5 days Lucerne, Interlaken – ideas for itinerary
A traveler named Salmann is visiting Switzerland from September 11 to September 15, planning a stay in Lucerne for two days and in Interlaken for two days. He seeks advice on activities that focus on sightseeing and scenic views, and he also wants information about the Swiss Travel Pass for easy travel during his 5-day trip.
- Consider using the Swiss Travel Pass for hassle-free travel across trains and boats in Switzerland.
- Explore Lucerne's Old Town and enjoy a boat ride on Lake Lucerne for stunning views.
- Take the Pilatus Golden Round Trip for breathtaking mountain scenery and great photo opportunities.
- Spending all two nights in Interlaken is advisable, as it allows easy day trips to nearby beautiful destinations.
AI-generated summary-
Hi team
I am arriving to Zurich on 11th Sep (afternoon) and will be in Switzerland (until 15th Sep).
Kindly help me plan activities and places to visit.
I have booked two days hotel in Lucerne followed by 2 days in Interlaken. Hotels are cancellable so i can accommodate expert ideas.
Someone told me that Wengen is very good place also.
Please help me in making the itinerary.
I have one day left at end.
Also, need information on travel pass for 5 days where i dont have to buy anything on spot.
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It’s hard to advise you without knowing what you are interested in seeing/doing: museums, hiking (easy or harder trails, or just walking about towns admiring the views, etc), photography, sampling good food, bigger towns/cities or small alpine villages, boating on lakes, …..
Hi. Really appreciate your quick response and clarification sought. We would not prefer hiking. Preferences are walking towns, sight seeing, photography and lakes, mountain trains etc. We are planning to explore natural beauty and having great scenic views.
Hi Salmann,
Welcome to MySwissAlps.
Based on your interests, Lucerne would be a good base to start your trip. The city is very touristic and easy to explore on foot: http://www.myswissalps.com/hiking/lucerne
You would also probably enjoy going on boat rides on the lake: http://www.myswissalps.com/boatlakelucerne
I recommend taking the Pilatus Golden Round trip to see the mountains and surrounding landscapes http://www.myswissalps.com/pilatus
Interlaken as your next base is ideal for exploring the beautiful Jungfrau region. It is a regional transport hub and has more tourist amenities. Planning day trip to other towns and destinations from Interlaken would be fairly easier than if you were to stay in Wengen, which is a lovely but fairly small mountain village. You can find more information about Wengen here: http://www.myswissalps.com/wengen
If you have an early flight to catch , I suggest spending the last day in Zurich or somewhere closer to the airport.
Regards,
Anna
Thanks a ton. So is it ok to stay two days in Interlaken or one day in Interlaken and another night somewhere else? I understand that all places are near-by so we can do a day trip to other locations.
For me, I prefer not unpacking and packing each day. If you want to stay in Interlaken, then stay 2 night, other locations in the area are easy to get to. If you want to sample the Alps, skip Interlaken and choose Murren or Wengen. Murren is a bit more remote whereas Wengen is easier to reach other nearby towns.
That sounds great. I have booked 2 nights at Hotel Falken (Lucerne) and 2 nights at Hotel Merkur (Interlaken).
Please suggest me on how to book travel (train pass etc.) and whether all trains will be covered in one 5 day pass? I heard that there is some place (at the top) where one train goes and its a good experience.
Hi Salmann,
If you don’t fancy buying tickets for each trip, I suggest getting the Swiss Travel Pass. Consider getting the 3- or 4-days pass and combine this with the Saver Day Pass. Click on the links for more information about each pass and use the tabs to find a list of online resellers.
If it’s your first time travelling with Swiss trains, you’ll find plenty of practical information here: http://www.myswissalps.com/train
Hope this gets you started.
Regards,
Anna
Hello,
I have a pretty similar trip to Salmann, but I’m wondering a lot about what are the best things to do with my days. I really want to make the most of it. Things and places we really want to see and do are,
Chapel bridge, a short boat trip, the old town in Lucerne,
Mount pilatus, a panoramic train, maybe two hikes that are not as difficult.
Jungfrau, lauterbrunnen, grindelwald, lake Zurich and some chocolate and cheese of course.
Our trip is as follows,
Landing in Zurich on the 11th November in the morning, we will be getting the train to Lucerne and staying in the city for two nights.
Then we travel to interlaken for two nights, and back to Zurich for the last night.
Do you think this is all possible to do in those days? Plus we are staying in November, and we are not sure what is open and closed that time of the year.
Any help would be appreciated, thank you.
Caoimhe
Hi Caoimhe,
Welcome to MySwissAlps.
Yes, I think it’s possible to do all that in 5 days.
On your first day in Lucerne, I suggest taking a walk in the Old Town and explore this beautiful city. This short guide takes you to all the must-see sights including the Chapel Bridge: http://www.myswissalps.com/hiking/lucerne The rest of the day can be best spent going on a boat cruise on Lake Lucerne. Find a list cruise options here: http://www.myswissalps.com/boatlakelucerne Or you can also combine this with a trip to Mt Pilatus. The Golden Round Trip to Pilatus is not operational in November but you can still reach Pilatus by taking the train or bus to Kriens and then the cable car up. There a several easy hiking options you can do at the top. Details on how to get there here: http://www.myswissalps.com/pilatus
On the second day, perhaps a day trip to Titlis or Rigi? Or get on the Voralpen Express and enjoy a scenic train ride to St Gallen and back. You can find more sightseeing suggestions in and around Lucerne here: http://www.myswissalps.com/lucerne/activities
For your stay in Interlaken, maybe set aside one day for the trip up to Jungfraujoch and make a stopover in Lauterbrunnen/Grindelwald on the way back. Make the most of your second day in Interlaken exploring the areas around Lake Brienz or Lake Thun. Lots of suggestions here: http://www.myswissalps.com/interlaken/activities
For things to see and do in Zurich, this link provides lots of ideas: http://www.myswissalps.com/zurich/activities
I hope this will help you plan out your itinerary.
Regards,
Anna
Thank you so much Anna. Do you know if any of the cable cars or panoramic trains would be closed during this time? Do you think I would have time for a trip on one?
Hi Caoimhe,
The cable car and gondola to Pilatus is operational from 6 Nov to 11 Dec (autumn season). The mountain railway to Jungfraujoch is operational all year round. You can find the operating times of the other cable cars and mountain railways in the Jungfrau region here: http://www.jungfrau.ch/en-gb/plan-book/timetable/
Panoramic trains such as the Glacier Express, Bernina Express and the Golden Pass operate nearly all year round. You can probably do the Voralpen Express from Lucerne. Alternatively, take the Golden Pass to Interlaken and all the way to Montreux if you have time. Please click on the links for more details of each panoramic train.
Let us know if you need more info.
Regards,
Anna
Thank you for the help and advice.
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