Voyaggora
Top sights in Lucerne
- Chapel Bridge – Historic wooden bridge over the Reuss River in the city of Lucerne, Switzerland
- Lion Monument – Memorial in city of Lucerne, Switzerland
- Mount Pilatus – Mountain massif in central Switzerland
- Lake Lucerne – Lake at Lucerne, Switzerland
- Swiss Museum of Transport – Museum in Lucerne, Switzerland
Well-known landmarks, each checked against Wikidata (CC0), which also supplies the one-line descriptions. The bookable tours below are the second layer: guided ways to see them.
Top-rated tours in Lucerne
Planning your trip to Lucerne
Best time to visit
May to September offers the best weather for lake cruises and mountain excursions, with summer the busiest period. Late spring and early autumn are quieter and often clear. In winter some high mountain lifts and boat routes run reduced schedules, so check before you plan around them.
How many days you need
One to two days covers the old town, the Chapel Bridge, the lakefront and a boat trip. Add a day for each mountain excursion, such as Mount Pilatus, Rigi or Titlis, which each take most of a day.
Getting around
The old town is small and easily walked. Buses cover the wider city, and boats on Lake Lucerne connect to villages and to the mountain railways and cable cars. Lucerne has direct trains to Zurich and other Swiss cities, making it a convenient base.
What to skip
Mountain excursions are weather-dependent, and there is little point going up in thick cloud; check the summit webcams and forecast on the morning before you buy tickets. The busiest spots around the Chapel Bridge fill with tour groups in the middle of the day, so walk them early or in the evening.
Where to stay in Lucerne
Hotels and vacation rentals around Lucerne with live prices from the big booking sites. Pick your dates on the map to compare.
Hotel map by our partner Stay22. If you book through it we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
Best time to visit Lucerne
The most comfortable months in Lucerne are May to September, with average daytime highs of 64 to 76°F (18 to 24°C) and 14 to 18 rainy days a month. July is the hottest month, averaging 76°F (24°C), and January the coolest at 41°F (5°C). May sees the most rain, around 18 days, while February is the driest with about 12.
Jump to a month: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain (about, mm) | Rainy days | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41°F (5°C) | 31°F (-1°C) | 90 | 14 | Shoulder: 41°F (5°C), 14 rainy days |
| February | 49°F (9°C) | 33°F (1°C) | 80 | 12 | Shoulder: 49°F (9°C), 12 rainy days |
| March | 52°F (11°C) | 35°F (2°C) | 100 | 14 | Shoulder: 52°F (11°C), 14 rainy days |
| April | 57°F (14°C) | 40°F (4°C) | 100 | 13 | Shoulder: 57°F (14°C), 13 rainy days |
| May | 64°F (18°C) | 48°F (9°C) | 150 | 18 | Best: 18 rainy days |
| June | 74°F (23°C) | 57°F (14°C) | 150 | 15 | Best: 15 rainy days |
| July | 76°F (24°C) | 61°F (16°C) | 150 | 18 | Best: 18 rainy days |
| August | 76°F (24°C) | 61°F (16°C) | 160 | 15 | Best: 15 rainy days |
| September | 69°F (21°C) | 55°F (13°C) | 100 | 14 | Best: 14 rainy days |
| October | 61°F (16°C) | 48°F (9°C) | 100 | 14 | Shoulder: 61°F (16°C), 14 rainy days |
| November | 48°F (9°C) | 39°F (4°C) | 90 | 15 | Shoulder: 48°F (9°C), 15 rainy days |
| December | 43°F (6°C) | 33°F (1°C) | 100 | 16 | Shoulder: 43°F (6°C), 16 rainy days |
Average daily high and low, and days with rain (a day with at least 1 mm), from Open-Meteo ERA5 records for 2019-2024. Highlighted rows are the pick above. Verdicts use only these numbers.
Rainfall: NASA POWER monthly normals.
Plan the rest of your trip to Lucerne
More destinations in Europe
Closest guides to Lucerne
Planning guides
Right now in Lucerne
Is it safe to travel to Switzerland right now?
Official US, UK and Canada travel advice for Switzerland, side by side, with each source and the time it was checked. See today's advisory for Switzerland
Lucerne: common questions
- When is the best time to visit Lucerne?
- The best time to visit Lucerne is May to September, when average highs run 64 to 76°F (18 to 24°C) with 14 to 18 rainy days a month. July is the hottest month at 76°F (24°C) on average, and January the coolest at 41°F (5°C).
- What is the rainiest month in Lucerne?
- May, with roughly 18 days of rain. The driest is February, with about 12. A rainy day is a day with at least 1 mm of rain; figures are averages from 2019-2024 records.
- How warm does it get in Lucerne?
- July is the warmest month, averaging 76°F (24°C) by day and 61°F (16°C) at night. January is the coolest, at 41°F (5°C) by day and 31°F (-1°C) at night.
- What is the rainy season in Lucerne?
- The wettest months in Lucerne are January, March and May to December, with 14 to 18 rainy days a month. February is the driest.
- How many days do you need in Lucerne?
- One to two days covers the old town, the Chapel Bridge, the lakefront and a boat trip. Add a day for each mountain excursion, such as Mount Pilatus, Rigi or Titlis, which each take most of a day.
- How do I get around Lucerne?
- The old town is small and easily walked. Buses cover the wider city, and boats on Lake Lucerne connect to villages and to the mountain railways and cable cars. Lucerne has direct trains to Zurich and other Swiss cities, making it a convenient base.
- Is it safe to travel to Switzerland right now?
- Voyaggora shows the official US, UK and Canada travel advisories for Switzerland on one page, with the source and the time each was last checked. Open the live advisory for Switzerland before you book.
- What other places are near Lucerne?
- The closest Voyaggora guides to Lucerne are Zurich (20 miles), Lake Como (90 miles), Milan (120 miles).
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