A Fantastic Day at Mount Pilatus, Switzerland

A Visit to Mount Pilatus

Whether you are young or old, or have just a few days or a few weeks in Switzerland, you have to add a visit to Mount Pilatus to your itinerary!

Why visit Mount Pilatus, Switzerland?

Almost every visitor to Switzerland wants to explore the Swiss mountains. And why not?! Most of us around the world have heard about them since we were young. We’ve seen these amazing photos from their base and their peaks. They are truly absolutely stunning and most have amazing 360 degree views.

That said, many visitors leave Switzerland without having that lifetime experience. Some feel the mountains are too far from their accommodation, some feel that the travel during the excursion will be too hard, some are concerned that they are not fit enough and some families feel that it would be too difficult for their children.

If you find yourself in one of these situations, you really need to consider a visit to Mount Pilatus, one of Switzerland’s most easily accessible peaks. Many of us would also call Mount Pilatus one of Switzerland’s most fun mountain excursions!!

Where is Mount Pilatus?

Mount Pilatus is centrally located with the base start locations being approximately an hour from Basel or Zurich and 15 minutes from Lucerne.

There are two starting locations possible: one in Kriens and one in Alpnachstad. We recommend that you take the start at one location and return to the other. A round trip route will allow you to see more of this wonderful area and will also allow you to experience a series of famous Swiss means of transportation including gondolas, cable cars and the steepest cogwheel railway in the world!

So tell me, how do I get to the top of Mount Pilatus?

As mentioned, there are two possible starting points.

Option 1: Ascend Mount Pilatus via Alpnachstad

You can go directly by rail to Alpnachstad (depending on where you are based in Switzerland) or start in Lucerne and travel to Alpnachstad (the base) by train or boat. You would then take the steepest cogwheel train in the world to the top.

Once finished, you can return the way you arrived OR you can purchase a Golden Round-Trip ticket upfront and return by cable car from Pilatus to Fräkmüntegg (part way down the other side) and then by gondola to Kriens.

This is an easy route to navigate but we recommend travelling in the other direction and returning instead on the cogwheel train to Alpnachstad.

Option 2: Ascend Mount Pilatus via Kriens

When we visited Mount Pilatus we opted to ascend Mount Pilatus from Kriens. We started with a panoramic gondola and took a cable car to the top. We then took the cogwheel train down and then a boat back to Lucerne.

It worked out really well so we definitely recommend that you take this route too. There are a few reasons that will likely make this the best option for you.

The Kriens side of Pilatus is filled with wonderful activities. All these activities have opening and closing hours. We were concerned that if we started by going directly to Pilatus Kulm (the top), we may wish to stay longer than expected and could miss being able to participate in other activities.

If you’re travelling with children, they may be tired later in the day and choose to skip some of the more active activities on the Kriens side if they’re saved for last.

Finally, while the option is available to start your day with a boat trip along Lake Lucerne to Alpnachstad (as in Option1), for us it would have led to a much later start to our day thereby again impacting the activities available on the other side. Also, the later you start your day, the busier the mountain will be. It will also mean a later return to Lucerne.

The bottom line is that the decision is totally up to you. If you have little interest in the activities en route to Pilatus Kulm and if you’d like a relaxing start to your day, by all means go with the first option. You’ll have an amazing day which ever you choose!!

Our Recommended Route for the Most Fun from Lucerne to Pilatus Klum & Return

If you plan to experience the cogwheel railway, the cable car and the gondola by going up one side of Pilatus and returning on the other side, which ever direction you choose to do first, you will want to purchase a Golden Round-Trip ticket. This will cover the cost for all transportation. If you also have a Swiss Rail Pass, make sure to mention it when you purchase your Mount Pilatus tickets as there is a significant discount for rail pass holders.

If you are not staying in Lucerne, travel there early in the morning that you wish to visit Mount Pilatus. The mountain gets busy as the day progresses so the earlier the better.

At the Lucerne Rail Station, take a city bus to Kriens (Pilatus-Bahnen). You can check Google Maps for the bus number or ask at the station. Buses depart every 15 minutes. The bus takes approximately 20 minutes and there is a 10-minute walk to the gondola where you can purchase your tickets.

The gondola will travel from Kriens to Fräkmüntegg (20min). Many visitors will stay on the gondola all the way but you can definitely get off and explore at the first stop, Krienseregg. If you’re travelling with children, you’ll definitely want to check it out.

Pilu Land at Kreinseregg, Mount Pilatus

Krienseregg has a beautiful recreation area with picnic tables, fire pits and, best of all, Pilu Land, a wonderful Dragon themed playground area. Kids will find Dragon Forest, Dragon Castle and many dragon themed playground activity areas.

When you tire of Pilu Land, hop back on the panoramic gondola and head up to Fräkmüntegg. You and your kids are going to LOVE it here!!

Rope Park at Fräkmüntegg, Mount Pilatus

In Fräkmüntegg, you’ll find the largest rope park in central Switzerland. It has 10 parcours which range from easy to difficult. Caiden was too young to participate when we visited so we skipped the rope park in favour of the summer toboggan rides but it looked like so much fun.  And its bigger now than when we visited!

Children need to be over 8 years old and over 120cm tall in order to do any of the parcours. Older children, teenagers and adults will love it though.  

