Independent Rigi Tour from Lucerne With Cruise

Nice Experience; Avoid cable car

The boat ride and cog wheel train were very fun and the weather cooperated. Mount Rigi was beautiful and worth the experience. However, the cable car ride down to Weser was a total bust. Packed in standing room only with no seating was horrible and hot. That was a Covid/germ incubator. Don’t recommend cable car; train both ways to and from the top.

View was amazing!!

The view from the top of Mt. Rigi, the cog train ride, and the cable car ride. We were able to spend as much time as we wanted at different stops because there wasn’t a guide/group we had to stay with.

Snow

Excellent experience. A lot for an independent tour thought. A bit more information on the departure locations would have been helpful. Unfortunately, the Alps was fogged in on the day, but plenty of snow!

No details given by Viator

Viator doesn’t give any details as to what route to take or anything. You have to figure out everything yourself. No point in getting the tickets though Viator. You can go on your own instead.

So glad we did this tour- easy to navigate and something not to be missed

We absolutely loved this tour. The boat across the lake was spectacular with views for miles. The workers on top of Mt.. Rigi were knowledgeable and helpful with views not to be missed. The only drawback was that the cable car ride had been cancelled a year ago (according to the shopkeeper at the top of Mt. Rigi) and showed me the information that the cable car had been inoperative for a year! It seems like Viator should have had this information ahead of time but I did contact Viator's customer service for a partial refund and will hopefully get a positive outcome

Amazing!

Such an amazing experience! This is tickets for the boat ride over and the train ride up the mountain. Just download the timetables yourself for the Lucerne boat and your all set! There was snow at the top of the mountain!

Great experience start to finish.

The tour was extremely easy to navigate. The instructions were clear and every member of staff we came across were beyond helpful. We were out from 8:30 and returned at 13:00 having completed the lake cruise, cog train and cable cars. The views from the summit of Rigi were incredible despite some mist and the cable car experience returning to Weggis was the highlight of the experience. Highly recommend as a day trip to experience the beautiful scenery.

Visit Rigi

Train ride on old and new train. Brilliant experience. Ride on the cruise was amazing. Resturant and shops were very good

Easy and convenient

Easy and convenient way to see Mt Rigi! This ticket was basically our "free pass" on all of the transportation up the mountain. If you are not interested in hiking back down to kaltbad from kulm make sure you study the train schedule! We stayed in Weggis and took the boat to Lucerne later with no issues.

Great tour, problems with ticket

The self guided tour was great. It was a splendid way to spend a day. The people checking tickets on the boat were unsure about the tickets we had purchased. I would recommend purchasing tickets directly through the vendor instead of via TripAdvisor.

Wonderful lake/Alps trip to my Rigi!

The lake cruise was exceptional and the cogwheel train was fabulous! We enjoyed the entire tour. The weather was perfect.

We were not favoured with good weather.

Both the ferry and the cogwheel railway were good, but unfortunately it was a whiteout at the top and we couldn’t see a thing.

Great way to experience the Alps!

We decided to do the independent tour on a recent trip to Lucerne. Everything went very smoothly - the tickets were easy to get and covered the boat ride, the railroad and the cable car. It was great being able to tour at our own pace and spend as much or little time at each stop. The only criticism is that’s a bit of a walk from the cable car drop off in Weggis to the ferry port. My mom is on a Walker, and it would have been good to know about that. All the other connections were very close, but mobility is important for that last connection. We wouldn’t have made it if we had done the reverse trip and had to go UP that hill! But overall ver reasonable price and great experience. And the VIEWS!,,

We could do tour at our...

We could do tour at our own pace and enjoy the boat ride and train ride. (The gondola was out of service).

Beautiful mountain but no cable car as advertised

Great experience as usual but very disappointed we weren’t informed about the cable car being out of action. We did pay for the experience of the full package but sadly didn’t get it!

Lost above Luzern

Great way to see the countryside and mountains near Luzern but the instructions were awful. Nervous all day trying to figure out what to do and what was included. They could have made this an exceptional trip with a few more instructions included with the ticket.

Poor Communication by Trip Advisor & Tour Operator!

