Season guide · Lucerne · Switzerland
Lucerne in autumn
September–November: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: User: (WT-shared) ED01 at wts wikivoyage, Public domain
Quick answer
Clear September days and the Lucerne Festival, then autumn colour in October; November is grey and quiet. Expect highs up to 19°C (66°F) and lows around 2°C (36°F), with about 30 rainy days across September–November. September is among the best months of the year to visit.
Key facts
- Months
- September–November
- Temperatures
- 2°C (36°F) to 19°C (66°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 30
- Crowds
- Moderate
- Hotel prices
- Average
Weather in autumn
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September | 19°C (66°F) | 10°C (50°F) | 10 | 12.5 h | 4/5 |
| October | 14°C (57°F) | 7°C (45°F) | 10 | 10.8 h | 3/5 |
| November | 8°C (46°F) | 2°C (36°F) | 10 | 9.3 h | 2/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 14°C (57°F) against a yearly 14°C (57°F), and 30 of the year's roughly 132 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 3/5 and hotel prices 3/5 on average.
What's on in autumn
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- September: Lucerne Festival summer season (usually until mid-September)
- October: SwissCityMarathon Lucerne (usually late October)
- November: Lucerne Blues Festival (usually November)
Good choices for autumn
Gallery · Neustadt
Rosengart Collection
In a former bank building on Pilatusstrasse, the Rosengart family's collection holds a large group of works by Picasso and Paul Klee, plus paintings by Cézanne, Monet, Matisse, Chagall and Miró.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Museum · Löwenplatz
Bourbaki Panorama
Use the audio commentary; it explains scenes in the painting you would otherwise miss.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
Museum · Löwenplatz
Glacier Garden
Next to the Lion Monument, the Gletschergarten preserves glacial potholes and fossils from the Ice Age and a time when the area had a subtropical coast.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Nature
- History
Museum · Tribschen
Richard Wagner Museum, Tribschen
Bring a picnic for the meadow in front of the villa, one of the calmest spots on the lakeshore.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Couples
- Off the beaten path
Museum · Old Town
Natur-Museum Luzern
The city's natural history museum near Kasernenplatz covers local animals, minerals and Alpine habitats, with hands-on displays and some live animals aimed at children.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
Day trips in autumn
- Stanserhorn (About 40 minutes by train, funicular and cable car) — From the small town of Stans, a historic funicular and the CabriO, a cable car with an open-air upper deck, climb to a summit with a 360-degree view over ten lakes.
- Bürgenstock (About 30 minutes by boat and funicular) — A resort ridge above the lake with the Felsenweg cliff path, which leads to the Hammetschwand Elevator, an exterior lift climbing 150-odd metres up the rock face to a viewpoint.
What to pack
- Layers, a warm sweater and a jacket for cool evenings
- Shoes with good grip for icy pavements
- A packable rain jacket for showers
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is autumn a good time to visit Lucerne?
Yes: September is among the best months. Clear September days and the Lucerne Festival, then autumn colour in October; November is grey and quiet.
+What is the weather like in Lucerne in autumn?
Highs of up to 19°C (66°F) and lows around 2°C (36°F), with about 30 rainy days over the season.