Boat Trips Lucerne Region - Lake Lucerne - 4 Top Deals and Prices 2025

Lake Lucerne cruise - 21 experiences by boat

The region around the Lake Lucerne is an incredibly historic place for Switzerland, featuring the Rütli Meadow and the Tell’s Plateau. But that’s not all. It’s also an excellent year-round destination for all kinds of outings.

On one hand, you have the mountain peaks of Pilatus, Stanserhorn, and Rigi, which can be visited on foot or via a mountain railway. On the other hand, there are numerous attractions in the immediate vicinity of the lake, such as the Swiss Transport Museum in Lucerne or the Hergiswil Glass Factory. And we can’t forget the charming city of Lucerne, home to the world-famous Chapel Bridge, the Culture and Congress Centre KKL, and the Lion Monument.

What these places have in common is that they all pair wonderfully with a boat trip on Lake Lucerne.

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

• Lake Lucerne is the fourth largest lake in Switzerland. It sits at an elevation of 433 m above sea level, is 38 km long, and 214 m deep. The maximum water temperature in Lake Lucerne is around 13 degrees.
• The name of the lake refers to the four original cantons that surround it: Uri, Schwyz, Unterwalden, and Lucerne.
• A total of 19 passenger ships operate across the lake for the Lake Lucerne Navigation Company (SGV). These include excursion boats with culinary offerings, regular service vessels, and five diesel-powered paddle steamers.
• About 30 landing stages are located along the shore 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 Cruise: Enjoy delicious food in a unique setting during the seasonal lunch cruise. Along with a wide selection of local dishes, the dessert of the day will be the perfect ending to your relaxing boat trip. The boat departs daily from Lucerne at 12:00 PM.

• Lunch Cruise

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

Hiking and Boat Trips on Lake Lucerne

A trip on Lake Lucerne can easily be combined with a hike. The schedules of the mountain railways leading to the surrounding peaks usually align with the boat timetables. You can decide whether to start your hike at the shore or take the train to higher hiking trails.

Rigi: Rigi is an incredibly diverse destination that you can reach by boat and train. Whether you're looking for a hike, a relaxing spa day at Rigi Kaltbad, or a delicious lunch at a restaurant, you'll find it all here.

On a round trip to the Queen of the Mountains, as Rigi is also called, you travel from Lucerne by boat to Vitznau. From there, you continue with the Rigi train to the summit, where your options are endless.

• Spa day at Rigi Kaltbad
• Lunch at a restaurant

Pilatus: You can reach the Dragon Mountain, which is also known as the local mountain of Lucerne, from Alpnachstad or Kriens. Right next to the boat landing stage in Alpnachstad is the valley station of the steepest cog railway in the world. From here, nothing stands in the way of your ride on the Pilatus. This way, you can combine a boat trip on Lake Lucerne with an exciting ride on the mountain railway for a day full of spectacular views.

• Pilatusbahn Ticket

Stanserhorn: From Stansstad, just a short walk from the boat dock, the funicular railway takes you to the valley station of the Cabrio cable car. You can reach Stanserhorn by boat, funicular, and a modern, double-decker open-air cable car. At the summit, you'll find stunning viewpoints, a revolving restaurant, and plenty of hiking trails waiting for you.

Rigi - Chestene: On this round trip, you'll combine a boat ride on Lake Lucerne with a leisurely hike between Gersau and Vitznau. You start in Lucerne and quickly reach the charming parish village of Gersau. From there, you hike towards Vitznau, stopping at the stunning viewpoints at the base of the Rigi. A boat will take you back to Lucerne from Vitznau.

Riviera Weggis: In the Riviera of Lake Lucerne, even palm trees and fig trees grow. You can visit this place on a round trip from Lucerne. You get off in Weggis, take a relaxing walk to Hertenstein, and then take the boat back to Lucerne.

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: You can easily reach the Klewenalp from Lucerne by boat and cable car. First, take a boat to Beckenried, where you transfer to the cable car. The view of Lake Lucerne is stunning, and the hike away from the tourist crowds is a delight.

Excursion Destinations on Lake Lucerne with the Boat

Whether it’s a scenic tour, a short trip, or a unique experience, we’ve picked the following four from the most beautiful excursion destinations on Lake Lucerne.

Transport Museum Lucerne: The Transport Museum Lucerne is located right by the lake and has its own dock. You can easily reach Switzerland’s most visited museum by boat from Lucerne.

Hammetschwand Bürgenstock:

To get to Bürgenstock, the boat is your quickest option. The shuttle boat takes you directly from Lucerne to the valley station of the funicular. From here, you can choose to hike to Bürgenstock in 1.5 hours or take the funicular comfortably. In the Hammetschwand Lift, the highest freestanding lift in Europe at 153 m, you’ll enjoy a spectacular view of Lake Lucerne.

Glasi Hergiswil: The Glasi Hergiswil is worth a visit in any weather. The glass factory by Lake Lucerne is a paradise for kids, and adults can also enjoy great bargains in the factory shop. It's not far from the Hergiswil boat landing stage, and it’s well connected by train to Lucerne if you prefer to travel by rail.

Gotthard Panorama Express: The Gotthard Panorama Express is one of Switzerland's great panorama trains. You first set off on a nostalgic steamboat across Lake Lucerne to Flüelen, where a first-class panoramic carriage awaits you. From there, you continue over the old mountain route through the Gotthard to Lugano in Ticino.

Cruises on Lake Lucerne

Along the shores of Lake Lucerne, there are many hidden and beautiful spots to admire. The best way to discover these is on a cruise, where you can relax and be pampered by the onboard dining experience.

Short Lake Cruise: This short but lovely cruise takes you along a fascinating landscape from Lucerne to Beckenried and back. Enjoy a Mediterranean vibe and let the surroundings enchant you. If it's not hidden behind clouds, you'll also get an unobstructed view of Mount Pilatus.

Big Lake Tour: On the big lake tour, you'll travel all the way to the other "end" of Lake Lucerne. Throughout the year, guests on this five-hour cruise enjoy the stunning panorama of mountains and lakes. For such a long trip, the day pass is definitely worth it. With this, you can use all scheduled boats on Lake Lucerne without restrictions for an entire day.

• Day Pass Lake Lucerne

Urnersee Tour: Hidden in the mountains, Lake Lucerne and Urnersee meet at a right angle on this trip. As you travel from Brunnen to Flüelen and back, you'll be treated to breathtaking views of a fjord-like landscape.

Bürgenstock Tour: The Bürgenstock tour offers perhaps the most beautiful view of the city from the Lucerne Basin. Right in the middle, the Bürgenstock with its steep rock faces presents itself. The boat ride takes an hour from Lucerne, and you won't have the chance to leave the boat along the way.

• Bürgenstock Tour

Lunch Cruise: Get out of your daily routine and enjoy perfect relaxation on the lake while indulging in a delicious lunch. This leisurely lunch cruise on Lake Lucerne lasts nearly two hours. It operates year-round, always departing from Lucerne at 12:00 PM, and brings you back to Lucerne after 1:45h.