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6 Not-to-miss Day Trips from Lucerne, Switzerland - Lugano and the Swiss Miniature

Updated: Sep 25

Lugano lies in the far south of Switzerland in the Italian-speaking region of Ticino. The city lies along the massive Lake Lugano.

If you're travelling with kids, then your vacation to Switzerland will be incomplete without a visit to this region.


There is a scenic train, the Gotthard Panorama Express, connecting the north and south of Switzerland, which combines a boat and train journey.

Lugano was last on our trip.


We had done enough scenic routes, both on boats and trains, so we skipped this scenic train and settled for the regular train journey, which takes about 2 to 2.5 hours to reach from Lucerne.


Like the rest of Switzerland, Lugano is also extremely beautiful. Ideally, one should plan to stay here for a few days; although a day trip was also quite gratifying.


It has the wondrous Lake Lugano, the iconic mountain peak Monte San Salvatore, cathedrals and beautiful churches and the insanely cute, Swiss Miniature Park. One can walk along the lake promenade, enjoying the views of the peaks across the shore.


Swiss Miniature


We planned to start our day trip with a visit to the Swiss Miniature.

All of Switzerland's major landmarks, 130, to be precise, have been built here on a scale of 1:25.

There are miniature train engines that run along small railway lines that are almost 3.5 kilometres long. Mini-funiculars and mini-cars are shown running on small roads and are made to perfection. The detailing that has gone into making these miniatures is awe-inspiring.



My Tip

If you're travelling with kids, then don't give this one a miss. You'll need about 2.5 hours to see the park.

As I've mentioned earlier, Lugano was last on our trip. My kids went into a frenzy trying to identify the miniatures of all the famous landmarks that we had seen in the last few days.

There is a small boating pond in the park for very small kids and a small toy train for a joyride through the park.

Everything about this park was so endearing that missing it would be a shame if you have small kids travelling with you.


Lake Lugano


Toy train in Lugano Switzerland

We spent a good 3 hours in the park and then went to Lake Lugano. There is a beautiful waterfront promenade offering stunning views of the lake.

There are jetties along the shore of the lake for daily excursions by paddle boats and steamers. We hired one such paddle boat for 4 people.

The boat was hilariously slow and difficult to paddle, but the views all around were stunning.

One can see the famous Monte San Salvatore from the lake. There is a 12-minute funicular to the top with 360-degree views of the city of Lugano. We had no time left for it, but if you have time, then it's worth the effort.


Monte San Salvatore

around town in Lugano Switzerland
in front of Lake Lugano in Lugano Switzerland

Walking through the city and eating Piadine

Lugano is warmer than the rest of Switzerland. Walking through the city was a very pleasing experience. While in Lugano, you must try their famous Piadine.

Piadine is similar to a taco, just thicker. It can be eaten with a variety of fillings and is easily available in any roadside eatery. So, you can have it on the go.

This was our last day in Switzerland, and it ended on a high note, especially for our kids.

Travelling with kids to Switzerland? For more fun tips and things to remember, click on the links below -


1. Day trip to Mount Pilatus


2. Tobogganing at Mt. Pilatus


3. Day trip to Brienz and Interlaken


4. Day trip to Jungfraujoch


5. Day trip to Titlis

6. Day trip to Bern




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