12 Best Things to Do in Lucerne on a Budget

Walking around Lucerne feels like you’re in a fairytale land. There are plenty of incredible things to do in Lucerne, even on a budget – get lost meandering across the town’s wooden footbridges, marveling at the intricately painted medieval buildings, and admire the natural beauty that surrounds the city.

Many people are discouraged from traveling to Switzerland because it is known for being one of the most expensive countries. However, it is possible to travel in Switzerland without breaking the bank – we managed to make it work while I was still in grad school and working only part time!

In this article, I’ll share some of my favorite, budget-friendly things to do in Lucerne, Switzerland.

Things to Do in Lucerne on a Budget

Here are our 12 favorite things to do in Lucerne, without breaking the bank!

1. Walk Across Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke)
2. Stroll Along the Reuss River
3. Spreuer Bridge
4. Explore Old Town
5. Town Hall Clock Tower
6. Grab a Beer at Jazzkantine
7. Climb one of Lucerne’s 9 Towers on the Musegg Wall
8. Visit the Lion Monument
9. Enjoy gourmet (but inexpensive) hotdogs at Bierliebe & Friends
10. Take a Cruise on Lake Lucerne
11. Day Trip to Mount Pilatus
12. Go Tobogganing in Frakmuntegg

Map of the best things to do in Lucerne

The map below lays out the location of each of the activities on the list. The first 9 stops can easily be accomplished in one day. The day trip to Mount Pilatus and boat cruise on Lake Lucerne both begin at Bahnhofquai (stop 10 on this map), where you can pick up the boat.

• To view more details about each location, click on the marker on the map.
• To save this map for future use, click the star next to the title. From your phone, open the Google Maps app and click the “saved” tab, followed by the “Maps” icon. From your Gmail account, navigate to Maps –> “Saved” –> “My Maps” –> “Maps” tab.
• To email this map to yourself, click the three dots in the upper right corner.

1. Walk Across Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke)

• Cost | Free
• Estimated Time | 30 minutes

Kapellbrücke (which translates to Chapel Bridge), is Lucerne’s beautiful covered footbridge across the Ruess River. Built in the 14th century, it is the oldest wooden covered footbridge in Europe and one of the most iconic stops in Switzerland.

The bridge’s interior roof is adorned with paintings that depict the history of Switzerland, while the exterior is lined with beautiful pink and purple flowers. In 1993, the bridge caught fire and all but a small portion of the original bridge was destroyed. The bridge as it exists today was rebuilt shortly after in 1994, but remnants of the fire still remain.

Chapel bridge is located in the center of town, so be sure to stop back by later in your evening, as the bridge is even more beautiful at dusk.

2. Stroll Along the Reuss River

• Cost | Free
• Estimated time | 30 minutes to 1 hour

There is nothing quite like Lucerne’s picturesque riverfront. Spend some time strolling through the shops, cafes, and restaurants that line the river.

Be sure to see the Jesuit Church (Jesuitenkirche), a huge Baroque church unmistakable with its double green domes, located on the south bank of the Reuss River.

3. Spreuer Bridge

• Cost | Free
• Estimated time | 30 minutes

Spreuer Bridge may be smaller and less well-known compared to Chapel Bridge, but it’s still worth visiting. Located only about a quarter mile down the river from Chapel Bridge, Spreuer Bridge offers a unique view of Old Town and the Musegg Wall.

4. Explore Old Town

• Cost | Free
• Estimated time | 1 hour

Spend some time meandering through the distinctive streets of Lucerne’s Old Town, marveling at the buildings adorned with colorful, intricately painted medieval frescos. From Weinmarkt Square, you can see the beautiful white Château Gütsch across the river, a luxury hotel that looks more like a castle. The majority of Old Town is located on the north bank of the Ruess River.

5. Town Hall Clock Tower

• Cost | Free
• Estimated time | 30 minutes

From the Ruess River you can’t miss the red roof of the Town Hall Clock Tower. To see it up close, walk just one block back from the river on the north bank to Town Hall square (Rathaus Stadt).

6. Grab a Beer at Jazzkantine

• Cost | $10-$20
• Estimated time | 1 hour

For a break from exploring, stop into Jazzkantine for a beer, located just a 5-minute walk from Chapel Bridge. Jazzkantine is a cozy restaurant and bar that offers a selection of beer and wine and serves freshly baked sourdough. They even have live jazz concerts downstairs. We were pleasantly surprised to find a craft IPA on the draft list!

If you are looking for somewhere to stop for a drink and snack on the south bank of the Ruess, check out Wirtshaus. We stopped here for a local beer and a delicious quiche on their patio.

7. Climb one of Lucerne’s 9 Towers on the Musegg Wall

• Cost | Free
• Time | 1 – 2 hours

There are a total of nine towers along the Musegg Wall, built in the 14th century to protect the city. Luegisland Tower is the tallest of the nine and (Zytuurm) Zyt Tower features the oldest clock tower in the city. You can climb several of the towers, including Zyt Tower, for free for a view of the city, river, and surrounding mountains.

