Fondue Chinoise Cruise on Lake Lucerne

The Fondue Chinoise Cruise is a Thursday evening dinner cruise on Lake Lucerne, run by the SGV Lake Lucerne Navigation Company (lakelucerne.ch, +41 41 367 67 67), the operator of the steamers and motor ships serving the lake in central Switzerland. It sails from the same pier as the company's cheese fondue cruise: Landungssteg 1 (pier 1) at Bahnhofquai, beside Luzern railway station. The cruise runs weekly from 29 October to 17 December 2026, giving it a short season in the run-up to Christmas.

Fondue chinoise is a Swiss table-cooking dish that differs from the better-known cheese fondue. Instead of melted cheese, diners receive thin slices of meat and cook them piece by piece in a pot of hot broth at the table, then eat them with a selection of sauces and sides. It is a social, slow meal that suits an evening on the water, and the savoury format means the menu contains no sweet courses unless the operator adds a dessert, which the listing does not state. The package includes the evening cruise on Lake Lucerne and the fondue chinoise cooked at the table.

The cruise lasts about 2 hours 30 minutes. As shown on the Lake Lucerne webshop, the price is CHF 102 (about $128 USD) per adult, and the current rate should be confirmed when booking. Specific boarding and departure times are not given in the listing used here, so they should be checked on the booking page; the sister cheese fondue cruise boards around 6:45 PM, but the two sailings should not be assumed identical.

The boat circles the lake while diners eat, passing the lit shoreline of Luzern and the dark outlines of the surrounding hills. Late-autumn evenings are cold, so warm clothing is advisable for the walk to the pier even though the dining room is heated. Because the menu centres on meat cooked in broth, vegetarians and guests with allergies should contact the operator in advance to ask whether alternatives can be arranged. The pier is only a few steps from the station, which makes the evening easy to reach by train. Transport to Luzern and drinks beyond those in the package are not covered.