UPDATED JUN 2022. Lucerne is unique because it where you can blend a cityscape with outdoor adventure. During the day you can take a cable car to the top of the Swiss Alps and explore the most epic, out of this world scenery. Then, in the evening, you can stroll through one of the most charming cities and sit down at a nice restaurant for fondue. It is the best of both worlds. Here’s my guide on how to get from Lucerne to Mt Titlis and Pilatus with all the tips you need to be prepared for some epic adventures. I hope this can help you plan your own day trips!
How To Get From Lucerne To Mt Titlis And Pilatus – A Detailed Guide
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Use a Tell Pass for public transport
This tip is first because it saved me a lot of money!
I recommend getting a Tell Pass which is a public transport pass. I got mine from the information office at the Lucerne train station.
This will cover all of the costs of your public transport to and from the summits of the mountains. It costs about 120 CHF ($125 USD) for 2 days.
It’s super convenient because when you go to and from AND up and down the mountains, all you need to do is show your pass instead of buying a ticket at each leg of the journey.
Best of all though, it is much cheaper than buying the tickets separately.
Here’s the Tell Pass website for more information.
Getting from Lucerne to Mt Titlis is easy and scenic!
How to get from Lucerne to Mt Titlis
- Train from Lucerne to Engelberg station
- Cable car to the summit
It’s easy to get to Mt Titlis from Lucerne using the train.
The journey will take you approximately 45 minutes. From there, walk the short distance towards the cable cars which will take you to the summit.
For the cable car section of the journey, it was very simple to follow the signs on the way up and any time I was unsure, the staff were very helpful.
If you get the Tell Pass I mentioned earlier, then you just need to show that at the first cable car station and they will give you a pass for the cable cars.
Outdoor activities at Mt Titlis
Once you get to the top you have many options available to you. The building is very well signed to help you find your way.
If you want to see more of the impressive views on the mountain, take the Ice Flier.
On this, you can sit down, let your legs hang, and cruise above with birds-eye views to leave you speechless.
There is also the Cliff Walk which was unfortunately closed the day I visited. It’s Europe’s highest suspension bridge so if it’s open when you visit, it’d be a cool thing to do.
If you don’t want to do the extra activities, just being outside on the top of the mountain is quite an incredible experience.
There is room to walk around so you can get a couple of nice photos of the views and play in the snow. You can also hike, hit the slopes on your skis, or even try tubing at the Glacier Park.
There’s a lot to do and a little something for everyone.
Indoor activities at Mt Titlis
I recommend the indoor Glacier Cave which even has flowers frozen in large ice blocks. It’s a walk-through attraction and doesn’t cost any extra to see so worth taking the 5 minutes to go through.
After you’re done outside, you can move indoors to get a sweet treat from the chocolate shop, take some photos in authentic Swiss costumes, or get some lunch from the cafeteria.
Word of warning, this is a touristy area and the food is quite expensive so be prepared for that. For example, I got a 600ml bottle of water which cost about 5 CHF (about $5 USD.)
How to get to Mt Pilatus from Lucerne
- Bus from outside Lucerne to Mt Pilatus
- Cable car to the summit
To get there from Lucerne, just take the bus from outside the Lucerne station.
It is the #1 Kriens bus on the opposite side of the road, heading away from town. The ride took about 15 minutes and there was an announcement for the Mount Pilatus stop so it was very easy to get there.
*If you search the public transport options on Google Maps and enter from Lucerne to Mt Pilatus, it’ll come up as about 4 hours. Don’t freak out, it’s factoring a 4 hour walk from the station instead of the cable car up.*
From the bus stop, walk a couple of minutes to the cable cars. This path is very clearly signed and easy to follow.
As with Mount Titlis, if you get the Tell Pass pass you need to show it to the staff at the cable car entry and they will give you a scan card to get you to the cable cars.
The cable car journey to get to the summit was nothing short of epic!
The views you get as you ascend through the clouds are beyond incredible and seem to go on forever. It is so awe-inspiring that it feels as though you are leaving the world below and moving to a whole new, heavenly world.
How to get to Mt Pilatus on the cog railway
Alternatively, you could get to the summit by taking the world’s steepest cog railway.
For this, take the train from Lucerne to Alpnachstad station. It is closed during winter so if you visit in winter, take the bus. I could see the railway from the summit and it looked like it would be a really fun journey.
Prior to visiting, I had read that many people will take this option to get to the summit, then return via the bus or vice versa.
What to do at Mt Pilatus
Mt Pilatus seems more of a lookout style when compared with the activity heavy Mount Titlis, though there are still some winter snow sports to do on this mountain as well.
In my opinion, the views are must-see. They’re even better to see later in the day.
When the sky changes colors around the blanket of clouds that hug the mountain peaks, it’s hypnotizing. I feel as though my photos do not do the views justice at all.
But, hopefully, they give you a taste of the beauty to be seen.
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Things to do in Lucerne
In my opinion, a long weekend is all you need to spend in Lucerne.
This way you can take the day trips from Lucerne to Mt Titlis and Pilatus as well as spend some time exploring the city.
Here are a few suggestions for your long weekend:
- Visit Mt Titlis
- Visit Mt Pilatus
- Eat fondue
- See the Sleeping Lion Monument
- Visit the Chapel Bridge
- Walk along Lake Lucerne
Check out my post on things to do in Lucerne here for more details on how to plan your trip.
Where to stay in Lucerne
During my trip, I stayed at the spectacular Grand Hotel National in Lucerne. It’s a short, 10-minute walk from the Lucerne train station which helped me maximize my time for these adventures.
If it’s not your style, I recommend searching Booking.com for other hotels and guesthouses. I use this to book accommodation when I travel and can always find a good deal there.
There you have it. It’s pretty easy to get from Lucerne to Mt Titlis and Pilatus and well worth it.
I hope this has been able to help you plan your day trips!
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What is the ‘name’ of the two day pass you mention at the beginning?
Found it – Tell Pass and I updated the post with a link to their site for more info.
hi which pass is better for switzerland for 12 days approx for trains buses boat or cable car for tourist
also is there any pass that is good for italy for tourist
Hi
One day train trip, Zurich-Engelberg- Mt Titlis- Lucerne- Lake cruise- Return train to Zurich. Is this feasible? Depart Zurich around 8am and return 6pm.