Mount Pilatus Trip
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Sources and method

How we work

We read each fact on a page we can link to, and we note the day we read it. A sentence on this site never says more than its source. When sources disagree, as Pilatus-Bahnen's own page does on the Silver Round Trip's season, we give both.

We rely on Pilatus-Bahnen first for prices, seasons and closures, and on Rigi Bahnen for Rigi. Where only a tour operator gives a figure, we say so: those who sell a tour also write about it.

Prices in Swiss francs come from Pilatus-Bahnen, read on 6 November 2026. What each trip includes and its other rules come from the trip's own page on GetYourGuide, read on the same day. Prices in euros, ratings and the counts of reviews come from GetYourGuide's lists, read on 4 November 2026. To compare the two prices of a ticket, we used the European Central Bank's reference rate of 5 November 2026.

None of the 23 pages we read on GetYourGuide mentioned the Swiss Travel Pass or the Half Fare card in its description, its list of inclusions or its practical information. If you find otherwise, please write to us.

We earn a commission if you book through our links, at no extra cost to you.

The facts and their sources

  1. Pilatus-Bahnen puts the summit at 2,132 m. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  2. Pilatus-Bahnen calls Pilatus Lucerne's landmark mountain. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  3. Tomlishorn is the highest point of the mountain. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  4. The flower trail to Tomlishorn is rated easy, runs from June to October and takes about 1 hour 30 minutes. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  5. Pilatus-Bahnen calls Esel probably the most spectacular viewpoint on the mountain, about 30 minutes on foot. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  6. The Oberhaupt viewpoint is about 10 minutes on foot. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  7. In the Middle Ages, people believed healing dragons lived in the crevices of the mountain. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  8. The Dragon path is free, a circular trail of about 20 minutes from Pilatus Kulm. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  9. Parts of the Dragon path are not always open in winter. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  10. The Fräkigaudi at Fräkmüntegg is 1,350 m long, and its operator is a separate company, Wastra GmbH. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  11. Pilatus-Bahnen counts about 5 hours on foot, from either Kriens or Alpnachstad. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  12. The route from Alpnachstad along the railway is rated challenging and runs from June to October. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  13. Golden Round Trip from Lucerne with boat and bus in 2nd class: CHF 119.80 for an adult, CHF 59.90 with a Half Fare card or for a child of 6 to 15. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  14. The same in 1st class: CHF 136.80 and CHF 68.40. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  15. Silver Round Trip from Lucerne with train and bus in 2nd class: CHF 94.20 and CHF 47.10. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  16. The same in 1st class: CHF 98 and CHF 49. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  17. Up and down the mountain from May to November: CHF 84 for an adult, CHF 42 with a Half Fare card, a Swiss Travel Pass, Eurail or Interrail, or for a child of 6 to 15. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  18. Up and down the mountain from December to April: CHF 60 and CHF 30. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  19. Pilatus-Bahnen quotes its prices in CHF and says they may change. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  20. The European Central Bank's reference rate on 5 November 2026 was 1 euro for CHF 0.9180. www.ecb.europa.eu, read 6 Nov
  21. With a Swiss Travel Pass the boat and the bus of the round trip are free, and you only need a discounted ticket for the mountain. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  22. Eurail, Interrail, Swiss Travel Pass and Swiss Half Fare Card get 50% off, and the Lucerne Travel Pass travels free, on the routes between Kriens or Alpnachstad and the summit. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  23. With an SBB GA or Half Fare Travelcard you travel at half price. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  24. With an SBB Junior Travelcard or Children's Co-Travelcard, children travel free with an adult. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  25. Day tickets are not valid on the mountain. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  26. The Bernese Oberland Pass is not valid. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  27. Groups of 10 or more get 30% off route tickets, on site on the day of travel. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  28. Pilatus-Bahnen says it will check whether a ticket bought in advance can be cancelled. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  29. A seat reservation on the cogwheel railway cannot be cancelled, but its time can be moved until 30 minutes before departure. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  30. Dogs are allowed on the whole round trip, with a ticket for each kind of transport. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  31. Pilatus-Bahnen sells the Golden Round Trip from May to October. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  32. The Golden ticket covers the cogwheel railway, gondolas and cableway, the bus between Kriens and Lucerne, and the boat between Lucerne and Alpnachstad. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  33. The round trip can be booked in both directions. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  34. The boat to Alpnachstad leaves from pier 2, opposite Lucerne station. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  35. 1st class is the upper deck of the boat and 2nd class the main deck; the cableways have no classes. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  36. At Alpnachstad, an underground path links the landing stage to the valley station. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  37. The Kriens valley station is a 5- to 10-minute walk from the Kriens, Zentrum / Pilatus bus stop, on bus line 1. