Chandragiri Cable Car: Ticket Prices and Timings

The short answer

Indians pay the SAARC fare, priced in Indian rupees but paid in Nepali rupees; the cable car runs 8 am to 6 pm most days, with a noon break.

• Fares go by nationality: Nepalis’ are set in Nepali rupees, SAARC visitors’ (Indians included) in Indian rupees, and other foreigners’ in US dollars. At the counter, Indian guests pay in Nepali rupees.
• Sunday to Friday it runs 8 am to 6 pm and stops from noon to 1 pm. On Saturdays it runs 8 am to 8 pm without a break.
• The Chandragiri day covers the car, driver, fuel and parking from your hotel and back. The cable car ticket is not included.

Trips you can book for this

Soar Above Kathmandu: Chandragiri Cable CarHalf day · from $29 per vehicle

Fares and hours are from the Chandragiri Hills website, checked on 27 October 2026.

How much is the Chandragiri cable car ticket?

It depends on your nationality: the fare for Indians and other SAARC visitors is set in Indian rupees, for Nepalis in Nepali rupees, and for other foreigners in US dollars. Indian guests pay it in Nepali rupees at the counter, operators say.

SAARC nationals, Indians included, priced in Indian rupees and paid in Nepali rupees at the counter: ₹950 return, ₹570 one way, ₹1,250 express return (Chandragiri Hills) · checked Oct 2026

Nepali nationals: NPR 850 return, NPR 510 one way, NPR 1,350 express return (Chandragiri Hills) · checked Oct 2026

Other foreign nationals: US$23 return, US$13 one way, US$25 express return (Chandragiri Hills) · checked Oct 2026

The site says its rates include all taxes. A return is the ticket the Chandragiri day needs, since you ride back down to the car at the bottom station.

There is also an express return, priced a little higher.

The site lists discounts for children, older travellers, students and people with disabilities, and says they are for Nepali nationals, with a valid ID. Indian children under about 3 feet tall ride free too, operators say.

The Kathmandu Post reported in October 2026 that Chandragiri Hills is among the places taking UPI from Indian visitors. At the ticket counter, though, operators say Indian guests pay in Nepali rupees, so carry some.

What are the Chandragiri cable car timings?

Sunday to Friday, 8 am to 6 pm, with a lunch break from noon to 1 pm. Saturday, 8 am to 8 pm, with no break.

Public holidays have no lunch break either, the site says, though it gives no closing time for them.

The ride up takes about 9 to 13 minutes over 2.5 km of forest and hillside, in cabins that hold up to 8 people.

How does the Chandragiri day run?

In about four hours: a drive to the bottom station at Thankot, the ride up, time at the top, the ride down and the drive back.

Here is the Chandragiri day in the order its listing gives, with the listing’s own timings.

Book this day

KathmanduSoar Above Kathmandu: Chandragiri Cable CarChandragiri Hills cable carHalf dayHotel pickupFull refund up to 24 hours beforefrom $29per vehicleSee the trip →

Does the Chandragiri day include the cable car ticket?

No. The listing leaves out the cable car ticket and a local guide, so the fare is on top of the day’s price, for each person.

What the day does include: pickup from and drop-off at your hotel, usually at about 8 am, operators say, a private air-conditioned vehicle with its driver, fuel and parking.

The listing asks you to bring cash and a valid government ID. Your passport or Voter ID is also the simplest way to show you qualify for the SAARC fare.

The day is priced per vehicle: a car for up to 4 people, or a Scorpio or Hiace for up to 7.

What is there to do at the top of Chandragiri Hills?

Visit Bhaleshwor Mahadev Temple, look out from the view tower and eat at one of the restaurants. There is also a children’s park and a resort.

Bhaleshwor Mahadev is a temple to Shiva. The Chandragiri Hills site tells how Prithvi Narayan Shah first saw Kathmandu from this hilltop.

The view tower has telescopes, and the site names Everest, Manaslu, Ganesh and Gaurishankar among the peaks you can look out for.

For children there is an amusement park with slides and climbing walls. For adults there are activities such as a zipline and sky cycling. None of these is part of the Chandragiri day’s price.

The paths from the top station are concrete, so the site suggests flat shoes.

When can you see the Himalayas from Chandragiri?

On clear days, which come most often in the dry months. In the rainy season, cloud and rain often hide the peaks.

The hilltop is above 8,200 ft (2,500 m), and the site says its weather is hard to predict. Even in the clear, dry months it is cold up there, so bring a warm top.

In the rains, add a waterproof jacket or an umbrella. If wind or a storm stops the cable car, the driver takes you to another stop instead, operators say.

Is Chandragiri good for children and older travellers?

Yes, with one rule to know: children aged 11 or under must ride with someone aged 15 or older.

The site says the cable car staff help wheelchair users on and off. The Chandragiri day’s listing says it is not wheelchair accessible, though, so it may not suit a wheelchair user.

The site lists its discounts for children and older travellers as being for Nepali nationals.

Planning the rest of the trip? Kathmandu for Indian travellers covers the ID you need to fly, Indian cash and entry fees, and the Pashupatinath guide covers the evening aarti. For more days, see things to do in Kathmandu.

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