Luzern: off the beaten path OR an idea for an unusual day trip?
 

My husband is attending a conference in Luzern and I will be taking some of the guided tours but am looking for ideas for a self-guided day trip that I can take some girlfriends on. We will have plenty of free time to explore Luzern and still have 1 or 2 free days to plan our own excursion. So that you don't waste your time writing about places that we are already touring I have copied the info about the guided tours here:
1. The Rigi and Schwyz (1 day): From Lucerne by ship to Vitznau – By pinion and rack railway to the summit of the Rigi (1’800m) – Panorama over the Lake of Lucerne and Alps – Light walk – Lunch – further by railway down to Arth-Goldau and by bus to Schwyz – Visit of the historical center and of the federal archives (foundation act of Switzerland, 1291) – Brunnen and back to Lucerne by bus along the lake shore
2 The Jungfraujoch and Grindelwald (1 day): From Lucerne by bus over the Brünig Pass to Interlaken – Lauterbrunnen – Continuation by train to Kleine Scheidegg and Jungfraujoch (3’454m) with the highest railway station in Europe – Panorama over the impressive Aletsch Glacier and many high summits – Visit of the Sphinx and Ice Palace – Lunch – Down by train to Kleine Scheidegg and Grindelwald (short visit of the alpine resort) – Interlaken – and back to Lucerne by bus.
3 Berne and Emmental (1 day): By bus on the freeway to the capital city of Switzerland – Visit of the famous historical center registered as world heritage by UNESCO – House of parliament and federal government – Bärengraben – Lunch – Continuation to Burgdorf – Visit of a cheese factory in Affoltern i.E. – Huttwil and return to Lucerne by bus.
4 The Rhine and Schaffhausen (1 day): By bus over the freeway/main road to Rapperswil – Toggenburg Valley – Wil – Stein am Rhein: short visit and boarding of the ship to travel down to Schaffhausen on the Rhine River – En route lunch – Visit of the historical city of Schaffhausen – Transfer by bus to the nearby Castle of Laufen – Visit of the Rhine waterfalls (the largest in Europe) – Free time – Return to Lucerne via freeway.
So...is that an exhaustive itinerary...is there anything else we should consider seeing?
We will be there the first week of June.
Thanks in advance!

Hi lurn,

Don't forget to take some cruises on the lakes and visit the beautiful lakeside towns and villages. You can see all the ferries available at

www.lakelucerne.ch

I'd also like to suggest that you get in some nice walks or bike rides if you get clear skies. Just bike along the lakes, have lunch, then take the ferry home.

You can get lots more ideas than are in a guide book at the city's central site:

www.luzern.org

Have fun!

s

Who are your guided tours through? We will be in Switzerland at the end on May and are interested in some of the day trips you have planned. Sounds like you have a great trip planned.

a trip via rail to Engleberg and then the triple cableway (including the rotating cablecar) to the summit of Mt. Titlis

swandav2000
Great suggestions! Just what I love to do. Thanks for the links.
leelee100
The tours are arranged through an international business conference/symposium so I don't know the actual company doing the tours and it may be the Conference hosts doing them.
Dukey1
That sounds intriguing, I'll look into it!
Thank you all so much