If you visit but don't do the mountain you are missing out! Do the full experience: up on cable and down on the train or vice versa. Plan for weather changes and be ready to be dazzled on a good day read more

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A visit to Mt. Pilatus is a MUST if you are visiting Lucerne, Switzerland. The experience going up + the view on top -- simply MAGICAL. This is beyond amazing!!! read more

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A must-do on a nice, clear day. But don't necessarily be fooled by gloomy weather at the base of the mountain, you may very well get above the clouds at the top for a spectacular view of the Alps! Dress in layers as the weather and temperatures change as you ascend/descend! read more

What an amazing day. A must see and do if you are the area. We started at the base in Kriens and stopped at each stop. There are so many activities for all ages and activity levels. You can sit in a restaurant or go on hours of beautiful hikes. The barbecue package was a lot of fun to cook over an open fire and the woman who hosted us for the bbq was an outstanding host, making the event a lot of fun. She went above and beyond to make this event special as we were the only ones attending the bbq this day. The conversation flowed easily and at no time did she ever seem bothered that we were the only ones. While the food and experience was outstanding, she truly made this experience phenomenal. There are many restaurants, especially the one at the top which is a wonderful spot to enjoy the view with your favorite people and drink. On the way down the cog wheel train is a DO NOT MISS. It has spectacular views. At the bottom of the cog train you can Jump on the ferry and take it back to Lucerne for a nice afternoon lake cruise. read more

One of the most magical and unique experiences you will ever witness! As the cogwheel train keeps climbing, the views keep changing ever few yards. It takes around 45 minutes for the cogwheel train to take you to the summit. The stuff were very courtesy and kind. The summit views are breathtaking! An experience you will remember for a lifetime! I HIGHLY recommend this. P.S. You shouldn't worry if you have acrophobia or any variation of that. You are safe and will have an awesome time!!! read more

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Visiting Mount Pilatus was probably one of the highlights of our European trip. I pre-booked this excursion before we left, which left my husband a little queasy after I told him the peak had an elevation of 7,000 feet and showed him a photo of the world's steepest cogwheel railway. We came here on May 15, 2013 and the weather was sunny and cool. I suggest coming in layers since it may be warmer in the city, there is snow on top of the mountain! They said the mountain looks like a man's face laying down and yes, I can see the resemblance. In late medieval times a dragon was said to live on the mountain. When you get to the top and into the shop, you'll see that red dragon for sale in the form of a magnet or stuffed animal. The views are absolutely gorgeous when you get to the top (Photos included). It was quite windy and cold up there with plenty of photo ops. Just remember since you're up so high, you might get short of breath or dizzy if you are climbing some of the stairs so take your time. We saw a small chapel at the top and we were told that people actually have weddings here! Wow..... incredible. Riding the cable cars back down was probably the most enjoying experience. Lots of greenery and Swiss cows. My husband and I don't really care for heights, but this didn't both us one bit. So glad we decided to check Mt. Pilatus out when we were in Switzerland! read more

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Clean air, breath taking view... Mt. Pilatus is quiet impressive. And be warned, even in the middle of summer, it is cold up here! I'm feel very lucky to have experienced this gorgeous place in Switzerland. I'm so surprised that no one has written about it! You take a cable car up to the top of the mountain and that ride itself is fantastic with beautiful sites all around. We hiked around for a while, just taking in all the mountain's glory and allure. And even if you're not hungry, after trekking around for a while, you will be! Make sure to eat at one of the restaurants that offer modern gastronomy choices. Good food, great view, crisp air. This was definitely a memorable day~ read more

Pilatus Bahnen - Mt. Pilatus! - Train Stations Near Me - Kriens, LU

There are three ways of traveling between Lucerne and Pilatus: 1) train to Alpnachstad + cogwheel train 2) boat ride on the lake + cogwheel train 3) bus to kriens + gondola up. 2) takes the longest, so I did 1) and 3). The cogwheel train is wonderful because it's supposedly the steepest in the world and you really get a good sense of the steepness when looking up. The gondola ride consists of a smaller gondola and a bigger one, and the views are amazing. You can hear cow bells ringing below you, and there were a lot of moments of awe for me during this trip. There are cows and crows on the mountain, and a restaurant though I dislike eating Swiss food in highly touristy spots. Definitely check the weather so you don't end up going on a foggy day where you can't see anything from the top. read more