The first boat left us at the Pier ! The second boat had to be told not to leave me with in the bathroom , they were pounding on the bathroom door for me to get out … I did pulling my trousers up and running down the steps and jumping off the boat so I could be with the rest of my party . HUMILIATING !!!!! Next they tell you NOTHING -they yell at you in German - dropped us off at Rigi Klum and there is no one there to help you or even tell you when to be ready for the next train down . There are times posted from December nothing current . So we missed the train down and had to sit in freezing rain for an hour to head down . Yes it’s am independent tour the least you could provide is some guidance , time tables -anything would be nice . If you don’t speak German forget it — they yell at you ! I guess after a 2 year lockdown they don’t need any tourist money they must be financially secure , that is why no one is working ! I bet on a clear day it’s beautiful on a cold rainy day it’s awful ! And they wouldn’t even let us reschedule! Lesson learned is I am NOT going to book anymore with Trip Advisor ,tired of these second hand companies pushing us around like cattle and treating us like crap . A little respect goes a long way …

Independent Rigi Tour from Lucerne

We may have been able to do this on our own for less money, but this tour turned out to be great! It was nice to not have to figure out the schedules and the options all on our own. Everything was smooth from the boat ride across the lake to the cogwheel train up the mountain and the gondola back down. The view from Reggie mountain is spectacular, and you can spend as much time as you like on the mountain. You have the option of walking and hiking as little or as much as you want. The weather was perfect for us, and this was a wonderful excursion from our visit in Lucerne. Loved it!

Great tour

This was a great all-inclusive tour. Got to see Mt. Rigi. The scenery going up the mountain was phenomenal. Also the tram ride and train ride showed us a good view of all the surrounding hills of Lucerne.

Prepare for cold, rainy weather in May

This is a self guided tour. You basically just print out your ticket and show the barcode to the attendant on each of the transportation points. Unfortunately, we went in early May and you couldn’t see anything the fog was so thick. We hiked about two hours from the top of the mountain down through a few towns but it was rainy and cold. We didn’t see anyone else hiking and assumed they had probably got right back on the cogwheel at the top to go back down. I would still suggest to go just be prepared for bad weather or no visibility at the top

The Views!!!

We were lucky to have a sunny day for this tour. The views from the top on Mt. Rigi we’re breathtaking! Pictures cannot do it justice. There is a slight climb from the cog wheel train to the very top. So worth it! We did other mountain excursions, and this was our favorite!

White out conditions on...

White out conditions on top of Mt Rigi made hiking the trail difficult at times but a great overall experience. I strongly recommend.

the place is awesome but you can do it yourself. You don't need to book through Viator.

We were told to meet at a certain point and the directions were not clear and when there was mention of a meeting point there was no one there and they did not mention clearly what was to be expected and what needed to be done. When we went to the ticket center we were told that the cable car rides were cancelled and yet they expected the entire fare. the whole cruise was confusing. We were not given any maps or details as to what to expect or what was going to happen. We had to talk to other travelers to get the information. We could have done this by ourselves and with less stress. It did not make sense going with Viator. In fact it wasted our time and caused us huge stress.

Mount Rigi Tour

The tour was absolutely stunning from the beautiful boat cruise on Lake Lucerne to the cogwheel train to take us up Rigi, the stunning views at the top right down to the cable car to take us back down to Weggis. The only problem we had was none of the steps of the journey recognised the ticket we were provided with by Viator. All said we should have a QR Code. The barcode ticket we had was not scannable. Luckily everyone spoke English and we were able to explain what it was.

My husband and I very...

My husband and I very much enjoyed taking the cog train up halfway and then hiking the rest of the way up to the peak. I would recommend not taking the gondola down on a busy day as they seem to pack you in like sardines. Additionally, make sure to wear sunscreen!

Bundling of tickets tour

This “tour” is a bundling of ferry tickets,cog wheel train ride and the cable car. There needed to be more instructions as to which ferry stop to get off for the cogwheel train. It is an independent tour, the views at the top of Rigi and from the ferry boat were gorgeous but more details as to each segment would have been nice.

Highlight of our trip

Loved the trip. Cog railway was great. Went through the clouds and into the sun and snow capped mountains. Just wish we had scheduled more time at the top.

