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Mt. Pilatus and Lake Lucerne Cruise: Enchanting Private Tour from Basel

4.9

13 Ratings

Basel

Embark on an enchanting private tour from Basel to Mt. Pilatus and Lake Lucerne. Experience breathtaking views, explore the lake, summit Mt. Pilatus, and ride the dragon aerial cable cars.

Duration: 8 hours

Cancellation: 1 day learn more

Highlights

Basel - Your guide will greet you at your hotel, before whisking you away on a whistle-stop tour of the city.
Lake Lucerne - From May to October, we will take the boat from Lucerne to Alpnachstad instead. While from November to April we will do a round cruise on the lake of Lucerne then board the train to Alpnachstad.

Arrived in Alpnachstad, take the cogwheel train where the engine will climb the foothills of Pilatus, taking you to the end of the steepest rack railway in the world. Admire the views over the Alps from 2,073 meters high, as your guide reveals the history, culture, and culinary delights of each area.

Pilatus Luzern - At the top, you will have the option to keep soaking up the stunning valley views from the restaurant or enjoy a leisurely hike to the summit of Mt. Pilatus. The top of this famous peak offers a bird’s eye view of historic Lucerne and panoramic vistas of the surrounding countryside. Enjoy the clean mountain air from the viewing platform as you gaze out over an expanse of crystal clear lakes, lush green meadows, and rolling peaks and valleys.

Learn how Pilatus came to be haunted by legends of dragons and why many believe the body of Pontius Pilate was laid to rest within its foothills.

Pilatus Luzern - Our descent from Mount Pilatus will take us aboard the iconic “dragon ride” aerial cable cart, where we will float back to earth suspended in a giant glass cabin. The windowed walls provide 360 views of the Lucerne region, and many compare the experience to flying. Enjoy an ever-changing perspective of the Alpine landscape, as historic Lucerne pulls back into focus as we approach the end of the line. The ride is a highlight of any trip to Mount Pilatus.
Basel - After a full day of adventure, your guide will return you safely to your hotel in Basel.

What's Included

Mt. Pilatus golden route pass (from June 2023)
Private local expert guide
Standard rail ticket (1st class ticket provided upon request)
Lake of Lucerne cruise ticket

What's Not Included

Optional Lucerne visit - Provided upon request
Lunch

Additional Information

Mount Pilatus, towering over the city of Lucerne, is an emblematic symbol of Swiss wilderness and a key attraction for nature enthusiasts. This majestic mountain range features multiple dramatic peaks embedded in a terrain that includes steep cliff sides, gentle green valleys, and a series of interconnecting vibrant lakes. The highest of these peaks, Mt. Pilatus itself, stands at an impressive 2,132 meters above sea level. It’s cherished by visitors for offering breathtaking panoramas of the surrounding landscapes. We facilitate travel to the heart of these fascinating sights, allowing for exploration of the Lake of Lucerne, Pilatus summit, and a ride on the legendary dragon aerial cable cars.

Location

Basel

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings

4.9

(13 Ratings)

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Cheryl_k

Aug 30, 2023

Great day! - The views were as beautiful as I remembered. Jonas was an amazing guide. He was very knowledgeable, personable and helpful.

Review provided by Viator

Stxcheryl56

Aug 27, 2023

Beautiful scenery, a very knowledgeable and personable guide. Just an all around great day. - Mt Pilatus and Lake Lucerne was wonderful day trip. We booked a private tour and Jonas was a fantastic guide. He was knowledgeable and helpful in every way. I highly recommend him.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Paullf4023ve

Jul 29, 2023

Experience of a lifetime - Our guide was exceptionally knowledged and a pleasure to be with the entire day He was very accommodating with my wife that had mobility issues

Review provided by Tripadvisor

N6387kbmichaelo

Jul 29, 2023

Great experience ! - Our guide, Jonás, was very knowledgeable and extremely nice the trip itself was awesome. The view from the mountain, the train ride, the boat ride were all wonderful.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Claude_t

Jul 20, 2023

Guided to a fun learning experience. - We never understood how a personally guided tour could be so fantastic until this one. Through our guide we became familiar with the trams of Basel, the trains of Switzerland, and many other aspects of travel in Europe. The boat cruise on Lake Lucerne let us relax and just soak in the beauty. The Mt. Pilatus cog railway and cable cars were a trip highlight. Little did we know, “There be Dragons about!”. Great visuals abounded and our guide imparted a happy, informal and engaging attitude. We wish her the best and can say only the best about Viator.

Review provided by Viator

31ovidiup

May 30, 2023

Don't miss this tour. - Wonderful tour, Jonas was very helpful guide, thanks a lot for amazing day. We definitely recommend it if you wish to discover the beauties of Switzerland.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Shelleyn459

May 14, 2023

Mt Pilatus doesn’t disappoint! - Beautiful Swiss Alp vistas atop Mt Pilatus. Our guide, Jonas, was a wonderful and knowledgeable host. We also enjoyed our cruise on Lake Lucerne. This was one of our favorite tours while in Europe. Note: Be prepared to be flexible. Received a last minute tour time change at 10:00pm the night before our tour that our guide would meet us at 8:30am the next morning instead of a later previously scheduled time, which made it difficult for us to reach participants in our group. The choice we were given was to accept the new tour time or go on our own with their resources. It was nice for other visitors since they were squeezing in another tour later in the afternoon, but it disrespected what they had set up for us. This was inconvenient & disappointing, but it still was a lovely excursion.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Tikilover8471

Oct 20, 2022

Highly recommended - Great personality, very patient with my parents (84 & 75). Jonas is very knowledgeable, well planned .... best experience in Switzerland.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Mariboriqua54

Oct 15, 2022

Visit to Lake Lucerne and my Pilatus - Had a beautiful day with Jonas . He planned the day to the fullest. No time was wasted. Very informative and knowledgeable. All questions were answered by him. He took Great picture of us.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Cmk550