Lucerne is a beautiful city blending history and modern vibes. The old town area is quite compact, making it perfect for exploring on foot.

Self Guided Walking Tours

Lucerne has a free audio tour that you can download on your phone. It has suggested routes or you can plan your own. They also have themed tours that change seasonally.

GPSmyCity has a few different self-guided tours with different themes.

If you have kids, you might like the FoxTrail scavenger hunt where you solve riddles as you explore the city. I'd choose one that visits the Old Town.

We have a suggested self-guided walking route for families that hits the highlights.

We usually start at Chapel Bridge, an ancient wooden structure with 17th-century paintings, and stroll through the Old Town's cobblestone streets. Don't miss Weinmarkt, a square with charming Renaissance buildings. The Lion Monument pays tribute to fallen Swiss Guards, while the Musegg Wall offers great views of Lucerne and its medieval ramparts to cap off the tour.

Guided Tours

Free Walk Lucerne offers a variety of guided tours, most mornings at 10:00. It's free, but you should sign up so they know to expect you. I would also bring cash to tip about CHF 5-10 per person or more if you really like your guide.

Lucerne Tourism offers guided tours on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. It is discounted with your Lucerne visitor card you receive free from your hotel.

The "Kapellbrücke" crossing the Reuss river in the Lucerne old town is the oldest wooden covered footbridge in Europe.

Location: Kapellbrücke 1, 6004 Luzern • 5 min walk from Luzern train station

Open: always open, free to visit

It's the most iconic photo spot in Lucerne, lined with beautiful flower boxes with a background of the charming cityscape. When you walk across, don't forget to look up at the triangle paintings on the roof beams, the main attraction.

It was originally built in 1365. It almost burned down in 1993, in a fire that destroyed the majority of interior paintings. It was reconstructed and now is open to the public.

Learn more about the history on Wikipedia

Lucerne's Jesuit Church is a stunning Baroque Catholic church built in 1666, the first church with this style built in Switzerland.

With its rose and white plaster work and elaborate interior, it's considered one of the most beautiful churches in Switzerland. It's one of the most visited and photographed places in Lucerne.

Tourists can visit for free. Learn history and download audio guide: jesuitenkirche-luzern.ch

They offer daily religious services and regular musical events.

Location: Bahnhofstrasse 11A, 6003 Luzern • along river, 5 min walk from Luzern train station

The Spreuer Bridge, built in 1408, is another beautiful covered wooden bridge crossing the Reuss river in the Lucerne old town. It's not nearly as famous as the Chapel Bridge but still worth a visit.

You can get some nice pictures of this bridge with the river and Jesuit church in frame, by walking to the next bridge, Geissmattbrücke.

It's known for its medieval "death paintings" on the interior, which include a lot of grim symbols related to mortality.

Location: near Pfistergasse 24, 6003 Luzern

The "Museggmauer" is a preserved section of the old city wall that surrounded and protected Lucerne city in the 13th century. This wall is on a hill just above the Lucerne old town district, easily accessible by foot.

You can walk on the rampart and climb three of the towers. If you only want to climb one, I suggest the Männli tower, which has the highest view from an open terrace.

The wall and towers are free to visit. It's open from April to October, daily from 8:00 to 19:00.

How to get there

There is an entrance to the wall at the Schirmer tower, about a 7 min walk from the Chapel Bridge.

Or go to the Nölli tower along the Reuss river (5 min walk from the Spreuer bridge), where you'll find a walking path along the backside of the wall, access various entrances to the wall and towers.

Website: www.museggmauer.ch

The Lion Monument is a large sculpture carved into a stone wall depicting a dying lion. It pays tribute to Swiss guards who died protecting the life of King Louis XVI during the French Revolution.

📍Location: Denkmalstrasse 4, 6002 Luzern • 15 min walk from Luzern train station.

Bus stop: Löwenplatz

Free to visit.

Many city walking tours visit here, but I don't think it's a must-see.

To get there, you have to leave the charming old town and cross a couple busy streets, which is a bit stressful if you are traveling with small children or anyone with limited mobility. If you have time to kill, fine. Otherwise, skip it and enjoy the lakesdie promenade instead.

➡️Learn more on luzern.ch

One of the nicest parts of Lucerne is the tree-lined lakeside promenade. It stretches from the Luzern train station to a large grassy park, about 40 mins walking.

Since the path parallels the bus line, you can easily ride back to the Luzern old town if your feet get tired. At the very end, you can catch a train or bus at the Luzern, Verkehrshaus stop to ride back to the Luzern train station or old town.

The path starts in front of the Lucerne train station, crosses the main car bridge, then hugs the lakeshore for a long while. You'll have wonderful views across the lake to Mt Pilatus. There are a couple parks along the way, a playground, and many benches for lounging.

There are also food stands and cafes sprinkled along the path, including Seebad Luzern, a fun swimming spot with a cafe on the roof.

You can walk as far as the Lido park, a big grassy area along the lake. Next to that is the Strandbad Lido Luzern, a family-friendly swimming area with a shallow swimming area, playground, cafe, changing rooms, and other services (entrance fee).

The Swiss Transport Museum is also across from the park.

Lake Lucerne is our favorite Swiss lake for cruising. The views from the boat are absolutely spectacular, with impressive mountain peaks at every turn.

They offer round trip tours, culinary tours (like fondue dinner cruise), and excursions to mountains like Rigi and Bürgenstock. In any case, a lake cruise is a great way to enjoy the views without a lot of work.

