The Gulmarg Gondola is one of Kashmir’s most popular attractions, carrying visitors from Gulmarg to higher mountain areas in two separate phases.
Ticket availability, operating hours and access to the upper phase can change depending on weather, maintenance and local conditions.
This Gulmarg Gondola Guide will help you understand the ticket booking process, both gondola phases, expected timings, required documents and important travel tips.
Booking tickets in advance and checking the latest operating update before leaving your hotel can help you avoid unnecessary delays.
The Gulmarg Gondola is a two-stage cable car. Phase 1 lifts you from Gulmarg to Kongdoori. Phase 2 carries you further up onto the Apharwat slopes.
It reopened on 25 June 2026 after a technical closure that started on 25 May 2026.
Right now it stays shut on the second and fourth Monday of every month for maintenance.
Reported fares are around ₹810 for Phase 1 and ₹1,010 for Phase 2. Check the official JKCCC ticketing portal for the latest prices before booking.
Book only through the JKCCC official ticketing site. Nowhere else.
Planning the wider trip around it? Our Kashmir tour packages
The Jammu & Kashmir Cable Car Corporation (JKCCC) runs it. That single fact matters more than anything else in this article, because every scam around this ride starts with someone pretending to be them.
There are two sightseeing stages. That is it. Two.
Phase 1 takes you from Gulmarg town up to Kongdoori. Phase 2 goes from Kongdoori higher up the Apharwat slopes.
The scenery changes completely between the two. Down at Gulmarg you get the meadow, the golf course edges, thick pine and fir on the slopes.
By the top of Phase 2 the trees are gone. It is open, exposed, high mountain ground with wind that hits you the second the cabin door opens.
Here is what most tourists get wrong. They think the Gondola, the chairlift, and the ski lift are all one ticket.
They are not. The sightseeing Gondola, the Kongdoori chairlift, and the newer ski drag lift are three separate facilities with separate arrangements.
We have had travellers reach Kongdoori assuming their Phase 2 ticket also covered the chairlift towards Mary's Shoulder. It does not. That confusion costs people an hour of arguing at the station.
Phase 1 is the easier ride. If you are travelling with small children, with parents who are not comfortable at height, or you simply want the view without the climb, this is your stage.
The ride is gentle. You go up over the slopes, the meadow shrinks below you, and Gulmarg turns into a small cluster of roofs.
When snow conditions allow, the Kongdoori area is where most families stop and play. Sledging, photos, the usual.
Do not count on snow. Conditions change year to year and month to month, and nobody at the station controls that.
Kongdoori is also your transfer point. If you booked Phase 2, this is where you get off and move across.
Food stalls, toilets and accessibility facilities at Kongdoori may vary by season and operating conditions. Carry essential supplies and confirm current facilities before travelling.
Phase 2 climbs to roughly 3,980 metres. This is the ride people picture when they imagine the Gulmarg Gondola.
The cabin lifts you out of the Kongdoori bowl and the landscape empties out. No trees, no buildings, just white and grey and sky.
It is cold. Much colder than Gulmarg town, and the wind at the top is a different animal altogether.
Shelter up there is limited. You will not find a warm café to sit in and wait out bad weather.
Phase 2 also stops more often than Phase 1. Wind, snow, poor visibility, avalanche-control work, technical checks. Any of those can pause it mid-day.
One honest note. The upper Gondola station is not the summit of Apharwat Peak. Anyone telling you the cable car drops you on the peak is selling you a story.
You reach the upper station on the Apharwat slopes. The view is enormous. The peak itself is still above you.
Some people also feel the altitude here. More on that further down, because it is worth taking seriously.
The chairlift is a separate ride that runs from the Kongdoori area towards Mary's Shoulder. It is mostly used by skiers and people heading for mountain activity, not by casual sightseers.
Chairlift fares and age restrictions may change, so confirm the latest details at the station before purchasing a ticket.
Separately, a 726-metre ski drag lift was inaugurated at Kongdoori in December 2025. It is for skiers. It has nothing to do with your Phase 1 or Phase 2 sightseeing ticket.
Yes, but recent history matters.
On 25 May 2026 a technical malfunction hit the system. More than 300 tourists were affected and both phases were suspended.
Operations resumed on 25 June 2026 after repairs and inspection.
Since then, the current JKCCC notification says the Gondola closes on the second and fourth Monday of every month for maintenance.
Check your travel dates against that before you book anything else. We have seen people build an entire Gulmarg day around a Monday that turned out to be a maintenance Monday.
Even on an open day, weather, technical inspection, or a local safety decision can change how the Gondola runs. A morning that looks perfect from your hotel window means nothing at 3,980 metres.
Phase 1 fare
The reported fare is ₹810 per person. Check the official ticket portal for the latest price before booking.
Phase 2 fare
The reported fare is ₹1,010 per person. Confirm the current price on the official portal.
Combined cost
The reported total for both phases is ₹1,820 per person. Final pricing should be checked during booking.
Children below three years are generally reported to travel free, while anyone aged three or above requires a full ticket. Confirm the current age policy at checkout.
