Pilatus is a spectacular viewpoint on a rocky peak near Lucerne, a popular excursion for tourists.
With a steep cogwheel train or cable car, it’s easy to reach the top where you’ll find a big observation deck overlooking Lake Lucerne and many mountains in all directions.
This mountain also has short & easy hikes, a dragon cave, summer toboggan, ropes park, playground and other amusements, making it a great choice for families.
Here are some tips based on our experience.
Contents
Quick info
| Region | Lake Lucerne region |
| Address: | Pilatus cable car: Schlossweg 1, 6010 Kriens |
| By car: | Parking at cable car From Lucerne 10 mins, Zürich 45 mins |
| By public transport: | Bus stop: Kriens, Pilatus-Bahnen From Lucerne 20 mins, Zürich 1hr20 |
| Open: | viewpoint open year round |
| Cost 2026: | Cable car round trip CHF 84/adult Discounts with Swiss travel cards & passes |
| Services: | restaurant, ropes park, summer toboggan, playground |
| More info: | www.pilatus.ch • webcams • weather |
Gallery
Mt. Pilatus overview
You can reach the top of Pilatus in two ways: cable cars from Kriens or a cogwheel mountain train from Alpnachstad. For more variety, many people choose to go up one side of the mountain and down the other.
At the top of Pilatus, there is an observation deck, restaurant and short trails to three peak viewpoints.
At the Frakmüntegg middle station, there are some amusements including a rope adventure park, alpine slide and big playground.
Hiking Options
There are two viewpoints close to the observation deck, Oberhaupt and Esel. Each are reached with some stairs, only about a 5 min walk up.
Or you can hike to Tomlishorn, about 3 km round trip and a bit more difficult (more details below).
All of these have well maintained paths with safety rails, but you should still have sturdy shoes and exercise caution. See more hiking options here.
Our opinion
Overall, the views are amazing and we love visiting every few years. It can get quite crowded during summer holidays and feel a little too touristy. For hiking, we prefer other mountains in the area, like Mount Rigi or Stoos.
How to get there
Mount Pilatus is a mountain peak near Lucerne. See location on Google Maps.
You can reach the top from cable cars starting in Kriens or a cogwheel mountain train from Alpnachstad. Many choose the “Golden Roundtrip” which is a loop, starting with a boat includes a ferry from Luzern.
The Alpnachstad train only about runs once an hour.
We also prefer Kriens when traveling with kids, because the middle stations have attractions like summer toboggan run, the ropes climbing park, and a big playground.
Via Kriens Aerial Cableways
For an “up and down” visit, we prefer Kriens because the aerial cableways run more frequently than the mountain train.
By car to Kriens:
There are 3 small metered parking lots adjacent to the cable car station – Schlossweg 1, 6010 Kriens. If these are full, there is another parking lot about a 5 min walk away – Parkhaus Hofmatt at Horwerstrasse 13, 6010 Kriens.
By public transport to Kriens:
The Kriens Pilatus Bahnen stop is in front of the Pilatus gondola station. This bus runs infrequently, so check the schedule carefully.
Via Alpnachstad mountain train
One advantage of the mountain train is that you can reserve a timeslot. This is helpful if you have a tight schedule and want to make sure you don’t have to wait.
By car to Alpnachstad:
The Pilatus mountain train is located at Bahnhofpl. 6, 6053 Alpnach, next to the Alpnachstad train station. There is a large parking lot on the opposite side of the train tracks – see on map.
By public transport to Alpnachstad:
Take a train to the Alpnachstad train station, which is adjacent to the Pilatus cogwheel train station.
From Lucerne, the travel time is 22 mins. Check current public transportation schedule on SBB.
Planning your day
Ticket prices
In 2026, a cable car round trip ticket to Pilatus costs CHF 84/adults, CHF 42/child aged 6-15, under 6 free.
