# Lucerne and Pilatus in a day on the Golden Round Trip: boat, the steepest cog railway and Lucerne cooking at the Galliker

The Chapel Bridge early, a boat to Alpnachstad, the cog railway to Pilatus Kulm, a gondola ride down to Kriens, a Lucerne lunch at the Galliker and the Lion Monument in the afternoon.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/switzerland/lucerne/itineraries/pilatus-and-golden-round-trip · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## El día
- 07:15 · Salida: 45 min by train (from Zurich HB; there is a direct flight from Spain to Zurich)
- 08:15 · Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke) and Water Tower (free; almost empty at this hour)
  - 1 h 15 by boat
- 08:50 · Golden Round Trip to Pilatus by Boat, Cogwheel Railway and Gondola (boat to Alpnachstad and a 27-minute rack railway to Pilatus Kulm; Golden Round Trip CHF 119.80; check the boat timetable) · Pilatus-Bahnen AG, From €120 adult, second class
  - 45 min by cable car
- 13:15 · Wirtshaus Galliker (cable car and gondolas to Kriens and bus to the centre, included; book by phone, lunch kitchen open until 14:30) · Wirtshaus Galliker, €€
  - 15 min on foot
- 15:15 · Lion Monument (Löwendenkmal) (free; cross the Reuss by the Spreuerbrücke)
- 16:30 · Vuelta: 45 min by train (train to Zurich HB)

Pilatus is the mountain you see from every bridge in Lucerne, and the Golden Round Trip is the way up that never repeats a single stretch: a boat across the lake to Alpnachstad, the world's steepest cog railway according to the operator, with gradients of 48%, and back down the other side by cable car and gondolas to Kriens, where a city bus returns you to the centre. A single ticket covers it all. Before it, the Chapel Bridge when it is empty; afterwards, an old-fashioned Lucerne lunch at the Wirtshaus Galliker and the Lion Monument.

It only runs from May to October, and works best from Tuesday to Saturday, when the Galliker is open.

## The day, hour by hour

7:15 · Train to Lucerne. About 50 minutes from Zurich HB. If you are coming from Spain, there is a direct flight to Zurich: arrive the evening before.

8:15 · Chapel Bridge. At this hour you cross it almost alone. Look at the painted panels in the roof and the Water Tower.

8:50 · Boat to Alpnachstad and the cog railway. From the quay by the station. If you have a first-class ticket, go up to the upper deck. At Alpnachstad, the cog railway climbs in 27 minutes to Pilatus Kulm, at 2,132 m. At the top, viewpoints and short paths between the rocks.

13:15 · Lunch at the Wirtshaus Galliker. You come down by cable car and gondolas to Kriens and return by bus, all included in the ticket. The Galliker is on the Schützenstrasse, beside the Reuss: order the Chügelipastetli, the Lucerne vol-au-vent, or the rösti with sausage. Book by phone; the midday kitchen closes at 14:30.

15:15 · Lion Monument. Cross the Reuss and head north, a quarter of an hour's walk. Next door is the Old Swiss House, if you fancy coming back for dinner.

16:30 · Return. Train to Zurich HB.

## What it costs

The Golden Round Trip costs CHF 119.80 in second class and CHF 136.80 in first. With a Half Fare card, and for children aged 6 to 15, it is CHF 59.90. With the Swiss Travel Pass, the boat and bus are included and the mountain section is half price. Lunch at the Galliker is CHF 30 to 50 per person.

## Cómo llegar

### Without a car
Train from Zurich and the Golden Round Trip, which already includes the boat, the mountain and the bus back.

### By car
You don't need one: the ticket starts and ends in the centre of Lucerne. If you arrive by car, leave it parked at your hotel.

## Consejos

### Check the webcams before you set off
With the summit in cloud, swap the plan for the Rigi or the Swiss Museum of Transport.

### If you go in the afternoon, do it the other way round
Go up via Kriens and come down by cog railway and boat, in the low light over the lake.

### Book the Galliker the day before
The restaurant recommends it even on weekdays.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How long does the Golden Round Trip take?
Allow four or five hours including time at the top; the operator does not publish a total duration.

### Can it be done in winter?
No. The cog railway and the Golden Round Trip run from May to October; in winter you can only go up via Kriens.

### What do I do if it falls on a Sunday?
Eat at the Rathaus Brauerei, which is open every day.

### Is it worth it with children?
Yes. Children aged 6 to 15 pay half, and the day is mostly boat and train.