8. Visit the Lion Monument

• Cost | Free
• Time | 30 minutes

Next, visit the Lion Monument, a rock relief statue constructed in 1820 to commemorate the Swiss guards who were massacred in 1792 during the French Revolution. The monument is one of the most popular in all of Switzerland and its magnitude is impossible to capture in a picture.

9. Enjoy gourmet (but inexpensive) hotdogs at Bierliebe & Friends

• Cost | $15 to $30
• Time | 1 hour

Bierliebe & Friends is a casual restaurant right on the Reuss River that offers a selection of good beer and delicious “gourmet” but inexpensive hotdogs, perfect after a long day of exploring. The hotdogs are huge and cost between $11 and $15.

You can even get a hot dog topped with gooey raclette and bacon. The sweet potato fries and cold beer made the perfect accompaniments! If you are looking for somewhere to eat with a view of the river and hardy food, this is the place to go!

10. Take a Cruise on Lake Lucerne

• Cost | Free with Swiss Pass
• Time | 1 – 3 hours

If you plan to hike or visit Mount Pilatus, part of your journey will include a lovely boat ride on Lake Lucerne to get to Alpnachstad. But if you don’t have time for the full day trip, we recommend at least riding the ferry on Lake Lucerne. The views from the water of the mountain region surrounding Lucerne are worth the ride. The best part, its completely covered by the Swiss Pass!

The boat makes several stops at different towns along the lake, including Beckenried, Brunnen, Flüelen, Meggen, Vitznau and Weggis, so you can choose to ride as long as you please. Once you get off the boat, spend some time exploring the town and then catch a train or bus back to Lucerne.

11. Day Trip to Mount Pilatus

• Cost | $36 – $102
• Time | 4 – 6 hours

Taking a day trip to Mount Pilatus is a must if you are staying in Lucerne! With a peak almost 7,000 feet above sea-level, Mount Pilatus is one of the tallest mountains in the area and the summit provides unmatched views of the Swiss Alps high above the clouds.

If you don’t have a Swiss Pass, getting to Mount Pilatus is costly. With a Swiss Pass, the entire trip will only cost 36 CHF ($40) per person. Or to save a little money, you can opt to hike the whole thing or hike up and take the cogwheel train back down. The hike up from Alpnachstad to Pilatus is 8km.

12. Go Tobogganing in Frakmuntegg

• Cost | $10
• Estimated Time | 1 hour

Tobogganing, aka alpine sliding, involves sitting in a small cart that fits into a narrow track. You’ll zip down the mountain, passing by Swiss cows happily grazing with a perfect view of Lake Lucerne below you. If you haven’t had the pleasure of experiencing a toboggan ride before, this will make you feel like a kid again!

If you are planning to take the day trip to Mount Pilatus, Frakmuntegg is a convenient stop off the cable car on the way down to Kriens. Otherwise, you can get there by taking a bus to Kriens and then hop on the cable car up to Frakmuntegg.

Lucerne | FAQs

How do I get around in Lucerne?

Lucerne is a small city, so it can easily be explored on foot. A section of Old Town is foot traffic only.

The bus system in Lucerne is also timely and efficient (like everything else in Switzerland!), and covered by the Swiss Pass.

Where should I stay in Lucern?

We stayed in an Airbnb located up the hill behind the Church of Leodegar. This is a great area to stay on a budget. It’s a little bit out of the way but much less expensive than staying in Old Town or the city center. We could reach the Chapel Bridge by walking in about 20 minutes or easily hop on a bus to save time.

We paid only $100 per night for an incredible Airbnb that had a mini kitchen, living room, dining room and balcony – it was way more space than we needed. I couldn’t recommend this place more. I mean, just look at the view from our balcony!

How else can I save money in Lucerne?

• Pack lunches! It’s true that eating out in Switzerland can be costly. Packing lunches is an easy way to save money by avoiding eating out, especially if you are taking the trip to Mount Pilatus, where the restaurant at the peak is very overpriced. There is a Coop grocery store located in the train station, where you can get everything you need to make sandwiches for the day.
• Get a Swiss Pass. Seriously, if you are traveling in Switzerland for 4 days or more, this is totally worth it. The upfront cost may seem high, but you will end up saving money over your trip. Read more about the Swiss Pass here.
• Take the bus. In lieu of an Uber or Taxi, opt to the take the bus. Its easy, efficient, and covered by the Swiss Pass (although still cheap if you don’t have one).
• Skip the plastic water bottle. All fountains in Switzerland are clean, safe water to drink, unless explicitly stated otherwise. There are nearly 1200 potable fountains across the country. Even beautiful fountains that may appear to be only for show are safe to drink. So bring a reusable bottle and take advantage of having fresh, clean water all around the city.

Other Switzerland resources

Planning a trip to Switzerland? Check out these other resources to help you plan your adventures:

Have you been to Lucerne? Let us know your favorite experiences in the comments section below!