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Basel to Luzern: Scenic Swiss Train Adventure
4.9
19 Ratings
Basel
Embark on a private tour from Basel to Mount Pilatus and experience the Golden Round Trip. Ride the world’s steepest cogwheel railway, enjoy a lake cruise, and take in breathtaking views with a knowledgeable tour guide.
Embark on a private tour from Basel to Mount Pilatus and experience the Golden Round Trip. Ride the world’s steepest cogwheel railway, enjoy a lake cruise, and take in breathtaking views with a knowledgeable tour guide.
Duration:
8 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Basel SBB Station - Begin the journey with a one-hour train ride from Basel to Lucerne.
- Lake Lucerne - Continue the adventure with a one-hour boat transfer from Lucerne to Alpnachstad. As the boat departs from Lucerne’s bay, it cruises along the shores of Hergiswil and Stansstad, heading towards the bay of Alpnach, with stunning mountain…
- Basel SBB Station - Begin the journey with a one-hour train ride from Basel to Lucerne.
- Lake Lucerne - Continue the adventure with a one-hour boat transfer from Lucerne to Alpnachstad. As the boat departs from Lucerne’s bay, it cruises along the shores of Hergiswil and Stansstad, heading towards the bay of Alpnach, with stunning mountain views throughout the journey.
- Alpnachstad - This is the transfer point between the lake boat and the world’s steepest cogwheel train. In just 35 minutes, the cogwheel train ascends along the ridge, passing through alpine meadows to reach Pilatus Kulm.
- Mount Pilatus - Arrive at Pilatus Kulm, the mountain station of the Pilatusbahn, featuring a viewing terrace, a panorama gallery, and two mountain hotels on this picturesque local mountain. Explore attractions such as the dragon gallery, the viewpoint, scenic terraces, and a multimedia presentation at Mt. Pilatus.
- Fräkmüntegg - Home to Central Switzerland’s largest rope park, tree tents, a toboggan run, hiking trails, and excellent barbecue spots, Fräkmüntegg is perfect for relaxation.
- Krienseregg - Ideal for families, Krienseregg offers a diverse local recreation area with marked circular hikes and spacious picnic areas.
- Kriens - Kriens is the third largest municipality and the second largest city in the Swiss canton of Lucerne, located at the base of Mount Pilatus and adjacent to Lucerne to the east. Here, disembark from the aerial cableway and take a 10-minute walk to the bus stop to catch the local bus to Lucerne.
- Lucerne - Travel back from Kriens to Lucerne in just 10 minutes by local bus.
- Chapel Bridge - With the old town just a short walk away, stroll along the river and cross the wooden bridge, one of Lucerne’s most famous landmarks.
- Basel SBB Station - Conclude the tour with a one-hour train ride from Lucerne back to Basel, ending the journey in Basel.
What's Included
- All transportation fees included for boat, cogwheel railway, gondola, and bus
- Comprehensive coverage of all taxes, fees, and handling charges
- Exclusive local tour guide service from Swiss Travel Guide for your group
- All transportation fees included for boat, cogwheel railway, gondola, and bus
- Comprehensive coverage of all taxes, fees, and handling charges
- Exclusive local tour guide service from Swiss Travel Guide for your group
What's Not Included
- food and drinks
- personal expenses during the tour
- food and drinks
- personal expenses during the tour
Additional Information
Embark on a tailored adventure from Basel to Luzern by train, followed by a scenic boat journey. Ascend to the summit of Mt. Pilatus via the world’s steepest cogwheel train, accompanied by a private guide. The panorama continues as you descend with an aerial cableway back to Luzern. This exclusive tour seamlessly combines cultural insights, breathtaking…
Embark on a tailored adventure from Basel to Luzern by train, followed by a scenic boat journey. Ascend to the summit of Mt. Pilatus via the world’s steepest cogwheel train, accompanied by a private guide. The panorama continues as you descend with an aerial cableway back to Luzern. This exclusive tour seamlessly combines cultural insights, breathtaking landscapes, and the personalized touch of a private guide for an unforgettable Swiss experience.
