Mt Rigi & Lake Lucerne: 2-Day Spa & Alpine Tour from Zurich

Two Days in the Alps: Cable Car, Hot Pools & a Boat Ride Back

You take a coach from Zurich to Weggis, then handle the cable car and cogwheel train up Mt Rigi yourself using provided tickets. Spend three to four hours at the 1,800-meter peak, then descend to Hotel Rigi Kaltbad for included access to the mineral spa, a four-course dinner, and an overnight stay. On day two, breakfast is included, you can soak again if you want, then ride the cogwheel train and a scenic Lake Lucerne boat to Lucerne town for free exploration before the coach returns you to Zurich.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Zurich to Mt Rigi and Spa

• Meet guide at Zurich Sihlquai Bus Station
• Coach drive to Weggis via Lake Lucerne
• Board aerial cable car to Rigi-Kaltbad
• Take cogwheel train to Rigi-Kulm peak
• Enjoy free time with hiking or sledding
• Return cogwheel train to Rigi-Kaltbad
• Check in at Hotel Rigi Kaltbad
• Relax at Rigi Kaltbad Mineral Baths & Spa
• Dine at SunSet restaurant with four-course dinner

Day 2 — Mt Rigi to Lucerne and Zurich

• Have breakfast buffet at hotel
• Optional late morning dip at Mineral Baths
• Take cogwheel train down to Vitznau
• Board boat for Lake Lucerne cruise to Lucerne
• Free time to explore Lucerne and have lunch
• Meet guide and coach back to Zurich

The Experience

The guide hands you the cable car tickets at Weggis and says "you're on your own from here" — which sounds casual until you realize the aerial car is about to swing you 1,800 meters up a mountainside and you're holding the only proof you belong on it. But that's the rhythm of this tour: Zurich to Weggis by coach, then you take the cable car and cogwheel train yourself, with all the tickets and instructions already in your pocket. The views from Rigi-Kulm hit different when you've earned them — three to four hours of free time at the peak to hike, eat lunch at your own pace, or just stand there filling your phone with shots of the Alps and the lakes below.

The real reason you're here, though, is the Rigi Kaltbad Mineral Baths & Spa. After you ride the cogwheel train back down in the afternoon, you check into the three-star Hotel Rigi Kaltbad and walk straight into pools heated to 35°C, designed by Mario Botta, with mountain views that don't quit. The spa stays open until 7 pm, so you can soak in the whirlpool, try the herbal sauna, or just float in the outdoor mineral pool while the light changes on the peaks. Dinner is a four-course meal of seasonal Swiss food at the hotel's SunSet restaurant, and breakfast the next morning is a buffet before you head down.

Day 2 starts with the option to slip back into the spa one more time, then you take the cogwheel train down to Vitznau and board a one-hour boat for Lake Lucerne. The cruise itself is the transport — no separate sightseeing boat, just the regular service that cuts across the water to Lucerne town. Once you land, you've got free time to walk Chapel Bridge, poke around the Old Town, or duck into the Swiss Museum of Transport if you're into that. Lunch is on you, but the coach ride back to Zurich is included, so you just show up at the meeting point when your guide says and you're done.

What’s included

• Coach transport from Zurich to Weggis and from Lucerne back to Zurich.
• cable car and cogwheel train tickets with full instructions for independent travel up and down Mt Rigi.
• three to four hours free time at Rigi-Kulm peak.
• overnight stay at three-star Hotel Rigi Kaltbad.
• four-course dinner at the hotel's SunSet restaurant.
• full breakfast buffet on day two.
• included access to Rigi Kaltbad Mineral Baths & Spa with indoor and outdoor pools, whirlpool, herbal sauna, steam bath and crystal spa bath (open until 7 pm day one, available again before descent day two).
• one-hour scenic boat ride on Lake Lucerne from Vitznau to Lucerne.
• free time to explore Lucerne town on your own.

Operated by Best of Switzerland Tours

Is this one for you?Pick this tour if you want the Alps, a proper spa night, and a Lake Lucerne cruise without arranging four separate bookings and timing them yourself — the fixed itinerary and included transport handle all of that, leaving you to focus on the views and the soak.

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Top questions

What's the physical fitness level needed for this tour?

Moderate fitness is recommended. The cable car and cogwheel train do the climbing for you, but you'll be walking at the peak and moving between transport connections.

Is the Lake Lucerne cruise a separate sightseeing boat?

No, it's the regular one-hour passenger boat from Vitznau to Lucerne. It's scenic but not a dedicated tour boat.

Can I bring a child or infant?

Yes. Infants ride free in the same room as parents; children 2–11 get 50% discount. Specialized infant seats and prams are available. Spa access is adults only, but children can stay at the hotel.

What time should I take the cogwheel train down on day one?

The tour recommends the 3 pm or 4 pm train. The last train down is at 5 pm, so plan your peak time accordingly.

Is lunch included?

No. Lunch at Rigi-Kulm on day one and in Lucerne on day two are at your own expense. The hotel restaurant is available at the peak.

How much free time do I have at the top of Mt Rigi?

Approximately three to four hours, depending on which cogwheel train you take down.

What's included in the spa access?

Entry to the mineral pools (95°F / 35°C), whirlpool, herbal sauna, steam bath, and crystal spa bath until 7 pm on day one. You can return on day two before descent.

Is there a weekend surcharge?

Yes, CHF 70 per person from Friday to Saturday.