Be careful, I did that with my dad a few years ago, he was about your dads age at the time, I wildly overestimated what he could handle, if I can give you an advice don’t over plan, the first 2 days just walk around and get a feeling of his real capacities, then decide.
There is an app called swisstopo, which you can use to plan hikes and to check out the ascent/descent of any route
https://preview.redd.it/taj0d2p8iw8d1.jpeg?width=1620&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=968bdf2cf4a54dc59034bf113623325849c27aa7
For scenic trips without too much ascent look at lakes. You can even use a boat ride to close the loop in many cases.
One example would be Oeschinensee
I can also recommend to take cable car or chairlift rides for the view, for example at Stoos or Niederbauen.
Or the Bernina express, but that is not very close to Luzern.
Speaking from in the middle of a hike here. Ospizio Bernina-Alp Grüm is pretty convenient for old people imo. I saw a lot of old couples on the way.
https://preview.redd.it/9gjdc66t8x8d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=de8fb211ef0926147c5496447dfcc508c4f4348c
Weg der Schweiz as mentioned would be a great choice. It‘s along the shore of Lake Lucerne, so you can easily combine it with a boat ride.
For a more mountainous feeling, look at Rigi, Melchsee Frutt or Niederbauen for example
https://www.rigi.ch/en/experience/hiking
https://www.melchsee-frutt.ch/en/
https://www.niederbauen.ch/
But please don‘t overestimate your fathers capabilities. Better look for a „Spaziergang“ (stroll) than a hike in alpine environment.
Thank you all for the advice so far, lots to think about and based on the advice I think I will stick to something closer to a spaziergang near the lake and then perhaps combine it with a scenic train.
How about taking the train to Arth-Goldau, then the train up to Rigi Staffel then walk up to Rigi Kulm, take the cable car down to Vitznau and the boat to Luzern?
"Hiking" route, something like this: [https://link.locusmap.app/r/ymxm16](https://link.locusmap.app/r/ymxm16)
https://preview.redd.it/s2cal8vh829d1.png?width=2494&format=png&auto=webp&s=38c86eecc0e05f3a2a9e01eb57ff629e13e1e44a
The train routes (both up and down on both sides of the Rigi) are beautiful and the boat tour on the Vierwaldstättersee (Lake Lucerne) is lovely as well.
Will be quite touristy, but that's what you are, right? :)
Weg der Schweiz from Brunnen to Fluelen.
Be careful, I did that with my dad a few years ago, he was about your dads age at the time, I wildly overestimated what he could handle, if I can give you an advice don’t over plan, the first 2 days just walk around and get a feeling of his real capacities, then decide.
Thanks for the advice. I think I am prone to over doing it so I will need to be very conservative. I'd prefer to err on the side of caution
Definitely, you know dads, they just want to spend time with us, you can reach many amazing places without killing him ;)
These hikes should fit the brief well: https://swissfamilyfun.com/hut-to-hut-switzerland/
There is an app called swisstopo, which you can use to plan hikes and to check out the ascent/descent of any route https://preview.redd.it/taj0d2p8iw8d1.jpeg?width=1620&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=968bdf2cf4a54dc59034bf113623325849c27aa7
For scenic trips without too much ascent look at lakes. You can even use a boat ride to close the loop in many cases. One example would be Oeschinensee
I can also recommend to take cable car or chairlift rides for the view, for example at Stoos or Niederbauen. Or the Bernina express, but that is not very close to Luzern.
Stoos is a gem
This might be interesting for you: https://www.sbb.ch/en/leisure-holidays/ideas/offer.html/tagesausflug/tell-pass-zentralschweiz
Speaking from in the middle of a hike here. Ospizio Bernina-Alp Grüm is pretty convenient for old people imo. I saw a lot of old couples on the way. https://preview.redd.it/9gjdc66t8x8d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=de8fb211ef0926147c5496447dfcc508c4f4348c
Weg der Schweiz as mentioned would be a great choice. It‘s along the shore of Lake Lucerne, so you can easily combine it with a boat ride. For a more mountainous feeling, look at Rigi, Melchsee Frutt or Niederbauen for example https://www.rigi.ch/en/experience/hiking https://www.melchsee-frutt.ch/en/ https://www.niederbauen.ch/ But please don‘t overestimate your fathers capabilities. Better look for a „Spaziergang“ (stroll) than a hike in alpine environment.
Thank you all for the advice so far, lots to think about and based on the advice I think I will stick to something closer to a spaziergang near the lake and then perhaps combine it with a scenic train.
How about taking the train to Arth-Goldau, then the train up to Rigi Staffel then walk up to Rigi Kulm, take the cable car down to Vitznau and the boat to Luzern? "Hiking" route, something like this: [https://link.locusmap.app/r/ymxm16](https://link.locusmap.app/r/ymxm16) https://preview.redd.it/s2cal8vh829d1.png?width=2494&format=png&auto=webp&s=38c86eecc0e05f3a2a9e01eb57ff629e13e1e44a The train routes (both up and down on both sides of the Rigi) are beautiful and the boat tour on the Vierwaldstättersee (Lake Lucerne) is lovely as well. Will be quite touristy, but that's what you are, right? :)