The Rigi “Classic Round Trip” is an easy day trip from Lucerne, visiting nearby Mt Rigi. Your journey starts with a relaxing boat ride on Lake Lucerne to a small village at the base of the mountain. Then ride a vintage cogwheel mountain train to Rigi Kulm at 1,798 m. You can wander around the top, enjoying panorama views of many mountains and lakes.
If you feel like walking, you can do a short hike partway down the mountain. Then ride a cable car down the lake and a boat back to Lucerne. This outing is a perfect way to enjoy the best of the Lucerne region.
Keep reading for all the information you need to plan this Mt Rigi outing.
Contents
Excursion overview
The Rigi Classic Round Trip include a boat ride from Lucerne, mountain train to the viewpoint, and optional activities like hiking, spa, playground, and restaurants.
This Rigi summer map shows the important points on this journey.

- In Lucerne, boar the boat and ride about 1 hour to Vitznau.
- In Vitznau, transfer to the mountain train.
- Ride cogwheel train about 30 mins train up to Rigi Kulm. Exit the the train and explore the top enjoying the views. There is a restaurant here.
- Hike down on the Rigi Lake View trail (yellow line). For a short walk, catch mountain train at Rigi Staffel (3) down to Vitznau (red train).
- If hiking, continue trail to Rigi First and visit cliff walk (red line).
- Finish hike at Rigi Kaltbad. Here you’ll find restaurants, mineral baths, and small playground. When you are done, ride train down to Vitznau and catch boat back to Lucerne.
- OR… From Rigi Kaltbad, ride the cable car down to Weggis (7), short walk through the village to the boat dock, then ride the boat back to Lucerne.
Ticket prices
In 2025, the Rigi Day Ticket + Boat (aka Classic Rigi Round Trip) costs:
- CHF 131 – Adult full fare
- CHF 65.50 – Swiss Half Fare Card, Interrail, Eurail
- Free – Swiss Travel Pass, Tell-Pass, GA, SBB Day Ticket
- Free – children age 15 and under
Ticket prices may change without notice.
1st class tickets
You can pay extra for 1st class, which allows you to sit on the upper deck on the boat ride. The mountain train does not have a 1st class section.
Children tickets
Children under 16 ride free with parent on the Rigi mountain railways. But children aged 6 – 15 need a ticket for the boat ride, which in 2023, costs CHF 12. You can purchase the child’s boat ticket online or on the boat.
Where to buy tickets
Book your adult Rigi tickets below or in person at the boat dock. You cannot make reservations unless you are a group of 9 or more.
Learn more about Rigi prices & discounts and Lake Lucerne Boat prices.
How to get there
Mt Rigi is located just east of Lucerne (see on Google Maps).

With the Classic Round Trip, you will travel to the Rigi mountain via boat from Lucerne. The Rigi boat leaves from the Lucerne ferry dock near the main train station, usually Pier 1.

By public transport:
Take a train to Luzern, Bahnhof. From the main exit of the station, walk straight ahead towards the lake and look for Rigi signs at the ferry dock.
By car:
The closest parking garage to the boat docks is at the Luzern train station (Bahnhofpl. 1, 6002 Luzern). We suggest the P3 lot, which is slightly cheaper than the others.
See all Lucerne parking options and download a PDF with a price comparison between all garages.
Planning your day
Operating times
The Rigi mountain trains and boat from Lucerne run year round.
The boat schedule varies by season, with a particularly reduced schedule in winter. Make sure to check the correct schedule for when you are traveling. Current boat timetable.
The Rigi mountain train runs year round. Check the current schedule.
Sample schedule
I suggest you plan for a minimum of 5 hours for your trip, more if you plan to hike and/or eat a restaurant.
The following sample is based on the 2025 summer schedule. Your times and schedule may vary. Check current boat schedule.
Half-day trip without hike
- 9:12 – board boat in Lucerne
- 10:09 – arrive in Vitznau, transfer to mountain train
- 10:15 – mountain train leaves Vitznau
- 10:47 – mountain train arrives at Rigi Kulm
- spend 1 hour exploring the top, eating at the restaurant, etc.
- 12:00 – mountain train from Rigi Kulm down
- 12:15 – mountain arrives at Rigi Kaltbad-First, walk to cable car
- 12:40 – cable car leaves Rigi Kaltbad (10 mins ride)
- 12:50 – cable car arrives Weggis, walk to boat dock about 15 mins
- 13:05 – boat leaves Weggis
- 13:47 – boat arrives in Lucerne
Full day trip with hike
- 9:12 – board boat in Lucerne
- 10:09 – arrive in Vitznau, transfer to mountain train
- 10:15 – mountain train leaves Vitznau
- 10:47 – mountain train arrives at Rigi Kulm
- about 30 mins exploring the top
- about 2 hours hiking down to Rigi Kaltbad-First
- about 1 hour for picnic or restaurant lunch
- 14:40 – cable car leaves Rigi Kaltbad (10 mins ride)
- 14:50 – cable car arrives Weggis, walk to boat dock (about 15 mins) and explore village
- 15:05 – boat leaves Weggis
- 15:47 – boat arrives in Lucerne
Timetables
Outward journey – Lucerne to Vitznau to Rigi Kulm
From Lucerne, boats generally leave hourly on the xx:12, first boat at 9:12. During summer holidays and weekends, there is an earlier boat at 8:12. Here is a sample schedule for summer: 26 May to 11 Sept 2022.

