2 or 3 full days in Lucerne?

Posted by karenjeansutton on 04/03/25 02:34 PM

I am going to Switzerland in June with my husband and my adult daughter. We are planning to spend several nights in the Berner Oberland (my daughter and I visited on a RS tour when she was 10 and we have always wanted to come back) after visiting Lucerne - after that we'll be moving on to Austria and then Prague. Lucerne will be our first stop after our flight from SFO, so we'll be recovering from jet lag. Our plan is to go straight from the airport in Zurich to Lucerne, rather than staying in an airport hotel. We'll get into Lucerne in the evening.

So, my question is should we do two nights in Lucerne (for one full day)? or three nights (two days)? Is there enough to do? I was in Lucerne when I was a teenager but I don't remember much except for the bridge and the lion monument. Are there options for activities via train from Lucerne (e.g. peaks to visit, etc.). I don't want to rush through Lucerne but I also want to be efficient with our time.

Also, if you have any specific recommendations for activities or restaurants, etc. I'd so appreciate it.

Thank you so much RS tribe!

Karen

Posted by Pat

San Diego, California

04/03/25 03:09 PM

6164 posts

https://search.ricksteves.com/?button=&date_range=2y&filter=Travel+Forum&query=Lucerne&utf8=%E2%9C%93

Definitely three nights, two full days. The RS Guidebook is a great resource.
Have a great trip!

Posted by valadelphia

04/03/25 03:11 PM

5664 posts

Oh sure, plenty of day trips, but it really just comes down to time. If you have it, you can fill it, but a day to see the local sights is fine, too. We had two nights and with absolutely sparkling weather spent our full day on Mt Pilatus. I was able to see a lot of the town in two evenings, but I definitely would have enjoyed more time there for the walls, museums. Walking over the bridges late at night is lovely.
Dining: Rathaus Brauerei, Li Tai Pe (Chinese)

Posted by TravelBug79

Indiana

04/03/25 04:58 PM

991 posts

We found that three nights/two full days in Lucerne was just right. I can recommend Restaurant Ammos (Greek); excellent food and service1

Posted by Eddie

Orlando, FL, USA

04/04/25 12:16 PM

31 posts

We get to experience trips to Europe with adult children sometimes, and I must say nothing beats those experiences, so these should be great memories for your family. You did not mention getting to Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Murren or up into the mountains. If that is your desire, then I would try to get a bit further than Lucerne (like Interlaken/Thun/Bern), and all 3 days focused on the mountains. If that is not what you are trying to experience in Switzerland, then you can still easily have three fantastic days in Lucerne simply by one day exploring the town, one day taking the boat across the lake, one day taking the gondola up to Mount Pilatus (maybe the luge ride halfway down).

Even if your decision above is the Lucerne area and not the Lauterbrunnen area, My first priority over any idea above would be to spend one full day on scenic trains to the mountains and back with a strategic hike or loop walk. One example is transport to Murren, then walk down to Gimmelwald, then Gondola down to then walk the Lauterbrunnen Valley, and then train back to Lucerne....OR go up to Wengen/Mannlichen, hike to Kleine Scheidegg, and then train back to Lucerne. Yes, this is an 8-10 hour day with a good amount of time on some trains, but the entire journey, including the train travel, is unmatched IMO.