Trip report 1 week exploring Lucerne & Central Switzerland in October
A traveler shared their amazing autumn holiday hiking in the Luzern region from 7th to 15th October. They stayed in Malters and Zurich, enjoyed stunning scenery, and found the Tell Pass to be a fantastic value for unlimited travel on public transport and mountain access. Despite some weather challenges, they had a memorable trip filled with beautiful hikes and experiences.
- Consider getting the Tell Pass for unlimited travel in Central Switzerland, which is cheaper than the Swiss Travel Pass and covers mountain transport completely.
- Use the Swiss Meteo weather app for accurate forecasts to plan your hiking days.
- Traveling by public transport allows for flexible trip adjustments without the hassle of a car.
- Choose hikes based on weather conditions, like the Four Lake hike, to enjoy the best views.
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We had an incredible autumn holiday hiking in the Luzern region from 7th to 15th October 2024. Here is our detailed trip report with some photos.
We stayed at the family run Hotel Kreuz, Malters (10 min from Luzern by train) for 7 nights and at Hotel Holiday Inn, Zurich for 1 night. Both the hotels were comfortable & we had a pleasant stay.
We came to know about the regional travel pass option (Tell-Pass Summer (https://www.myswissalps.com/travel-ticket/tell-pass-summer/ )) on this website & it proved to be a fantastic value for money option as entire travel within Central Switzerland including mountain peaks were fully covered. Normally, we travel with the Swiss Travel Pass https://www.myswissalps.com/travel-ticket/swiss-travel-pass/ (STP), but we still need to pay discounted fares for mountain transport. The Tell Pass is not only cheaper than STP, but also provided 100% free travel for all mountain peaks in the region. We only had to pay for regular train fare on 1st and last day of travel from Zurich to Zug & back. We would highly recommend getting the Tell Pass if you are planning to spend some time in the Luzern region.
This was our first time in Switzerland during autumn & we were just blown away by the medley of autumn colours all around ranging from light green to bright yellow and orange to deep red and browns. White mists of fog in the mornings just added to the magical experience. The temperatures ranging from 10 to 20oC were perfect with cool daytimes and pleasant nights. We did not need the use of heater at nights. Most of the days were partially cloudy which blocked direct heat from the sun. However, we also got a taste of the volatile nature of the changing seasons when our sight-seeing plans were disrupted for a couple of days due to rain & winds. The Swiss Meteo weather app was most convenient, providing us with hourly forecasts for upto a week in advance.
Our day wise experiences were:
Day1: Brienz Rothorn (https://www.myswissalps.com/activity/brienzer-rothorn/)
We had originally planned the trip up to Brienz Rothorn on the historic steam railway, but since this was closed this year, we went up by the alternative cable car route from Sorenberg. There was fresh snowfall on the peaks & we got grand views of snow dusted mountain tops juxtaposed with green valleys and the calm blue lake Brienz. We had picnic lunch at the top while admiring the amazing views.
Day2: The four-lake hike
This was one of our top memorable experiences during the entire trip. The adventure began with the regional train from Luzern to Sarnen & then a connecting bus from Sarnen to the wild & desolate Melchtal valley. We were the only ones to disembark at the end of the valley at the Stockalp cable car base station. The weather app had forecasted rain in the afternoon from 3pm which is probably why we were the only ones around. The entire area was covered in misty fog & we checked with the ticket window if the hike was open. We were glad to hear that entire 9.5 km route was open except for the jochpass peak which was snowed up. We had anyway planned to cross the jochpass peak on chairlift and not on foot, so we gladly took the cable car to the top station – Melchsee-Frutt which is the starting point for this hike. The visibility at the top was extremely poor due to dense fog. The four lake hike is supposed to start here with the views of the Melchsee lake, but we could see nothing in the fog. We nevertheless continued with the hike. From the lake, there are 2 pathways to take – the narrow mountain hiking route for pedestrians and the wide concrete path used by road trains & bicycles to go from Melchsee to Tannalp. Considering the poor visibility, we decided to stick to the pedestrian path to avoid chance of accident with the road trains, which turned out to be a good choice – while our path was only foggy, the wide road running parallel on the other side of the valley was covered in fresh slippery snow. Both the paths meet together at Tannensee, the 2nd lake on this hike. But again we could only have tiny glimpses of the lake amongst the fog. We were beginning to wonder whether we will ever be able to see a lake on this “four lake” route, but continued on.
