This guide is about cable cars in Nepal, written from what we see on the trail every season.
In this article
- Table of contents
- The short version
- Chandragiri Cable Car, Kathmandu
- Manakamana Cable Car
- Annapurna Cable Car, Pokhara
- Bandipur Cable Car
- Maula Kalika Cable Car, Gaindakot
- Kalinchowk Cable Car
- A few others
- Tickets and opening hours
- When to go
- Riding several in one trip
- Good to know
- Cable cars in Nepal: next steps
Table of contents
When the Manakamana cable car opened in 1998, it was a one-off. Today Nepal has several more, and most of them do the same simple thing: lift you onto a ridge or a temple hilltop in about ten minutes, with a view that used to take a long, steep walk. You need no trekking fitness for any of them, which makes them a good fit for families, older travellers and anyone short on time.
This guide covers the cable cars travellers ask us about most, what each one is like, and how to fit a few of them into one trip.
The short version
- Chandragiri, Kathmandu: the easiest to reach from the city, with the whole valley below you and, on a clear day, a long line of Himalaya.
- Manakamana, Kurintar: the original, over the Trishuli river to a much-loved hilltop temple.
- Annapurna Cable Car, Pokhara: from Phewa Lake up to the Sarangkot viewpoint.
- Bandipur, near Dumre: one of the newest, up the ridge towards the old hill town of Bandipur.
- Maula Kalika, Gaindakot: a short ride to a temple above the Narayani river, on the way to Chitwan.
- Kalinchowk, Dolakha: the highest of the group, close to 3,800 metres, and famous for winter snow.
Chandragiri Cable Car, Kathmandu
If you have a spare half day in Kathmandu, this is the one to do. The lower station is at Thankot, about an hour from Thamel depending on traffic, and the gondola climbs roughly 2.4 km to the top of Chandragiri hill at about 2,550 metres. The ride takes around ten minutes.
At the top you will find the Bhaleshwor Mahadev temple, short walking paths, viewing areas and places to eat. On a clear morning the Kathmandu valley spreads out on one side and the Himalaya runs along the northern horizon on the other. Chandragiri opened in 2016. It was closed for repairs after a fire in September 2025 and reopened that November.
Manakamana Cable Car
Nepal’s best-known cable car starts at Cheres, beside the Trishuli river on the highway between Kathmandu and Pokhara. In about ten minutes it covers roughly 2.8 km and climbs more than 1,000 metres, from about 258 metres to the hilltop at around 1,300 metres.
At the top is the temple of the goddess Manakamana, whom many Nepalis visit to ask for a wish to be granted. That makes it a living place of worship rather than a tourist stop, and the queues can be long on Saturdays and festival days. If you can, go early on a weekday, and dress as you would for any temple visit.
Annapurna Cable Car, Pokhara
Opened in 2022, this cable car runs from beside Phewa Lake up to Sarangkot, the ridge most visitors to Pokhara head to for the view of Machhapuchhre and the Annapurna range. The ride is about 2.3 km and takes around ten minutes, and it is a much gentler way up than the steep stairs or the drive.
One thing to know: if you want to see sunrise from Sarangkot, check the first departure time before you plan around the cable car. For dawn, most people still go up by road. Late afternoon light on the mountains can be just as good, and suits the cable car’s hours better.
Bandipur Cable Car
This line opened in June 2024. It starts near Dumre on the Prithvi Highway and climbs the ridge towards Bandipur, a hill town of tall brick Newar houses that grew up as a trading stop between India and Tibet. The ride is roughly 1.7 km and takes about seven minutes.
It pairs well with a night in Bandipur itself, which is quiet, mostly car-free on the main street, and a good break on the road between Kathmandu and Pokhara. Our Bandipur and Gorkha Heritage Tour spends time there too.
