Lucerne & Bürgenstock Day Trip with Boat & Funicular from Zurich

From Zurich to Lucerne

The coach leaves Sihlquai bus station next to Zurich main station at 09:00. A Lucerne day trip from Zurich is one of the most popular excursions in Switzerland, as the two cities are only about an hour apart. The road crosses gentle hills and farmland, passes small lakes and brings you to the shore of Lake Lucerne with the first views of the mountains ahead.

Your guide accompanies the group on the way and gives an introduction to Lucerne and central Switzerland: the history of the original Swiss cantons around the lake, the city's role as a medieval trading town and the mountains you will see later from the Bürgenstock. Many visitors ask how to get to Bürgenstock from Zurich, since it involves a train, a boat and a funicular; on this tour all of that is arranged in one smooth day.

Lucerne old town and the Chapel Bridge

In Lucerne you explore the compact old town with an audio guide. The highlight is the Chapel Bridge, a covered wooden bridge from the fourteenth century that crosses the Reuss river diagonally, with painted triangular panels under its roof and the stone octagonal Water Tower beside it. Much of the bridge was rebuilt after a fire in 1993, yet it remains the symbol of the city.

Further along the river, the Spreuer Bridge has its own series of old paintings, and the old town squares are lined with houses decorated with colourful frescoes. A short distance away, the Lion Monument, a dying lion carved into a sandstone cliff, honours Swiss guards who fell in Paris in 1792. Above the town, towers of the medieval Musegg wall stand on the hill. Your free time here is ideal for lunch; Lucerne has restaurants including a few that serve halal food.

Lake Lucerne boat to Kehrsiten

From the landing stages in front of Lucerne station you board a lake boat for the trip across Lake Lucerne. The lake has a complex shape, with long arms reaching between steep mountains, and from the deck you see the city's towers slip behind, villas and gardens along the shore, and Pilatus rising on one side and Rigi on the other.

The boat stops at Kehrsiten, a small landing at the foot of the Bürgenstock where the funicular starts. A Lake Lucerne boat trip is often the moment travellers remember most: the light on the water, the fresh air and the quiet after the busy streets. On a warm day sit on the outer deck; in cooler weather the indoor salons have big windows. The return crossing at the end of the visit brings you back to Lucerne, where the coach is waiting.

The historic Bürgenstock funicular

The Bürgenstock funicular first opened in 1888 and was completely renewed in 2017. In just a few minutes it climbs steeply from the lake at Kehrsiten to the Bürgenstock plateau, gaining roughly 440 metres, with views opening over the water as the cabin rises through the forest.

The ride itself is short but dramatic, and the upper station delivers you straight onto a ridge that has attracted visitors for more than a century. Is the Bürgenstock worth visiting? It offers one of the most beautiful viewpoints over Lake Lucerne without the altitude, cold or long journeys of the higher summits, which makes it a good choice for families and for anyone who prefers a gentle day. The funicular normally runs all year, though timetables are reduced outside the main season.

Bürgenstock terrace and lake views

At the top, the Bürgenstock is a wooded ridge about 500 metres above the lake, today home to a luxury hotel complex, gardens and public viewing terraces. From the edge you look down on the turquoise and deep-blue water of Lake Lucerne, across to Lucerne itself, and on to Pilatus, Rigi and, on clear days, the snow peaks of central Switzerland.

Nearby, a dramatic cliff path cut into the rock leads to the Hammetschwand lift, an outdoor elevator built against the cliff; it is optional and not included. The best time to visit the Bürgenstock is from May to October, when the terraces are open and the lake is at its most colourful, though autumn mornings with fog below and sunshine above are magical. Bring a light jacket, as the ridge is breezier than the lakeshore.