Mt. Pilatus & Lake Lucerne Cruise Small Group Tour | From Basel
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Basel, Switzerland
- 8 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Take a trip into the mountains to admire the beauty of Mt. Pilatus and the Lake of Lucerne on this small group tour, conveniently departing from Basel. Towering over Lucerne, Mt. Pilatus offers a landscape of majestic peaks and picturesque valleys. At 6,995 feet (2,132 meters) above sea level, the summit provides views of the region. Appreciate the sights as you explore the Lake of Lucerne, conquer Mt. Pilatus, and ride on the dragon aerial cable cars.
- Ascend to Mount Pilatus aboard the iconic dragon ride aerial cable cart
- Board a cruise boat over Lake Lucerne from Arpachshad
- Get 360 views of Lucerne from up top and admire the aerial landscape
- Start and finish your tour at the same, easy-to-find train station
What's Included
- Local Guide
- Standard Rail Pass
- Mt. Pilatus Steepest Cogwheel Experience (From Mid-May to Mid-October)
- Lake Lucerne Cruise Pass
- Lunch at the Mt. Pilatus
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Centralbahnstrasse 10, 4051 Basel, Switzerland
The meeting point is at the main hall of the Basel SBB at 08:45 at the benches next to Migros Flower shop and close to the escalators.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Start time.8:45 am
Itinerary
1
Basel
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
2
Pilatus Luzern
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
3
Pilatus Luzern
2 hours • Admission Ticket Included
4
Lake Lucerne
2 hours • Admission Ticket Included
5
Basel
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infant seats available
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.5
based on 110 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Booking was easy, guide was great and the experience was wonderful. A long full day and our guide held us together.
This is such a great tour. I would highly recommend it. The scenery was outstanding.
Mary, our guide, did a fantastic job.
This is a fantastic tour! Lincoln is very personable and knowledgeable and entertaining. The views are spectacular! We came from Basel by train.
Beautiful on a sunny day! Tour guides were very friendly. Directions to the meeting place at the train station was spot on. Our tour guide, Salma was very friendly and met us there. But, we were very surprised she didn't go on the train with us to Lucerne, but just dropped us off with instructions to meet the main tour guide, Erika at Lucerne. This was our first time on a train in Europe and we were under the impression that we would have a guide every step of the tour. No English announcements was spoken over the intercom as in some places. It wasn't easy finding the group once we arrived, so that part of the journey was frustrating.
Once we joined the group, the rest of the day was amazing. Our tour guide, Erika was fantastic, being friendly and knowledgeable. We walked short way to the Ferry tour boat. The views were fantastic. Nice and gentle ride. Then got off and took a break before going on the Cogwheel up the mountain. It was a very smooth and steady ride. I don't like heights, but as long as I didn't look straight down on some parts, I was great! The scenery was spectacular. Tunnels, forest, Lucerne and lake below, snow capped mountains in the distance. We had the very back seats that fit three comfortably. Being at the back window meant lots of photos were taken! At the top was amazing. Ate lunch at the restaurant up a floor vs the little quick Cafe. The food and chef were fabulous! Definitely do the short walk that takes you to a few lookouts carved out of the Mountain. It gives you a different view. But, be warned that it is very dark and wet inside with an uneven walkway, so not recommended for those unsteady on their feet or have poor eyesight. When we came back out, we looked at where we were, and there were mountain goats on the cliff! What a fun bonus!
Took the tram down. I must say that could have been done better as the Pilatus staff shoved as many people in there as they could. We could barely move. It is a short 5 minute standing only ride, thank goodness, but that was not OK.
Next, we hopped on a small cable car which can hold six. But there isn't anyone there to guide you into a specific car as they come around the corner slowly, so, many of us ended up in our very own car. That was nice!
We then walked a few blocks down hill to the bus stop. We had one gentleman in a walker, and it was very difficult for he and his wife to navigate it. I'm glad some of us were able to help on the steep parts of the walk. I would not recommend it for those who have mobility issues.
All in all, it definitely was a highlight of our three week trip to Europe and we would do it again!