Beautiful scenery

We enjoyed this excursion but we would have been more comfortable if more information was provided. Since it stated to start from pier 1 it does not indicate the boat to take and where to get off. The crew was very helpful providing a map and by indicating where to disembark and then where to board after the gondola ride down. It is about a 10 minute walk

Exactly what we wanted

This is exactly what we wanted and gave us the full Swiss experience. Note this is essentially a ticket on the public transportation system. Download the SBB mobile app and search for time frames. Our boat left Pier 1 at 8:12. You can basically choose your own times. We got the first boat and then took the train to top of Mt. Rigi we then hiked down to the Cable car. There are numerous trails you can take. Get a map on the train up. The hiking was stunning. Walking right through pastures and cows with bells. The cows come right up to you. We hiked a good 4 miles with amazing views. Again numerous trails. Then take the cable car down. Just be ready to walk a good bit down hill to the next boat back to Lucerne. Again you can see the time tables on the SBB app.

Mt. Rigi tour

The tour description did not make it evident that the entire tour was self-guided. Nor were we provided with the timetables described in the description of the tour. As such, we had to plan most of our tour as we went. This only became evident by reading others comments/reviews as we were arriving for the departing ferry. I would highly recommend that description be updated to clearly state there are no tour guides from the beginning and that what you are essentially purchasing is only advanced tickets. (Especially since other Viator tours usually have at least one guide at the beginning.) This is especially frustrating as trial markers are very infrequent on Mt. Rigi making it it difficult to self-guide with the limited resources provided.

absolutely amazing

very highly recommend this trip! it was very easy to find the piers/stations for the various rides, and all you needed was the print out from Viator. The boat, train, and cable car all ran on regular intervals, and the timetables were posted at the various stations. we ended up coming back on the boat an hour earlier because we were worn out. the train and cable car ran every 30 minutes and the boat ran every hour until 7 pm (if i recall correctly, don't exactly quote me on that). it made it very easy to explore mount rigi at our own leisure. i would recommend doing the full day, as i don't think the half day would be enough time. we ended up with 30 minutes in Weggis before the boat and even that was nice, so don't worry about filling your time for the full day. many restaurants scattered on the mountain, some are very small - we tried Restaurant BärgGnuss in Rigi Staffel and would highly recommend that - it's attached to a hotel owned by the train company, and the food and views were just spectacular. you can ride the train all the way to the top (rigi klum) and then it's only a 20-30 minute walk down a nice paved path to rigi staffel. plenty of other hiking around if you're into that, but it snowed the day before we went, so we only stuck to the paved paths

Would have been great if the weather didn't suck!

I was a little worried and confused at first trying to navigate my own way from the boat to getting off at the correct stop, when to get off the cogwheel train, when to get back on it to get to the tram, and where to catch the boat back to Lucerne after getting off the tram. However, as long as you follow the crowd and/or aren't afraid to ask for help, you will be just fine! The staff is kind, patient, and very helpful. As far as the tour itself, the day that I did this excursion, it was unfortunately cloudy, cold, and rainy. When I arrived at the peak by the cogwheel train, which was a very fun ride, it was too cold and cloudy to walk around the peak, so I had to sit in the shop for about an hour and a half to wait for the cogwheel train down to where you get on the tram. The tram ride was incredible! Overall, I recommend this activity but try your best to time it out with the weather so you don't end up like me!

Not a huge fan of it being...

<p>Not a huge fan of it being self-guided, only because I wanted some reassurance on where to go and how to read the time timetables. However, the staff that runs the cogwheel train and the people who work in the shop at the top of the mountain are super helpful. Also, I don't want to give this tour only 3 stars because it wouldn't be fair to judge this experience on the fact that I had terrible weather when I went. It would have been great to have the 2 hours to walk around the peak of the mountain if it weren't so cloudy and rainy when I went :</p>

This was great, you basically can...

<p>This was great, you basically can choose your own adventure, if you choose the whole day you can come back whenever so it just gives you great flexibility. The one word of caution is if you are traveling in off season some things may not be operating. In early April, the cable car on the way back was closed for almost all of april due to maintenance. We did not find this out from the operator but had to pay attention to the timetables as well as listen for the announcement it was closed. Viator was great about refunding a portion of it and we found our way back without much issue, but it's something to be aware of.</p>

NOTE - this is merely an advanced...