Monkey Trees at Fräkmüntegg, Mount Pilatus

You’ll also find monkey trees in Fräkmüntegg. Picture rock climbing structures but with trees and you’ll understand what monkey trees are!

Toboggan Run at Fräkmüntegg, Mount Pilatus

When we visited Fräkmüntegg, we spent most of our time at Fräkigaudi am Pilatus toboggan run. This is the longest summer toboggan run in Switzerland and it is so much fun!! That said, learn from our mistake!!

The toboggan is a blast but if you have anyone in your family (ahem, not pointing any fingers at my hubby) that likes speed, make sure he goes first.

On our first run, Lucas went first, John followed with Sydney on his lap and I followed with Caiden on my lap. We were going great … until we weren’t. As Caiden and I took a lower turn, we saw a huge pile … It was my family!

Note: Sorry, no photos of any of this. Kinda tied up with other things! 🙂

John apparently was having a great time, and took the turn to find Lucas going much slower than him. He called out to him but Lucas didn’t hear. Without time to react, John literally drove over Lucas with steel toboggan slats. It wasn’t pretty. When I arrived, all were in a pile off to the side of the course. Lucas was bleeding and shaky.

The staff were wonderful. They noticed right away that someone didn’t take a turn that they were supposed to (video and mirrors everywhere) and came down to meet us almost immediately. They slowly brought us to the end of the run and cared for Lucas’ arm and bandaged it well. We then enjoyed a backward pull up to the top of the hill (this is a normal part of the route and super for those of us that hate that part of tobogganing). But it definitely put a damper on our stop.

Caiden wanted to go for another run so I stayed at top with Lucas and Sydney while each of the kids enjoyed an ice cream.

Once Caiden has his last run, we headed to Pilatus Kulm, the top of Mount Pilatus, with hopes that Lucas would return to his normal cheery self as the day went on.

At the Top: Pilatus Kulm

The top of Pilatus is meant for exploring. There are several trails you can follow or you can wander the flat area around the hotel grounds. Many myths and legends surround the history of Mount Pilatus. In the middle ages, people believed that dragons with healing powers lived in the caves and cliffs of the mountain. These stories follow the many trails around the Kulm.

Despite our experience on the way up the mountain, we had a wonderful visit to Pilatus Kulm. When we arrived, there was a gentleman playing the alphorn and he taught the boys how to play!! It was so much fun and definitely took Lucas’ mind off his injury.

Pilatus Kulm is a great place for walking. There were three main trails that we decided to take.

The first was the Dragon Trail. It brought us around the base of a peak and up even further via stairs.

The view from the Dragon Trail was incredible!

On the other side of the platform, near where we arrived, there was another set of stairs that climbed to another peak. I opted to stay below while John and the kids did the climb. They really enjoyed it despite having to make the excursion short due to fog coming in.

The final trail is the Flower Trail which departs from near the Hotel Pilatus Kulm.

We passed a wonderful two hours at the top of Mount Pilatus and felt that we really saw as much as we wanted. You can definitely spend more time if you’d like to eat in one of the wonderful hotel restaurants.

Travel Tip: Even in the middle of a summer heatwave, Pilatus Kulm is cool. Make sure to bring a jacket.

Returning by Cogwheel Train from Mount Pilatus to Alpnachstad

Keep an eye on the departure times for the cogwheel rail from Pilatus Kulm to Alpnachstad. You don’t want to miss the steepest cogwheel rail in the world! It really is a wonderful experience. And to think that this was built 1889 with a grade of 48%, it really is amazing.

Just as we finished exploring Pilatus Kulm, the cogwheel train was about to leave so we hopped on. There is at times a line to get on and since the cogwheel only departs once an hour, you’re going to want to check the Pilatus cogwheel departure schedule when you’re planning your visit.

If you time it right, you’ll also be able to arrive in Alpnachstad just in time for the ferry that departs for Lucerne. Otherwise, you may need to wait for the next ferry. Just make sure that, like the cogwheel, you check the Lake Lucerne ferry schedule so you don’t miss the last ferry. If you do miss it, despite having purchased the Golden Round Trip ticket, you’ll have to return the same way you arrived, via Kriens … and you could possibly have to pay for the cable car and gondola on the way down.

The ride from Mount Pilatus to Alpnachstad is a wonderful 40 minutes ride. Look for incredible Swiss pastures and beautiful cows with bells ringing.

The cogwheel train arrives within close walking distance to the Alpnachstad ferry terminal.

The Ferry on Lake Lucerne

The ferry from Alpnachstad to Lucerne will take about 90 minutes. It is truly a wonderful experience to ride the lake, looking up at the beautiful mountains on each side.

If you can, grab a seat on top. If you have a first-class Swiss pass, the top deck is included. If not, ask for an upgrade before boarding. The views are absolutely worth it.

As you travel, look closely and you’ll see the avalanche breaks set up on the mountains. You can see these throughout Switzerland.

You’ve had a busy day so relax, have a drink and a snack as you slowly float on this beautiful Swiss lake.

The arrival into Lucerne by boat is absolutely beautiful!

If you’re planning to explore Lucerne today or another day, you have to check out our Lucerne self guided walking tour.

If you’re considering another day trip, you may be interested in spending a day in Rheinfall, Schaffhausen and Stein am Rhein, or exploring all the great activities in Basel. If the latter, our Basel City Guide will also be helpful.

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