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Such an amazing spot, like a monument to the beauty of the Alps. Mount Pilatus is is on the northwestern edge of the range, overlooking three towns and Lake Lucerne, with stunning views beyond these on a clear day. There are multiple ways to the top here: The aerial route (one tram with two stops plus one gondola, OR a cog railway, Or by foot/bike.) We took the aerial route from Kriens, but I would love the challenge of the hike up....someday! At the tippy top (just under 7000 feet), there was a visitor center, a hotel, a gift shop, and multiple cafes and snack choices. There was also a short line of people paragliding off the mountain, into the teeth of the wind. So cool and magical to watch, and 15 minutes later they would circle back above our heads, waving and smiling. As you may imagine, I was snapping pics almost at almost every turn, but due to the death of my iPhone a few days later, all were lost. Grrr. So I borrowed a few pics from the web, plus one from a friend. After heading back down the mountain, we stopped halfway down to the tobaggan ride (on wheels), where the kids took turn after turn, and the parents chilled in lawn chairs and drank in the view. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/pilatus-bahnen-kriens?select=IYhuByH2A0UwUwcK1Eon6Q#IYhuByH2A0UwUwcK1Eon6Q) This stop also featured a zipline course and a climbing rope maze, but we skipped those, since the day was getting late. Apart from visiting our good friends, Mount Pilatus was the highlight of our trip to Switzerland. It was off to another country the next day. read more

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Would definitely recommend pilatus to get the mountain feeling in while in Lucerne. The weather was perfect the day we went. We only had about 2.5 hours for our entire time but it ended up being enough. You can certainly make a day of it though. We also went tobogganing, which was definitely memorable and beautiful. read more

Pilatus Bahnen - Alps - Train Stations Near Me - Kriens, LU

Turns out I have been here twice, I was able to come in 2010 and this is my second trip in 2014. I think my second trip was the better experience. The views on the mountain are simply stunning. In 2010, I was able to stay in the hotel and the idea of staying in a hotel on top of mountain seemed freakin awesome to me! But look at the pics and yeah, it's that kind of awesome. read more

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It goes from 15°C at the bottom to 0°C or less once you take the cable car up, so be prepared. Immerse yourself in the crisp beautiful views. read more

Pilatus Bahnen - Train Stations Near Me - Kriens, LU

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What a view from the top! And the excitement of getting there is nearly heart stopping. But then, I'm a wimp when faced with cliffs and heights and other scary stuff. But the trip was well worth it. We did the train from Luzern to the bottom station, walked to the loading building, then the regular gondola to mid mountain, then the aerial tram to the top. For our return, we took the cog railway all the way down, then walked to the boat dock on Lake Luzern and took the classic 1902 paddle wheeler back to the city of Luzern. What a day! read more

This is a spectacular spot, but I really feel like I didn't get a great experience because the weather wasn't great the day I visited. I feel like Pilatus would have been absolutely stunning if I came in the middle of the winter and it was covered in beautiful blanket of snow. Climbing up all the way to the top of the observatory was quite a disappointment based on the breath taking photos I saw. While the top of the mountain was a bit disappointing, the journey here from Lucerne was spectacular. We took a fairy and ended up getting the most gorgeous photos of the lake and the mountain from a distance. The train ride up was a bit scary - you get on tai train and I swear the angle of elevation is almost 45. You think I'm kidding. But honestly, leave it to the Swiss to make such an intimidating train ride smooth. On the way down, we took the gondolas and loved that view as well. It was just simply beautiful! Highly recommend this for the train ride up, but the peak may not be what you were hoping for. read more

We came here in March 2017 and it was so much fun. You should definitely make a trip to Pilatus if you are staying in Lucerne because the mountain and the views around are gorgeous. We enjoyed the gondola ride up and down the mountain! read more

