Mt. Pilatus Gondola and Aerial Cableway Ticket from Kriens
Gondola and cableway from Kriens to the summit and back on one ticket. Getting to the Kriens valley station is up to you.
From $74 per person
Check AvailabilityMount Pilatus Tickets and Prices
Every way up Mount Pilatus runs on the railway company's lifts, so the Mount Pilatus guided tours and the self-guided tickets share the same fares. Here is what they cost in 2026, which passes halve them, and what the cogwheel seat reservation is for.
What a Pilatus ticket buys
You are buying rides, not entry. The summit itself is free once you are there: the viewpoints, the Dragon Path and Dragon World cost nothing. What you pay for is the way up and down, and you choose it by route.
There are two lifts and a loop. From Kriens you ride a panorama gondola and then the Dragon Ride cableway. From Alpnachstad you ride the cogwheel railway. The Golden Round Trip joins the two with a boat, and the Silver Round Trip with a train. Your ticket is valid on the day you travel, and you can break the journey at Krienseregg and Fräkmüntegg on the Kriens side.
2026 prices on every route
These are Pilatus-Bahnen's own prices for 2026, in Swiss francs. The second column is also what you pay with a Half Fare Card, a Swiss Travel Pass, or for a child aged 6 to 15. The round trips are sold for May to October only.
| Route, 2026 | Adult | Half Fare Card, child 6-15 |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Round Trip, boat 2nd class, with bus | CHF 119.80 | CHF 59.90 |
| Golden Round Trip, boat 1st class, with bus | CHF 136.80 | CHF 68.40 |
| Silver Round Trip, train 2nd class, with bus | CHF 94.20 | CHF 47.10 |
| Silver Round Trip, train 1st class, with bus | CHF 98.00 | CHF 49.00 |
| Kriens to the summit and back | CHF 84.00 | CHF 42.00 |
| Alpnachstad to the summit and back | CHF 84.00 | CHF 42.00 |
| Up one side, down the other | CHF 84.00 | CHF 42.00 |
| One way, from either valley station | CHF 42.00 | CHF 21.00 |
| Kriens to Fräkmüntegg and back, no summit | CHF 46.00 | CHF 23.00 |
Two figures matter most. A plain return costs CHF 84 whichever side you ride, so going up one side and down the other costs you nothing extra. And the Golden Round Trip costs CHF 25.60 more than the Silver, which is the price of the boat over the train. Groups of 10 or more get 30% off, but only at the counter on the day.
The cogwheel seat reservation
Book a seat once you have your ticket. It is not obligatory, and the railway company says so. But without one you may wait for a later railcar, and it names fine weekends and weekday lunchtimes as the times to book. One traveller without a seat waited two hours at Alpnachstad in summer. The steps are below, and the loop page shows how to time the seat to the boat.
None of the railway's self-guided tickets include the seat. That is true of the Golden, the Silver, and the one-side returns. Here is how you fit the two together:
- Buy your ticket, here or at pilatus.ch.
- Reserve a cogwheel seat for a set time on pilatus.ch, with the ticket in hand.
- If you arrive by boat, pick a railcar after your boat lands, not before.
- Running late? Change the slot up to 30 minutes before departure. You cannot cancel it.
Wheelchair users should reserve the cogwheel too, and allow a later railcar if they come by boat. The Kriens side has no seats to book: you board the gondolas and the cableway in turn.
Swiss Travel Pass, Half Fare Card and children
No pass you can buy abroad makes the mountain free. The Swiss Travel Pass and the Half Fare Card both give you 50% off the Pilatus lifts. On the loop, the Swiss Travel Pass does cover the boat, the train and the bus, so you only buy the discounted mountain part: CHF 42 for the return over the mountain. The CHF 59.90 loop fare is the Half Fare Card price, with the boat and bus in it.
| Your card or pass | On the mountain | On the boat, train and bus |
|---|---|---|
| Swiss Travel Pass | 50% off | Free on the loop's boat, train and bus |
| Half Fare Card or GA | 50% off | The card's own terms |
| Child 6-15 with a Junior or Co-Travelcard | Free with an adult | The card's own terms |
| Lucerne Travel Pass | Listed as free travel | Included |
| Day passes, Bernese Oberland Pass | Not valid | Check your own pass |
The railway's price list shows one exception: the Lucerne Travel Pass is listed as free travel on the mountain routes. Children aged 6 to 15 pay half fare, and ride free with a Junior Travelcard or Children's Co-Travelcard when an adult is with them. A dog taller than 30 cm needs its own ticket: CHF 14 for a full return, CHF 7 one way.
