I based myself in Kriens for five days on my last Switzerland trip, which if you know your Swiss geography means I was sleeping about ten minutes from the Pilatus cable car station the entire time. I spent one of those five days on a full day trip out to Grindelwald First, using my Swiss Travel Pass, and came home with a clear opinion on Pilatus vs Gornergrat vs Grindelwald First: which one is actually worth the money, and which ones are more about the marketing.
Short answer up front: if you're staying in or near Lucerne and only have time for one mountain, Pilatus is the easiest win because it's right there. If you want an actual adventure day out with cliff walks and scooter descents, Grindelwald First earns the extra travel time. Gornergrat has the best view of the three, the Matterhorn, but doing it as a day trip from Lucerne is a genuinely long haul that most people shouldn't attempt casually. Here's the full breakdown, with real prices, so you can pick based on your own trip instead of a brochure.
Quick context on where these numbers come from: five days in Switzerland at the end of May into early June, based the whole time in Kriens in a shared house that worked out to about USD 107 per person per night split between four of us. I ran on a Swiss Travel Pass, which is why the prices below are quoted both full fare and with the pass's 50% discount on mountain excursions, since that discount changes the math on all three of these trips substantially. Grindelwald First was my one big day trip out of Kriens, and the prices for Pilatus and Gornergrat below are current official pricing so you can compare all three on the same terms.
📊 Pilatus vs Gornergrat vs Grindelwald First: the quick comparison
| Pilatus | Gornergrat | Grindelwald First | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base town | Kriens / Alpnachstad (both basically Lucerne) | Zermatt | Grindelwald |
| Travel time from Lucerne (one way) | 20-30 min to Kriens, then a 30-min cable car | 3.5-4 hrs by train, then a 30-min cogwheel | 2.5-3 hrs by train, then a 25-min gondola |
| Round trip, full fare | CHF 84 | CHF 92-132 by season | CHF 72-76 by season |
| Round trip with Swiss Travel Pass (50% off) | CHF 42 | CHF 46-66 | CHF 36-38 |
| Signature experience | Summit hotel, hiking, Dragon Ride toboggan | Matterhorn views from 3,089 m | First Cliff Walk, Trottibike, First Flyer & Glider |
| Realistic as a day trip from Lucerne? | Yes, easily, even half a day | Technically, but a very long day | Yes, this is what I did |
🚂 Gornergrat: the best view, but is it worth a day trip from Lucerne?
Gornergrat is the one with the postcard shot, a cogwheel train that climbs to 3,089 meters above Zermatt with the Matterhorn sitting right in front of you the whole way up. The ride itself is about 30 minutes each way and the round trip ticket costs CHF 92 to CHF 132 depending on the season, cut roughly in half to CHF 46 to CHF 66 with a Swiss Travel Pass, Flex pass, or Half Fare Card.
Here's the part that matters if you're asking whether to do this from a Lucerne base: getting to Zermatt from Lucerne takes 3.5 to 4 hours one way, with at least two changes, since there's no direct train. That's 7 to 8 hours on trains alone for the round trip, on top of the 30-minute cogwheel ride each way and however long you actually spend at the summit. Add it up and you're looking at a 12 to 14 hour day if you want more than a rushed hour up top.
Is it doable? Technically, yes, if you're on an early train and comfortable with a long day. Is it something I'd recommend as a casual day trip the way Grindelwald First is? No. Gornergrat makes far more sense if Zermatt or the Valais region is already part of your route, or if you're willing to overnight nearby, rather than bolting it onto a Lucerne-based trip. The view is real and it's spectacular, I just don't think most people should burn a full vacation day getting to and from it.
If Gornergrat does fit your itinerary, here's the Gornergrat railway ticket to book ahead of time.
🚡 Mount Pilatus: the easiest of the three from a Lucerne base
Pilatus is Lucerne's local mountain, and if you're staying anywhere near Kriens like I was, you can see the cable car station from town. You can go up either from Kriens by cable car (the newer, more direct route) or from Alpnachstad by the world's steepest cogwheel railway, and a lot of people do the "Golden Round Trip," which combines a boat across Lake Lucerne, the cogwheel train up one side, and the cable car down the other.
