You reach Mount Pilatus from Lucerne, and Lucerne is an hour or less by train from Zurich, Basel and Bern. All the Mount Pilatus guided tours start at one of two valley stations, and so does the ticket you buy yourself. Here is how you get to each, by train, bus, boat or car.
The mountain has one lift on each side, and each starts in a different town. Pick the station first, because it decides the bus, the train or the boat you take.
The panorama gondola starts here, on the edge of Lucerne, and runs all year except for maintenance. You come by city bus. The walk from the stop to the gondola is the one tricky part.
The cogwheel railway starts here, on the lake, from 11 May to 29 November in 2026. You come by train or, until 18 October, by boat. The pier and the station are joined by an underground path.
Both routes start at Lucerne railway station, so that is your meeting point with the mountain even if you are not on a tour.
To Kriens, for the gondola:
To Alpnachstad, for the cogwheel:
Or by boat: the boat to Alpnachstad leaves from pier 2, opposite the station, until 18 October 2026. By the 2026 timetable the crossing takes from 47 minutes to about 1 hour 30, depending on the sailing. The route, the direction and the tickets for the whole loop are on the Golden Round Trip page.
You change in Lucerne from all three. The times below are the fastest journeys in the Swiss timetable on a Saturday in September 2026, before you add the leg from Lucerne.
| From | Train to Lucerne | Then to a valley station |
|---|---|---|
| Zurich HB | 41 minutes | Train to Alpnachstad or bus 1 to Kriens |
| Basel SBB | About 1 hour | Train to Alpnachstad or bus 1 to Kriens |
| Bern | About 1 hour | Train to Alpnachstad or bus 1 to Kriens |
| Lucerne station | You are there | 16 minutes by train, or about 12 by bus |
From Zurich you can be at the cogwheel in about an hour and a quarter. Leave early on a fine weekend, because the railway company names those days as the busiest on the cogwheel. If you would rather not change trains, the guided days from Zurich and Basel include the transport.
Allow 15 minutes and follow the gondola signs. From the Kriens, Zentrum Pilatus stop to the gondola is about a kilometre, uphill on the way there. Travellers say the signs are few, and several found this the hardest part of the day. To skip it, start at Alpnachstad, or let one of the tours from Lucerne take you to the lift.
Coming back it is downhill and easier. That is one reason many people ride the loop boat first and finish in Kriens. To skip the walk, start at Alpnachstad: the boat pier is joined to the cogwheel by an underground path. A pushchair rides both sides, folded on the cogwheel.
All three lifts take wheelchairs. The railway company asks you to phone a day ahead on +41 41 329 11 11, except with a manual wheelchair on the Kriens side, where you just turn up. The railway gives a width of 70 cm for the gondola, 125 cm for the Dragon Ride and 85 cm for the cogwheel. If you come by boat with a wheelchair, plan on a later railcar than the one you would pick.
A companion card for disabled travellers lets a companion ride free. Pushchairs ride all three lifts, folded on the cogwheel, but the hiking paths are not suitable for them. The visitor guide covers children and dogs as well, on visiting Mount Pilatus.
You cannot drive up the mountain, and no road reaches the summit hotels. You park at either valley station and ride up. Both car parks charge, and the railway company says hotel guests pay the same rates. We have not found the fees stated, so check at the car park.
Both valley stations have marked parking for disabled drivers. The railway's own tickets leave parking out. If you drive to Kriens and ride the loop, you end at Alpnachstad, so a round trip suits you better than a loop. The railway also runs a public transport offer, Mountain'n'Rail Pilatus, with discounts for arriving by public transport.
If you would rather not plan buses, trains and a boat, a guided day starts in the city. The half-days meet in Lucerne and take you to the lifts. The day trips from Zurich start at the coach station there. The private days collect you from your hotel.
The guided day from Zurich covers the coach, Lucerne and the mountain in 10 hours, and refunds in full up to 24 hours ahead.
From Basel by InterCity train with an English-speaking guide: the whole loop, about three hours on the summit, and the cogwheel seat reserved for you.
From $568 per person
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A driver-guide collects you at your Zurich hotel in a Mercedes for the whole loop, about four hours on the mountain and time in Lucerne. For up to 12.
From $678 per person
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The loop with the train to Alpnachstad instead of the boat, so it does not depend on the sailing times. Bus, gondola, cableway and cogwheel included; no guide.
From $113 per person
Check AvailabilityNext: plan the day on the visitor guide, price the fares on the tickets page, or compare every tour on Mount Pilatus Tours.