Mount Pilatus tour and ticket reviews
Six GetYourGuide products get you up Pilatus: two guided coach tours (from Lucerne and from Zurich), two self-guided round trips, a bare mountain ticket and a private day. I have read the reviews for each, done every route myself more times than I can count, and written one page per product saying what the day is actually like and who should skip it. The guided Golden Round Trip has the most reviews (2,709 at 4.7); the private day has six, and I say so.
The six products, reviewed
Lucerne: Mt. Pilatus Cable Car, Cogwheel Train & Lake Cruise
The full loop with a live guide: coach, gondola, Dragon Ride, cogwheel, boat. Ends at the pier.
5.5 h · guided · from LucerneRead the full review ›
From Zurich: Lucerne & Mount Pilatus Day Tour
Ten hours from Zurich HB with free time in Lucerne before the mountain. Bilingual guide.
10 h · guided · from ZurichRead the full review ›
Lucerne: Self-Guided Round-Trip Train to Mount Pilatus
Bus, gondola, Dragon Ride, cogwheel and train, on your own timetable. Works in reverse.
Half day · self-guided · Silver Round TripRead the full review ›
Kriens: Mt. Pilatus by Panoramic Gondola and Aerial Cableway
Gondola and Dragon Ride from Kriens, back the same way. The only option November to May.
Half day · self-guided · year-roundRead the full review ›
From Alpnachstad or Kriens: Mount Pilatus Roundtrip Ticket
Pick Alpnachstad or Kriens, get a seat reservation and parking. Good if you drive.
Half day · ticket only · parking includedRead the full review ›
Mt. Pilatus Golden Roundtrip Private Day Trip from Luzern
Boat, cogwheel, guided summit walk, food included. Minimum two people, six reviews so far.
6 h · private guide · pickup in LucerneRead the full review ›How I rate them
The star ratings and review counts are GetYourGuide’s own figures at the time of writing (August 2026); I do not adjust them. What I add is context: whether the 4.5 on the bare ticket reflects the mountain or the booking form (the booking form), whether a 4.9 from six people means much (not yet), and which product fits which date, because the cogwheel only runs 11 May to 29 November and the boat stops on 18 October. If you have not settled on a route yet, start with the full comparison or the guide.
Reviewer quotes on these pages come from GetYourGuide reviews, trimmed for length, first names only. I have not invented any, and I have left in the complaints.
Frequently asked questions
Which Mount Pilatus tour has the best reviews?
By volume, the guided Golden Round Trip from Lucerne: 4.7 across 2,709 reviews. By score, the Zurich day tour at 4.8 from 1,182. The private day shows 4.9, but from six reviews, which is too few to rank.
Are these reviews independent?
Yes. I am a licensed Lucerne guide, not the operator and not GetYourGuide. Booking links are affiliate links, which is explained in the disclosure; the commission is the same whichever product you pick, so I have no reason to steer you.
Why is the roundtrip ticket rated lower than the others?
Because you have to choose an exact cogwheel departure time when you book, and several reviewers found that awkward. The ride itself gets the same praise as everywhere else. Details in the ticket review.
Do the reviews mention the weather?
Constantly. Clouds are the most common complaint across all six products, and no ticket controls them. Check the pilatus.ch webcams in the morning and read when to go before you book a date.