Lucerne - how many days?
 

Hi folks:

I am speaking at a conference in Basel at the end of August and want to add on a few days in Switzerland. Lucerne looks to be a top option. To see the highlights (no major hiking) is two days enough? Are the experiences of Mount Pilatus and Mount Rigi different enough so we should make sure we have time to do both?

Thank you,

Ken

A short visit of Lucerne may need 5-6 hrs. If you add the museums (Swiss Transport Museum, Rosengart Collection), you need 1 day more. Count a full day for a Lake Lucerne boat trip combined with a railway/lift ride to a viewpoint like Rigi, Pilatus, Stanserhorn, Klewenalp, Fronalspstock or so.
If you need Lucerne as a base for day trips to Bern (1 hr by train OW), Bellinzona (1 1/2 hrs OW), Zurich (3/4 hrs OW), Ballenberg open air Swiss Village Museum (1 hr OW), Titlis (1 1/4 hrs OW), Brienzer Rothorn (1 1/2 hrs OW)I, nterlaken (2 hrs OW), etc., you can add as many days as you like.

Two days is fine for your itinerary. Try to do the cliff path on the Rigi and do an evening stroll along the lake in Lucerne (from the Transport museum)

Thanks for your replies - very helpful.

Ken