Website: www.lakelucerne.ch

Open: year round, but schedule is more limited in winter

Lake cruises

For a short activity, you can do short 1h round trip cruises from Lucerne. Here are popular options:

➡️ Catamaran Cruise - 1 hour round trip

➡️ Panoramic Yacht Cruise - 1 hour round trip

For a longer activity, we suggest the full lake cruise from Lucerne to Flüelen at the bottom of the lake, about 3 hours. Then return via train or bus back to Lucerne.

See more options on the Lake Lucerne website.

Boat + mountain excursions

The Lake Lucerne boats are commonly used to visit mountains along the lake including Mt Rigi, Mt Pilatus and Burgenstock. In this case, it's best to book a combo ticket that includes the boat and mountain.

• Rigi Classic Round Trip with Boat from Lucerne

But remember: if you have the Swiss Travel Pass, the boat is free and you only need to book the mountain railway.

Where to board

In Lucerne, the boats leave from the piers just outside the main train station (see on map). The pier varies depending on your destination.

• Rigi & full lake cruise boats leave from Pier 1

• Pilatus (Alpnachstad) from Pier 2

• Bürgenstock Pier 3.

Not sure? Ask at the ticket office for directions.

Tickets

You can buy boat tickets on the SBB Mobile App, ticket office at Lucerne ferry dock, or on the boat (buy immediately upon boarding). You can buy round trip tickets, one way between destinations or full day pass on the lake.

The boat is free with the Swiss Travel Pass, Tell Pass, and SBB GA / Day Pass.

50% discount for Swiss Half Fare Card, Eurail Pass, Interrail Pass, and children 6-16. Kids under 6 and those with a Swiss Family Card or SBB Junior Card ride free. 

1st Class

Most boats have a 1st class section on the upper deck. The seats are the same, but the views are a bit nicer and it's usually less crowded in 1st class.

Steamboat

Different kinds of boats are used throughout the day. If you have flexibility in your schedule, we highly recommend riding on the steamboats, where you can watch the inner workings of the steam engine during the ride.

Look for the special "Dampfschiff" boat symbol on the timetable.

Gelati ALTSTADT is the best gelato in Lucerne in our opinion (the same as Gelati am See and Gelati Tellhof in Zurich).

They have both classic flavors and more creative flavors , like blood orange and black sesame (our favorite).

Their little shop is the Lucerne old town, in a hidden corner along the north side of the river (near Hotel des Balances). We think it's definitely worth a few extra steps to eat their gelato than other rando gelato stands around town.

Location: Unter der Egg 11, 6004 Luzern

Website: gelati1998.ch

The Swiss Museum of Transport is like a playground for anyone who loves all things transportation. The enormous complex has several indoor halls, each centering on a different mode of travel: trains, planes and space, cars, boats, etc. There are lots of kid-friendly hands-on interactive displays interspersed with the educational material.

Outside, there is a supervised driving course, lots of free scooters for anyone to use around the huge outside area, a construction zone play area, etc. (Please note that these outdoor activities may be closed during the off-season and inclement weather.) They also have a Planetarium, IMAX film theater and Lindt chocolate experience.

• Learn more in my SwissFamilyFun.com article

Location: Lucerne – Lidostrasse 5, 6006 Luzern. From Zurich 45 mins by car, 1h05 by train/bus

Cost: You can get a "Museum only" ticket or the all-inclusive "Day Pass," which includes the chocolate experience and all films showing that day on their giant 500 m² screen.

Discounts for Swiss Travel Pass, Lucerne Tell Pass, Coop Hello Family Club, Swiss Museum Pass, and more.

Open: daily 10:00 – 18:00 (closes at 17:00 in winter)

Website: www.verkehrshaus.ch

Once of the nicest places to swim in Lucerne is at the Strandbad Lido Luzern. The large lakeside park has a 300m long sandy beach, lots of grassy areas for lounging, and fantastic views of the mountains. They also have diving platforms in the lake, 25m pool for lap swimming, a splash pool for little kids, and a playground.

You can bring your own food or buy snacks and treats at their cafe. They have changing rooms, showers, toilets, and lockers.

Cost: In 2024, the entrance fee is CHF 8/adults, CHF 5/kids 6-16, under 6 free. A little more expensive on weekends.

Location: Lidostrasse 6A, 6006 Luzern

Open: usually mid May through early September. In summer, they are open 9:00 - 20:00, until 21:00 on Friday and Saturday.

Tip: If you don't want to pay and don't mind skipping out on the services, you can swim for free at the park next door.

Located in the heart of Lucerne's Old Town, the Hotel Des Balances is a charming 4-star superior hotel with a history dating back to the 12th century.

➡️ Check availability & current offers

Location: Weinmarkt, 6004 Luzern

Website: balances.ch

The newly renovated rooms and suites offer stunning views of the iconic Chapel Bridge, Jesuit Church, and Mount Pilatus. They have family rooms that can accommodate up to 4 people.

It's about a 10 min walk from the Lucerne train station and within walking distance of all the Lucerne city attractions. We like the quiet location on the river, away from the street traffic, where many other hotels are locations.

This hotel gets excellent reviews, particularly from families.

If you're looking for dinner and a show, Stadtkeller is the perfect place for a fun night of traditional Swiss food and live entertainment.

It has a beer hall vibe, with classic Swiss bar food like schnitzel, rösti and sausage as well as fondue, raclette, and other Swiss classics. They proudly brew their own beer, well-loved by locals.

The dinner show is performed by their band in authentic traditional Swiss clothing, with cow bells, alphorns, accordions, flag waving, and even yodeling. It's a bit extra, but I assure you that you'll see this same kind of show all over Switzerland even in non-touristy places. The Swiss love preserving these old-time talents and ways.

It's super popular with tourists and groups, so book in advance.

Location: Sternenpl. 3, 6004 Luzern

www.stadtkeller.ch