Guide · Rigi

Lucerne to Vitznau boat timetable and the Rigi railway

The boat leaves Lucerne, the cogwheel train waits at Vitznau, and an hour later you stand on the Rigi. Here is the Lucerne to Vitznau boat timetable explained, the ways up and down the mountain, and which ticket covers the whole loop.

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Editorial team, lucerneboattrip.comUpdated October 19, 20266 minutes to read31 sources

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Quick answer

01Boat: Lucerne to Vitznau or Weggis takes about an hour, from pier 1.¹ ²
02Train: The cogwheel railway from Vitznau reaches Rigi Kulm in around 30 minutes.³
03Fares: Boat CHF 31.00 one way in 2nd class; Vitznau to Rigi Kulm CHF 52.00 one way.⁴ ⁵
04Passes: The Swiss Travel Pass gives free travel on the boats and the Rigi railways.⁶ ⁷
05Round-trip ticket: A self-guided Rigi round trip from Lucerne starts from $170.

Why the boat is the classic way to the Rigi

There are faster ways to the Rigi, but none as pleasant as the lake. Switzerland Tourism says the mountain can be reached by nine routes, more than any other Swiss summit, among them the cogwheel railway from Vitznau and the cable car from Weggis.⁸ Both villages lie on the shore, which is why a boat from Lucerne is the natural first leg. From the water you see the whole slope at once, villages at the bottom and pastures above, before you climb into it.

Weggis and Vitznau sit at the foot of the Rigi, and the area is known as the Lucerne Riviera for its mild climate, with palms, orchids and chestnut trees.⁹ ¹⁰ On the promenade from Weggis towards Vitznau there is even a memorial stone for Mark Twain, who lived in Weggis for a time.¹¹

The railway itself is a piece of history. Rigi Bahnen says Europe's first mountain railway made its inaugural ascent from Vitznau to Rigi Staffelhöhe on 21 May 1871.¹² Arriving by boat at the same quay where that line begins is part of the pleasure, and it turns a mountain excursion into a lake day as well. On the way out, sit on the side facing the northern shore for the best view of the Rigi's flank.

A sample day

The Rigi round trip as one listing plans it

09:12

Boat from Lucerne

Arriving at Vitznau at 10:09.
10:15

Cogwheel train

Up to Rigi Kulm by 10:45.
14:00

Train down

To Rigi Kaltbad by 14:15.
15:10

Cable car

Down to Weggis by 15:20.
16:05

Boat home

Back in Lucerne at 16:47.

The Lucerne to Vitznau boat timetable, explained

Boats to Weggis and Vitznau leave Lucerne from pier 1, together with the boats to Brunnen and Flüelen.² Rigi Bahnen gives the trip to either village as about an hour.¹ The exact departures change with SGV's seasons, and the winter timetable that began on 19 October 2026 runs until 16 April 2027.¹³

For a concrete example, the self-guided round trip on GetYourGuide suggests a full day with the boat leaving Lucerne at 09:12 and reaching Vitznau at 10:09, and a half day with the boat at 12:00, arriving at 12:54. A second ticket lists departures at 09:12, 10:12, 12:00, 14:12 and 15:12, run by SGV. Treat these as a sample of the pattern at the time the listings were read, not as today's times.

Before you go, confirm the Lucerne to Vitznau boat timetable for your exact date on SGV's own timetable page, and check the last boat back from Weggis or Vitznau. A Lake Lucerne cruise to Vitznau on a scheduled boat also makes a fine trip on its own, even if you never take the train up. On a sunny afternoon the open deck between Weggis and Vitznau is one of the loveliest places on the lake.

Ways up

Minutes to Rigi Kulm by route

min

Approximate times from Rigi Bahnen; from Weggis the time includes the cable car and the train from Rigi Kaltbad.¹⁴

Three starting points

Vitznau, Weggis or Arth-Goldau

Start	How you get there	Up the mountain	Time to the top
Vitznau	Boat, about an hour	Cogwheel railway	30 minutes
Weggis	Boat, about an hour	Cable car, then train	40 minutes
Arth-Goldau	Train	Cogwheel railway	40 minutes

From Rigi Bahnen's own pages; in Weggis allow a 15-minute walk from the pier to the cable car.¹⁴ ¹ ¹⁵

Three Rigi tickets

Classic loop, loop with a spa, or a guided day

This page

Classic round trip

Self-guided, valid 1 day

Route: Vitznau up, Weggis down
Times: Your own
Price: from $170

See the ticket

Lucerne: Boat Trip, Mount Rigi Train, & Mineral Baths Ticket

For a slow day

With mineral baths

Boat, train and spa

Start: Pier 1
Spa: No time limit
Price: from $197

See the ticket

From Lucerne: Mount Rigi Day Trip with Cruise and Cable Car

With company

Guided day

English-speaking guide

Time: 7 hours
Walking: 10 to 15 minutes downhill
Price: from $178

See the ticket

Decision helper

How should you do the Rigi?

