Before you go

Your trip to Lugano.

Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.

Lugano – Ticino

How to get there

Aeroporto de Milão Malpensa (Aeroporto di Milano Malpensa) (MXP) Ferno, Itália · 70 km
Aeroporto de Zurique (Flughafen Zürich) (ZRH) Kloten · 200 km
Estação de Lugano (Stazione di Lugano) 1 km

Approximate road distances. Check flights and bus schedules before you travel.

Confirm before booking. The nearest international airport is Milão Malpensa, about 70 km away, with train and bus connections to Lugano. Lugano station receives trains from Zurique in about 2 hours via the Gotardo base tunnel, and from Milão in roughly 1h15. In season, the Bernina Express Bus arrives from Tirano in about 3 hours. By car, via the A2 motorway.

How many days

Two days allow for the center, the cathedral, Santa Maria degli Angioli, the LAC and one of the hills on the first day, and the other hill and one of the lakeside villages on the second. With three days, include Gandria and Morcote by boat.

When to go

From April to October the weather is mild, with more boat services and funiculars running. In spring the parks’ camellias and azaleas bloom. July and August are warm and busy. In winter some funiculars close for maintenance and boat services are reduced.

The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.

Do you need a car?

No. The center is walkable, the funicular links the station to the center, the funiculars climb the hills and boats and buses reach the lakeside villages. Guests staying at a hotel in Lugano often receive a local transport card; ask at reception.

Suggested itinerary

An order that works

Built with the places on this page. No rush: it's paced so you have time to see them.

One day in Lugano

Morning
Cathedral of San Lorenzo and city center
From the station, walk down to the cathedral of San Lorenzo, with its Renaissance façade and lake view. Continue through the center streets to the Piazza della Riforma and Via Nassa, with arcades.
Afternoon
Santa Maria degli Angioli and LAC
At the end of Via Nassa, enter the church of Santa Maria degli Angioli to see Bernardino Luini’s Passion fresco. Next door, visit the art museum at the LAC.
Late afternoon
Monte San Salvatore
Take the funicular in Paradiso and ride up to San Salvatore for the end of the day above the lake, with the Alps in the background.
Evening
Dinner in the center
Restaurants and grotti, the taverns of Ticino, serve Italian-influenced cuisine, with risotto, polenta and the region’s merlot wines.

2 days in Lugano

Day 1

Morning
Cathedral and city center
Catedral de San Lorenzo, Piazza della Riforma and Via Nassa.
Afternoon
Santa Maria degli Angioli and LAC
Luini's fresco and the Museu de Arte da Suíça Italiana.
Late afternoon
Monte San Salvatore
Funicular de Paradiso and a view of the lake at the end of the day.
Evening
Dinner in the center
Grotti and restaurants in the city center.

Day 2

Morning
Parco Ciani and Gandria
Walk through Parco Ciani, along the lakeshore, and continue to Castagnola for the Sentiero dell'Olivo, the olive-tree trail that reaches the village of Gandria.
Afternoon
Boat to Morcote
From Gandria, take the boat back to the center and continue by boat to Morcote. Climb the staircase up to the church of Santa Maria del Sasso.
Late afternoon
Monte Brè
Back in Lugano, take the Cassarate funicular to Monte Brè and see the town and the lake from the other side.
Evening
Lakefront
Dinner on the lakefront, near Parco Ciani or Piazza della Riforma.

Check before you go. Opening hours and days change, and places may close for renovations, holidays or events. This itinerary is a suggestion from Cidade Turismo, not a commitment: plan yours by checking directly with each place you intend to visit.

Before you go

Frequently asked questions

What language is spoken in Lugano?

Italian. Lugano is in Ticino, the Italian-speaking canton of Switzerland.

How to get from Milão to Lugano?

By train, in about 1h15, from the central station of Milão. From Malpensa airport there are trains and buses.

How to get from Zurique to Lugano?

By train, in about 2 hours, through the túnel de base do Gotardo.

Is Lugano the capital of Ticino?

No. It's the largest city in the canton, but the capital is Bellinzona, about 30 km away.

Do you need a car in Lugano?

No. Funiculars, boats and buses take you to the hills and lakeside villages, and the city center is walkable.

Back to Lugano