Lucerne Mountain Excursions and Passes
Four mountains are reachable in a day from Lucerne, and each has its own operator, fares and season. All prices below are adult fares in Swiss francs (CHF) for 2026. Check the live summit webcam before buying, because low cloud often sits over the lake while the summits are clear, and storms can close lifts at short notice.
Mount Pilatus
The Golden Round Trip links a boat from Lucerne to Alpnachstad, the Pilatus cogwheel railway up to Pilatus Kulm, the aerial cableway and panorama gondolas down to Kriens, and a bus back to Lucerne. It runs from May to October only and costs CHF 119.80 in second class, or CHF 59.90 with a Half Fare card or the Swiss Travel Pass. A direct return from Alpnachstad to the summit is CHF 84, or CHF 42 with the pass.
The cogwheel railway is the steepest in the world, with a gradient of up to 48 percent, and runs from 11 May to 29 November 2026. It does not run in winter. The gondolas and cableway are closed for maintenance from 19 October to 27 November 2026, and the boat to Alpnachstad stops on 18 October. Current fares and dates are on the Pilatus price page .
Mount Rigi
Rigi is reached by boat to Vitznau and the cogwheel railway, by train to Arth-Goldau and the cogwheel from there, or by boat to Weggis and the cable car to Rigi Kaltbad. The Vitznau line opened in 1871 as the first mountain railway in Europe. The day pass costs about CHF 84, or CHF 42 with a Half Fare card, and children up to 15 ride free with an adult. Rigi is free with the Swiss Travel Pass and the Lucerne Travel Pass.
Mount Titlis
Titlis is reached by train to Engelberg, then a gondola and the summit cable car. The adult return from Engelberg is about CHF 102, and the Ice Flyer chairlift, the Cliff Walk and the Glacier Cave are included. The Swiss Travel Pass gives 50 percent off on the day of travel, and the Lucerne Travel Pass is free. The rotating Rotair cable car is closed from 17 August to 11 December 2026, and the TITLIS Connect cabin carries visitors to the summit meanwhile. The summit stays near or below freezing even in summer, so bring layers and sunglasses.
Stanserhorn CabriO
The Stanserhorn trip starts with a 13 minute Zentralbahn ride from Lucerne to Stans, then the historic funicular and the open-top double-decker CabriO cable car to the summit at 1,898 metres. The return costs CHF 82, or CHF 41 with a Half Fare card, and it is free with the Swiss Travel Pass and Lucerne Travel Pass. The 2026 season runs from 11 April to 22 November. See the Stanserhorn price page .
Which pass
The Swiss Travel Pass covers Rigi and the Stanserhorn but gives only half price on Pilatus and Titlis. The regional Lucerne Travel Pass, which replaced the Tell-Pass on 1 April 2026, covers all four. It is sold for 3, 4, 5 or 10 consecutive days at about CHF 240, 265, 290 and 365, and the Swiss Travel Pass gives no discount on it. Seat reservations on Pilatus are separate. See the Lucerne Travel Pass page .
City sights that pair with the mountains
The Lion Monument is a memorial to the Swiss Guards killed in Paris in 1792, and the Gletschergarten next to it is a separate paid site. Visit them as a quiet stop between mountain days.
Read more: Day trips from Lucerne and Multi-day trips from Lucerne .
Mountain tickets and packaged days are listed on GetYourGuide .