Season guide · Lucerne · Switzerland
Lucerne in summer
June–August: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: JosefLehmkuhl, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Warm days, lake swimming and every boat and mountain route running, with peak crowds, afternoon thunderstorms and the highest hotel prices. Expect highs up to 24°C (75°F) and lows around 12°C (54°F), with about 37 rainy days across June–August. June is among the best months of the year to visit.
Key facts
- Months
- June–August
- Temperatures
- 12°C (54°F) to 24°C (75°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 37
- Crowds
- Very busy
- Hotel prices
- Highest
Weather in summer
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June | 22°C (72°F) | 12°C (54°F) | 13 | 15.9 h | 4/5 |
| July | 24°C (75°F) | 14°C (57°F) | 12 | 15.5 h | 5/5 |
| August | 24°C (75°F) | 14°C (57°F) | 12 | 14.2 h | 5/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 23°C (73°F) against a yearly 14°C (57°F), and 37 of the year's roughly 132 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 5/5 and hotel prices 5/5 on average.
What's on in summer
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- June: Rowing regattas on the Rotsee (late spring to early summer)
- July: Blue Balls Festival — music by the lake (usually July)
- August: Swiss National Day celebrations and fireworks (1 August)
- August: Lucerne Festival summer season at the KKL (usually mid-August to mid-September)
Good choices for summer
Religious site · Hof
Church of St. Leodegar (Hofkirche)
It is a five-minute walk from the Lion Monument, so link the two on the way back to the lake.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Rainy day
Architecture · Station
KKL Luzern and Kunstmuseum Luzern
Jean Nouvel's culture and congress centre beside the station has a vast cantilevered roof reaching out over the lake and a concert hall famed for its acoustics.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Architecture
- Art
- Rainy day
- After dark
Gallery · Neustadt
Rosengart Collection
Start with the Klee rooms downstairs, which are often quieter than the Picasso galleries.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Museum · Löwenplatz
Bourbaki Panorama
A 360-degree painting more than 100 metres long, by Edouard Castres, shows the French Army of the East under General Bourbaki crossing into Switzerland in winter 1871 to be interned.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
Museum · Löwenplatz
Glacier Garden
Climb the garden's lookout tower for a view over the rooftops towards the lake.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Nature
- History
Day trips in summer
- Engelberg and Titlis (About 45 minutes by train, then cable cars) — Engelberg is a mountain village with a Benedictine monastery, and from it a series of cable cars, including the revolving Rotair, climbs to Titlis at about 3,000 metres, with glacier snow year round.
- 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.
What to pack
- Light layers for the day and a light jacket for the evening
- A compact umbrella and waterproof shoes — rain is frequent
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is summer a good time to visit Lucerne?
Yes: June is among the best months. Warm days, lake swimming and every boat and mountain route running, with peak crowds, afternoon thunderstorms and the highest hotel prices.
+What is the weather like in Lucerne in summer?
Highs of up to 24°C (75°F) and lows around 12°C (54°F), with about 37 rainy days over the season.