The round trip ticket runs CHF 84 full fare, or CHF 42 with a Swiss Travel Pass, Half Fare Card, or Eurail/Interrail pass, and that discount only applies on the Kriens/Alpnachstad to Pilatus route specifically. At the top there's a hotel, several hiking trails, and the Dragon Ride, a summer toboggan run that's a popular add-on for families.
It's the kind of excursion that's easy to take for granted precisely because it's so convenient: when a mountain is sitting right outside your hotel window, it's tempting to assume you can do it "any time" and push it to the end of the trip. If you're based in Lucerne even for a couple of nights, put it near the top of your list instead of the bottom, this is the lowest-effort mountain excursion of the three by a wide margin.
Book the Mount Pilatus cable car ticket ahead of time to skip the line at the base station.
🚠 Grindelwald First: what I actually did, and what it cost
From Kriens, the train to Grindelwald took about 2.5 to 3 hours each way with one change, all covered by my Swiss Travel Pass. The gondola up to First cost me CHF 42 round trip after the 50% pass discount.
The First Cliff Walk is included with the gondola ticket, no extra charge, and it's the suspended metal walkway that curves out over the cliff edge with the glass viewing platform at the tip. I also rented a Trottibike, which is the scooter-bike hybrid you ride back down the mountain on marked trails. That's a separate rental from the gondola ticket, currently listed at around CHF 21 for the day.
Two activities I didn't get to were the First Flyer (a zipline) and the First Glider (a suspended flying-position ride), and here's the one tip I'd actually pass on if you're planning this yourself: get there early. Both sell out fast, especially once tour groups start arriving mid-morning, so if either is the reason you're making the trip, don't plan a leisurely late start.
Between the train, the gondola, and the Trottibike, this was the most expensive of the three excursions in absolute terms once you factor in a full day of Swiss trains, but it's also the one with the most to actually do once you're up there. If cliff walks and scooter descents are more your speed than a summit view and a coffee, this is the one that earns its travel time.
Book the Grindelwald First cable car ticket if this is the one you're picking.
🎟️ Do I need to book Grindelwald First activities in advance?
The gondola and Cliff Walk you can generally show up for, but the First Flyer and First Glider sell out, especially by mid-morning. Go early if either is on your list.
👨👩👧👦 Is Pilatus or Grindelwald First better for families?
Pilatus is the easier option with kids since the travel time is minimal and there's a summer toboggan run at the top. Grindelwald First works too but the marquee activities (Trottibike, First Flyer, First Glider) suit older kids and teens better than toddlers.
🎫 Is the Swiss Travel Pass worth it for mountain excursions?
Short answer: on these three alone, yes. The Swiss Travel Pass cuts every one of these round trip tickets roughly in half, which on Gornergrat alone is a CHF 46 to CHF 66 saving. If your itinerary includes even two of these three mountains, plus the unlimited train, bus, and boat travel the pass also covers, it tends to pay for itself fast. I'd have paid roughly CHF 76 for Grindelwald First's gondola alone without it. With it, I paid CHF 42. If you want the full rundown of prices, coverage and day-trip routes, I go deep in my Ultimate Swiss Travel Pass Guide.
🏆 So which should you pick: Pilatus, Gornergrat or Grindelwald First?
If I'm ranking these purely on money versus effort: Pilatus is the best value because it costs the least in both francs and hours from a Lucerne base. Grindelwald First is the best value if you actually want a full day of activity, cliff walk included, and don't mind the longer travel time. Gornergrat has the view that wins on a postcard, but unless it's already on your route, it's the hardest of the three to justify as a single day trip.
If you're based in Lucerne even briefly, put Pilatus on the list, it's the easiest of the three to fit in without derailing the rest of your itinerary.
Whichever one you end up picking, you're going to have a genuinely good day out. Book your ticket, get an early start, and go enjoy the Alps.