The boat ride takes about 57 mins, arriving in Vitznau on the xx:09. The mountain train is coordinated with the boat schedule, leaving on xx:15. The train ride takes 32 mins.
Return trip – Rigi Kaltbad-First to Weggis to Lucerne
You can return the same way you came by riding down the mountain train to Vitznau and catching the boat back to Lucerne. But if you want to see something different on the way down, you can ride a cable car down to Weggis and catch the boat to Lucerne there. I will describe this route below.
If you hike, make sure your hike ends in Rigi Kaltbad-First (see hiking options below) and walk to the cable car. The cable car leave Rigi Kaltbad every 30 mins on the xx:10 and xx:40.
If you did not hike, ride the red mountain train from Rigi Kulm to Rigi Kaltbad-First. This train leaves Rigi Kulm on the xx:00 and arrives at Rigi Kaltbad on the xx:15. Then a short walk to the cable car as shown below. The way is clearly marked. The cable car leave Rigi Kaltbad every 30 mins on the xx:10 and xx:40.

The cable car brings you to Weggis. You can ride bus 502 from the cable car station to Weggis, Dorfplatz stop, then a short walk to the the boat dock. Or you can walk instead, about 15 mins walk (see interactive map).

The boat leaves Weggis on the xx:05, last boat at 19:05 in summer. The boat ride takes about 42 mins to reach Lucerne.
In both directions, the boat schedule varies slightly based on season, with a few more boats in summer. Check current boat schedule. If you want to ride on a vintage steamboat (recommended!), make sure to choose a time with special boat symbol above it, as shown below.

Hiking options
For a classic Swiss experience, we suggest you include a hike in your day. The hiking map below shows my suggested route if you are doing the Rigi Round Trip.
The walk starts at Rigi Kulm, visits the Rigi Rotstock viewpoint and panorama cliff walk. It ends at Rigi Kaltbad-First, where you can catch the cable car down to the lake. (See interactive map).
Shorter hike: Hike just 1 km down from Rigi Kulm to Rigi Staffel and catch the red train here down to Rigi Kaltbad.
Easier hike with strollers: For strollers, skip the Rigi Rotstock hill and follow the lower path instead to Rigi First. And also skip the cliff walk and just walk back to the Rigi Kaltbad train station and cable car. That would be about 4 km and 90 mins and almost no elevation gain. See more obstacle-free trail options.
Photo story of Rigi Round Trip
1. Taking boat from Lucerne
Getting on the boat at Lucerne Pier 1.

Nice views of Lucerne city as you leave.

Great views of the mountains along the way, including Mt Pilatus shown here. You should visit that another day.

If you are on a vintage steamship, you can see the machinery working as shown here.

There is a restaurant on board.

Now approaching Vitznau with Mt Rigi in view.

2. Arriving in Vitznau and riding mountain train
The boat drops you directly at the mountain train station.

View of Lake Lucerne as you riding up the mountain on the cogwheel train.

More views from the train ride

3. Rigi Kulm, the top of the mountain
The train line ends at Rigi Kulm. There are toilets and a kiosk next to the train station. Walk up the short paved paved shown below to the hotel/restaurant and observation terrace.

Here’s another view of the station at Rigi Kulm.

Here is the restaurant and hotel.

Keep walking further up to the fenced-in viewpoint shown here. This is looking in the direction of Lake Zug.

Take your time wandering around the top, taking lots of pictures. This is looking south towards the Mythen Region.

4. Hiking the Rigi Lake View trail
When you are ready to hike, walk back towards the train station and follow the path parallel to the train tracks. To do the trail I suggest above, start by following signs to Rigi Rotstock. See hiking map.

When you reach the Rigi Staffel station, walk parallel to the tracks for the bit. Then head up that hill ahead, which is Rigi Rotstock. If you’re not up for the climb, instead follow the lower path to Rigi First.

Here’s looking back at Rigi Kulm

Here’s the view from Rigi Rotstock.