Having a guide like Lincoln with us all day definitely made this trip so much easier and better! He was very sweet and very knowledgeable
Tour guide did not show up at the designated time and place. I was unable to contact Viator nor the tour operator. I requested a refund for the tour, but Viator has denied me repeatedly. I have provided proof through Geo locatation with photos that we were at the correct place and at the correct time. Viator has not been helpful at all. After Viator’s booking agent failed to show we decided to do the tour on our own. Turns out that this wasn’t difficult to do at a fraction of what Viator changes. Needless to say this is the last time we’ll use Viator.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you for your feedback, and we’re sorry to hear about your experience.
While we strive to ensure every tour runs smoothly, we regret that communication or coordination may have fallen short in your case. We rely on both our operational team and the platforms we work with to relay accurate and timely updates. Unfortunately, when bookings come through third-party resellers, such as Viator or TripAdvisor, occasional misalignments can occur.
We’d never intentionally leave a guest behind, and our team does everything possible to manage high volumes and guide changes—particularly during peak seasons or in the event of weather or transport disruptions. We always encourage direct communication for real-time assistance and accurate updates.
If you’d like to follow up on your experience or share more details, you’re welcome to reach out to us directly at info@tours-of-switzerland.com. We truly appreciate your input and remain committed to improving.
Leighton was a very knowledgeable & helpful tour guide. He met us in the train station in Basel & assisted us in getting back on public transportation after the excursion. The cog rail was fun, but we were hoping to ride the gondola as well. The other tour guests were expecting the gondola too.
Mt Pilatus was amazing & we were very happy with Leighton.
Views from Lake Lucerne were amazing too.
This was a good tour - Jean, our guide, was excellent. Only negative was Tours of Switzerland delayed our departure 3 hours with an email notice at midnight and we had to purchase our own rail tickets which we were later reimbursed for.. Poor communication.
This is an amazing trip. Not only is the scenery wonderful but our guide, Anna, really made the whole tour a great experience. Coming from Basel the hour long train ride allowed for the opportunity to view the country side. The boat ride was very relaxing and Anna was great in pointing out things to view. The cog rail up and gondola down were easy to navigate. The views at the top of the mountain were simply amazing.
Rose was amazing! We learned so much about Mt Pilatus and Lake Lucerne. The views from the boat and on the mountain were amazing!!!
Our tour guide, Ana, made our experience delightful. Ana was very knowledgeable about Lucerne and Mt. Pilatus.
This was a fantastic vacation experience! We were met by Anna, our amazing tour guide at the Basel train station and took a 1 hour very comfortable train ride through the Swiss countryside. Once in Lucerne we had a walking tour, Anna was very knowledgeable and informative. From Lucerne we traveled to the top of Mt Polatus, there were fabulous views from the cable car, we had an hour at the top to look around, have lunch and buy some souvenirs. After taking the Cogwheel Train down the mountain we boarded a boat for a leisurely cruise on beautiful Lake Lucerne. The whole adventure was amazing and worth every penny! We would highly recommend it!!
It is an amazing experience! So beautiful! Very nice day with an amazing tour guide, Leighton. Our small group was perfect.
Our guide Rose was fabulous; extremely helpful and conscientious in ensuring all in our group were able to maximize the experience. She was also very knowledgeable about local history.
we arrived at the designated meeting place and the tour guide did not show up, we contacted Viator they called the tour guide and the tour guide did not respond to the call. I stated I expected a full refund
and Viator guy said he would submit the request. I have called Viator several times to follow up and Viator hangs up on me every time I call. I have sent an e mail as well.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thank you for your review. We’re sorry to hear about your experience and would like to clarify a few important details.
Our guide was present at the designated meeting location, as scheduled, along with other participants who successfully joined the tour. The guide on that day was our head guide, who is always reachable through the emergency contact number provided at the time of booking.
Unfortunately, Viator did not call the guide directly, and we have not received any missed calls or messages from them on the day in question. We also clearly communicate the exact meeting point, along with a direct contact number and email address, in both the confirmation message and the link to our meeting location page.
We understand how frustrating this must be, especially when trying to seek a resolution through Viator. As the booking and refund process are handled by their platform, we recommend reaching out to them with this information and referencing that the guide and group were present.
If needed, we’re happy to provide written confirmation to support your refund request with Viator.