Our hopes were rewarded by the time we reached Tannalp, a small hamlet amongst the mountains. The fog drifted to higher levels driven by the strong winds here & visibility improved drastically. We could see a most magical place – waterfalls & streams gushing down the steep cliffs, high mountains in the background with clouds clinging to the peaks & grasslands all around in vibrant shades of orange. I don’t think words can do justice to the true beauty of this wonderful place. After a quick stop for photos, we continued on towards Engstlenalp. Even though the rain was forecast from 3 in the afternoon, it started drizzling here from 12 noon onwards. There was no place to take shelter on the exposed mountainside & so we continued in the rain getting soaked, but enjoying the wonderful atmosphere. The upside was that the rain clouds cleared the fog and we could now see all around the beautiful valley.
When we reached Engstlensee, the 3rd lake, we could finally see a lake on this four lake hike, but since the intensity of rain had increased, there was no time to wait & enjoy the surroundings. We took a few quick photos and continued on in the direction of the Jochpass chairlift. As we neared the base of the chairlift, the entire place appeared shut – there was nobody in sight & the chair cars were not moving. My heart sank!! We did not want to hike all the way back in pouring rain. Thankfully, it turned out to be a false alarm. As soon as we entered the base station, the lift operators at the top station could see us on their CCTV cameras and instructed us over the speakers to sit on the chairlift while they started operating the machinery. The Swiss people are really efficient & helpful!!
Originally, we had planned lunch at the Berghaus Jochpass, but due to continuous falling of snow at the peak, we decided to skip lunch here & continued on to Trubsee, the final lake on our journey. After another chairlift journey, we arrived at the far side of Trubsee lake & had to walk for another 20 min to get to the Trubsee-Engelberg cable car station. Finally arriving at the cable car station, we had hot lunch & coffee to warm up from the rain-soaked clothes. Thereafter we took the cable car down to Engelberg & took the train back to Luzern.
Even though the weather was not at its best, we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly and would love to do the same trip again in good weather.
Day3: Stoos ridge hike
After the rain fiasco of Day2, first thing to do today was to check the weather forecast – thankfully, no rain today, so we decided to proceed as per our original plan of the high alpine ridge walk from Klingenstock to Fronalpstock at Stoos. We took the regional train from Luzern to Schwyz & then a connecting bus from Schwyz to Stoos cable car base station. The town of Schwyz looks extremely cute with small houses in traditional swiss architecture and the large Chapel at the town centre.
There was a huge rush of tourists at the Stoos base station in contrast to our Day2 experience & we were looking forward to experiencing the Stoosbahn which is advertised as having world’s steepest gradient of 110 degrees. The actual experience was underwhelming – the way these circular funicular cars are built, the car in the front blocks the view of the tracks & you do not feel the steepness of the climb like in case of Pilatus. At the top, we were in for another shock – due to high winds, both the chair lifts from Stoos to Klingenstock as well as Fronalpstock were closed for safety reasons. So instead of the planned ridge walk, we decided to hike up from Stoos to Fronalpstock. The signpost indicated hiking time of 2:15 hours and vertical height difference of 600 meters. When we started climbing, we realised that we are no match for swiss standards of fitness. Against their standard time of 2:15 hours, we took over 4 hours for the climb. The route was steep in places, but manageable, and the grand views at the top over the entire lake Luzern were worth the effort. Originally, we had planned lunch at the peak at Fronalpstock restaurant, but because we took so long to climb up, we had to skip lunch & begin descent immediately. As it is, it was very windy & cold at the top & we did not want to take chances with wind speeds increasing in the afternoon as the sun goes down. After 2:30 hours of hiking down, we were back in Stoos village. After a delayed lunch, we went back down the funicular to base station, then the bus to Schwyz and train back to Luzern & then on to Malters. It was a hectic day & after all the climbing up and down, we were glad to rest our tired legs at the hotel.
