Lucerne how many days

We had beautiful weather. So the night before our last full day, I booked us the Golden Round Trip. This tour is fine if you need someone to hold your hand and enjoy being hurdled around like cattle.

While the ease of not having to think about tickets and transportation was nice, I would highly recommend not going with a tour group. Instead, the Pilatus website gives you all of the information you need to plan your own day trip. This three and a half minute ride has you gliding up the side of the mountain with breathtaking views of the Swiss Alps. Unfortunately for us, we were crammed into the middle of the middle in the cableway car.

Pilatus, take a moment to soak it all in. While our tour allotted only 90 minutes for us at the top, you could easily spend hours. With multiple restaurants and several short hiking trails, this place deserves more than 90 minutes.

I was wearing jeans, sneakers, and a tank top with gasp a strapless bra. The only hike we could squeeze in gave us an estimated timeframe of 30 minutes. The sign meant 30 minutes one-way. So it took about an hour round-trip with stopping to take photos.

One gentleman on our tour had a carry on bag and was staying the night at the Mt. Pilatus Hotel. That would be a pretty cool experience. The goal for our Lucerne guide is to inspire you to travel to Lake Lucerne and not only stay in the city but explore the lake and the mountains around. By now you are probably thinking, but Nat, with so much to do and see in Lake Lucerne, how many days should I spend in Lucerne?

I would suggest staying for at least 4 days in Lucerne. After our list of best things to do in Lucerne, you will find a guide about when and how to travel to Lucerne, best hotels, and how to get around. Everything you need to know to plan your holiday in Lucerne is right here. This guide of what to do in Lucerne has two parts. The first one is about attractions and places to visit in Lucerne city.

The second is about things to do near Lucerne and day trips from Lucerne, not all of them, but the most amazing ones. Plus good food and one of the best hotels Rob and I have already stayed in. This Swiss city must be explored with time and wide-open eyes.

You will find amazing historic buildings with different types of architecture everywhere you look. From timber frame houses to Baroque style, early Renaissance Florentine style, and even Neo-Gothic facades. This mix of designs and history makes Lucerne one of the most beautiful cities in Switzerland. When visiting Lucerne old town, pay attention to the colored facades of the buildings. Most of them have paintings, ornaments, and signs that tell the story of the family that lived there, the type of business they do, or the history of the square itself.

The stunning wooden bridge has existed since Constructed diagonally, the wooden footbridge has a roof where triangular paintings from the 17th century are displayed. Up to the bridge was all original, but after a fire, some parts of it had to be restored and a few paintings were damaged. Undoubtedly one of the top attractions in Lucerne. Constructed in , the Spreuer Bridge is another wooden roofed bridge in Lucerne. The Spreuer Bridge is located close to the Chapel Bridge, a little bit downstream and it offers amazing views of the city.

The Lion Monument in Lucerne holds a sad story but it is still one of the most visited places in the city. The dying Lion of Lucerne is a powerful memorial that pays homage to the Swiss guards that died defending the Tuileries in Paris in Just a quick note, all the tips we shared so far are free things to do in Lucerne, Switzerland.

So if you are traveling to Lucerne on a budget, be sure that there are many ways to see and experience the city without spending much. I never thought of visiting a place that dates back to the Ice Age where fossils of shells and palm leaves prove that 20 million years ago Lucerne was a lot different from today.

There is also a mirror maze at the Glacier Garden, in case you want to try another different experience in the city. There are many museums in Lucerne, but no doubt the Verkehrshaus — Swiss Transport Museum is our favorite one.

And we are not the only ones to love it, the Transport Museum in Lucerne is the most visited attraction in the city and the queues to get in are quite long. The first thing you need to know about Lucerne Swiss? Transport Museum is that you should buy your ticket online in advance. That will save you a lot of time.

Get your Lucerne Swiss Museum of Transport ticket here. The second thing you need to be aware of is that it takes at least 3 or 4 hours to visit the Lucerne Swiss?

Museum of Transport. And to make it a half-day activity, you will need to speed through it, not try all the simulators and neither play all the games available. The Swiss Transport Museum in Lucerne is an interactive museum and a freaking cool one. Rob and I had a blast playing with cars, planes, helicopters, trains, and even cycling bikes. The expositions are divided into different buildings and there is a huge open area with an airplane and pieces of a train tunnel.

Yes, the museum is huge and it has so much information that one could easily spend the whole day there. You are in Switzerland, so you must go shopping, or window shopping, for mouth-watering chocolates and expensive watches. We had no intention to buy watches, but chocolates, that we were sure about. On Hertensteinstrasse street and its surroundings, you will find some of the best chocolatiers and chocolate shops in Lucerne.

The Musegg Wall and its nine towers date back to the 14th century, they are the remains of the medieval fortification that once protected the city. You can admire them from afar or climb the stairs to walk on the top of the medieval wall and visit the towers. The views from there are worth the effort. We found the Zyt Tower the most interesting one. The Jesuit Church is one of the most beautiful things to see in Lucerne.