➡️ Buy Pilatus cable car tickets
A 50% discount with Swiss Travel Pass, Half Fare Card, GA. Partial discount with Interrail and Eurail Pass. Free with Lucerne Travel Pass, SBB Junior Card, and Swiss Family Card.
During winter, they offer a discounted fare on the cable car. See current prices here.
Tickets are more for the Pilatus Golden Round Trip with a boat ride.
Opening hours
The cable car and gondola are open year round, except a short maintenance break near the end of October to mid November. They run every day from about 8:00 to 17:00.
The cogwheel train is open from mid May through mid November. The first ride up is usually 8:10, last ride down 5:45.
In all cases, the exact timetables vary depending on the season. Check current timetable here.
Where to stay
For a special experience, you can stay at Hotel Pilatus Kulm at the top of Pilatus. Otherwise, I would suggest staying in Lucerne, where you can enjoy the charms of the city in the evening and have access to more restaurants.
Our friends suggest Hotel des Balances, which is right on the river near the famous tower bridge. We’ve also enjoyed Hotel Anker, which has a cool, funky vibe and a great breakfast. For a budget stay, try Ibis Budget Hotel near the Lucerne train station.
Tips for your Pilatus visit
1. Boat Ride with Golden Round Trip
If you want to make this a full day adventure, we suggest visiting Pilatus as part of the “Golden Roundtrip”. This includes a ferry from Luzern to Alpnachstad, then the cogwheel wheel train to Pilatus. After exploring the top, you ride down the cable cars to Kriens, and return by bus to Luzern. See my post about the Golden Round Trip.
In 2022, this cost CHF103.60 for an adult full price. This trip can be purchased at the Luzern ferry pier or in the Luzern train station at the SBB counter. Or purchase tickets online here. This trip is included in the Lucerne Region Tell Pass.
2. Enjoy the Pilatus Observation Deck
At the top, there is a big observation deck where you can wander and catch the views on all sides.
There are a couple cafes and restaurants spread around the complex. Like most places in Switzerland, the food is high priced but there are plenty of places to sit and picnic. Your most affordable option is the sausage stand. I’d recommend bringing your own drinks.
3 & 4. Oberhaupt and Esel viewpoints
Directly above the Pilatus observation deck, there are two higher viewpoints: Oberhaupt and Esel. Each are reached by well-built stairs with side rails. Although you have to exert some effort to walk up the stairs, it’s relatively short, about 5-10 mins, to the top of either peak. At the top you’ll find an area enclosed by fences so you can safely enjoy the views. Outside summer seasons, these may be closed due to snow and ice that make them too dangerous to hike.
This is the viewing area at the top of Oberhaupt.
Looking across to the Esel peak and viewpoint. It’s probably not necessary to visit both. Just pick one.
Hikes
5. Hike to Tomlishorn peak
If you want to hike, we recommend the trail to Tomlishorn, the highest point at Pilatus at 2129m. The well maintained path is about 3 km round trip with side rails for safety. It starts rather smooth and easy, but gets very rocky and lumpy in the second half and has some stairs, so best with sturdy shoes and steady footing.
It’s not a difficult or particularly long trail and the views are great, so definitely worth the effort. The trail is marked 50 mins one way, which is exactly how long it took us walking pretty slow with our 4yr old. As an adult, it took us about about 30 mins.
6. Hiking down Pilatus
You’ll see lots of people hiking down and up both sides of Pilatus. If you are not prepared for serious hiking, please don’t attempt these trails. They are very steep, with unsteady conditions and require sturdy hiking shoes and preferably hiking sticks for stability. The first time we visited Pilatus we hiked down from Pilatus to Fraumüntegg (see trail map here), my husband carrying our 2.5 year old on his back. Not recommended. There were many slippery spots on shale rock and other conditions where we felt we had made a huge mistake.
