Best Things to Do in Lucerne, Switzerland with Kids

Lucerne is a pretty lakeside town located just an hour’s train ride away from Zurich. While Lucerne is one of the most charming cities in Switzerland, it’s not just lakeside views. It’s surprisingly kid-friendly too! One of the best kid’s museums in Switzerland is near Lucerne and there are plenty of playgrounds and transportation rides to keep kids entertained. Whether you’re visiting for a day or staying the night, this guide covers our favorite things to do in Lucerne with kids.

Swiss Museum of Transport

Kids could literally spend a whole day at this museum, which is dedicated to all things transportation. The museum has different buildings, each with exhibits featuring a different mode of transport. Many of the exhibits are interactive, which is great for toddlers and kids. The museum buildings surround a gigantic outdoor area with a construction play area, a water play area, and giant planes to explore. Kids can climb into real tractors, excavators, and airplanes, and touch all the buttons and levers. There are also simulators in the museum building for older kids and young-at-heart adults looking for more advanced play. This museum is a can’t-miss activity when visiting Lucerne with kids.

• How to get there: Catch bus 6, 8, or 24 in front of the train station. Make sure the bus is heading towards the direction of the bridge. After about a 5 min ride, get off at the Verkehrshaus/Lido stop. The stop is right in front of the Swiss Museum of Transport.
• Cost: The Swiss Travel Pass or the Lucerne Visitor Card covers the bus ride to the museum completely. Admission to the Swiss Museum of Transport is 50% off with the Swiss Travel Pass or 10% off with the Lucerne Visitor Card. Kids under 6 years are free with adult admission.
• Food: There is a cafeteria on site if you need a quick lunch. Expect a main course to run around 20 CHF.

Mount Pilatus and PILU Land Playground

Mount Pilatus is one of the iconic alpine summits in the Swiss Alps. From the summit, you have sweeping views of the surrounding lakes below. Visit on a day where the locals are playing alphorns like we did, and it will be the postcard-perfect Swiss Alps experience.

The funicular and cable car rides up to the summit are exciting for kids, but there’s not a lot to keep them entertained once you’re at the top. The viewing platforms at the summit are more for grown ups to soak in the scenery. Luckily, the cable car stops along the way make up for it with fun kid-friendly attractions like a dragon-themed playground and a ropes course.

The PILU Land playground is at the Krienseregg stop of the cable cars on the way to/from the summit. It is a dragon and castle themed playground. The play structure itself would be better for older kids because there is a lot of climbing involved. There is a smaller climbing area, seesaw, mini zipline and playhouse for the younger kids. There is also a small stream that ends in a little pool. This is one of the best alpine playgrounds in Switzerland, and a must-do when visiting Lucerne with kids.

• How to get there: to get to the peak of Mount Pilatus from Luzern Bahnhoff take the train to Alpnachstad (22 min ride). Switch to the Mount Pilatus cogwheel train (timetable here) for a 30 min ride up to the summit on the steepest cogwheel train in the world. For the best views, try to snag a downhill facing seat with your left shoulder against the window.
  • Coming down from the summit, take the gondola from the summit to Frakmuntegg. At Frakmuntegg, switch to the cable car. The cable car will take you to Krienseregg (get off here for PILU Land playground) and then on the Kriens. After exiting the Kriens cable car station, turn right (past the bus stop in front of the cable car station) and follow the blue and white signs for Luzern bus Nr. 1. Walk downhill for about 10 minutes until you see the bus stop for bus #1 to take you back to Luzern.
• Cost: the Swiss Travel Pass covers the train ride from Luzern to Alpnachstad on the way to Mt. Pilatus, and the bus from Kriens to Luzern on the way back. The cogwheel train from Alpnachstad to the summit, and the gondola and cable cars from the summit to Kriens require an additional fee (book online here), though there is a 50% discount with the Swiss Travel Pass. You can also pay extra to reserve a seat on the cogwheel train from Alpnachstad to the summit. This is recommended during peak season because without a reservation you may have a long wait. Kids under 6 years are free for this entire trip.
• Food: there are cafeterias at every stop of the way on this trip – on the summit, at Frakmuntegg, and at Krienseregg. They all serve sandwiches or Swiss fare (think sausages and rosti). Plates cost around 20 CHF for a main portion, or 10 CHF for a kids portion. We found the kids portions to be large enough to fill us up.

