Canton of Ticino · Switzerland
Where to stay in Lugano
Lugano is a city in Canton of Ticino, Switzerland, home to about 63,000 people. This guide covers 1 aparthotel in Lugano, with about 46 rooms between them.
- Places to stay in this guide
- 1
- Nearest airport
- LUG4 km · Lugano Airport
- Currency
- CHFSwiss franc
- Time zone
- Europe/Zurich
- Language
- French, German, Italian
About
About Lugano
Lugano is a city and municipality within the Lugano District in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland. It is the largest city in both Ticino and the Italian-speaking region of southern Switzerland.
Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Lugano
See
- Centro Storico
- Palazzo Civico
- Parco Civico
- Cattedrale di San Lorenzo
- Chiesa di Santa Maria degli Angioli
- Museo Cantonale d’Arte
- Museo d'Arte Moderna
- Hermann Hesse museum
Do
- Gandria
- Museo Doganale Svizzero
- Sentiero di Gandria
- Monte Brè
- Monte San Salvatore
- Trekking Lugano and Malcantone region
- SFR Railway Station Lugano
- Balmelli Sport
- Casinò Lugano
- Blues to Bop Festival
- Swimming
- Boating
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Places to stay in Lugano
1 place to stay from the chains this guide covers, each linked to its own website.
| Place to stay | Rooms |
|---|---|
| Viale Carlo Cattaneo 17 A aparthotel | 46 |
Schematic: the city centre in orange, each place to stay as a dot, distance rings in kilometres.
Where to stay
Which part of Lugano to stay in
There are a wide range of hotel options right in town, from atmospheric B&Bs to posh four stars to comfy and communal hostels. Be sure to book ahead in the summer, but the rest of the year it's possible to just show up and find something as long as your budget is flexible.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
More hotels in Lugano
118 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata; the 40 best known are shown, by the number of Wikipedia editions that cover them. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Albergo Monte Verità | 22.6 km | |
| Deutsches Haus | 6.7 km | |
| @ Home Hotel Locarno | 21.9 km | |
| Acquarello Swiss Quality Hotel | 1.2 km | |
| Al Battello | 10.3 km | |
| Al Faro | 21.9 km | |
| Al Pozz | 21.8 km | |
| Albergo Carcani | 22.0 km | |
| Albergo Elvezia | 12.9 km | |
| Albergo Ristorante Svizzero | 11.8 km | |
| Bellinzona Youth Hostel | 20.5 km | |
| Boutique & Business Hotel La Tureta | 18.2 km | |
| Boutique Hotel Albergo Brione Garni | 22.6 km | |
| Boutique Hotel Villa Sarnia | 18.3 km | |
| Boutique-Hotel Remorino | 21.4 km | |
| Ca' San Matteo | 6.4 km | |
| Caffè dell'Arte Boutique Rooms | 22.0 km | |
| Casa DaVinci | 21.9 km | |
| Chery Bed & Breakfast | 11.7 km | |
| Chromotel | 9.0 km | |
| Conca Bella | 19.2 km | |
| Continental Parkhotel | 1.5 km | |
| E-Rooms Minusio | 21.8 km | |
| EasyRooms dell’Angelo | 21.9 km | |
| Fattoria l'Amorosa | 18.6 km | |
| Garni Bar Sport | 15.6 km | |
| Garni Moderno | 21.0 km | |
| Garni Molinazzo | 4.8 km | |
| Garni Rosa Delle Alpi | 20.4 km | |
| Grand Hotel Villa Castagnola | 0.7 km | |
| Grotto Flora B&B | 5.5 km | |
| Hotel Admiral Lugano | 2.5 km | |
| Hotel Alexandra | 21.8 km | |
| Hotel America | 21.9 km | |
| Hotel Atlantico | 0.5 km | |
| Hotel Bahnhof Haus | 20.6 km | |
| Hotel Bellevue Bellavista Montagnola | 4.5 km | |
| Hotel Besso Lugano | 1.5 km | |
| Hotel Campione | 5.5 km | |
| Hotel Cereda | 19.6 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Lugano
Lugano has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 21 °C; May is the wettest, with about 166 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Lugano: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Lugano Airport (LUG), about 4.1 km from the city centre in a straight line; Milan Malpensa International Airport (MXP, 46 km) and Milano Linate Airport (LIN, 67 km) are also within reach.
Getting in
Lugano Airport stopped regular commercial flights in 2021. Milan Malpensa airport is 1 hour away by shuttle (see the "By bus" section below) or 1 hr 40 min by train (see the "By train" section below) and is an EasyJet hub. Lugano station is on the Gotthard railway, which crosses the Alps connecting the cantons of Schwyz and Uri to Cantone Ticino.
Getting around
Lugano is small enough to get around on foot, and many of the streets are pedestrian-only, but the hills above the lakefront are very steep so the bus or the funicular from the centre of town might be a better option on the way up to the train station if you have a lot of bags. Taxis can be found on the main roads. Ferries and funiculars (Brè and San Salvatore) are great options for seeing the views.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
LUG · Lugano Airport
MXP · Milan Malpensa International Airport
LIN · Milano Linate Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Lugano
Eat
If you like Italian-style cuisine with a Swiss twist, you're not going to go hungry here. The main draw is the Grotti, but there are much smaller restaurants and caffè where you can get excellent food. Indeed it can be quite difficult to find non-classy food here. In terms of "fast food", the locals love their piadine, an Italian-style wrap with various fillings (usually cold cuts, cheese, and veg) and served grilled. Essentially an Italian version of a quesadilla; delicious right? Go try one now. The main problem is that the locals don't seem to have discovered spicy food and you may have a hard time finding anything that requires chili peppers. Oh well, you can't have everything.
Drink
In the summer your best bet is just to wander along the lakeside promenade and open air bar/cafes. Check local listings for clubs and shows as venues come and go with the seasons. There are clubs in the city (discos). Nix (under the Casinò), Privilege (near Manor, a department store), Tito's Place (quartiere Maghetti), Club One and The Cube are all located in the downtown. Oops (via Maderno 24) and Bibliocafè Tra (Salita dei Frati, Piazza Molino Nuovo) are a great place to have beer in the evening. Near University.
Stay safe
Lugano is as safe as most cities in Switzerland, but the density of expensive purses, watches, and sunglasses may make pickpockets more of a problem. The usual cautions apply to walking alone late at night, especially after bars and clubs close before dawn.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Good to know
Accessibility, parking and families in Lugano
How many places to stay in this guide offer each, in their operators' own words.
of 1 place
of 1 place
of 1 place
of 1 place
Questions
Lugano: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Lugano?
Lugano has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 21 °C; May is the wettest, with about 166 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Lugano?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Lugano Airport (LUG), about 4.1 km from the city centre in a straight line; Milan Malpensa International Airport (MXP, 46 km) and Milano Linate Airport (LIN, 67 km) are also within reach.
Are there accessible hotels in Lugano?
1 place in this guide list accessible rooms.
What currency is used in Lugano?
Swiss franc (CHF).
Nearby
Destinations near Lugano
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.