Chandragiri Cable Car

The Chandragiri cable car lifts you from the bottom station above Thankot, on the western edge of Kathmandu, to the 2,551-metre summit of [Chandragiri Hills](/destinations/chandragiri-hills) in about ten minutes. Opened in 2016, the 2.4-kilometre gondola line rises roughly a thousand vertical metres over mixed pine and rhododendron forest. For day-trippers from Kathmandu, the gondola turns a steep half-day hike into an easy morning outing to the **Bhaleshwor Mahadev** temple and the summit viewing decks, where clear autumn and winter mornings reveal a sweep from Annapurna and Ganesh Himal to Langtang, Gaurishankar and distant Everest. For hikers and weekend travellers, it also works one-way: ride up and walk down the south side into [Chitlang](/destinations/chitlang), or climb the [Chandragiri Hills trail](/trails/chandragiri-hills) on foot and take the gondola back down. Reach the bottom station by local bus from Kathmandu's Old Bus Park or Ratna Park towards Thankot (getting off at Thankot/Godam and continuing uphill), or by taxi or ride-share. Go early: mountain views are sharpest before mid-morning haze builds, and weekend or holiday queues at both stations can add an hour or more to the trip.