Now the honest part about these numbers.
A lot of pages ranking high on Google still show ₹700 and ₹900. Those are old.
Another 2026 guide rounds the fares to ₹800 and ₹1,000, which is close but not exact.
The official checkout page is the only authority. Whatever it charges you is the real price, and every blog including this one is second-hand information.
Tatkal and chairlift prices may change, so check the official ticketing portal or confirm at the station before purchasing.
The operator is the Jammu & Kashmir Cable Car Corporation.
Their corporate site is https://www.jammukashmircablecar.com/
Their ticketing site is https://etickets.jammukashmircablecar.com/
JKCCC themselves warn travellers not to buy through touts or unauthorised sellers. Take that warning literally.
This is the money tip nobody in Gulmarg will volunteer. Every rupee above the official fare that you pay to a "helper" who books on your phone is money you did not need to spend.
We have had travellers pay a middleman a booking fee for a transaction they could have done themselves in four minutes on the same phone.
Pick your date, pick an available entry window, enter traveller details.
Type every name exactly as it appears on the government photo ID you will carry. Not a short form, not a nickname.
Mismatched names create problems at the station, and the staff there have no power to fix your typing.
Current booking guides report that the Phase 1 transaction ID may be required when reserving Phase 2. Save it and keep a screenshot until your entire Gondola booking is complete.
Either way, save that transaction ID. Screenshot it. There is no downside to having it.
Phase 2 has to sit on the same travel date and in a compatible time window as your Phase 1 booking.
Booking Phase 2 for a slot that does not work with your Phase 1 entry is one of the most common self-inflicted problems people create.
Save both QR-coded tickets offline as screenshots or downloads, as mobile coverage around the upper stations may be unreliable.
Carry the same government photo ID you used while booking.
Carry the same government-issued photo ID used during booking and check the official portal for the current list of accepted documents.
The information here genuinely conflicts across sources. Some say counter tickets exist on the day, others say they do not.
We are not going to pick a side and send you on a five-hour drive on a maybe.
Plan on booking online, in advance. Treat any same-day counter ticket as luck, not as a plan.
Offline tickets are neither guaranteed nor permanently unavailable. That is the truthful answer, unsatisfying as it is.
The latest official guidance says boarding entry begins at 8:00 AM, entry strictly closes at 3:30 PM, and the last return is 5:00 PM.
Your individual ticket may carry a narrower entry slot than that. Read what is printed on your ticket, not what is printed here.
Older sources float other timings. Some list Phase 1 as 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, some list Phase 2 as 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, some list the whole attraction as 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Those are not the current official schedule. Ignore them.
Here is the timing tip that changes the whole day. Take the earliest entry window you can get.
Morning air in Gulmarg is usually clearer, the queues are shorter, and if Phase 2 is going to shut down for wind it very often does so later in the day.
Reaching at 8 AM instead of noon can be the difference between riding both phases and riding one.
Phase 2 in particular can open late or close early because of wind, snow, visibility, avalanche-control work, or technical checks. That is normal operation up there, not bad luck.
You are with young children. You have a tight schedule. You want a scenic ride without a hard climb into cold and altitude.
Senior citizens who prefer something gentler usually enjoy Phase 1 more than Phase 2.
Cloudy day? Phase 1 again. There is no point paying for a high-altitude panorama you cannot see.
We are not going to claim Phase 1 suits every child, every senior citizen, or every medical condition. That call depends on the person, not on the ticket.
The sky is clear. You want photographs. You want the winter high-mountain landscape.
You are comfortable with real cold and with gaining altitude quickly.
Phase 2 reaches roughly 3,980 metres, and your body will notice.
Doing both stages gives you the complete Gondola experience, and most people who make the trip to Gulmarg want exactly that.
Just hold Phase 2 loosely in your head. It is weather-dependent every single day of the year.
It depends on the sky. That is the honest answer.
On a clear day, Phase 2 gives you the view that people associate with the Gulmarg Gondola. Open snowfields, ranges stacked into the distance, nothing man-made in sight.
On a foggy, cloudy, or windy day, you pay more, you get colder, and you look at grey.
Here is our skip-this recommendation. If visibility at Kongdoori is already poor, skip Phase 2 that day.
What we tell our travellers is simple. Stand at Kongdoori, look up the mountain, and decide there. If you cannot see where the upper station is, you will not see anything from it either.
Deep winter. This is the skiing season and the most dramatic version of the landscape.
Bring serious clothing. Not fashion winter wear, actual warm layers.
Road delays into Gulmarg are common in these months, and weather interruptions to the Gondola are more likely.
Snow conditions shift a lot through these two months. Lower slopes start clearing while higher levels usually hold snow.
The weather is mixed. Some brilliant days, some washouts.
Holiday season, so expect crowds and book early.
The lower meadows turn green while higher levels may still hold snow. May. Not will.
We have watched travellers arrive in June expecting deep snow at Kongdoori and find bare ground. Nobody guarantees summer snow, and anyone who does is lying.
Green and pretty at the lower levels, with cloud and rain a real risk.