Day4: Pilatus & Lungern
The weather forecast showed clouds and light rain early in the morning, but clear skies from 10 am onwards. So, we decided to go to Pilatus (https://www.myswissalps.com/activity/pilatus/) peak today. We had originally planned to go up on through cable car & down by funicular to Alpnachstad & then a boat to Luzern. After the Stoos surprise of high winds, we specifically checked the app for wind alerts & thankfully noticed that Kriens cable car is closed upto 11am due to high winds. So change of plans – we will now go up & down, both ways on the Alpnachstad funicular. We took the train from Luzern to Alpnachstad & were almost alone in the funicular up to Pilatus. The peak was completely cloudy with light rain. We decided to wait indoors at the “Dragon World” interactive area till the weather improves. Even after 10:30 am, no sign of clouds clearing up. When we inquired at the helpdesk, they informed that even the Tomlishorn hiking trail is closed due to bad weather & it is unlikely to improve before evening. So we decide to change our plans and head down to Lungern.
Lungern is a charming village at any time of the year, but looks especially beautiful in autumn when its dark green lake stands in contrast to the orange trees and white waterfall backdrop. We had a traditional swiss lunch of alpine macroni at the Bahnofli hotel opposite the station & then headed out to the lake. We walked around the perimeter of the lake enjoying the views. The small artificial island of trees in the middle of the lake was an especially scenic spot to sit & relax. We considered going up to Turren peak, but dropped the plan seeing the clouds hanging around the peak. We got back to the station by another way climbing alongside the small stream flowing to the lake. We would absolutely love to stay here & explore this lovely area at a more leisurely pace during our future visits.
Day5: Andermatt & lake cruise
We were relieved to see the forecast – Clear skies, no clouds, rain or wind alerts today!! So we decide to go to the Andermatt region over the iconic old Gothard Pass route. We start on the train from Luzern to Arth Goldau and change there to southward bound Locarno RE. This route pass over the Gothard Pass on the old scenic route which loops 3 times around Wassen. The weather is clear & we have stunning views of the valley from the train. We alight at Goschenen and take the connecting shuttle train to Andermatt. We could see the iconic “Devils Bridge” from the train before reaching Andermatt, and from there, took another connection to Oberalppass. The weather at Oberalppass was cold and windy. We cross the station parking lot to see the famous light-house of Oberalp, the only light-house in the world which is at height of 2000 meters above sea level in the midst of mountains!
We take the cable car from across the road to Schneehuenerstock. The views from the top are stunning. The entire peak is covered in fresh snow. We see huge fast-moving clouds of mists in the valley below and delicate sun rays providing warmth over the strong winds. Originally, we had planned the start of hike from the top station, but the newly fallen snow was soft and 2 feet deep with our feet sinking in. So we get back to the cable car station & get down to intermediate station Platte. The snow here is less than 6 inches and we love the sound of crunching snow below out feet on this beautiful hike on Lutterweg. This is mostly a flat walk on a narrow but well-prepared path. 30min into the hike, and we see the main attraction – the Luttersee lake. The calm dark waters of this small lake appear in sharp contrast to the brown grassy hillside with milky white waterfalls falling down from the opposite mountain peak in the background. We got some very pretty pictures here. We complete the hike at Gutsch cable car top station and take the cable car down to Andermatt. On the way back, we get off the train at Fluelen. This is a charming little village on the shores of lake Luzern surrounded by huge mountains. The railway station is right next to the boat dock. From here, we take the longest cruise (2:45 hours) on the lake going back to Luzern. It was a very gentle relaxing experience to watch the boat criss-cross the lake from one shore to another as it makes halts at cute little intermediate stops. We lost track of time watching the tiny waves on the lake as the sun gently descends behind the mountains and reached Luzern in the evening at around 7 pm.
Day6: Furenalp
Another clear day & this time we are headed to the remote Furenalp valley at the far end of Engelberg. We take the regional Luzern-Engelberg Express and then take the connecting bus to the Furenalp valley station. We go up in the small gondola to the top. This is the starting point of 9km Panoramaweg hike heading down to the valley station. This valley reminds us a little of Lauterbrunnen valley: snow dusted mountain peaks, waterfalls in all directions splashing down over the hillside, colourful forests, green pastures and river flowing in the centre of the valley. Against sign posted time of 2:35hrs, we took a leisurely 5hrs to complete the hike over the narrow trail. This was one of our top hikes and we would definitely recommend this for its out-of-the-world views. After a late lunch in Engelberg, we head back to Malters for well-deserved rest.