Where to start? The "Guide" was detached from the group looking at his electronic devices more than giving us pertinent local commentary and information. The listening devices supplied were of poor quality and even when we ask that he move the mic closer to his mouth, it was a short lived request. Although the "tour" was supposed to end at 8:30, it was ended at 5:30. All day was hurry up and wait; we were given minimum time to see the actual sights. Again, we received little or no commentary during the entire tour. The timeliness and schedule was chaotic. It appeared this was the guide's first rodeo or that he was not prepared. This was suppose to be a small group tour - whatever a small group is - but there were 20+ customers that were packed into public transportation. Additionally, our Lake Lucerne Cruise was 20 of us packed into a public transit boat, not a tour boat. There were hundreds of people on the boat. Then, the guide told us to move to the back of the boat when we were asked to leave the first class area by boat personnel. We received no commentary by the "guide" or boat operators. When we pay $420 each, for my wife and I we would expect more than a glorified baby sitter and from a Trip Advisor owed company. All buyers beware when booking anything with this unprofessional trip consoladater. This trip was so bad, we we NEVER use our credits for future trips. I recommend TA to either fix or sell this company before your brand is permanently ruined.
P.S. although this was billed as an all day tour, there was barely enough time to fill/buy water bottles or food as needed.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thank you for your detailed feedback. We’re very sorry to hear that your experience did not meet your expectations, and we truly regret that the day felt rushed and disappointing for you.
We take all guest concerns seriously and are especially sorry to hear your comments regarding the guide’s engagement. This is not reflective of our service standards, and we will follow up with the guide in question to review their conduct and performance. We also appreciate your note regarding the audio equipment and are in the process of upgrading our systems to ensure a more consistent and clear experience.
We understand your concerns about the group size and the use of public transportation. While this tour is designed for small groups, during peak season and when combining with public services (such as the Lake Lucerne cruise), the experience can feel more crowded than expected. The cruise itself is indeed a public vessel, as noted in our itinerary, though we recognize the importance of setting clearer expectations.
Regarding your mention of Viator—we’d like to clarify that we are not Viator but an independent local provider. They act as a third-party reseller of our experiences. We will be speaking with them to understand how this tour was marketed to you and to ensure it accurately reflects what we provide.
Lastly, we’re sorry you felt there was insufficient time for food or water breaks. We’ll be reviewing the day’s schedule to improve guest comfort in future operations.
If you would like to share any further details or receive direct assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us at booking@tours-of-switzerland.com.
Instead of a 16 passenger sprinter travel van we were emailed tickets to catch the train from Basil to Lucerne. Not what we expected. I also mentioned that one person in our group was walking challenged and that problem was not addressed. Although we were told it was light walking is extremely difficult for our family member to get around. When we emailed what type of clothing should we bring, we got no answer. We delayed the small group waiting for us by arriving late and waiting at the wrong location because it wasn’t specifically identified in the email. We are also not notified that we would be stuffed on a city bus between the train ride from Basil and the ride to the base of the mountain. This was not at all what we expected. Although Rose, our guide was extremely knowledgeable and friendly, I would not recommend this trip for this price.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thank you for sharing your feedback. While we’re happy to hear that Rose was knowledgeable and welcoming—she will be glad to hear that—we’re truly sorry the experience didn’t meet your expectations in other areas.
The original plan did include travel by Sprinter coach; however, due to an unexpected technical issue with the vehicle, we had to switch to train transportation to ensure the tour could proceed without delay. We apologize if this change was not clearly communicated in advance, and we appreciate your understanding in such situations where we must adapt quickly to continue delivering the experience.
Regarding the city bus, this is a short and standard part of the route to Mt. Pilatus when the cogwheel train isn’t operating or optimal, and we’ll make sure this is explained more transparently moving forward.
We also understand your concern regarding mobility. While our tour involves light walking, we recognize that even light movement can be a challenge for some, and we encourage guests to notify us of any accessibility concerns as early as possible so we can prepare accordingly.
As for the price—Viator sets their own pricing, and it is typically 20–30% higher than booking directly with us. We always recommend booking via our website for the best rate and most direct communication.
Thank you again for your feedback. It helps us improve how we communicate and plan our tours, and we hope to have the chance to welcome you again in the future under smoother conditions.