The path down from Rigi Rotstock to Rigi First.

As you descend, you’ll pass a picnic area with tables and fire pit.

5. Rigi First & Cliff Walk
At Rigi First, you’ll find the Chalet Schild restaurant, with nice Swiss food. To the right, follow signs to the Felsenweg, aka cliff walk.

Here is the entrance to the cliff walk portion. No strollers here because the path is too narrow. They close this section in winter. This little detour is optional. If you don’t want to do this part, just turn right and follow signs to Rigi Kaltbad.

The cliff walk is a walkway built into the side of the cliff with views like this.

You can just walk there and back before rejoining the path to Rigi Kaltbad.

In Rigi Kaltbad, there are a couple playgrounds to entertain the kids while you wait for the cable car.
FAQ
Accessibility
The boat and mountain train are both accessible for wheelchairs. At the top of Rigi Kulm there is an obstacle free path that allows wheelchairs to explore the panorama viewing area. The full trail I suggest here is not suitable for wheelchairs or strollers. But there are obstacle-free trail options.
Where to eat
There are many restaurants along the way including
- the self-service cafe at Rigi Kulm
- Chalet Schild at Rigi First – a little step from
- Hotel Alpina at Rigi Kaltbad – classic Swiss dishes like Rösti
See all Rigi restaurants.
What to wear
Check the forecast and wear clothing appropriate for the weather. In summer, you can often wear a T-shirt and shorts if the weather is sunny. If there is a chance of rain or clouds, bring a light rain jacket and perhaps a fleece jacket, as weather can change quickly in the mountains. Bring a sun hat and wear sunscreen. The hike is pretty easy and can be done with comfortable shoes that have some tread. You don’t necessarily need hiking shoes.
Can I bring my dog to Rigi?
Yes, dogs are allowed on all modes of transport including the boat, mountain train, and cable car. Dogs are free on Rigi mountain railways – see dog rules. Dogs need a ticket for the boat.
What if I miss the last boat?
Don’t worry. From the Weggis cable car station, walk to the Weggis, Seilbahn bus stop adjacent to the parking. Ride 502 to Küssnacht am Rigi, Bahnhof. Then take the S3 train to Luzern, Bahnhof. If you are at the Weggis boat dock, walk to the Weggis, Dorfplatz bus stop where you can catch this same bus 502. Current schedule on SBB.ch.
12 Responses
Hi We plan to visit Mt Rigi in March and have Swiss half fare cards, is there a link to buy tickets for this trip (boat and train) where we can apply the discount. Thanks !
In last week of March is the Rigi hiking trail open?
Hi. At the end of March, the Rigi Lake View trail is usually open as a winter hiking trail with groomed snow. If temps are warm, the trail could be very slushy and muddy. I’ve done it the first week of April and it was a wet snowy mess, but we didn’t anyway because we had guests. Important to have waterproof shoes as those who didn’t had very wet, cold feet.
To get the discount, purchase via the Rigi website and choose your discount card on the booking form. https://shop.rigi.ch/en/products/rigi-day-ticket-incl-boat-ride-return
Have fun!
Thank you, Tanya for the detailed article. It has save us much time in planning a trip to mt. Rigi.
So glad you had a nice time and found our article helpful in planning your trip. Rigi is one of our very favorite mountains.
We will have the Swiss Travel pass and only available on Sun June 2nd to do this excursion. Do the boats often sell out departing from Lucerne to Vitznau on Sunday’s?
As far as I know, the boats never sell out. They might be crowded and probably have a theoretical max capacity. But I’ve never heard of someone not being able to get on the boat. Also, you cannot reserve a spot anyway. So you have to take your chances.
Hi there I’m in the early stages of planning our trip to Switzerland in 2025 your article has great information thankyou + I’m looking forward to reading more on other places we are planning on visiting
Cheers Vicki from Australia
Thank you so much for this wonderful site. It has been extremely helpful and I look forward to my solo adventures in the mountains in September. Can I do the round trip to Mt Rigi on just a Swiss day pass from SBB? If so that is a huge saving.
Thanks
Hi Anne. So glad you are finding our info helpful. Yes, Mt Rigi railways and boat on Lake Lucerne are free with a SBB Day Pass, a fantastic value! Have fun.
As far as I know, the trip is free also with SBB GA and Day Ticket. See:
https://www.rigi.ch/en/inform/prices/discounts-for-individuals
https://www.lakelucerne.ch/en/your-cruise-experience/timetable-fares/faq/questions-about-tickets/
Thanks for correcting me on this. Not sure why I didn’t include those under the free section.
This was an amazing detailed article- so helpful! I will be following this almost exactly within the next couple days and I can’t wait, thank you thank you!!