Alpnachstad - Lütoldsmatt - Pilatus-Kulm - Ämsigen - Alpnachstad

A beautiful loop trail starting at the foot of the mountain from the Alpnachstad train station leading to Pilatus-Kulm with two peaks Tomlishorn (2128m) and Essel (2119m).

The easiest way to get to the mountain is by train, so check https://www.sbb.ch/en for the prices and timetables. The trail will start mostly flat going through the village and the countryside, then the trail becomes steeper and more-or-less maintains the angle almost all the way to Pilatus-Kulm, it's quite a long hike so make sure you're ready and bring appropriate amounts of water. Some parts of the ascent are going through muddy/slippery ground so appropriate footwear will be needed after more significant rain, I also recommend bringing hiking poles.

About a third of the way up in Lütoldsmatt there is a restaurant where you might take a brake and use the bathroom. Then, about two-thirds of the way up there is a beautiful valley that sits right bellow Matthorn - the perfect place for a picnic!

Following the trail you will reach Pilatus-Kulm, where you will find restaurants and a shopping center. There are two peaks to visit on Pilatus-Kulm: Essel which is a little touristy due to the gondola and train access, and Tomlishorn which is just as easily accessible but requires you to walk a little further via a mountain pass.

Going down you can opt for taking the gondola or the train down but make sure you time your ascent right, since the last train leaves at around 5pm. You can check the prices and timetables on the SBB website or https://www.pilatus.ch/en.

If you opt to walk down, I recommend walking via Ämsigen. It is a steep descent that can be slippery when wet, so again an appropriate choice of footwear and hiking poles are a must. The path offers gorgeous views of the lakes and surrounding areas, so I recommend taking it if you are up for it.

Finally, a useful resource for planning your trip is https://map.schweizmobil.ch/. Here you should be able to see if any path you're planning to take may be closed for maintenance.