Rose was very knowledgeable about the history and area and very friendly. She met us at our train station and then met with the others in Lucern for the Mt. Pilatus tour. I would definitely do this again. It's worth the money and time!
Had an amazing today. From Basel, train to Lucerne. Went up Mt. Pilates, took a cable car and as we rose over the fog, there was the mountain. We were so lucky to have a clear sunny day.
Tour guide Michael was perfect! Friendly and informative and always was looking out for us. Highly recommend this tour.
Michael was an excellent guide. He gave us information beyond just highlights. He answered a wide variety of questions. The scenery was breathtaking between city, lake and Mountain View’s.
Our guide was fantastic throughout the entire trip. Took the train from Basel SBB to Lucerne, boarded a boat to cruise the lake, ended up at the Mt Pilatus cogwheel train, took that to the top of the mountain, what a ride! Had lunch at the restaurant at the top did some exploring and then took the gondola ride all the way back down to the lake. Fantastic day of exploring and doing new things!
Our tour guide, Lake Lucern cruise, the hike on Mt Pilatus and hearing the "cow bell" symphony. The views of the mountains and countryside were incredible. The train ride from Basel to Lucerne was very comfortable and had wi-fi .
Michael was our wonderful guide that lived in Basel, so he escorted the two of us to Lucerne on the train to meet the rest of the group. He was attentive, informative and just a pleasure to have as a guide. The tour was a wonderful experience. Lucerne is beautiful, the trip up Mt. Pilatus was exceptional as was the gondola and cable car down the mountain. The sights were beautiful. The weather was warm, not hot, but clouds were on the top of the mountain. At the gondola we could see "forever". It was a very enjoyable tour that covered a lot of the sights to be seen in the area. Thank you Michael!
Our meeting time at the Basel SBB was 0845. My wife and I were at the meeting point from 0830 to 0900. The guide did not show. We called Viator and the rep told us to rebook the trip for the next day. But, we already had plans. So, he told us put in for a refund. I put in for a refund and was denied within the hour - no basis given. In the meantime, Viator emailed by at 0925 saying the tour guide was at the meet point, but we had already left on our own. I am working with my credit card company to file a claim.
Response from Host, Jul 2024
Thank you for your feedback, and we are very sorry to hear you were not able to join our tour. The meeting point from Basel is always the same, and other participants were able to find it where our guide showed up that day. You can also find the appropriate meeting point at the direct link below, which was shared after the booking was made via Viator:
https://tours-of-switzerland.com/meeting-locations/
Upon checking, we saw you didn't contact us, even though all the tickets to and from Pilatus were bought in advance and were nonrefundable. In case of doubt, as the operator, we strongly advise you to email us at booking@tours-of-switzerland.com or book directly on our website to avoid any confusion.
The most memorable part is when I was at the top of Mount Pilatus with a magnificent and breathtaking view and the cable car ride from 7,000 feet elevation to the bottom. The boat ride is very smooth with fantastic views. Our tour guide, Michael, is the best! Aside from giving us a very informative tour, he made sure that everybody is safe, directing us where to find the best view, He is very patient, answered all our questions and stayed with us until we returned to Basel. I would recommend him and this trip. The best tour ever!
I appreciate that Viator customer support and tour guide Michael Verros coordinated to find me for the tour. It was one of the best tours on my 2 week trip. Michael is a gem and a great guide!
Boat tour of Lake Lucerne was the highlight. Views from the funicular were spectacular. The top of the mountain was in the clouds this day so unfortunately we did not get the views from the very top.
We had a fabulous tour guide, Joseph, who was very knowledgeable and guided us through our journey. Though , we expected rain, it did not happen, it was a wonderful day, but it was cloudy at the summit (as expected). I recommend this trip to anyone that may be in Kuzerne, or Basel.
Ray was a very engaging and informative tour guide. Overall, one of the best excursions as you see and experience great views, history, and amazing sights. From the moment you enter Lucerne and spend 1.5 hours on Lake Lucern to traveling to 7000 ft on the worlds steepest incline railroad(funicular). On the way down you see a different side of Mount Pilatus via cable car and later via gondola. It's a full day excursion that full of experiences. Highly recomemded.
The tour was well paced and very enjoyable. Our guide Ray was wonderful and we had an excellent time!
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$405.05
per personWas $426.37(-5%)
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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