Pick the wish that sounds like you

I have a Swiss Travel Pass I want one ticket for everything I want to relax in a spa I use a wheelchair I come by train from Zurich

Line boat and train

Free on SGV's boats and the Rigi railways.⁶ ⁷

The classic round trip

Boat, trains, cable car and boat home, valid 1 day.

The ticket with baths

Adds the Mario Botta mineral bath at Rigi Kaltbad.¹⁶

Up and down via Vitznau

Low-floor trains generally run from Vitznau.

Start at Arth-Goldau

The Rigi station is right beside the main station.¹⁵

By boat: Weggis and Vitznau can be easily reached by boat from Lucerne in an hour. In Weggis, an approx. 15-minute walk takes you to the cable car station, which leads to Rigi Kaltbad.

RIGI BAHNEN AGSource 1

From Vitznau up to Rigi Kulm

In Vitznau the cogwheel station stands right next to the boat station, which makes the change one of the easiest in Switzerland.¹ The train reaches Rigi Kulm in around 30 minutes.³ In the listing's suggested day, the train leaves at 10:15 and arrives at the top at 10:45.

Rigi Kulm is the highest point, and Switzerland Tourism gives the mountain an altitude of 1,798 m.¹⁷ The summit is open and grassy rather than rocky, with paths in every direction, and on a clear day the lakes of central Switzerland spread out below you like a map. Bring something warm even in summer, as the wind at the top can feel very different from the mild air on the shore.

Wheelchair users have a good option here. The Rigi round-trip ticket notes that low-floor trains generally run from Vitznau, which makes getting on and off easy, and recommends the Vitznau route once there is snow on the mountain. Ask at the station if you need help with boarding.

Map

Lake Lucerne from the city piers to Flüelen

The whole lake with its landing stages and the two mountains above it, then a close look at the piers between the station and the KKL.

Map of Lake Lucerne from Lucerne in the north-west to Flüelen in the south-east, with Pilatus and Rigi — The lake

Street map of the Lucerne lakefront with piers 1, 2, 3 and 7, the Chapel Bridge and the station — The Lucerne piers

1
Lucerne piers
Boats to Weggis, Vitznau, Brunnen and Flüelen leave from pier 1, to Alpnachstad from pier 2, and to Küssnacht and the Bürgenstock from pier 3.²
In Google Maps ↗
2
Weggis
About an hour from Lucerne by boat; the cable car up to Rigi Kaltbad is a 15-minute walk from the pier.¹
In Google Maps ↗
3
Vitznau
The Rigi cogwheel railway starts right next to the boat station.¹
In Google Maps ↗
4
Gersau
Start of the car ferry across to Beckenried, a crossing of about 20 minutes.¹⁸
In Google Maps ↗
5
Brunnen
Gateway to Lake Uri, the fjord-like arm of the lake that runs on to Flüelen.¹⁹
In Google Maps ↗
6
Flüelen
Turning point of the Grand Lake Cruise, which takes 5 h 30 min there and back from Lucerne.²⁰
In Google Maps ↗
7
Alpnachstad
Valley station of the Pilatus cogwheel railway; in 2026 the boat from Lucerne ran until 18 October.²¹
In Google Maps ↗
8
Küssnacht am Rigi
Boats for Küssnacht leave Lucerne from pier 3.²
In Google Maps ↗
9
Kehrsiten-Bürgenstock
The MS Bürgenstock crosses hourly from Lucerne in around 30 minutes, then a funicular climbs to the resort.²² ²³
In Google Maps ↗
10
Beckenried
The other end of the car ferry, which runs from 26 March to 10 October in 2027.¹⁸
In Google Maps ↗
11
Pilatus Kulm
The summit at 2,132 m, reached from Alpnachstad on a cogwheel railway with gradients of up to 48 percent.²⁴ ²⁵
In Google Maps ↗
12
Rigi Kulm
The top of the Rigi, about 30 minutes up from Vitznau by cogwheel train.³
In Google Maps ↗
13
Pier 1
Boats to Weggis, Vitznau, Brunnen and Flüelen.²
In Google Maps ↗
14
Pier 2
Boats to Alpnachstad for Pilatus.²
In Google Maps ↗
15
Pier 3
In front of the KKL: the boarding point of this site's catamaran, and of the boats to Küssnacht and the Bürgenstock.²
In Google Maps ↗
16
Pier 7
Schweizerhofquai, the start of a 1-hour discovery cruise sold on GetYourGuide.
In Google Maps ↗
17
Chapel Bridge
Rebuilt in eight months after the fire of 18 August 1993.²⁶ ²⁷
In Google Maps ↗
18
Lucerne station
Direct trains to Zurich main station every 30 minutes.²⁸
In Google Maps ↗