Buying through a listing vs the station
The railway's own tickets are also sold online, at the US dollar prices below. What you gain is a full refund up to 24 hours ahead. What you do not gain is the seat reservation: it is left out of every one of them.
| How you buy it | Price | What is in it |
|---|---|---|
| From Lucerne: Mt. Pilatus Gondola, Cable Car, and Boat Trip | $144 per person | Bus, gondola, cableway, cogwheel and the boat; no seat reservation |
| Lucerne: Self-Guided Round-Trip Train to Mount Pilatus | $113 per person | The same loop with the train instead of the boat; no seat reservation |
| From Alpnachstad or Kriens: Mount Pilatus Roundtrip Ticket | $101 per person | Up and down one side of your choice; no seat reservation, no parking |
| Kriens: Mt. Pilatus by Panoramic Gondola and Aerial Cableway | $72 per person | Gondola and cableway from Kriens and back; no parking |
| At a valley station counter | The CHF fares above | Any route; SBB online tickets scan straight at the turnstile |
Want the whole loop on one ticket?
The railway's Golden Round Trip ticket carries the bus, both lifts, the cogwheel and the boat, and refunds in full up to 24 hours ahead.
What "skip the ticket queue" does not mean
Some listings sell these tickets as skip-the-line. They are not. A prepaid ticket saves you the queue at the ticket window, and nothing else. You still wait to board with everyone else. Only a cogwheel seat reservation gives you a set time, and one traveller who held one still boarded nearly an hour late on a crowded day.
Ticket questions
How much is a Mount Pilatus ticket in 2026?
A return from Kriens or Alpnachstad costs CHF 84 for an adult, and CHF 42 with a Half Fare Card or for a child. The Golden Round Trip from Lucerne costs CHF 119.80 in second class and the Silver Round Trip CHF 94.20.
Is the cogwheel seat reservation compulsory?
No, but the railway company recommends it, and without one you may wait for a later railcar. Book it for fine weekends and weekday lunchtimes. It cannot be cancelled, but you can change the slot up to 30 minutes before departure.
Is Mount Pilatus free with the Swiss Travel Pass?
No. The Swiss Travel Pass gives 50% off the mountain railways, the same as the Half Fare Card. On the Golden or Silver Round Trip the pass covers the boat, train and bus, so you buy only the discounted mountain part.
Do children pay on Mount Pilatus?
Children aged 6 to 15 pay half fare. With an SBB Junior Travelcard or Children's Co-Travelcard they ride free when an adult travels with them.
Can I buy a Pilatus ticket at the station?
Yes. Every valley station sells tickets for any route, and SBB online tickets scan straight at the turnstile. Paper tickets from elsewhere must be exchanged at the box office first.
Can I get off at Fräkmüntegg on my ticket?
Yes. On the way up or down you can break the journey at Krienseregg and Fräkmüntegg and get back on. The ticket is valid for the one day.
Where these facts come from
- Pilatus-Bahnen: ticket prices 2026, travelcards, groups and dogs
- Pilatus-Bahnen: timetable 2026, closures and boat and train connections
- Pilatus-Bahnen: travel preparation FAQ (reservations, boats and the round trips)
- Pilatus-Bahnen: accessibility at the mountain
Tickets that take you up
Mt Pilatus Roundtrip Ticket from Alpnachstad or Kriens
Up and down the same side, cogwheel or cableway, as you choose on the day. Valid for the one day you book.
From $103 per person
Check Availability
Lucerne: Self-Guided Round-Trip Train to Mount Pilatus
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: see how the loop runs on the Golden Round Trip page, check your date on the seasonal schedule, or compare every tour on Mount Pilatus Tours.