Day7: Brunni & Stanserhorn
We head out again to Engelberg to head to Brunni, the sunny side of Engelberg. We take the cable car up to Ristis and then the chair lift to Brunnihutte. Weather is cloudy again with light rain & we were the only ones on the chairlift. But, by now, we are used to the volatile autumn weather and we begin the hike down from Brunnihutte to Ristis. This is a wide path mostly downward sloping giving fantastic views over the entire village of Engelberg and the surrounding mountains. We make it to Ristis in about an hour and stop for a warm coffee at the mountain restaurant Ristis. After admiring the views of the beautiful valley, we head down again on the cable car.
From Engelberg, we take the regional train to Luzern, but get off at Stans. From here, we go to the Stanserhorn bahn station just a few minutes by walk. By now, the rains have stopped and clouds are also clearing up. We go up on the historic wooden funicular to intermediate stop Kalti, and then change to open-air Cabrio cable car to Stanserhorn (https://www.myswissalps.com/activity/stanserhorn/). After lunch at the revolving restaurant at the top station, we head on a short hike to the peak view point. The views from here were as good as the ones from Fronalpstock, giving us another view over the entire lake Luzern region. After a brief photo session, we head back down to Luzern.
Day8: Burgenstock & Zurich
Today is our last day at the Malters hotel. So we check out after breakfast & the plan is to leave the luggage at the lockers at Luzern station & head out to Burgenstock mountain station. The locker charges are CHF 10 and the machine only accepts coins, not notes. We try to get change from the main booking office at first floor of the station, but they only do cross currency exchanges, not note-to-coin exchange. We check the ATM machines in the basement, but again no luck. Finally, we book our Zug to Zurich tickets for later in the day with the currency note and get back change in coins. Now, we can store the luggage in the lockers and head out. We catch the boat to Burgenstock Kehrsiten from Pier 3 at Luzern. The boat is almost empty so early in the morning, we enjoy the quiet smooth ride on the waters of lake Luzern. At the dock station, we get into another historic wooden funicular to go up to Burgenstock Resort. From the top, we get glorious views over the lake and we take a short hike on the Felsenweg. The entire pathway is on clifftop, through the forests, going up to the Hammerschwand lift station. We got fabulous views of lake Luzern all the way.
We get down again on the funicular, then on boat back to Luzern & then retrieve our bags from the locker and head to Zurich. Next day, we catch the flight out of Zurich & our glorious holiday comes to an end.
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Hi Corporal
Thank you for this extremely comprehensive and very interesting report. I will confine my comments to two broad points.
Integrated Transport. A holiday like the one you describe is only possible because the Swiss are world champions at integrated transport. All the various forms of transport, train, bus, boat, funicular, cable car etc are carefully PLANNED to link up with each other. And of course all these forms of transport are covered by just one ticket ticket, in the case of Central Switzerland that is the Tell Pass.
The Flexibility of NOT Having a Car. I have only been participating in this forum for four months, but I have already seen several people justify their decision to hire a car for their Swiss travels because it gives them ‘Flexibility’. What these people fail to appreciate is that having a car destroys your flexibility. Many destinations in Switzerland can only be reached by public transport and/or on foot. You have to park the car…. But more importantly still you then have return to where you parked your car. If, by contrast, you rely on the superb Swiss public transport, you can do all sorts of weird and wonderful circular trips without always having to think, how do we get back to the car? See particularly days 2 and 5. And on Day 2 you were free to change your plans to suit the weather conditions!
Best wishes
Roger
Hi Corporal,
Thank you for sharing this comprehensive trip report. I like that you focused on one region. There is indeed plenty to explore in Lucerne and Central Switzerland and I think 1 week is just nice to do that with a Tell Pass (https://www.myswissalps.com/travel-ticket/tell-pass-summer/).
I enjoyed reading your hike from Melchsee-Frutt to Trubsee. I’m sure that was a unique experience with the sudden weather change and all.
Lovely photos! Thanks for uploading.
Regards,
Anna
Hi Roger,
I absolutely agree with you. Switzerland has the best public transport network which is convenient, value-for-money and flexible. That’s why we always prefer public transport to explore this beautiful country.
Hi Anna,
You guys are doing a fabulous job of maintaining this resourceful portal. We got lots of practical ideas including the Tell Pass from here. Keep up the good work!
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