the north face of Titlis rises across the valley like a wall of rock and ice, and waterfalls tumble down the cliffs into the Engelberg valley. Wildflowers cover the alpine pastures in early summer, and cows graze here from June to September.

Fürenalp feels very different from the high glacier world: quiet, green and gentle, with easy paths along the edge of the plateau and a mountain restaurant with a wide terrace. Your guide chooses the best time of day for the visit depending on the clouds, and you can rest, take photos or enjoy lunch at your own expense. For many guests this calm corner is the surprise highlight of the day.

Engelberg Abbey and Swiss Cheese

Engelberg Abbey has been home to Benedictine monks since the 12th century, and its large baroque church, rebuilt after a fire in the 18th century, dominates the village. For centuries the monastery also ran the farms of the valley, and cheesemaking remains part of that tradition. A show dairy in the abbey grounds lets visitors watch through large windows as fresh milk is turned into cheese in copper vats.

On this tour you stop to see and taste Swiss mountain cheese and learn how milk from the alpine pastures becomes the famous wheels that mature for months. You can buy cheese to take home, a practical souvenir that travels well. The stop usually comes at the end of the day before the train back to Lucerne, where your guide accompanies you to your accommodation.