Boat Trips Lucerne Region - Lake Lucerne - Top Deals and Prices 2024

Lake Lucerne cruise - 21 experiences by boat

The region around Lake Lucerne is an extremely historic place for Switzerland with the Rütli meadow and the Tell plateau. But that is not all. It is also suitable for excursions of all kinds all year round.

On the one hand, there are the mountain peaks Pilatus, Stanserhorn and Rigi, which can be visited on foot or by mountain railroad. On the other hand, you will find numerous excursion destinations in the immediate vicinity of the lake, such as the Museum of Transport Lucerne or the Glasi Hergiswil. Not to forget the inviting city of Lucerne with the world famous Chapel Bridge, the Culture and Congress Center KKL and the Lion Monument.

What these places have in common is that they can be perfectly combined with a boat trip on Lake Lucerne.

Before we inspire you for different excursions on and around Lake Lucerne, here are some interesting facts about the lake.

• Lake Lucerne is the fourth largest lake in Switzerland. It lies at an altitude of 433 m.a.s.l., is 38 km long and 214 m deep. The water temperature Lake Lucerne is max. 13 degrees.
• The name of the lake refers to the four original cantons of Uri, Schwyz, Unterwalden and Lucerne that surround it.
• A total of 19 passenger ships cruise the lake for the Lake Lucerne Navigation Company (SGV). Among them are excursion steamers with culinary offers, course ships and five diesel-powered paddle steamers.
• Around 30 mooring stations are distributed along the lakeside roads around the lake.

Culinary cruise on Lake Lucerne

Lake Lucerne is where the advantages of the whole of Switzerland come together with the lake, the mountains and an impressive city. In keeping with the four seasons, the culinary cruises on Lake Lucerne open up another dimension

Breakfast on the ship: Every day, also on Sundays and public holidays, the scheduled ships invite you to a rich breakfast. This way you start the day strengthened and at the same time you can enjoy the landscape of Central Switzerland. The round trip takes about 2-3 hours and the breakfast must be reserved in advance.

Brunch ship: Enjoy an overwhelming gastronomy with panorama and culinary well-being on the 2.5-hour trip. This somewhat different start to the day is accompanied by the aroma of fresh coffee and a fresh sea breeze. The brunch trips take place in summer every Sunday from Lucerne.

Lunch boat: Delicious food in a unique environment awaits you at the seasonal lunch on the lunch boat. On the relaxing round trip, in addition to the large selection of regional dishes, the dessert of the day provides the crowning finale. The ship departs daily at 12:00 from Lucerne.

• Lunch ship

Candle Light Steamboat: Surrounded by a magnificent mountain scenery you will enjoy a nostalgic evening on the oldest paddle steamer in Switzerland. Shortly before the sun sets, the ship departs. During the three-hour candlelight cruise, you will enjoy all kinds of delicacies against a unique backdrop

Culinary theme ships: Cooking together on the Chinoise steamboat or rather the perfect winter fun on the Fondue and Raclette ship? You are spoilt for choice. The range of culinary excursions on Lake Lucerne in the winter months is extensive

Apart from traditional Swiss cuisine, there are also foreign specialties on the Thai ship or the Fajita ship

Lake Lucerne hikes and boat trips

A trip on Lake Lucerne can easily be combined with a hike. The timetables of the mountain railroads, which lead to the surrounding mountain peaks, are usually coordinated with the timetable of the boats. You decide whether you want to start your hike already at the shore or whether you want to be transported by train to higher hiking trails.

Rigi: The Rigi is an incredibly diverse excursion destination, which you can reach by boat and train. Whether you are looking for a hike, relaxing hours at a spa in Rigi Kaltbad or a delicious lunch in a restaurant, you will find it all here.

On a round trip to the Queen of the Mountains, as the Rigi is also called, you take the boat from Lucerne to Vitznau. From there, take the Rigi Railway to Kulm, where your options know no bounds.

• Wellnessen in Rigi Kaltbad
• Lunch at the restaurant

Pilatus: The Drachenberg, as Lucerne's local mountain is also called, can be reached from Alpnachstad or from Kriens. Right next to the landing stage in Alpnachstad is the valley station of the steepest cog railroad in the world. From here, nothing stands in your way of a trip up the Pilatus. So you combine a boat trip on Lake Lucerne with an exciting ride on the mountain railroad for a day full of views.

