Mount Pilatus Guided Half-Day Tour from Lucerne

Mount Pilatus summit at Pilatus Kulm

Mount Pilatus rises above Lucerne to 2,132 metres, and its summit station, Pilatus Kulm, is the reason most visitors look for a Mount Pilatus tour from Lucerne. Short tunnels and stairways lead from the station to the viewing terraces, where on a clear day you look over Lake Lucerne, the Rigi and a wall of Central Swiss peaks. The weather changes quickly at this height, so your guide watches the clouds and points you to the best terrace at the right moment.

You spend about an hour and a half at the top, enough for photographs, an easy walk and lunch. If you are asking whether Mount Pilatus is worth visiting, the answer is yes on any reasonably clear afternoon, and even in mist the mountain has a dramatic atmosphere of its own.

The Dragon legend and the Dragon Trail

Pilatus is wrapped in folklore. In the Middle Ages people in Lucerne believed that dragons lived in the mountain's caves, and a dragon stone said to have healing powers was kept as a treasure in the city. Today dragon motifs decorate the summit, and the Dragon Trail, a path cut through the rock with tunnels and open windows, links the terraces.

Walking the trail is optional on this Mount Pilatus guided tour, and your guide tells you how long each loop takes so you can decide with the clock in mind. Sturdy shoes and a warm layer help, because the summit is far cooler than the lake below. The best time to visit Mount Pilatus for clear views is usually a settled, dry day, and we suggest checking the forecast before you travel.

The Pilatus cogwheel railway from Alpnachstad

The Pilatus Railway opened in 1889 and is still the steepest cogwheel railway in the world, with a maximum gradient of 48 per cent. Its small red carriages climb from Alpnachstad on the lake to the summit in about thirty minutes, using a special rack system that keeps them firmly on the track. On this tour the railway is part of the route, and on many autumn dates both the ascent and the descent are made by train while the cable car is being overhauled.

If you are wondering how to get to Mount Pilatus from Lucerne without a rental car, this is the simplest way: the coach, the mountain transport and the lunch voucher are arranged for you, so all that is left is the ride. Window seats give the best view of the lake as you climb.

Kriens, Fräkmüntegg and the aerial cable car

The classic Golden Round Trip goes up from Kriens by panoramic gondola to Fräkmüntegg and continues on the Dragon Ride aerial cable car to the summit. When the cable car is running, this is the part of the day with the widest views over the forests and the Lucerne basin. During the autumn overhaul the route uses the cogwheel railway instead, and your guide confirms the routing on the day.

The autumn option on this page does not include the Lake Lucerne cruise, so the tour ends with the coach ride back to the city. Leaving at 12:30, you are back in Lucerne in the early evening, with time left for the old town, Chapel Bridge and dinner.