How to get to Rigi Kulm in Lucerne, Switzerland + discount coupons, key holders

Hello, this is Mong Travel.

This time of year is when most people visit Switzerland for their honeymoon. Surprisingly, the place with the highest satisfaction is Rigi Kulm in Lucerne. Of course, it’s wonderful to go see the Matterhorn from Jungfraujoch, Grindelwald-First, or Gornergrat, but many people come expecting views of snow-capped mountains and lakes while sitting on lush green grass, right? Lucerne and Mount Rigi offer exactly that—with the added bonus of a scenic boat ride. It’s even more popular because you can go there for free with a Swiss Travel Pass or a Saver Day Pass.

▶ Lucerne Rigi Kulm Discount Coupon + Key Holder

If you prefer watching videos, we also have a video guide available.

■ How to Get to Lucerne

Lucerne has long been a key transportation hub in Switzerland, so it’s surprisingly easy to reach from many places. On the map, Interlaken and Grindelwald may look closer if you're heading south to Italy, and many do go from those places to Milan, Italy. However, in reality, transportation from Lucerne is much more convenient, with direct routes and overall better accessibility. It also helps that Zurich Airport is close to Lucerne Station. Plus, if you're headed to Interlaken, you can enjoy a beautiful panoramic train ride.

While it might seem like Lucerne isn’t as popular as Grindelwald or Zermatt, many people who've visited say they wish they had stayed longer in Lucerne.

Zurich Flughafen 1h
Bern 1h
Basel SBB 1h
Interlaken Ost 2h
Milano Centrale 3h

Once you arrive at Lucerne Station, you can store your luggage in a locker and explore.

Of course, if you're staying overnight in Lucerne, you can leave your luggage at your accommodation.

For day-trippers, we recommend using the unmanned lockers at the far end of Platform 14 or the manned lockers on the 1st floor.

■ Lucerne City Tour Course (1–3 hours)

If you only have one hour, you can just see the highlights—Kappel Bridge (Kapellbrücke) and the Lion Monument.

If you have more time, you can also visit the Musegg Wall and take a larger loop around to the Spreuer Bridge.

Lucerne is actually a surprisingly charming city—many visitors say it's their favorite among all Swiss cities.

(It's often compared with Bern, the capital.)

After seeing Kapppel Bridge, you could also enjoy some local craft beer at the Rathaus Brewery next to City Hall, or just grab a coffee at the nearby Starbucks!

■ How to Get to Rigi Kulm

To get to Rigi Kulm, just type "Rigi Kulm" into the SBB app. But since most people like taking the scenic boat route, we recommend adding "Vitznau" as a via point.

Otherwise, you might get routes that go through Arth-Goldau instead.

Rough departure times are:

09:12 10:12 11:12 12:00 13:12 14:12 15:12 16:12

In the middle of summer, 15:12 is still fine, but generally, we recommend going no later than 14:12.

If you have a Swiss Travel Pass or Saver Day Pass, the boat ride to Rigi is free.

However, only 1st class pass holders are allowed on the upper deck of the boat.

luzern rigi kulm weggis vitznau arth goldau map

After about 40 minutes, the boat stops at Weggis, and while you can get off there, during peak season it’s usually easier to secure a seat if you go all the way to Vitznau. The train starting from Vitznau picks up passengers from Weggis (who arrive via cable car) at the Rigi Kaltbad station, and by then seats may be limited.

For the best views while going up the mountain, sit on the left side of the train.

Once you disembark from the boat, the train will head uphill in the direction you’re already facing—so it’ll be easy to find your way.

The summit at Rigi Kulm has some unsightly utility poles, so it’s not the most picturesque spot itself—but the view from the top is definitely worth it.

■ Hiking from Rigi Kulm to Rigi Staffel

Don’t just take the train back down from Rigi Kulm—try walking to Rigi Staffel, which takes about 20–30 minutes. That short walk alone can double your appreciation for Switzerland.

If you’re up for a longer walk, you can continue all the way down to Rigi Kaltbad.