Open the map in Google Maps

Checklist

Packed for the Rigi day

Plan

The boat timetable for your date
The last boat back from Weggis or Vitznau
Pass or round-trip ticket ready

Bring

A warm layer for the summit
Swimwear if you take the spa ticket
Sun cream: the top is open and grassy

Cost calculator

Price the Rigi day for your group

Pick a Rigi ticket, add your party and see a first total.

Classic round tripSelf-guidedfrom $170 With mineral bathsSelf-guidedfrom $197 Guided day7 hoursfrom $178

People 2

Total from$339

per guest from $170

Check availabilityfree cancellation

Sums multiply the cheapest adult fare GetYourGuide quotes for each Lucerne trip by your headcount, at the European Central Bank's rate; your basket at checkout is what counts.

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Down via Rigi Kaltbad and Weggis

The classic loop does not retrace its steps. From Rigi Kulm a train runs down to Rigi Kaltbad, and from Kaltbad a cable car descends to Weggis in 10 minutes.²⁹ In Weggis the cable car station is about a 15-minute walk from the pier, where the boat back to Lucerne leaves.¹ The walk runs downhill through the village, so leave a little margin if the boat is due soon.

Rigi Kaltbad is worth a stop. Its mineral bath was designed by the architect Mario Botta, and one ticket on GetYourGuide bundles the bath with the boat, the train and the cable car.¹⁶ That ticket says you can walk from the top down to Kaltbad in about 35 minutes or take the hourly train.

Check for closures before you set out. From 16 to 27 November 2026 the cable car from Rigi Kaltbad to Weggis is closed for maintenance, and the round trip runs via Vitznau in both directions. In the listing's full-day plan, the cable car leaves Kaltbad at 15:10 and the boat from Weggis reaches Lucerne at 16:47.

Fares, passes and children

Separate tickets add up quickly. SGV lists Lucerne to Vitznau at CHF 31.00 one way and CHF 53.00 return in 2nd class at full fare.⁴ Rigi Bahnen's prices from 1 June 2026 put Vitznau to Rigi Kulm at CHF 52.00 one way and CHF 84.00 return, or CHF 26.00 and CHF 42.00 with a Half Fare Card.⁵ Add a return on each, for each traveler, and it is worth comparing the total with a combined ticket.

Passes change the picture completely. Rigi Bahnen lists the Swiss Travel Pass, the Flex version and the Swiss Transfer Ticket as free travel on its railways, with no ticket to buy or exchange, and SGV gives the same pass free travel on its scheduled boats.⁷ ⁶ The Half Fare Card and Eurail or Interrail give 50% off on the Rigi.³⁰

Families do well too: children up to and including 15 travel to the Rigi free with an adult, although not in school or youth groups.³¹ For a Lucerne boat ride to Mt Rigi with a pass in your pocket, the only real cost may be lunch at the top.

Which Rigi ticket to buy

If you have no pass, a combined ticket keeps things simple. The Classic Rigi Round Trip from Lucerne covers the boat to Vitznau, the train up, the train down to Kaltbad, the cable car to Weggis and the boat home, valid for 1 day with no fixed times. The ticket costs from $170 and holds a 4.58 score over 396 reviews.

For a slower day with a soak, the boat, Rigi train and mineral baths ticket starts from $197, rated 4.66 from 88 reviews. If you prefer company, a guided day trip meets you at pier 1, includes the boat, trains and cable car, and lasts 7 hours, from $178.

There is also a route with no boat at all: the Rigi railway station at Arth-Goldau sits directly next to the main-line station, and Rigi Bahnen gives 40 minutes from there to the top.¹⁵ ¹⁴ It suits travelers coming from Zurich by train, but from Lucerne the lake is the better way up. Whichever way you go up, the lake is the reason to come back down to the shore.

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