Lucerne Trip Planning & Itineraries

Day One: Lucerne Tours

Lucerne is brilliantly positioned for excursions into the surrounding Alpine wonderland. A day trip to the Jungfraujoch takes you to the Top of Europe, a great place to start your Alpine travels. The trip combines a scenic coach tour across the magnificent mountain world of the Bernese Oberland, then a unique cogwheel train ride the famous Eiger North Face and Jungfraujoch - Europe's highest railway station. The panoramic view over to the snow-capped peaks of neighboring countries is breathtaking! If you'd rather look at the Jungfrau than stand on it, the Jungfrau Panorama day trip highlights impossibly scenic views of Mts Eiger, Jungfrau and Monch. Or travel across Switzerland to see those mountains from the ground up on an Interlaken and Grindelwald day tour. Interlaken is a lovely Swiss lakeside town at the foot of the snow-covered Alps of the Bernese Oberland, and the holiday resort of Grindelwald is nicknamed the "Glacier Village" for obvious snowy reasons!

More Lucerne Tours »

Day Two: Seasonal Day Trips from Lucerne

Snow can make a big difference to your travels, not only when it comes to views but also to getting around. Mt Pilatus in summer is a sunny wonderland of mountain and lake views. The aerial cable-car to the top of Mt Pilatus only operates in good weather conditions, and those views only go on for ever when the sky is clear. This tour also includes a descent of Mt Pilatus by cogwheel train and a summer-only cruise across the Lake of the Four Cantons. Visiting Mt Pilatus in winter is something else again! The snow-covered view will have you reaching for your camera, and the panoramic gondola ride to the top of the mountain is extraordinary. Mt Titlis is a snow-clad wonderland year-round. Ride the cable car to the top of Mt Titlis, then with free time to spend you can relax on the sun terrace or visit the Ice Grotto, take the IceFlyer to the FunLift for close-up crevass views or hit the slopes for some sledging. Whatever you choose to do, you'll be surrounded by the magnificent Alpine scenery.

Hotel zum Rebstock

This art-driven hotel is seriously funky, at the hub of bustling local life in Lucerne. From the outside, it's cunningly disguised as an original twin-set of beautiful 14th-century half-timbered cottages. Inside, 30 rooms are individually designed in a different style - urban, rustic, romantic etc.

The Hotel

The name is as definitive as the decor of this extraordinary urban design hotel. Sleek matt-black or bright white suites come with stainless-steel trimmings and ceilings painted with scenes from arthouse movies. Deluxe garden and park suites have their own private patio planted with bamboo, and a slew of design-driven eating and drinking spaces cap off a truly incredible package.

Hotel Cascada

The facade is ornate and gabled, but inside this modern hotel is light, bright and luxurious. Best of all, it's close to the lake, Old Town and train station if you've got an early departure. Rooms feature murals of Swiss waterfalls - hence the name - and they all have wireless internet.

History Museum

This up-to-date museum is cleverly and carefully organized into a series of attention-grabbing themes, from lust and lasciviousness to government and tourism. Pick up a barcode-reading audio-guide, pick your topic and let yourself be guided through your chosen story in German or English.

Kapellbrücke

A bridge rather than a museum, the Kapellbrücke crosses the Reuss River in the Old Town, and is Lucerne's most potent symbol. It dates from the 14th century and the octagonal water tower remains original. However, its sides and gabled roof are modern reconstructions, rebuilt after a disastrous fire in 1993. The bridge is famous for the triangular, painted roof panels that line its ceiling, dating from 1614 and depicting important events from Swiss history and mythology.

Bourbaki Panorama

The renovated Bourbaki Panorama is a diorama depiction of the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-71, with a moving narrative (also in English) that brings to life the huge circular painting of troops and civilians.