Rigi-Kaltbad First Cliff Walk Hike

The Rigi-Kaltbad First Felsenwegg (Cliff Walk) Hike is one of my favorite easy hikes with amazing views in Switzerland. The views along the hike from the train station to the cliff walk were already amazing. But when we got to the cliff walk I literally gasped. The stunning views really do take your breath away. It’s a very easy, relatively flat hike, so the views to hiking effort ratio is high. It’s flat enough that kids and toddlers can run along the path easily or do-able with a stroller. However, the cliff walk is pretty narrow, so would recommend switching to a carrier for that part. There are some benches at the cliff walk, so it would be a peaceful place for a picnic lunch. If you’re looking for an easy hike while visiting Lucerne with kids, this hike is perfect.

• How to get to the Cliff Walk Hike: After checking out the view points at the top of Mount Rigi, take the Vitznau-Rigi Kulm cogwheel train downhill to the Rigi Kaltbad-First station (note that this train only runs once every hour, so keep that in mind when planning your time at the summit).
  • After getting off at Rigi Kaltbad-First station, cross the train tracks and continue along the path, following signs for Chalet Schild restaurant (30 min walk). You will pass a small playground just after crossing the train tracks. To get to the cliff walk, walk until you get to Chalet Schild restaurant. Kitty corner to the restaurant there will be a small path leading to the cliff walk (if you are facing the restaurant, the path will be behind you. Follow the signs to the Felsenwegg).
  • After enjoying the views on the cliff walk, walk back to Rigi Kaltbad-First station and look for the cable car station. Take the cable car to Weggis, then follow the signs down to the harbor to catch the boat back in the direction of Luzern.
  • The time tables for all of the Mount Rigi transportation can be found here. It is helpful to keep the timetables in mind because the transports don’t run that frequently. Don’t waste time waiting around for the next train or cable car.
• Cost: completely covered with Swiss Travel Pass!
• Food: there is a cafeteria at the summit of Mount Rigi and some restaurants at the Rigi Kaltbad-First station. We read good things about the Chalet Schild restaurant and were planning on eating there, but they are cash only (this was the one time on the trip we actually needed cash).

Meggenhorn Castle

Visiting Meggenhorn Castle feels like discovering the best kind of hidden gem. It is an idyllic castle on the edge of a lake with vineyards, a petting zoo with cute baby goats, and a fun playground. The playground has an awesome slide, climbing structures, and those mini ziplines that seem to be at all Swiss playgrounds. You can’t go into the castle though. It seems to be off the usual tourist path for visiting Lucerne with kids, so there weren’t that many people and we pretty much had the place to ourselves when we visited.

• How to get there: because we visited on the way back from Mount Rigi, we had to detour a bit because there is no direct way to Meggenhorn castle from Weggis. We caught the ferry from Weggis heading back towards Luzern. To get to Meggenhorn castle, get off the ferry at the Verkehrshaus/Lido stop. Walk from the ferry dock to the Swiss Museum of Transport and wait at the bus stop directly in front of the museum to take bus 24 to the Lerchenbuhl stop. Use Google Maps to walk from the bust stop to Meggenhorn castle (10-15 min walk).
  • After getting to the castle, you can wander around the gardens next to the castle. Then walk downhill past the vineyards to get to the petting zoo and playground. To return the Luzern, walk back up to the main road and catch bus 24 in the opposite direction back to Luzern Bahnhoff.
  • If you are going to the castle directly from Luzern, then you just need to catch bus 24 from the bus stop in front of Luzern Bahnhoff directly to the Lerchenbuhl stop.
• Cost: completely covered by the Swiss Travel Pass!
• Food: there is a cafe at the Meggenhorn castle, but the hours are limited and it was closed when we visited in the afternoon. I would have loved to see if they sell any of their locally produced wine there.