The upper slopes may have little or no snow at all in these months. Come for the landscape, not for the white.
Quieter months. Fewer people, autumn colour on the lower slopes, colder days.
Early snowfall is unpredictable. It might arrive, it might not.
Phase 1 takes about 9 to 15 minutes one way. Phase 2 takes about 12 to 20 minutes one way.
Add those up and it looks like an hour. It is not.
Queues, ticket checks, the transfer at Kongdoori, photographs, a food break, and weather pauses all eat time.
Keep three to four hours for both phases. That is the realistic number.
Do not wedge the Gondola between two tightly timed Srinagar activities. Give it half a day and let the day breathe.
Srinagar to Gulmarg is roughly 60 kilometres according to the District Baramulla figure.
The indicative drive time is about 1.5 hours.
That number is the best case. Traffic, winter road conditions, checkpoints, and weather can stretch it well past that, especially between December and February.
One thing people forget entirely. Reaching Gulmarg is not reaching the Gondola.
You still have to get from your vehicle drop point, hotel, or parking area to the Gondola entrance, on foot or otherwise.
In snow, with luggage or small children, that last stretch takes longer than anyone plans for. Build it into your morning.
Layers. Not one thick jacket, several layers you can add and remove.
Gloves and a woollen cap are not optional at Phase 2. Neither are sunglasses, because glare off snow at altitude is brutal.
Carry sun protection, water, a charged phone, and a power bank.
Keep offline copies of both tickets and the photo ID that matches your booking.
Phase 2 feels significantly colder and windier than Gulmarg town. People who dressed for the town regret it within two minutes of stepping out at the top.
We are not quoting rental prices for clothing or boots. Those change constantly and depend entirely on who you talk to.
Phase 1 is generally the easier choice, but suitability depends on the weather that day, the person's mobility, their health, and honestly their mood.
Phase 2 reaches about 3,980 metres. Rapid ascent above 2,500 metres can cause altitude symptoms in some people.
Watch for headache, dizziness, tiredness, nausea, or reduced appetite.
If any of these appear or get worse, do not go higher. Tell the station staff.
Worsening symptoms mean you descend and get medical help. This is not something to push through for a photograph.
Anyone with major heart, lung, or mobility concerns, anyone pregnant, or anyone with a previous altitude problem should get personalised medical advice before planning Phase 2.
If altitude is something you are thinking about seriously, our Ladakh tour packages page explains how proper acclimatisation planning works on a much higher route.
Strong wind, snowfall, fog, poor visibility, avalanche-control work, maintenance, or a technical issue can stop one phase or both.
Keep your payment records. Read the cancellation and refund conditions attached to your specific booking.
We are not promising you an automatic refund. The current refund policy needs verification directly with JKCCC.
Have a backup plan for the day. The Gulmarg meadow, the church, the temple, the cafés, and short walks all work depending on the weather.
In our experience, travellers who arrive with a backup plan enjoy a closed-Gondola day. Travellers who built the whole trip around one cable car ride do not.
We could not confirm full wheelchair accessibility. That is a real gap and we would rather say so than guess.
Snow, steps, uneven ground, queues, and the distance between the taxi drop point and the station can all create difficulty.
Confirm the current arrangement directly with JKCCC before you book. Do not rely on any blog for this, including ours.
Leave Srinagar early. Earlier than feels reasonable.
Account for road conditions, traffic, the walk to the station, and the ticket check queue.
Do Phase 1 first.
Continue to Phase 2 only if it is running, the weather looks right, and everyone in your group feels fine.
Come back down to Kongdoori for a short break before descending.
Food stalls at Kongdoori may open or close depending on the season, weather and daily operations, so carry your own snacks and water.
If something warm is running at Kongdoori, a cup of kahwa there hits differently than the same cup in Srinagar. That is the food recommendation, with the honest caveat that we cannot promise it will be open.
Head down before the last-return rush builds. That queue at the end of the day is the least pleasant part of the whole experience.
Spend what is left of the afternoon around Gulmarg itself.
Drive back to Srinagar, or stay the night in Gulmarg.
Staying overnight is what we usually suggest. You get a second morning as a buffer if the Gondola shuts down on day one.
Buying from unofficial sellers. This is the big one, and JKCCC warns about it for a reason.
Trusting old fare pages. The ₹700 and ₹900 numbers floating around are outdated.
Booking Phase 1 and Phase 2 in slots that do not work together.
Arriving with an ID that does not match the name on the ticket.
Assuming Phase 2 will definitely run. It is weather-dependent, always.
Wearing ordinary shoes. Snow and wet ground turn city footwear into a problem fast.
Planning the return drive too close to the last ride. Give yourself room.
One more. You do not automatically need a paid guide just to board and ride the sightseeing Gondola. Plenty of people are told otherwise at the station.
If Gulmarg is part of a bigger Himalayan plan, Manali works well as a companion destination with an easier road profile. Our Manali tour packages cover the standard routes.
If you want to go genuinely high, Ladakh is the next step up. It needs far more careful acclimatisation and planning than Gulmarg does, which is exactly what our Ladakh tour packages are built around.