Maula Kalika Cable Car, Gaindakot
Gaindakot sits on the Narayani river, across from Narayangadh, where the roads from Kathmandu and Pokhara meet on their way to Chitwan. Its cable car opened in 2023 and is short, about 1.2 km, up to the Maula Kalika temple on the hill above town. From the top you look out over the river and the flat plains of the Terai.
It reopened in November 2025 after a closure. It is an easy stop on the way into or out of Chitwan, so it fits nicely with a Chitwan jungle safari.
Kalinchowk Cable Car
Kalinchowk, in Dolakha district east of Kathmandu, is the highest cable car in this guide. It opened in 2018 and runs from Kuri up towards the Kalinchowk Bhagwati temple, which stands close to 3,800 metres. Many Nepali visitors come in winter for the snow, and on a clear day the mountain views stretch a long way along the northern skyline.
It is a long way from the city, often six hours or more each way by road, so it works best as an overnight trip. The air at the top is thin and cold. Walk slowly from the upper station to the temple, bring warm layers, and turn back if you feel unwell. Our guide to altitude sickness in Nepal covers what to watch for.
A few others
There are also newer cable cars around Butwal in the west, including the Siddhartha and Lumbini lines, and more are being built in other parts of the country. Opening dates for new projects tend to move, so if one is on your route, ask us and we will check it is running before you plan around it.
Tickets and opening hours
Foreign visitors pay a higher fare than Nepali citizens, and children usually pay less. As a rough guide, recently published return fares for foreign visitors at the main cable cars fall somewhere between about USD 10 and USD 25. Fares change often, so treat any figure you read online, including this one, as a guide and check at the counter.
Most cable cars run from morning to late afternoon, and some pause around midday. Any of them can stop for strong wind, storms or maintenance. Saturdays, public holidays and the big festivals of Dashain and Tihar bring the longest queues, especially at Manakamana and Chandragiri.
When to go
The rides run most of the year, but the views do not. From October to March the mountains are usually at their clearest, especially in the morning. In spring there is often haze, though the hills are green and warm. In the monsoon, from June to September, the cable cars mostly keep running, but the Himalaya is often hidden in cloud.
Riding several in one trip
Five of these six sit on or close to the road from Kathmandu to Pokhara and Chitwan, so you can ride them all in one easy loop. That is what our 5-day Nepal Cable Car Tour does: Chandragiri from Kathmandu, Manakamana and Bandipur on the way west, the Annapurna Cable Car in Pokhara, then Maula Kalika on the way down to Chitwan. It is private, with your own vehicle, driver and guide, and every ticket is included. Kalinchowk is too far off the route to fit, but we can add it as a two-day trip before or after.
If you only want one or two rides, they also slot into longer trips. Chandragiri works as a half day from Kathmandu, and Manakamana and Bandipur fit naturally into a road journey like our Kathmandu, Chitwan and Pokhara Tour.
Good to know
- The cabins are enclosed and the rides are short, so most people who are a little nervous of heights find them manageable.
- Expect some steps between the upper stations and the temples or viewpoints. Tell us about anyone with limited mobility and we will plan around it.
- Temples at the top are active places of worship. Cover your shoulders and knees, and ask before taking photos of people praying.
- Carry a light layer even in warm months. The hilltops are cooler and often windier than the valley below.
Questions about any of these rides, or want to work one into your trip? Get in touch and we will happily help you plan it.
Cable cars in Nepal: next steps
Use this cable cars in Nepal to shortlist your dates, then message us. We will check the cable cars in Nepal details against the season, the permit rules and your group before you commit to anything.
Questions about cable cars in Nepal that this page did not answer? Ask us and we will add the answer here.
A good cable cars in Nepal should leave you able to plan, and ours is built for that. Read the cable cars in Nepal once through, check the key details, then compare it with the trip page.
Our team is a member of TAAN, Nepal’s trekking agents association. If this cable cars in Nepal raised a question, ask us. A short recap of the cable cars in Nepal: check the season, check the permits, and plan the days before the price.