Lake Lucerne boat trip: routes, fleet, prices and discounts

• Attraction type: Natural site, Lake;
  Scenic trip, By boat
• Escort: independent (no guide)
• Region: Lake Lucerne (Central Switzerland)
• Duration: 1 day or less

Lake Lucerne cruises

There are many different boat trips available at the 38 km long Lake Lucerne. Options range from one-hour round trips between Lucerne and Kehrsiten-Bürgenstock with the modern Bürgenstock catamaran, to 3-hour trips from Lucerne to Flüelen, and anything in between. Whatever you choose, a boat trip is a great way to enjoy the beautiful region at a slow pace.

Steam boats as well as motor vessels are part of the fleet. The boats have 1st and 2nd class sections. 1st class is usually at the upper deck. Also there's either a restaurant or a bistro on board of nearly all boats.

On all regular trips, you can hop on and off with a valid ticket or rail pass. Special cruises are available too. These require advance booking and additional payment. Examples are a fondue cruise, a candlelight trip and a brunch cruise, just to name a few.

Route suggestions for Lake Lucerne

You can cross the entire lake by boat and hop on and off as you like. Here are a few suggestions for trips from Lucerne;

• Take a boat from Lucerne to Brunnen. You can visit the Victorinox museum while visiting Brunnen. Then catch a bus to Küssnacht and a train back to Lucerne.
• Enjoy a boat ride from Lucerne to Beckenried, and then a combined bus and train journey back to Lucerne.
• Stay on board of the boat all the way from Lucerne to Flüelen, at the utmost southern end of the lake. Enjoy a lunch in the restaurant. Take a train back to Lucerne. 
• Make a short trip on the Bürgenstock shuttle: a modern catamaran to a boat dock below the luxurious Bürgenstock resort.

Combine a boat trip with visits to Rigi or Pilatus

A boat ride on Lake Lucerne can be combined with a visit to the famous mountains of Rigi or Pilatus:

• You can take a boat to Weggis or Vitznau and travel up to Rigi.
• Visit Pilatus by taking the boat to Alpnachstad and then the funicular to the mountain top.

Preparation

Although sunny clear weather is great for a boat trip, it's still worth it if it's cloudy or drizzling. Check the timetable in order to see what trip suits you best or how to combine it with another attraction.