It sits peacefully on the banks of the Reuss River and you must admire its facade and interior. One of the main reasons why people travel to Lucerne is to see the lake, but more than seeing it from the city, you must go on a Lake Lucerne cruise.

Feeling the breeze on your face while admiring the landscape around is an experience like no other. There are many ways to cruise Lake Lucerne, from themed cruises to quick boat trips. Below is what you can expect from them and how to book your boat trip on Lake Lucerne. When searching for cruises on Lake Lucerne you will find options from small sailing boats to big boats with panoramic views, and even steamboats.

You can also join a food experience, like the Cheese Cruise or Lunch Cruise. The best way to choose your Lake Lucerne cruise is to consider what type of experience you want to have, your schedule, the prices, and the reviews. We selected 3 interesting cruises and boat tours on Lake Lucerne for you, have a look and if you like one of them, book it in advance to save your spot and avoid queues.

Another option is to catch one of the boats that connect the towns around Lake Lucerne. This is a good option if you will be going to one of the villages, hotels by the lake or mountain near Lucerne. To plan your boat trip check this Lake Lucerne map with piers and timetables , and for the prices click here.

If you are boarding in a small pier or in another town, you can pay for your ticket onboard. At the end of the post we will be talking about traveling to Lucerne and how to get around. If you decide to visit Lucerne during Autumn be ready for stunning colors and mild weather.

We were there in October and had a blast. The boat ride on Lake Lucerne gave us marvelous views of the mountains covered in yellow, orange and red foliage. The city was colored too. The promenade by Reuss River and the pristine lake were the perfect spots to sit and relax under the colored trees. Autumn can be a bit rainy, but you have the perks of the Autumnal colors and the city is less crowded with tourists. More information about when to visit Lucerne at the end of this guide.

After much research, I chose Hotel Des Alpes because of its location in a beautiful old part of town overlooking the river. It turned out to be the perfect place, centrally located, great room, fantastic breakfast, and a very scenic breakfast balcony overlooking the river.

I can only comment on the category of room I stayed in, which was a River View Room with a balcony which I think they now call a Lakeside room. It was attractive, comfortable, and with a stunning view to remember. Lucerne kept me so busy though, that I was really only in the room to sleep. So if I was to go there again on a tight budget, I would probably just get a town facing view. The day started with breakfast at Hotel Des Alpes as it was included in the rate.

What a view to start the day off brilliantly! Breakfast on the balcony of Hotel Des Alpes in Lucerne. After a leisurely stroll to Lake Lucerne, it was time to have a drink and watch the swans in the crisp exhilarating air while waiting for the ferry steamer boat. Loving that Swiss Travel Pass! Taking the ferry and cruising Lake Lucerne past villas, small castles, beautiful old buildings and snow tipped peaks in the distance is just such a wonderful and memorable way to spend a morning.

An hour or so later, the tiny town of Kussnacht called, so when the boat docked, it was time to have a look around. Wandering out of the main tourist precinct led to a little tavern style restaurant called Restaurant Posthorn.

It had a few locals who were clearly good friends with the chef. I ordered pork Cordon Bleu which was so good I wanted to lick the plate. The chef made us feel so welcome fussing over us and making the lunch very special. Kussnacht was a lovely place for lunch, a wander, and to enjoy the ducks and views by the lake, until it was time to take the scenic ferry back down Lake Lucerne.

The afternoon was spent wandering around the city, and walking through some beautiful quiet cobbled backstreets to get to the huge wall and towers that were built hundreds of years ago to protect the city of Lucerne. You can walk into the fortress tower and up the stairs — it leaves you with a very empty lonely feeling. That night we dined on schnitzels. So where you choose to stay may be determined by style and budget. Be aware, accommodation in Switzerland is generally more expensive than many other European countries.

The old town is the most visited part of the city with stunning architecture and convenient access to many of the best attractions. There are plenty of charming hotels in Old Town loaded with character. However, accommodation in Lucerne Old Town will generally come with a higher price tag. The train station is also on the New Town side. You could also consider one of the hostels in Lucerne. A popular day trip from Zurich , many quickly realise you could easily spend up to a week in Lucerne, exploring the city and incredible surrounds Lucerne is also a great hub for day trips.

However, not everyone has unlimited time in Switzerland. Our 2-day itinerary will help you maximise your time so you can cover all the best things to do in Lucerne. On your first day in Lucerne, head off early to explore Old Town. These are some of the key attractions in Lucerne Old Town.

Start your explorations of Old Town with the Chapel bridge. The iconic covered walkway, the oldest sheltered bridge in the world, is a symbol of Lucerne and one of the cities main tourist attractions. It was the first baroque church to be built in Switzerland north of the alps. While it cuts an impressive picture from the outside with the alps in the background, it is equally beautiful inside. Head deeper into the old town and browse the shops along the cobbled pavements.

A magnificent monument carved into a natural cliff dedicated to the Swiss soldiers who lost their lives in the French revolution. While this might sound dull, it is actually brimming with fascinating facts such as; Lucerne has been both a glacier and a subtropical desert.