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  38. The round-trip ticket for boat, bus and train is valid for one day only. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  39. The same page gives two seasons for the Silver Round Trip: May to October at its head, mid-May to mid-November in its text. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  40. The train from Lucerne main station to Alpnachstad takes 20 minutes. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  41. In the 2026 timetable the boat from Lucerne to Alpnachstad takes between 47 and 92 minutes, depending on the sailing. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  42. In 2026 the Lucerne to Alpnachstad boat ran until 18 October. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  43. In 2026 the cogwheel railway ran from 11 May to 29 November. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  44. From 19 October to 27 November 2026 the gondolas and the cable car are closed for maintenance, so the only way up is the cogwheel railway from Alpnachstad. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  45. The long closure of 2026 is the cable car's major overhaul, done every 12 years. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  46. In 2026 the gondolas and cableway also stopped on 30 and 31 March. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  47. The cogwheel railway climbs at up to 48%, 38% on average. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  48. Pilatus-Bahnen calls it the steepest cogwheel railway in the world. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  49. The ride takes 27 minutes up and 33 minutes down. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  50. The line is 4,618 m long and climbs 1,635 m. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  51. The operator gives May to November as the railway's season. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  52. The railway opened on 4 June 1889, under steam. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  53. A completely new fleet started on 5 June 2023: 8 railcars for 46 passengers each. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  54. The Ämsigen stop is boarding on request, and not suitable for wheelchairs. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  55. The Dragon Ride aerial cableway from Fräkmüntegg to the summit takes 3.5 minutes. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  56. It runs all year, except during maintenance. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  57. The cableway line is 1,387.6 m long and climbs 646.6 m. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  58. The panorama gondola from Kriens reaches Fräkmüntegg in around 30 minutes. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  59. The gondola runs from Kriens by way of Krienseregg to Fräkmüntegg, all year except during its overhaul, and climbs 899 m. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  60. From 1 April to 18 October 2026 the last gondola up from Kriens leaves at 17:00, and from 28 November to 31 December at 16:00. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  61. You can get off and on again at Krienseregg and Fräkmüntegg on the way. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  62. Pilatus-Bahnen says the cogwheel railway, gondolas and cableway are wheelchair-accessible, as are lifts, toilets and the terrace at the top. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  63. On its own page, Best of Switzerland Tours lists a boat ride on Lake Lucerne among the inclusions, until 18 October 2026. www.switzerland-tours.ch, read 6 Nov
  64. Best of Switzerland Tours replaces the boat with a lunch voucher from 19 October to 29 November 2026. www.switzerland-tours.ch, read 6 Nov
  65. The half-day tour's page lists the one-hour boat cruise until 18 October 2026. www.getyourguide.com, read 6 Nov
  66. The Golden ticket's page counts 2 to 5 boat departures a day. www.getyourguide.com, read 6 Nov
  67. The Golden ticket's page says the trip runs in almost all weather. www.getyourguide.com, read 6 Nov
  68. The Golden ticket's page says children under 6 go free. www.getyourguide.com, read 6 Nov
  69. The round-trip ticket's page says only the cogwheel railway runs up to and including 27 November 2026. www.getyourguide.com, read 6 Nov
  70. With the Kriens ticket you go up and down on the same side. www.getyourguide.com, read 6 Nov
  71. The Kriens ticket's page says that winter brings sledging routes and snowshoe trails between Fräkmüntegg and Krienseregg. www.getyourguide.com, read 6 Nov
  72. The small group by train says the railway and the scheduled boat are closed from November to May, when it goes up by cableway. www.getyourguide.com, read 6 Nov
  73. Tours of Switzerland lists its round-trip ticket from mid-May to mid-October. www.getyourguide.com, read 6 Nov
  74. On the Keytours minibus, the cogwheel train and the cruise are summer options. www.getyourguide.com, read 6 Nov
  75. On the cheaper Keytours bus from Zurich, the cogwheel railway needs the gold option. www.getyourguide.com, read 6 Nov
  76. Rigi Kulm stands at 1,797 m. en.wikipedia.org, read 6 Nov
  77. Rigi Bahnen dates Europe's first mountain railway, from Vitznau, to 21 May 1871. www.rigi.ch, read 6 Nov
  78. Rigi Bahnen lists the Swiss Travel Pass under 100% off: free, with no ticket to buy. www.rigi.ch, read 6 Nov
  79. The Rigi Bahnen day pass costs CHF 84 for an adult, on prices from 1 June 2026. www.rigi.ch, read 6 Nov
  80. Rigi Bahnen runs cogwheel trains from Goldau and Vitznau and cableways from Weggis and Kräbel. www.rigi.ch, read 6 Nov
  81. Pilatus-Bahnen publishes the operating situation and any interruptions on its site. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  82. The Golden ticket's page gives eleven minutes by bus from Lucerne station to the Kriens stop. www.getyourguide.com, read 6 Nov
  83. One way between Kriens and the summit: CHF 42 for an adult, CHF 21 with a Half Fare card or for a child of 6 to 15. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  84. One way between Alpnachstad and the summit: CHF 42 and CHF 21. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  85. Eduard Locher built the railway with a cogwheel system of its own, with horizontal cogwheels. pilatus.ch, read 6 Nov
  86. Rigi Bahnen says its stations can be reached by boat, train, bus or car. www.rigi.ch, read 6 Nov