From Zurich: Day Trip to Jungfraujoch - Top of Europe
Twelve hours from Zurich with the gondola and the cogwheel train in the fare, and at least two hours at the top.
From $319 per person
Check AvailabilitySwiss Alps Tours from Lucerne
From Lucerne you can reach the Jungfrau region in a day, by coach or by train. There is one guided coach day from the city, and it is a valley day: it takes you to Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen, but not up a mountain. Before you book a Swiss Alps day tour from Lucerne, decide whether you want the villages or the summit.
The guided day from Lucerne
TourFrom Lucerne: Guided Tour to Grindelwald & Lauterbrunnen
FareFrom $114 per person
LengthAbout 10 hours
StartsThe operator's office in Lucerne
The coach leaves Lucerne and crosses the Brünig Pass into the Bernese Oberland. You get 45 minutes of free time in Interlaken, then about four hours in Grindelwald and one hour in Lauterbrunnen. The drive back to Lucerne takes about two hours. The day can run in reverse, so check the order when you book.
The guide speaks English and Spanish. The tour is not suitable for wheelchair users. It has a 4.5 rating from 1,115 reviews, and free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Want Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen from Lucerne?
Coach, guide and four hours in Grindelwald, from the operator's office in Lucerne. The lifts are yours to add.
What the Lucerne day does not include
- No lift in the fare: the First gondola, the Glacier Gorge and Pfingstegg are optional, at your own cost.
- No summit: the day stays in the villages. It does not reach the Jungfraujoch.
- No meals: food and drinks are extra.
Four hours in Grindelwald is enough for a lift of your own. The First gondola takes 25 minutes and starts at CHF 38, so you can ride up and walk towards the Bachalpsee. If you want the lifts paid and planned for you, the Interlaken tours start 1 hour 48 minutes away by train.
The Luzern-Interlaken Express instead
The train runs the same way over the Brünig Pass, direct from Lucerne to Interlaken Ost in 1 hour 48 minutes. On an October weekday it leaves Lucerne at 8:06 and 9:06. From Interlaken Ost, the valley trains reach Lauterbrunnen in 22 minutes and Grindelwald in 36.
| The guided coach day | The train on your own | |
|---|---|---|
| Route | Over the Brünig Pass by coach | Luzern-Interlaken Express, then valley trains |
| Time to Interlaken | About 2 hours by coach | 1 hour 48 minutes, direct |
| Guide | Yes, in English and Spanish | No |
| Lifts | Not in the fare | Not in the ticket; half price or less with a pass |
| Price | From $114 per person | Your train fare, or a pass day |
With a Swiss Travel Pass the train costs you nothing extra, and the lifts cost half or less. The coach day suits you if you want a guide and a fixed plan. The train suits you if you want to go up a mountain.
A day on the train, from Lucerne to Grindelwald
If you go on your own, the day is easy to plan. On an October weekday the direct train leaves Lucerne at 8:06 and reaches Interlaken Ost at 9:54. Trains to Grindelwald leave every half hour and take 36 minutes, so you can be in the village before 11:00.
From there, the First gondola takes 25 minutes, and the Bachalpsee is about an hour's walk from the top. That is a full, unhurried day with a mountain lake in it. Check the last train back to Lucerne before you set off, and allow the same two and a half hours for the return.
Mountains nearer Lucerne
You do not have to go as far as Interlaken for snow. Titlis rises above Engelberg, 49 minutes from Lucerne by train with one change. The top station stands at 3,020 m, and the return fare from Engelberg is CHF 102. The guided Titlis day starts in Zurich, not Lucerne, but it makes a short stop in Lucerne on the way.
Closer still, Pilatus and the Rigi rise over Lake Lucerne. The cogwheel railway up Pilatus from Alpnachstad has climbed gradients of up to 48 percent since 1889, the steepest in the world. The Rigi is free with a Swiss Travel Pass.
So which base? Stay in Lucerne for one mountain day and the lake. Stay in Interlaken for two or more, or for any summit tour, because most of them meet there. The full comparison of bases is on where to stay.
Want a summit instead?
The Titlis day from Zurich stops in Lucerne on the way to Engelberg, and carries the cable cars, the Ice Flyer and the Cliff Walk.
Lucerne questions
Can you visit the Swiss Alps from Lucerne in a day?
Yes. The guided coach day runs about 10 hours, with four hours in Grindelwald and one in Lauterbrunnen. By train, Interlaken Ost is 1 hour 48 minutes from Lucerne.
Does the Lucerne coach day go up a mountain?
No. It stops in Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen and Interlaken, and any lift you take is at your own cost. First, the Glacier Gorge and Pfingstegg are listed as optional extras.
Which mountain is closest to Lucerne?
Pilatus and the Rigi rise over Lake Lucerne itself. Titlis is 49 minutes away by train, above Engelberg.
Does the Titlis day start in Lucerne?
No. It starts in Zurich and makes a short guided stop in Lucerne on the way. If you stay in Lucerne, check with the operator before you book.
Where these facts come from
- SBB timetable (journeys planned for Wednesday 7 October 2026)
- Jungfrau Railways: Grindelwald-First
- Engelberg-Titlis: summer prices and operating times
- SBB: the travel pass for visitors
- Wikipedia (German): Pilatus (Berg)
Tours from Zurich or the Bernese Oberland instead
Grindelwald -Kleine Scheidegg-Lauterbrunnen Small Group Day Trip
Seven hours by train for up to 15: Grindelwald, two hours at Kleine Scheidegg, Wengen and the valley, second class in the fare.
From $412 per person
Check Availability
Zurich: 4 Countries in One Day Private Tour
A private day from your Zurich hotel through four countries, with road tolls, parking and water in the fare.
From $301 per person
Check AvailabilityNext: check train times on getting there, see the Zurich days on tours from Zurich, or compare every tour on Swiss Alps Tours.