Zurich to Lucerne and Mount Rigi: Private day trip

Beginning as a Benedictine monastery around 750 AD, the city proper didn’t begin to develop until 1178, when Lucerne became independent from Murbach Abbey. In the 14h century, Lucerne was one of the four original cities to form the Swiss Confederacy, which put an end to Austrian rule. Following this victory, the city flourished, and was a popular place to settle in the 16th and 17th centuries. Today, its 17th century Jesuit church is regarded as Switzerland’s first sacral Baroque building. Many of the buildings in the car-free old town are decorated with frescoes, as exemplified in the picturesque ‘Weinmarkt’ square. The town’s defensive wall has been almost perfectly preserved, with only one tower not in its original state. The 14th century Chapel Bridge was constructed as a part of the city's fortification system, and is now the symbol of the city.

Rising 1,798 meters above sea level, and nearly completely surrounded by lakes, Mt. Rigi offers some of the best views in the world. From its peak, visitors can see 13 lakes, the entire Swiss Mittelland, and into to Germany and France. Fortunately, one needn’t be Sir Edmund Hillary to reach the summit, as the surrounding area offers several mechanized modes of transport. One option is to take Europe’s oldest mountain railway from Arth-Goldau and Vitznau. A gondola from Weggis offers aerial views as you make your way to Rigi-Kaltbad, while a cable car from the Kräbel station terminates at Rigi-Scheidegg. For the slightly adventurous, a one-hour hike from Rigi Kaltbad along the "Floral Trail" takes trekkers along a picturesque path with up to 200 different plants pointed out along the trail, some of which are incredibly rare.