Rathaus Brauerei
What to order: a house beer with the Rathaus Bier Würstli, CHF 24, or the Lucerne cheese tart, CHF 15, or the Graubünden barley soup.
The terrace cannot be booked; the dining room can, by phone for up to four people.
geocalia
Day itinerary · 47.05° N · 8.30° E
Lucerne and the Rigi in a day, by boat to Vitznau and cog railway to the summit.
The morning at the Chapel Bridge and the lion, a steamer or motor ship to Vitznau, the cog railway to Rigi Kulm and a late lunch by the Reuss. Works on a Sunday.
Leaving from
Direct flight to Zúrich fromBarcelona 1 h 45Bilbao 2 hPalma de Mallorca 2 hAlicante 2 h 15Madrid 2 h 15Valencia 2 h 15Málaga 2 h 45Sevilla 2 h 45Fuerteventura 4 h 30Lanzarote 4 h 30
Add to my trip
Total time11 h
By car45 min each way
From ZurichTrain, about 50 min
From SpainDirect flight to Zurich
Boat and cog railwayCHF 31 + CHF 84; children free on the Rigi with an adult
On footLittle: 1 h around the centre
DifficultyEasy
With childrenYes, even little ones
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Zurich 45 min by train
from Zurich HB; there is a direct flight from Spain to Zurich
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1
Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke) and Water Tower
free; five minutes from the station
- 12 min on foot
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2
Lion Monument (Löwendenkmal)
free; the 1821 lion in the rock
- 1 h by boat
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3
Mount Rigi by boat and rack railway from Vitznau
SGV boat to Vitznau, CHF 31, and rack railway to Rigi Kulm, CHF 84 return; check the timetable for the day
+41 41 399 87 87
- 1 h by boat
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4
Rathaus Brauerei
rack railway to Vitznau and boat back; open every day, kitchen until 21:30 on Sunday
Unter der Egg 2, 6004 Luzern · +41 41 410 61 11
Restaurant €€Book -
Back home 1 h by train
train to Zurich airport or Zurich HB
Approximate cost
About €100–120 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke) and Water Tower
Lucerne fits into a morning and the Rigi into an afternoon. This plan puts the two together without a car and without rushing: the Chapel Bridge and the Lion Monument before the groups arrive, a boat across the lake to Vitznau and the cog railway up to Rigi Kulm, from where you can see Lake Lucerne and Lake Zug at the same time. You come back by boat and have a late lunch at the Rathaus Brauerei, under the arcades of the town hall, which serves hot food all afternoon and is open on Sundays too.
If you are coming from Spain, there is a direct flight to Zurich: arrive the evening before and sleep in Zurich or Lucerne. If you sleep in Lucerne, start the day straight on the bridge.
The day, hour by hour
8:15 · Train to Lucerne. From Zurich HB, about 50 minutes.
9:15 · Chapel Bridge. Five minutes from the station. Look at the paintings in the roof and the Water Tower, from around 1300. Free.
9:50 · Lion Monument. Twelve minutes on foot to the north. Thorvaldsen's lion, from 1821, commemorates the Swiss Guards killed in Paris in 1792.
10:40 · Boat to Vitznau and cog railway to the Rigi. Go back to the quay by the station and board the SGV boat: about 50 to 60 minutes to Vitznau, depending on the boat. There the cog railway to Rigi Kulm awaits. Spend as long as you like at the top; if you fancy a walk, go down part of the way on foot and pick up the train at an intermediate station.
15:30 · Late lunch at the Rathaus Brauerei. Cog railway to Vitznau and boat back. The brewery serves hot food from 11:00 to 22:30, and until 21:30 on Sundays: house sausages, Lucerne cheesecake or lake trout, with its own beer.
18:30 · Return. Train to Zurich HB.
What it costs
The boat to Vitznau costs CHF 31 one way in second class and the cog railway CHF 84 return. If you come back by boat, add another ticket or buy the lake day pass. Children up to 15 go up the Rigi free with an adult, and with the Swiss Travel Pass the Rigi is included and the boat at a reduced fare. Lunch at the brewery is CHF 25 to 45 per person.
Time20 min
Change the route
In the rain or cloud at the summit: open 365 days and 8 minutes away on the S3:
Swiss Museum of Transport (Verkehrshaus)
Tuesday to Saturday, for Lucerne cooking at lunchtime; book by phone:
Wirtshaus Galliker
If the Rigi is closed or under maintenance: continue by boat to Flüelen:
Steamboat Cruise on Lake Lucerne to Flüelen
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Wirtshaus Galliker
What to order: the Lozärner Chügelipastetli, the Lucerne vol-au-vent, and the rösti with pork sausage and onion sauce; the pot-au-feu, if it is a Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday.
Book by phone; the house strongly recommends it.
Old Swiss House
What to order: the house Wiener Schnitzel, prepared in front of you on the trolley, CHF 66; it is served with ribbon noodles, crisp crumbs and cranberry compote.
Hot food at lunchtime until 13:30 and in the evening until 21:00.
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Lucerne
All year, including Sundays, because the Rathaus Brauerei is open every day with the kitchen serving until 21:30 on Sundays. Avoid November, when RIGI BAHNEN carries out servicing on the mountain. Go up when the sky is clear: check the summit webcam before you buy.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Check the summit webcam
If Rigi Kulm is in cloud, swap the order and go to the Swiss Museum of Transport.
- 2Come down via Arth-Goldau if you have a day pass
That way you return to Lucerne by train without repeating the boat.
- 3Take a jacket
It is colder and windier on Rigi Kulm than on the lakeshore.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Can you see Lucerne and the Rigi in a day?
Yes. The city in the morning and the Rigi in the afternoon, by boat and cog railway.
How much does it cost to go up the Rigi?
CHF 84 return from Vitznau, plus the boat. Children up to 15 go free with an adult.
Does it work on a Sunday?
Yes: the Rathaus Brauerei is open every day and the Rigi runs all year, apart from servicing in November.
Do I need to book?
Not for the boat or the cog railway. For lunch, only if there are more than four of you.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/switzerland/lucerne/itineraries/rigi-by-boat-and-cog-railway
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.