Set against the backdrop of majestic mountains and the crystal clear Vierwaldstättersee lake, Lucerne is one of Switzerland’s most visited cities. No wonder. Not only because you’ll find plenty of interesting places to visit right in the city, but also because its ideal location in central Switzerland makes it the perfect base for your Swiss holiday. So if you’re looking for inspiration for a trip to Lucerne or wondering what are the best places to visit around Lucerne, then this blog post will definitely help you.
A self-guided walking tour of Lucerne will take you to the most beautiful and interesting sights and attractions in the city itself. But there’s more! The surrounding mountains and landscape are breathtaking and there are many great destinations within easy reach. But since there are simply too many such beautiful places to visit to list them all in one article, here are the most popular and best day trips from Lucerne. All of them are definitely worth a visit.
These are the best day trips from Lucerne
Good to know: Lucerne Visitor Card
When you stay at a hotel in Lucerne, you will receive a FREE Lucerne Visitor Card, which is valid for up to 14 days of your stay. This card entitles you to free use of the buses and trains in Zone 10 of the city network (which will take you, for example, to Kriens, the starting point for the cable car to Pilatus). With this card, you also get, for example, a 30% discount on the Titlis Bergbahnen and a 20% discount on guided tours of Lucerne, the Rigi Bahnen, the Stoosbahnen, or the CabriO-Stanserhorn-Bahn. All other discounts can be found here.
NOTE: all headings are “clickable”. Clicking on them will take you to a detailed description of the trip.
1. Titlis
Take a ride on the Rotair – the world’s first rotating cable car, which turns 360 degrees during the five-minute journey to the top of Klein Titlis. The cable car to Titlis is open all year round from 8:30 am to 5 pm. At the top, you will find a glacial cave and a 150-meter long suspension bridge, which is located at an altitude of 3,041 meters and 500 meters above the ground.
2. Pilatus
The “Dragon Mountain” can be reached either by the steepest cog railway in the world or by the modern “Dragon Ride” cable car. On the way, you can stop at the Fräkmüntegg Rope Park, which offers many attractions. The rope park for children aged 8 and over has routes with different levels of difficulty, and for children aged 4 to 8, there is the smaller PILU rope park, which consists of seven stations. You can also slide down the longest toboggan run in Switzerland, which measures 1.35 km!
3. Stanserhorn
The Stanserhorn can be reached by cable car, which is unique in the world. Opened in 2012, it offers the experience of riding on the open-top terrace, from where you will have a spectacular view of the Vierwaldstättersee lake and the surrounding peaks.
4. Bürgenstock & Hammetschwand Lift
From Lucerne, you can get here by a special boat, which is operated directly by Resort Bürgenstock. A technical highlight is the Hammetschwand lift – the highest external lift in Europe. The restaurant terrace of the Bürgenstock Resort is the ideal place to have a snack before taking the short route to the Hammetschwand lift and enjoying an even better view at the top.
5. Rigi – the Queen of the Mountains
Head to the peak near Lucerne, which is surrounded by three lakes. Rigi is a year-round destination – you can enjoy here hiking in the summer and sledding in the winter.
Rainy day options
Aeschbach Choco World
Aeschbach Chocolatier is a family-owned company, now in its third generation (since 1972), which produces chocolate specialties according to its own original recipes. ChocoWelt – the chocolate world – can be found right on the premises of its factory in the town of Root near Lucerne.
Verkehrshaus der Schweiz – Swiss Transport Museum
Switzerland’s most visited museum is the place to learn about the history of the road, rail, water, and air transport, as well as the history of space travel. There’s a lot to see (and, more importantly, experience!) here. And it doesn’t matter what age you are – young and old alike will enjoy it.
If I’ve missed anything in this post, or if you have other questions when planning day trips from Lucerne, drop me a comment below. I’d also be happy to help you plan your holiday in Switzerland. Also, don’t forget to save this post on Pinterest!