Amusements
7. Rope Adventure Park at Fraumüntegg and Krienseregg
On your way back down to Kriens, you can stop at the Fraumüntegg middle station, which has a few amusements including the rope adventure park, which has options starting at 4 years old. See our detailed post on the Pilatus Rope Park.
8. Summer toboggan at Fraumüntegg
You’ll also find a 1350m long summer toboggan run at the Fraumüntegg middle station. It costs CHF 8/adult, CHF 6/child. Children aged 2-6 must ride with an adult, but still have their own ticket. It’s typically open 10:00 – 17:30 (last ticket sale at 17:00) during summer season, but check current operating times to make sure. It often closes in bad weather. On sunny weekends, expect long lines.
9. Overnight in the tree tents
If you don’t want the fun to end, you can stay overnight in the tree tents near the ropes course at the Fraumüntegg middle station. Your stay includes 3hrs exclusive use of the ropes course, only for tree tent guests. Our family loved this special experience and definitely recommend it.
See our post about Pilatus Tree Tent Camping
10. PILU-Land Playground at Krienseregg
At the next stop down at Krienseregg, you’ll find an enormous playground and restaurant. We always want to go, but by the time we come back down from Pilatus it’s always too late. So plan your day accordingly. It seems that many families (probably local) only ride up here for the playground then walk down to Kriens.
9 responses
We brought a tour from Viator believe it called Silver Round Trip from Lucerne. Received voucher from them with an QR attached. But in comments about the trip they talk about tickets my question is do we have to exchange the voucher we are holding for tickets and where do we do that? Viator just says we start at the Lucerne Rail Station and show the voucher on Bus #1 which will take us to Kriens, Zentrum Pilatus station. Tried to get answer from Viator but they just say contact the tour company which is a long distance number+41413291111 Pilatus-Bahnen AG.
Any help you can give me will be much appreciated.
Hi Nancy, Sorry for the late reply. For the bus and boat, you usually just need to show your voucher when asked for your ticket. For the gondolas and mountain train, I would go to the ticket office and show your voucher. At Pilatus, they often will exchange your voucher for a bar code ticket that is good for the relevant gondola, cable car, and mountain train.
Can you purchase tickets on Bus Line 1 in Kriens to Lucerne right on the bus, or do they need to be pre-purchased? I’ve googled til my eyeballs are popping out and can’t find the answer. Thanks in advance!!
Hi Virginia, I suggest purchasing the tickets using the SBB Mobile app before boarding. Most city buses do not allow you to pay on the bus.
Love your websites (great hiking details!). We want to go to Mt. Pilatus this September (six adults). Staying in Lucerne. I’m having trouble figuring out the best way to get there, as well as up and down the mountain (with stops for the toboggan). Seems easiest to take the train from Lucerne and then take the cogwheel up, but is this the side with the toboggan? Or should we go up first (and from which side) and then stop for the toboggan on the way down? I’m confused! 🙂 Would appreciate your help.
Hi Robin. It can be confusing. The toboggan is at the Frakmüntegg station. If you are starting with the cogwheel train up to Pilatus Kulm, you can later ride the cable car down the other side of the mountain and stop at Frakmüntegg for the toboggan. Or you can start in Kriens and ride the gondola up to Frakmüntegg, do the toboggan ride. Then ride the cable car up to Pilatus Kulm and later the cogwheel train down the other side. Either way works. However, the toboggan ride can have very long lines in the afternoon. So it could be better to start with the gondola ride and do the toboggan earlier in the day. Hope this answers your question.
we weren’t sure where we wanted to go on holiday, but thanks to this page we’re going on holiday in Switzerland this year.
I would like to know if it would be possible to start a golden pass from Alpnachstad. (start from cogwheel mountain train and end with ferry).
Yes, I think this is possible. Most people start in Lucerne, but I don’t see why you couldn’t start at Alpnachstad instead. Check the schedules carefully though.
I was considering doing his tomorrow, i lol with your post on this montain. With my abilities it will be safe to say we have to pass. Tks for the info. Marianela