Chandragiri Cable Car Day Trip: Prices, Hours & What to See at the Top

The Chandragiri Hills cable car is run by Chandragiri Hills Ltd., which sells tickets at the Thankot base-station counters and through its official online portal. Fares are tiered by nationality, in line with the common Nepali practice of separate rates for Nepali citizens, SAARC nationals and other foreigners, and you buy either a one-way ticket (if you plan to hike down) or a round-trip ticket.

As of 2026, widely published fares are approximately: Nepali citizens NPR 475-495 one-way and about NPR 799 return; SAARC nationals (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan) NPR 760 one-way and about NPR 1,280 return; Chinese nationals USD 9 one-way and USD 15 return; and other foreign nationals USD 13 one-way and USD 22 return. Foreign fares are quoted in US dollars but can be paid in Nepali rupees at the day's rate, and the operator states that prices are inclusive of tax.

Concessions are usually available: students and senior citizens are commonly offered around a 25% discount on production of valid ID, very small children (roughly under three feet tall) travel free, and children between about three and four feet get a reduced fare (often around 40% off). Because ropeway prices in Nepal are revised from time to time, treat these figures as indicative for 2026 and confirm the exact adult and child rates on the official website (chandragirihills.com) or at the ticket window on the day of your visit.

The cable car generally runs every day of the week, but exact opening and closing times vary by day and season, so they are the single thing most worth confirming before you travel. Commonly listed hours are roughly 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM on weekdays and an earlier start of about 7:00 AM until around 6:00 PM on weekends and public holidays; some listings quote later evening running, and start times have occasionally been adjusted (for example to 10:00 AM) at short notice. The last cable car up the hill leaves before the stated closing time, so aim to start your ascent well before the final departure.

The ride itself is a 2.5-kilometre line built by the Austrian manufacturer Doppelmayr and opened in December 2016. It uses 8-person enclosed gondolas running over eleven towers and takes about 9 to 13 minutes each way, gaining roughly a kilometre in altitude from the base station near Thankot (around 1,550 m) to the hilltop terminal (about 2,551 m). The glass-sided cabins give sweeping views over the forested ridge and the valley as you climb.

The system was heavily damaged when its base station was vandalised during the September 2025 Gen Z protests, and it stayed shut for about two months before Doppelmayr technicians completed repairs and safety checks; it resumed normal operation in November 2025. It is running again as of 2026, but because service can pause for maintenance, weather or events, it is worth checking the operator's website or social media that the ropeway is running on the day you plan to go.

The spiritual centrepiece of the hilltop is the Bhaleshwor Mahadev temple, a shrine to Lord Shiva. By legend the site is where the forehead (bhala) of Sati Devi is said to have fallen as Shiva carried her body across the land - the name Bhaleshwor combines 'bhala' (forehead) with 'Ishwor' (God) - and the temple features prominently in the Swasthani Brata Katha, drawing extra pilgrims during that month-long observance in Magh (January-February).

On a clear day the ridge offers a wide Himalayan panorama, with peaks such as Ganesh Himal, Langtang, Dhaulagiri and, in the best conditions, distant Everest visible to the north, alongside a bird's-eye view over the whole Kathmandu Valley. A viewing tower with mounted telescopes helps you pick out the peaks. This is the same south-western rim from which, by popular history, the Gorkhali king Prithvi Narayan Shah is said to have first gazed on the Kathmandu Valley he would go on to conquer in the 18th century.

Beyond the temple and viewpoints, the summit is a full day-out destination. Chandragiri Hills Resort has hotel rooms, restaurants and food courts and an amphitheatre, while an adventure and children's park offers activities such as a zipline, sky cycling, a skywalk, wall and rock climbing and horse riding (charged separately from the cable car). In deep winter the hilltop occasionally receives a light snowfall - never guaranteed, but a big draw for valley families when it happens.

The cable car's lower terminal sits above Thankot, on the south-western edge of the Kathmandu Valley, roughly 12-16 km from central Kathmandu and about a 45-minute to one-hour drive from Thamel in normal traffic. The base station is a short distance uphill from the main Thankot bazaar on the Tribhuvan Highway (the old road towards Naubise and Pokhara).

The simplest option for most visitors is a taxi or a ride-hailing app (such as Pathao or InDrive) door-to-door to the base station; a one-way taxi from Thamel typically costs in the region of NPR 2,000-2,500, and hiring a car for the round trip with waiting time is popular for families. If you have your own vehicle there is parking at the base station.

Budget travellers can take a local bus or micro from Kalanki or the Teku/Ratna Park area towards Thankot, which is cheap but slower; public transport usually drops you in Thankot bazaar, from where you take a short taxi ride or a walk of around 15-20 minutes up to the ticket counters. Allow extra time at weekends and on festival days, when both the road and the cable car queues are busier.

For the mountain views that make the trip worthwhile, the clearest skies come in the autumn (roughly October to early December) and spring (March to May), when the air is dry and the Himalayan horizon is sharpest. Mornings are usually clearest: haze and cloud tend to build over the valley through the afternoon, so an early ascent gives you the best chance of a clean panorama, while late afternoon rewards you with softer light and sunset over the ridges.

The monsoon (June to September) brings lush green hills but frequent cloud and rain that often hide the mountains, though it can still be a pleasant cool escape from the valley heat. Winter (December to February) is cold and quieter, and it is the only window in which the summit might catch a dusting of snow - most likely from late December through February - which pulls in day-trippers when it occurs.

Weekends and public holidays are by far the busiest times, with the longest queues at the ticket counters and gondolas, so a weekday visit is more relaxed. Whenever you go, carry a warm layer even on a mild valley day, as the hilltop is around 1,000 m higher than Kathmandu and noticeably cooler and windier.

You can buy cable-car tickets in person at the Thankot base-station counters, or in advance through the official Chandragiri Hills online ticket portal, which is useful on busy weekends and holidays to skip the queue. Many Kathmandu tour operators also sell day-trip packages that bundle transport with the cable car, and the resort takes separate bookings if you want to stay overnight or dine at the top.

A typical visit takes half a day to a full day: allow time for the ride, the temple, the viewpoints and a meal, plus any adventure-park activities, which are ticketed separately from the cable car. Keep some cash for the park rides, snacks, offerings at the temple and photographs, and carry ID, which may be needed to claim student, senior or concession fares.

For contact and confirmation, Chandragiri Hills Ltd. can be reached on its reservation line (around +977-980-2069900) and office numbers (01-4314898 / 01-4312515); the official website (chandragirihills.com) carries the latest hours, prices and any maintenance or weather closures. Given that fares and timings change and the service has had unscheduled closures, a quick check with the operator before you set off is the best way to avoid a wasted trip.