Lucerne is a great base for a family holiday because there are so many great hikes and activities for kids in the area. Below are our favorite hikes for kids near Lucerne, many that have other fun amusements like mountain scooters, alpine slides, and playgrounds.
Note: If you are staying 2+ days, it is convenient to buy the Tell Pass, which includes public transportation (bus, boat, train), mountain transportation (gondola, cable car, funicular, cogwheel train) and discounts on many museums and activities.
See also Best hikes for kids near Zurich.
Themed Activity Trails
1. Mooraculum
Mooraculum is a fun mountain for families with a big playground, theme trail and other amusements. The playground has fun activities that also educating children about nature, particularly the endangered moor. They have water play, swings, slides, climbing stuff, obstacle courses, games, and a little scavenger hunt.
Near the playground, there is a short and easy theme trail with 18 activities focused on the senses and aspects of the moor. The activities are enough to entertain a wide range of ages, but particularly nice for small children (age 3-7) since the trail is short and the amusements are within their reach.
Hike: easy • 1h • 1.4 km loop • 20m up & down
Location: Sörenberg-Rossweid gondola – Hinter-Schöniseistrasse 4, 6174 Flühli
Open: end of May through end of October
Details for Mooraculum trail…
2. Engelberg Trübsee Smuggler’s Trail
Ride a gondola to reach this easy hike around a lake with mountain views. This trail has a smuggler’s theme, with stories and activities related to the history of smuggling over the mountain pass in this region. This is a great choice for smaller children that are learning to hike, as the trail is short and suitable for strollers.
Kids get a smuggler’s map where they record the hidden letters they find on the trail. They can return the completed map and collect a small prize. The trail ends at a big playground with slides, swings, climbing obstacles and even pony rides on the weekends.
Hike: easy • 1h30 loop • 3.3 km • 40m up & down
Location: Engelberg-Trübsee gondola – Hinter-Schöniseistrasse 4, 6174 Flühli
Open: July thru October
Details for Trübsee Smuggler’s Trail
3. Brunni Engelberg Tickle Path
From the beautiful mountain village of Engelberg, ride a cable car up to a fantastic playground with a view. My kids love the trampolines, climbing structures, water play and alpine slide.
Further up the mountain, there is a beautiful little lake surrounded by a sensory path, where you walk barefoot over stones, sticks, bark, mud, and even cow pies. If you want to hike further, you can hike down the mountain on one of the treasure hunt trails, where you use clues to search for treasure chests along the way.
Location: Brunni Engelberg cable car – Wydenstrasse 55, 6390 Engelberg
Treasure Hunt Trail: easy • 1h30 • 3 or 4 km • all downhill
Open: mid June to October
Details for Brunni Tickle Trail and Globi Treasure Hunt Trail
4. Illgau Ladybug Trail
Ride a small cable car up the mountain to a fun playground with a witch’s house. Then follow ladybugs painted on the ground through alpine fields and forests back down to the quiet alpine village. Two playgrounds and picnic areas with grills and lots of mountain views.
Hike: easy • 2.7 km downhill • 1h30 with kids • 350m down • no strollers
Location: Illgau-St Karl cable car – Dorfstrasse, Illgau
Open: May thru October
See details for Illgau Ladybug Trail
5. Sattel Hochstuckli “Goat Adventure” Trail
Sattel Hochstuckli is a mountain close to Zurich with lots of amusements for families. At the top of the gondola, you’ll find bouncy castles, trampolines, inner tube slide, 600m summer toboggan and 374m long suspension bridge to walk across.
They have a few family-friendly trails, including the Goat Adventure Trail with fun goat-related activities scattered along the way. Plus a real goat farm where you can eat cheese and ice cream made from goat’s milk.
Hike: 5 km round trip • about 2 hrs with kids • 110m up & down • strollers ok
Location: Sattel Hochstuckli gondola – Eumatt, 6417 Sattel
Open: April to October
See details for Sattel Hochstuckli Goat Trail
6. Zugerberg “Zugiblubbi” Trail
Children help cave dwarfs living on Zugerberg search for their stolen gems along this interactive theme trail. The big playground, picnic areas and lovely Swiss countryside make this a fun, easy day out for families.
Hike: 5.4 km loop • 2h with kids • 125m up & down • stroller version
Location: Zugerberg funicular – Schönegg 14, 6300 Zug
Open: year round, but best April to October
See details for Zugiblubbi Trail
7. Wirzweli “Hexenweg”
On this theme trail near Lucerne, children follow Lizi, the “herb witch,” who tells the story of her forest through a series of interactive and informative stations along the trail. There is also a nice playground and summer toboggan (open starting 27 May 2023).
Although the lifts may be running in May, the theme trail may not yet be fully functional. So check their website for current trail status.
Hike: Easy • 1.5 h • 3 k • 20m up, 360m down
Location: Wizweli cable car – Wiesenbergstrasse 25, 6383 Dallenwil
Open: May thru October
Learn more about Wirzweli witch trail
8. Bannalp “Zwergliweg”
Fun theme trail telling the story of children searching for a magic crystal and the magical dwarfs who protect it. Each station is accompanied by something the kids can play with. Nice picnic area near the beautiful alpine lake with a few amusements for the kids.
Hike: Easy • 1 h • 2.7 k • 10m up, 130m down
Location: Fell-Chrüzhütte cable car – Fell 3, 6387 Oberrickenbach
Open: May thru October
Learn more about Bannalp Dwarf Trail
9. Melchsee-Frutt “Fruttli-Weg”
The Melchsee-Frutt area is special for its large, beautiful lakes that stretch across a high alpine plain surrounded by mountains. Around the first lake, they have a theme trail for children where they can play and learn about marmots, which are the mascots of this area.
There are ten stations along the trail with fun activities, suitable for even small children. Children receive a free booklet to record answers to questions along the way and receive a Fruttli souvenir at the end. The path is suitable for strollers.
Hike: easy • 1h30 • 3.7 km loop • 70m up, 60m down
Location: Stöckalp – Melchsee-Frutt gondola – Fruttstrasse 53, 6067 Stöckalp
Open: mid June through mid October
Learn more about the Melchsee-Frutt theme trail
10. Klewenalp Stockhütte – mountain scooters
The trail from Klewenalp to Stockhütte has a lot of extras for kids. There are playgrounds at both ends of the trail with zip lines, climbing structures, a barefoot path and more. At the end of the trail, you can rent “bike board” scooters to ride down the mountain.
You can optionally purchase a Detective Trail guide, which has riddles to solve along the way. You can turn in your completed answer sheet at the end to open a treasure chest and claim a prize.
Hike: moderate • 2 hours • 5.5 km one way • 70m up, 360m down
Location: Beckenried-Klewenalp cable car – Kirchweg, 6375 Beckenried
Open: June to October
Learn more about the Klewenalp hike
Stroller-friendly hikes
The following hikes don’t necessarily have fun activities for the kids. But they are easy trails and have obstacle free paths that are suitable for strollers.