<p>NOTE - this is merely an advanced ticket purchase, which is a bit less expensive than if you had done it yourself. Make sure to check the timetable for the train to Rigi Kulm the top from Rigi Kaltbad where the cable car takes you. Your voucher is your ticket, so no need to stand in line., If not careful, you will miss your train to the top and have to wait another hour for the next one, limiting your time at the top. Mt Rigi is great if you are into hiking and outdoorsy stuff like that. For people who don't hike, there isn't much to see. As is stated in the important information section, be sure to check the time the boat is leaving from Vitznau this is a different location than you are dropped at and you need to check the boat timetable. My boat left 15 minutes earlier than initially scheduled. Also, note the :cruise of Lake Lucerne is merely the boat going from dock to dock on its usual circuit of pick-ups/drop-offs.</p>

This was such a great day. Started...

<p>This was such a great day. Started off with a cruise on Lake Lucerne. The weather was perfect. So many beautiful sites along the way to the base of Mt. Rigi. Rode the cogwheel car to the top of the mountain. It was absolutely breathtaking up there. We brought a picnic lunch and stopped in the little store they had up top and got a bottle of wine to enjoy with our picnic. Lots of grassy areas and benches to relax up there. Took lots of photos of the beautiful sites. Saw people paragliding from the top. Rode the cogwheel back down a few stops to where the tram was. Tram ride was great with the exception of them cramming too many people in at once. Luckily I was able to be on the outside in order to take pictures. Once you get to the bottom you have to walk a ways to get the boat back. We enjoyed all the different looking houses and we saw some goats in a field that had bells on. Was a magnificent day with my hubby. Would highly recommend it.</p>

Beautiful views from the top! Very...

<p>Beautiful views from the top! Very easy to navigate independently and I appreciated the freedom to leave when I pleased!</p>

A little confusing at first since...

<p>A little confusing at first since the ticket booth at the boat gate had no idea what we were talking about. We thought we needed vouchers for each leg of the trip. Go directly onto the boat and just board the other different transports. They recognize the one vouchers that you print on the website. It appears you can customize it any way you want. Full and half day tours were the same price. When we arrived early for our afternoon half day, the boat conductor let us board without questions....same for all the other rides. Even if it appears a little overcast the clouds go in and out and you always get a spectacular view. Wonderful boat ride and the train ride up was a great experience. The excursion was more than we ever expected!</p>

When I received the booking...

<p>When I received the booking confirmation for the full day tour option I was dismayed at not receiving the travel timetables for the different modes of transport remember this is not a 'guided tour', more of a round-trip travel booking. The point of wanting the timetable is so as to understand when the cogwheel train departs and the different stops it makes on its way up the mountain, and what times the cable car departs. The promised timetable was not, unfortunately, provided. Nor was it clear which ferry stop we had to get off at for the cogwheel train. HOWEVER, Swiss efficiency means that a print-out of our voucher was accepted on the ferry, train and cable car despite being managed by different operators. The day of the tour was unbelievably sunny and the sky was clear. The ferry ride about 30 minutes was great. I can't remember the correct stop for the cogwheel train, but just ask one of the ferry staff and they'll let you know. The train ride was simply breathtaking. We went right up to the top. Great respect for the hikers who were legging it up the mountain - many of them a ripe old age and their fitness made me feel suddenly self-conscious about all my extra middle-age weight!!! After an hour or two at the top we took the train back down a few stops to where the cable car is. You'll recognise it because its quite built up not like the other stops filled with quaint and often traditional styled cottages. If you're ever unsure, just ask the staff/conductor and they'll set you straight on which stop to get off at. Remember - take care which train you take down from the very top as there are 2 seperate routes down the mountain leading to 2 very different end destinations. We took the slow easy stroll down to the station just before the one at the top and from there you can better see where the train lines seperate. The cable car ride down was terrific but, and I cannot stress this enough, the cogwheel train up was absolutely breathtaking. Do your darndest to get a seat by the window if you're looking up towards the top of the mountain then choose the left side of the carriage. The picture opportunity is unsurpassed and again - the trip up is absolutely amazing. Not having a guide was no trouble at all as the different operators are all professional and well informed so can direct if you are unsure of anything. Highly recommend this.</p>

We enjoyed the Mount Rigi Tour, the...

