# Lucerne and the Rigi in a day, by boat and cog railway: the Chapel Bridge, the lion and the town hall beer 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. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/switzerland/lucerne/itineraries/rigi-by-boat-and-cog-railway · Revisado: 2026-11-12 ## El día - 08:15 · Salida: 45 min by train (from Zurich HB; there is a direct flight from Spain to Zurich) - 09:15 · Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke) and Water Tower (free; five minutes from the station) - 12 min on foot - 09:50 · Lion Monument (Löwendenkmal) (free; the 1821 lion in the rock) - 1 h by boat - 10:40 · 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) · RIGI BAHNEN AG, From €84 adult - 1 h by boat - 15:30 · Rathaus Brauerei (rack railway to Vitznau and boat back; open every day, kitchen until 21:30 on Sunday) · Rathaus Brauerei, €€ - 18:30 · Vuelta: 1 h by train (train to Zurich airport or Zurich HB) 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. ## Cómo llegar ### Without a car Train from Zurich HB, SGV boat from the quay by the station and cog railway from Vitznau. This is the natural way to do it. ### By car You don't need one. If you arrive by car, leave it in a car park in the centre or at your hotel and do the day by boat. ## Consejos ### Check the summit webcam If Rigi Kulm is in cloud, swap the order and go to the Swiss Museum of Transport. ### Come down via Arth-Goldau if you have a day pass That way you return to Lucerne by train without repeating the boat. ### Take a jacket It is colder and windier on Rigi Kulm than on the lakeshore. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### 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.