In this guide
This is one of those Switzerland travel hacks that almost no one talks about — and it is genuinely free. The Grand Train Tour Switzerland app gives away a real Pilatus cap as a souvenir to anyone who rides up Mount Pilatus on either the cable car or the cog railway. Total cost: zero (other than the cable car ticket you were already buying).
Download the app
The Grand Train Tour Switzerland app is free, official, and run by Switzerland Tourism — not a sketchy third-party app.
- Why download it before the trip? The mountain has patchy cellular signal. Download the app and open it once over hotel Wi-Fi.
- No login or signup needed to claim the cap.
The 5-step app walkthrough — claiming your free cap
Once you have travelled up Mount Pilatus, open the Grand Train Tour app. Here is exactly what to tap, in order. I screenshotted every screen.
What each step actually does
- Tap the hamburger menu (top-right corner with the three lines). This opens the side navigation. The app does not show coupons on the home screen by default, which is why so many travellers miss this.
- Tap “Coupons” in the side menu. You will see a list of free gifts and discounts the app offers across Switzerland — Chur history pass, Lugano dining discount, Lucerne casino entry, and so on.
- Find the “Pilatus — Free Pilatus cap” entry in the list. The cards are not in alphabetical order, so scroll patiently. The Pilatus one shows a small photo of the gondola with Lake Lucerne in the background.
- Tap “Redeem coupon” at the bottom of the Pilatus screen. The page itself confirms the offer: “When travelling up Mount Pilatus on the panoramic gondola lift or the world’s steepest cog railway, you will receive a free Pilatus cap.”
- Confirm the 30-minute timer. The popup is the most important screen in this whole flow — as soon as you press REDEEM, you have 30 minutes to claim the cap. If you wander off for lunch first and the timer runs out, you cannot redeem again on this trip.
The most important tip in this guide: Do not press REDEEM until you are physically standing in the queue at the Pilatus ticket counter. The timer is the trap.
Where to actually pick up the cap
After you tap REDEEM, walk straight to a Pilatus ticket counter or the info desk at Pilatus Kulm summit (next to the souvenir shop). Show the active coupon screen to the staff member. They scan it, hand you a real navy blue Pilatus cap, and the coupon is marked redeemed in the app. Done.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where exactly do I show the redeemed coupon to get the cap?
Do I need a Swiss Travel Pass to claim the free cap?
Can I claim the free cap more than once?
Have a question about this trip?
Got a question I haven't covered in the guide above? Drop it below — I personally read every one and often add the best questions into the FAQ section of this guide.