There will be four of us visiting Lucerne on March 23-24, 2024. We are trying to decide which mountain(s) to visit while there. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you so much!
Posted by
The Heartland USA
8445 posts
Advice: be flexible. The weather up top can be different than down below, and can change in a short time. Your hotel may have monitoring (live webcams) that show weather on the mountains and can advise. In our case, when we arrived at the hotel around 12 noon, the check-in clerk told us to go up Pilatus now because it was bright and sunny on top, but would be clouding over later. So we left right away. She was right.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
16278 posts
The cogwheel train up Pilatus is closed until May 6, so you would have to go up and down on the cablecar:
https://www.pilatus.ch/en/discover/aerial-cableway
Rigi offers more variety, as you can do a loop: boat to Vitznau, cogwheel train to the summit, back down to Rigi Kaltbad, then cablecar down to Weggis, and boat back to Luzern. There are walking, toboggan, and lunch opportunities along the way.
https://www.rigi.ch/en/shop/tickets-summer/queen-of-the-mountains-round-trip
Titlis offers adventurous activities such as the Cliff Walk, toboggan runs, and a glacier cave.
https://www.titlis.ch/en/activities
For this you would take the train to Engelberg, 43 minutes away.
Posted by
New York, NY
1582 posts
Diana - I would suggest the Jungfrauch peak for a full day of adventure. It opens year around and although it's not near Lucerne but it is worth a day trip to see the wonders of nature. It's easy access from the Bernese Oberland which is not far from Lucerne.
Posted by
San Diego, California
4706 posts
It also depends on which Swiss pass that you have. Mt. Rigi is fully covered by the STP, Mt Pilatus is discounted. On a clear day, you can see both peaks from the old town .
Enjoy this beautiful country.
Safe travels!
Posted by
464 posts
We loved Mt Rigi! Took cogwheel train up…hiked back down. Best most beautiful hike for us…. through pastures, cows and sheep…and awesome lake views…oh my!
Posted by
Green Bay
20094 posts
Jungfraujoch is a crap shoot. Even in March it could be socked in and it is very expensive, even with an STP. About 3 hours by train (quite scenic) to get to Wengen, then at least 130 CHF with the STP for a r/t ticket, a couple hours there, then another 3 hours back. Check the webcams and weather report before even considering.
I did Rigi on January 26, and even with less than clement weather, it was a great afternoon. There is a third way off of Rigi, a cog wheel train on the other side of the mountain to Arth-Goldau, then train back to Luzern. The boat is more fun and relaxing though. All covered by the STP.
BTW, the Stanshorn is also covered by the STP.