• Pilatusbahn Ticket

Stanserhorn: From Stansstad, not far from the boat landing, the funicular takes you to the valley station of the Cabrio cable car. So you can reach the Stanserhorn by boat, by funicular and by a modern, double-decker and open cable car. Impressive viewpoints, a revolving restaurant and numerous hiking trails await you on the summit.

Rigi - Chestene: On this round trip you combine a boat trip on Lake Lucerne with a leisurely hike between Gersau and Vitznau. You start in Lucerne and soon reach the idyllic village of Gersau. From there you hike in the direction of Vitznau and linger at the magnificent viewpoints at the foot of the Rigi. From Vitznau the boat brings you back to Lucerne.

Riviera Weggis: At the Riviera of Lake Lucerne even palm trees and fig trees grow. You can visit this place with a round trip from Lucerne. To do this, get off the train in Weggis, take a leisurely hike to Hertenstein and return to Lucerne by boat.

Seelisberg - Rütli: The Seelisberg excursion is a fabulous combination of boat trip and hike with exciting insights and spectacular views. This enchanting history trip takes you through 12 stops to the Rütli meadow, where you'll learn exciting information about the formation of Switzerland. You will travel by boat, change to a funicular and hike to the place where the foundation stone for Switzerland was laid many years ago.

Klewenalp: Klewenalp is easy to reach by boat and cable car from Lucerne. First you take the boat to Beckenried and there you change to the cable car. The panorama of Lake Lucerne is magnificent and the hike away from the mass tourism is a pleasure.

Excursion destinations on Lake Lucerne by ship

Be it the sightseeing tour, the short excursion or the extraordinary experience: Among the most beautiful excursion destinations on Lake Lucerne, we have shortlisted the following four.

Traffic Museum Lucerne: The Museum of Transport Lucerne is located directly on the lake and has its own pier. So you can easily reach the most visited museum in Switzerland by boat from Lucerne.

Hammetschwand Bürgenstock: To get to Bürgenstock, the ship is your fastest option. The shuttle boat takes you from Lucerne directly to the valley station of the funicular. From here you can decide whether you want to hike up to Bürgenstock in 1.5 hours or whether you prefer to take the funicular. In the Hammetschwand elevator, the highest free-standing elevator in Europe with 153 m, you can enjoy a spectacular view of Lake Lucerne.

Glasi Hergiswil: Glasi Hergiswil is always worth a trip in good or bad weather. The glass factory on Lake Lucerne is a paradise for children. But adults don't miss out either in the factory store with its attractive bargains. The Glasi is not far from the Hergiswil landing stage. It is also well connected to Lucerne by train, should you wish to make a journey by train.

Gotthard Panorama Express: The Gotthard Panorama Express is one of the great panorama trains in Switzerland. With the nostalgic steamer you first travel across the entire Lake Lucerne to Flüelen, where the 1st class panorama car is waiting for you. You will then travel on the old mountain route through the Gotthard to Lugano in Ticino.

Round trips on Lake Lucerne

On the shores of Lake Lucerne there are many secret and beautiful corners to admire. The best way to discover them is to take a cruise. In the meantime you can relax and let yourself be spoiled by the gastronomy on board.

Small lake cruise: This small but beautiful round trip takes you along a fascinating landscape from Lucerne to Beckenried and back. You can enjoy the Mediterranean flair and let yourself be fascinated by the surroundings. If it is not hidden behind clouds, you will also enjoy an unrestricted view of Mount Pilatus.

Grand Lake Tour: On the big lake cruise you travel to the other "end" of Lake Lucerne. Throughout the year, guests enjoy the magnificent panorama of the mountain and lake landscape on this five-hour round trip. For this long trip, the day ticket is definitely worth it. With it, you can use all the scheduled boats on Lake Lucerne for a whole day without any restrictions.

• Day ticket Lake Lucerne

Lake of Uri round trip: Tucked away in the mountains, Lake Lucerne and Lake Uri meet at right angles on this trip. On your journey from Brunnen to Flüelen and back, a stunning view of a fjord-like landscape opens up.

Bürgenstock round trip: The Bürgenstock round trip is the round trip with probably the most beautiful city view from the Lucerne basin. In the middle of it all is the Bürgenstock with its vertical rock faces. The trip takes one hour from Lucerne and you will not have the opportunity to leave the ship on the way.

• Bürgenstock round trip

Lunch tour: Get out of the daily routine and combine the perfect relaxation on the lake with a delicious lunch. This contemplative lunch cruise on Lake Lucerne lasts almost two hours. It departs from Lucerne at 12:00 noon all year round and returns to Lucerne after 1:45 hours.