Gulmarg Gondola

The Gulmarg Gondola is a two phase cable car system that takes you from the Gulmarg meadow at about 2,650 metres up to the shoulder of Apharwat Peak at nearly 4,000 metres. It is one of the highest operating cable cars in the world, built as a joint venture between the J&K government and French firm Pomagalski. For most visitors, this is the single most important thing they do in Gulmarg. Locals say it plainly: if you did not ride the gondola, you did not really see Gulmarg.

The system works in two stages. Phase 1 takes you from the base station in Gulmarg town to Kongdoori at about 3,050 metres. The ride takes 8 to 10 minutes and passes over pine forest and the bowl shaped meadow. Kongdoori has food stalls, restrooms, pony rides, and snow activities (in winter). This is the gentler, more reliable phase. It runs most days year round.

Phase 2 takes you from Kongdoori up to the Apharwat top station at roughly 3,950 to 3,980 metres. The ride takes about 12 minutes. At the top, you are above the tree line, surrounded by snow (most of the year), with the Pir Panjal range in every direction. This is the dramatic phase, and it is also the unreliable one. Phase 2 closes regularly for high wind, poor visibility, avalanche control, and heavy snowfall. On any given day, there is a real chance it will not operate.

Here is what every visitor needs to know, and what most travel pages bury under marketing language.

Tickets are slot based, not open boarding. You book a specific time window. Missing your slot usually means losing the ride. As of 2026, there are two main slots: morning (roughly 9 AM to noon) and afternoon (roughly noon to 3:30 PM). Exact timings can shift by season.

Book online in advance. The official booking portal is run by the Jammu and Kashmir Cable Car Corporation (JKCCC). Phase 2 requires a valid Phase 1 booking first. During peak season (December to February, May to June), slots sell out days or weeks ahead. A tatkal (last minute) system releases a limited number of tickets at 5 PM daily for the next day, but they go in minutes.

Ticket prices as of recent reports: Phase 1 is roughly Rs 740 to 800 per person. Phase 2 is roughly Rs 900 to 1,000. Tatkal prices are higher. Children under 3 ride free. Prices change periodically, so confirm on the official JKCCC portal before booking.

If Phase 2 closes after you have bought a ticket, JKCCC generally refunds the Phase 2 amount within 7 to 10 working days.

The honest advice: book Phase 1. Hope for Phase 2. If Phase 2 runs, it is genuinely one of the most memorable 12 minutes you will spend in Kashmir. If it does not, Kongdoori is still worth the trip. Do not let a closed Phase 2 ruin your day.

If you are planning a Kashmir trip, our Kashmir package covering Srinagar, Gulmarg, and Pahalgam includes the Gulmarg experience and can assist with gondola planning.