I definitely left my heart atop this 7,000 ft mountain. WOW. Absolutely spectacular views. I had lunch at the Queen Anne Restaurant in the Pilatus-Kulm hotel, before eating I could feel the altitude hitting me, but after a doppio espresso at the end of the delicious vegetarian ravioli meal I was back to normal. See ya never altitude sickness! I took the 18min gondola up from Kriens to Fräkmüntegg and then the 5 min Aerial Cableway from there to Pilatus-Kulm (the summit) after lunch I took the 40min ride down on the world's steepest cogtrain to Alpnachstad from Pilatus-Kulm. Great amazing experience. And the gift shop at the top of Pilatus-Kulm has Swiss quartz crystals for sale! Don't miss this phenomenal spot if you get to Lucerne. It's so worth it! read more

Weather Makes the Difference! 3 Star Rating influenced by the poor weather. The forecast was a bit iffy for our time in Lucerne so we took the chance and visited on one of the "better" days but unfortunately the weather did not cooperate and all we saw were clouds and some mountain goats. But we utilized the Swiss pass for 50% off the price so it wasn't a total loss. We did take a nice little hike through the caves and learned about the legend of the dragon of Lucerne, that was fun. PRO TIP: If purchasing tickets in advance; we did using Swiss Pass at the Lucerne Bahnoff; must exchange that ticket at Pilatus ticket window for a pass. (The ticket you bought in advance will NOT work at the Pilatus turnstile) Also, don't loose your ticket, you'll need it for on/off access for the cable car. Oh, and don't freak out once you get into your gondola; the doors will close automatically! read more

The views here are spectacular. A must visit for any traveller in the area. It was suggested by some fellow Yelpers to come up here on Sunday when all the shops in the old city would be closed. The cog streetcar wasn't open on this blustery March day, so we had to take the 30 min gondola ride up. You pay about 70CHF per person, with a private Gondola ride than then a hanging cable car up the mountain to a viewing platform. There's a few paths around the visitors centre to traverse the mountain and to take a look at the views. Another viewing platform has stairs to climb up to a summit at the very peak of the mountain. It was incredibly windy with blowing wind and snow in my face. Wear sturdy shoes for traction. It is COLD up here. There is a small coffee bar here that was closed, but would have served snacks and drinks. There is a cafeteria that has some snacks and hot meals and drinks. We got a deal off the website (check it for specials!) that included a fondue lunch at the Hotel for no extra cost which was a nice treat. The last passage down is 4:30pm. It was super easy to get to: hop on the Bus #1 towards Kries-LindePilatus (a station) and the announcement will be in English for us visitors. A short walk up the hill and the base station is right there! read more

The two-stage aerial tram up one side is comfortable and modern. The funicular (toothed-cog railway) up the other is quaint and historic. In the colder months, they only run the aerial trams, but in summer you can make a nice loop including a short ferry trip to or from the base of the funicular. The top always reminds my friends of James Bond (or Austin Powers) villain compounds --- tunnels built into the rock, the "Dragon Gallery" windows from a sight-seeing walk carved into the cliff side, and the space-age main visitor's hall. I'd skip the cafeteria, though --- head down to the upper mid-station (Fräkmüntegg) on the tram for a cheaper and more hand-made repast, or to the lower mid-station (Krienseregg) for a family center. read more

This is a must for travelers. A trip up the mountain is easily done by public transportation. For those in the autumn/winter months, the cable car is the only option (bus to Kriens, short walk, well marked). During the summer and spring, the oldest cogwheel in Switzerland (Europe?) is an option and can be easily accessed by a short train from Luzern Main train station. Small hiking around is fun exercise and the views are spectacular. The dragon cave, home to the famous dragons of Luzern, is a must for children. All the descriptions are in English, German. read more

Absolutely mindblowing. It takes quite a while to get up the mountain (naturally). You're going to want a reasonably clear day to take in the view. I was there when it was slightly overcast, but it wasn't bad enough that we couldn't see anything. But wow it was stunning. You rise right up above Lucerne and the lake. It's VERY cold at the top if you're there in winter so wrap up warm! There are inside and outside viewing areas and to get up to the highest viewing point you'll need to climb some steps which when icy can be very slippery... be careful! Absolutely stunning though, I'm keen to go back! read more