Mount Pilatus tickets and tours: the six ways up, compared
Why there are six tickets and not one
I grew up in Kriens, at the bottom of the gondola, and I have guided the Golden Round Trip for eleven years. The question I am asked most is not about the mountain. It is “which ticket”. The reason there is no single answer is that Pilatus has two valley stations, four kinds of transport and a season that changes what is running. The cogwheel railway from Alpnachstad only operates from 11 May to 29 November 2026. The boat from Lucerne stops on 18 October. The gondola and Dragon Ride from Kriens run all year, apart from a revision closure from 19 October to 27 November and two days at the end of March. So the right ticket depends on the date first, on how much you want organised for you second, and on what pass is already in your pocket third. The Swiss Travel Pass page covers the third part; this page covers the first two.
All six tickets and tours
These are the GetYourGuide products I compare on this site. Ratings and review counts are the live figures at the time of writing. Every card opens the booking page in a new tab.
Most popularLucerne: Mt. Pilatus Cable Car, Cogwheel Train & Lake Cruise
Self-guidedLucerne: Self-Guided Round-Trip Train to Mount Pilatus
From ZurichFrom Zurich: Lucerne & Mount Pilatus Day Tour
Year-roundKriens: Mt. Pilatus by Panoramic Gondola and Aerial Cableway
Ticket onlyFrom Alpnachstad or Kriens: Mount Pilatus Roundtrip Ticket
PrivateMt. Pilatus Golden Roundtrip Private Day Trip from Luzern
Which one is for you
The table below lists what you are paying for in each case, not how much. Three columns because three of the six cover most people: the guided Golden Round Trip, the self-guided Silver Round Trip and the year-round Kriens return.
| Lucerne: Self-Guided Round-Trip Train to Mount Pilatus | Most bookedLucerne: Mt. Pilatus Cable Car, Cogwheel Train & Lake Cruise | Kriens: Mt. Pilatus by Panoramic Gondola and Aerial Cableway | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Format | Self-guided voucher | Guided, small coach | Self-guided ticket |
| Duration | Half day, your pace | 5.5 hours scheduled | 3 hours minimum |
| Up by | Bus 1 + gondola + Dragon Ride | Coach + gondola + Dragon Ride | Gondola + Dragon Ride |
| Down by | Cogwheel + train | Cogwheel + boat | Dragon Ride + gondola |
| What you pay for | All transport legs, seat reservation | Guide, coach, all transport legs, boat | Cableway return only |
| Guide | None | Live English guide | None |
| Season | 11 May – 29 Nov | 11 May – 29 Nov | Year-round |
| Wheelchair | Yes | No | Ask the operator |
| Best for | Independent travellers, families | First visit, no planning | Winter, short on time |
| View → | Book this → | View → |
The other three fill the gaps. The Zurich day tour is the Golden loop with a coach from Zurich HB and free time in Lucerne, ten hours in total. The round-trip ticket is for people who arrive at Alpnachstad or Kriens under their own steam and just need the mountain sections with a cogwheel seat reservation and parking. The private day is the Golden loop with your own guide and a minimum of two people.
The 2026 season, ticket by ticket
This is the table I wish existed on a single page when people write to me in October asking why their boat has become a lunch voucher. Dates are the operator’s published 2026 season; check pilatus.ch on the day for weather closures.
| Period | Cogwheel (Alpnachstad) | Boat (Lucerne) | Gondola + Dragon Ride (Kriens) | Which tickets work |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan – 29 Mar | Closed | Closed | Running | Kriens return, round-trip ticket (Kriens side) |
| 30 – 31 Mar | Closed | Closed | Maintenance | None — the mountain is shut |
| 1 Apr – 10 May | Closed | Closed | Running | Kriens return, round-trip ticket (Kriens side) |
| 11 May – 18 Oct | Running | Running | Running | All six, as described |
| 19 Oct – 27 Nov | Running | Finished | Maintenance | Golden, Zurich and private run cogwheel both ways with a lunch voucher instead of the boat; Silver and round-trip ticket from Alpnachstad only; Kriens return not operating |
| 28 – 29 Nov | Running | Finished | Running | Guided tours go cableway up, cogwheel down; all self-guided tickets work |
| 30 Nov – 31 Dec | Closed | Closed | Running | Kriens return, round-trip ticket (Kriens side) |
Do not book a Golden or Silver Round Trip for a date after 29 November. The cogwheel is closed, the product cannot run as sold, and you will spend your first morning in Lucerne sorting out a refund. From December to early May the only way up is the Kriens cableway, and that is a fine trip in its own right, with sledging at Fräkmüntegg.
Check dates for the guided Golden Round Trip
The flagship, rated 4.7 across 2,709 reviews. Pick a date to see the live rate and what is left. If you are still deciding, my reviews go through each product in turn, and the cost page explains what the ticket is made of.
Frequently asked questions
Which Mount Pilatus ticket should I buy?
Between 11 May and 29 November, most first-time visitors staying in Lucerne do best with the guided Golden Round Trip; independent travellers take the Silver Round Trip voucher. Outside those dates the only ticket that works is the year-round cableway return from Kriens.
Is Mount Pilatus free with the Swiss Travel Pass?
No. The pass gets you to Kriens or Alpnachstad for free and takes 50% off the mountain sections. Rigi and Stanserhorn are the fully free ones. Details on the Swiss Travel Pass page.
Can I use a pass discount together with a GetYourGuide ticket?
No. The GetYourGuide products are fixed packages. Either buy the package or buy pass-discounted tickets on site; you cannot stack the two. If you hold a Swiss Travel Pass or Half Fare Card, read the cheapest way up first.
Why do you not show prices?
Rates change by season and by date, and a number printed here would be wrong within weeks. The availability widget on every page shows the current rate for your date. The cost page explains what the ticket pays for.
Can I cancel?
All six products carry GetYourGuide’s free-cancellation terms, which matters on a mountain where the summit can be in cloud while Lucerne is sunny. Check the webcams on pilatus.ch the evening before and decide then.