Lake Lucerne Boat Ride

The town of Lucerne sits right on the pretty Lake Lucerne. Taking a scenic boat ride around the lake is a fun way to get around when traveling with kids, or just a fun excursion in itself. The best part is, boat rides are included with the Swiss Travel Pass and kids are free, so it’s a great way to maximize the cost of the pass. The boat that we took also had a shallow kiddie pool in the back for kids to splash around and get their feet wet during the ride. The docks for the boats are right in front of the Lucerne train station.

Explore Old Town Lucerne

The cobblestone streets of Old Town Lucerne are perfect for kids to explore at their own pace. The covered wooden Chapel Bridge is a fun spot for little ones to run across, and the shops throughout the Old Town are full of interesting things to browse. Our kid especially loved catching the water from the many fountains scattered around the Old Town.

Enjoy the Beach at the Lucerne Lido

The Lucerne Lido is a short stretch of sandy beach along Lake Lucerne. If you would rather not get sandy, there is also a nice lawn next to the beach. The Lido area also has a heated swimming pool, volleyball courts, and a large playground, making it perfect for a laid back rest day in the middle of your trip. You can also rent pedal boats from here to get out onto the lake.

• How to get there: the Lido is right next to the Swiss Museum of Transport. Catch bus 6, 8, or 24 in front of the train station. Make sure the bus is heading towards the direction of the bridge. After about a 5 min ride, get off at the Verkehrshaus/Lido stop. The stop is right in front of the Swiss Museum of Transport.

Best Places to Stay with Kids in Lucerne

When traveling with kids in Switzerland, having a kitchen is key for convenience and saving money. We stayed in the Neustadt Apartments and loved the layout and location. Both of these options are steps away from the Old Town, and still a short walk to the train station.

• Neustadt Apartments
• KoBi Apartments Hirschenplatz

Kid-Related Essentials to Pack

These are the items we ended up using daily during our trip to Switzerland (see our full packing list here, and what to skip). They definitely helped make traveling with a kid smoother and easier.

• Hiking Carrier: If you’re planning to do any hiking or walking in the old towns in Switzerland, skip the stroller. Even the easiest trails aren’t really stroller-friendly, and cobblestone streets in historic areas make for a rough, bumpy ride. Plus, if you’re traveling by train, juggling a stroller along with luggage during train transfers can be a real hassle. A full on hiking carrier would probably be more comfortable for kids, but it’s bulky to travel with. Since we weren’t tackling any long or strenuous hikes, we absolutely loved using our hip seat carrier with straps. It’s a convertible style that allows you to wear your child in the front or back. And the built-in seat made it comfortable enough for our kiddo to nap while we were on the move.
• Water Bottles: In Switzerland, tap water is safe to drink by law and held to extremely high standards. Packing a water bottle can help you save quite a bit, especially since water isn’t typically served for free at restaurants like it often is in the U.S. If you’re not ordering other beverages, some restaurants may even charge you for water. Having your own water bottle with you is an easy way to stay hydrated and cut down on extra costs while dining out or exploring. Even the water from the local fountains is safe to drink, so you can fill up as you go!

• Snacks: Snacks are our go-to strategy for keeping our kiddo happy and occupied, whether we’re on a long train or plane ride, out on a hike, or trying to get out the door on time (which happened a lot during our trip to Switzerland). While discovering new snacks at local supermarkets is always part of the fun, we also make sure to pack some tried-and-true favorites from home, just in case.
• Portable Sound Machine: We traveled to Switzerland in the summer during a heat wave, and many old town hotels don’t have air conditioning. To stay cool, we had to keep the windows open, which meant dealing with street noise at bedtime. Since our kid is used to sleeping with a sound machine at home, bringing a portable one was a game-changer. It helped block out the ambient noise and made it much easier for him to fall, and stay, asleep in an unfamiliar setting.
• Rain jacket: Weather in the Swiss Alps can change quickly. One day might be sunny, while the next brings rain, or you could encounter different conditions at various elevations. We were grateful that we decided to bring light rain jackets even though we were traveling in the summer because we definitely experienced some downpours. Our rain jackets were easy to roll up and stash in our backpack. And they saved us from getting unexpectedly soaked while out exploring.

Read our complete Switzerland with a toddler itinerary for more ideas on how to spend a family vacation in Switzerland!