<p>We enjoyed the Mount Rigi Tour, the views were spectacular and the half day was more than sufficient. The only issue we had was with the cable car to Weggis. We were packed into the car like sardines in order to fit a large tour group that came at the last minute. It was extremely uncomfortable and we were unable to see anything. I don't know if this was unusual or just bad luck.</p>

Perfect way to see the best of Lake...

<p>Perfect way to see the best of Lake Lucerne and Mount Rigi. Had a fantastic day. Go at your own pace. Would do it again.</p>

Beautiful Lake Lucerne cruise on an...

<p>Beautiful Lake Lucerne cruise on an old paddle boat was so fun and the crew was so nice! We loved seeing Mount Rigi. Great way to spend our day!!!</p>

Actually I'd give it a 3.5. Biggest...

<p>Actually I'd give it a 3.5. Biggest issue was info provided under Tour Details, specifically: pre-booked tickets 1/2 page w/a barcode, detailed timetables but no info about where/how to get them. Also, although we knew the town name of Weggis as the return trip point to catch the boat back to Lucerne, the information wasn't clear that we would go past Weggis and get off at Vitznau. It's in Vitznau where you get on the cog train just follow the crowd!!!. Then, coming down off the mountain, only a careful observer on the way up would notice that you only came back down on the train for two stops to get on the gondola that would take you to Weggis. If you didn't pick up on that little fact you'd find yourself back in Vitznau! Perhaps it's a language issue between Viator and Americans, but I felt their instructions were a bit vague. HOWEVER, in spite of the above, we found our way but weather was so-so, coolish and not pleasant enough to hike around and actually spend 2 hours at the top. We left after only an hour and one beer! Be sure you take the RED train down! Views were spectacular and would've been even better, I'm sure, if it had been sunny and blue skies.</p>

The departure time for the boat from...

<p>The departure time for the boat from Luzern to Vitznau had changed ... I was lucky to be early otherwise I had missed the boat!</p>

This was a good tour because it...

<p>This was a good tour because it covered all modes of transportation needed to reach the summit. The boat dock was very easy to find.</p>

We took this tour last Thursday and...

<p>We took this tour last Thursday and it would have been much more enjoyable if it had been a better day weatherwise. Did not stay at the top of Mt Rigi at all because it was fogged in so don't know what there would have been to see. Did enjoy the cog train ride and cable car ride. Ride across the Lake was cold and foggy but much nicer on our return. Would not hesitate to book with Viator again and would definitely recommend to others if the situation should arise. Viator cannot control the weather.</p>

The trip is fantastic. We took the...

<p>The trip is fantastic. We took the half day option and it was more than enough. You just have to know the steps and the time table exactly before you start your tour as thee won't be a tour guide but people there are helpful. I do recommend it for all visitors of Switzerland. Amuzing.</p>

This was a lovely half-day...

<p>This was a lovely half-day excursion. We enjoyed the opportunity to go into the alps and see the wonderful views from Mt. Rigi at our own pace.</p>

Was an enjoyable trip once the...

<p>Was an enjoyable trip once the clouds cleared. If it is cloudy you will not see any of the views. I would recommend printing the tickets as it was difficult to show the ticket checkers on my phone.</p>

The trip was very smooth as all of...

<p>The trip was very smooth as all of the officers were known to our printed Viator vouchers. The boat trip was excellent and we enjoyed the beautiful very much along the Luzern Lake. There was snowing heavily when we were going up to Rigi. The snowing view thru out the train window was absolutely enjoyable in another way! At the Rigi Kulm, there was still snowing and we could not view the stunning paronama view of the beautiful Luzern lake. But, we were still enjoying the snow flakes while doing the snow-hiking around the mountain peak! There was unfortunate that we could not make the cable car trip down due to the cable car service was under maintenance. Anyhow, we made the return train back and re-boarding the boat back to Lucerne jetty. Absolutely recommended and worthy to join!</p>