- a minimum of 2 people per booking is required
- children must be accompagnied by an adult
- for wheelchair assistance - please contact us before booking
- Please note: Boat and coghwheel railway will operate Mai to October only. Off season, the tour will be performed by travelling to mount Pilatus both ways by gondola, the tour will be finalized with a 1-hour tour on the lake Lucerne by panoramic boat after the return travel from mount Pilatus.
Location
Basel SBB Station
Centralbahnstrasse 22
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(19 Ratings)
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Brian_s
Oct 14, 2025
Amazing tour with a fabulous guide, Mike - We had a full day of amazing opportunities in Lucerne, the cog wheel train up Mt Pilatus, can ride down, foot tour through Lucerne. Our guide Mike was an amazing guide lots of knowledge about the area and made the trip really interesting and fun.
Review provided by Viator
Robin_m
Aug 25, 2025
Best guide ever - This tour was the best day on our journey. WE had such a wonderful time and saw beautiful Switzerland. I'd really like to express our gratitude to our guide Fayzon, he was so attentive and helpful, as we had a handicapped person with us, and he became part of our family as well as we were his. Very informative and a pleasure to be with. .
Review provided by Viator
Scott_g
Oct 19, 2024
Outstanding - Michael was an outstanding host and guide displaying an amazing knowledge that made the whole day very special!
Review provided by Viator
Diane_b
Aug 25, 2024
Mt Pilatus - Boat cruise was great and the view from the top of Mt Pilatus was amazing! Excellent tour guide who gave very personal service.
Review provided by Viator
Cindy_g
Aug 9, 2024
Great Scenic Tour, wonderful guide - This was an amazing day The boat ride on lake Lucern was wonderful, the water was so blue, the weather was perfect, and the scenery couldn’t be matched. Then we had the mountain adventure!!
Mr. Abraham was a great guide. He met us at our hotel that morning and had our day seamlessly planned out. This tour was worth what we paid for it, for sure
Review provided by Viator
Nancyfi237rj
Jun 26, 2024
Great view! Wonderful Guide! - Fabulous trip led by the amazing Swiss native Martin. He arrived at our hotel exactly on time, had all the tickets ready for us, led us on a train, boat, cogwheel rail, bus, etc. He was aware of our physical needs and paused when needed. He had lots of information to share, not only about the stunning beauty of the area, and history, but about life in Switzerland. Martin made the beautiful trip a fabulous adventure!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Janell_s
Jun 6, 2024
Perfect Day in Lucerne and Mount Pilatus - We had an amazing day trip from Basal before our Rhine River cruise. This was the perfect choice for our family. The transportation was fantastic and seamless the whole day. We all loved the boat around the beautiful lake. The Cogtrain and Gondola rides were a great experience for our family. Lucerne and Mount Pilatus are beautiful and we were so grateful we chose to experience this tour. Our guide (whose name I won’t attempt to spell) was Amazing! He shared all kinds of facts and history about Switzerland which our 12 year old really enjoyed. Perfect tour if you want to experience more of Switzerland.
Review provided by Viator
Robin_a
Oct 31, 2023
Switzerland Experience - The dragon walk was astounding. If you only have one full day in Switzerland, this is a must see tour to experience the Alps.
Review provided by Viator
Steven_h
Sep 22, 2025
It's worth it - Faisal the guide was helpful, informative and friendly. He met us at the hotel and explained everything ahead of each step. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The only thing that spoilt it was the weather as clouds prevented us from seeing the most spectacular views.
Do the dragon trail even if it's cloudy! Get a guide if you can.
Review provided by Viator
Scott_s
Sep 1, 2023
Trams, trains, boats, cog railways, and cable cars! - This would have been 5 stars if weather was better. No view from Mr. Pilates this day. Our guide, Roman, was absolutely terrific.
Review provided by Viator
