Fares & tickets
Gulmarg Gondola: ticket prices, phases and booking
Reported 2026 fares: ₹700–₹810 for Phase 1 and ₹900–₹1,010 for Phase 2 (26 June and 26 July 2026). JKCCC says it closes on the 2nd and 4th Monday of every month for maintenance.
The Gulmarg Gondola runs in two phases: Phase 1 from Gulmarg to Kongdori, about 6 minutes, and Phase 2 from Kongdori up towards Apharwat Peak, about 12 minutes. Book only through the official Jammu & Kashmir Cable Car Corporation (JKCCC) site. Fares reported in 2026 range from ₹700 to ₹810 for Phase 1 and from ₹900 to ₹1,010 for Phase 2; the booking page shows the current price.
In this guide6 sections
At a glance
- Phase 1
- Gulmarg to Kongdori, about 6 min
- Phase 2
- Kongdori towards Apharwat, about 12 min
- Reported 2026 fares
- ₹700–₹810 and ₹900–₹1,010
- Book ahead
- Up to 120 days JKCCC notice, Oct 2026
- Tatkal tickets
- Released at 5 pm for the next day
- Hours
- Last entry 3:30 pm, last return 5 pm JKCCC site, 23 Oct 2026
- Maintenance
- 2nd and 4th Monday JKCCC notice
The two phases
| Detail | Phase 1 | Phase 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Route | Gulmarg resort to Kongdori station, about 3,100 m (JKTDC) | Kongdori up to about 3,980 m, near Apharwat Peak (JKTDC) |
| Ride time | About 6 minutes | About 12 minutes |
| Reported 2026 fare | ₹700–₹810 | ₹900–₹1,010 |
Route and ride times: Curly Tales, 26 June 2026. Heights: JKTDC, read 23 October 2026. Fares: see below.
You can only board Phase 2 at Kongdori, so a Phase 2 trip means riding Phase 1 first.
What tickets cost in 2026
Published fares disagree, and the official booking portal shows the live price only after you sign in, so we could not read it (checked 24 October 2026). Dated sources report:
| Source | Date | Phase 1 | Phase 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curly Tales | 26 Jun 2026 | ₹700 | ₹900 |
| Travel Coffee | 26 Jul 2026 | About ₹810, reported | About ₹1,010, reported |
How to book
- Use the official site only. Book through the JKCCC website, jammukashmircablecar.com, which links to its e-ticket portal. Online booking “is available up to 120 days in advance”, according to a JKCCC notice on its website (shown 10–20 October 2026).
- Tatkal tickets for tomorrow. Since 18 December 2024, online Tatkal tickets have been released every day at 5 pm for the following day, with Tatkal charges added, Kashmir Life reported.
- Avoid touts. During the September 2026 inspection, visitors were advised to buy tickets only through the official JKCCC portal and to avoid local touts, according to Kashmir Life.
Closures in 2026
- 25 May 2026A technical malfunction left around 300 tourists stranded in cabins for several hours, the Kashmir Observer reported.
- Late June 2026Reopened after a month-long closure, according to Curly Tales.
- 14–17 Sep 2026Closed for the scheduled annual inspection, according to Kashmir Life.
- 1 Oct 2026A preliminary inquiry recommended an extra rescue bull wheel and vertical-rescue training for local guides. The final report has not been made public, says the Kashmir Observer.
Monthly maintenance: the Gondola “shall remain closed on the 2nd and 4th Monday of every month for preventive maintenance”, according to a notice on the JKCCC website (shown from 13 July 2026, read 24 October 2026), so avoid those days. On the morning you go, check the JKCCC site or its official Instagram, @gulmarggondola_official, for the day’s status.
Timings
The JKCCC website gave these timings on 23 October 2026: entry for boarding “shall commence at 8:00 AM and shall strictly close at 3:30 PM”, and the last return is at 5:00 pm. A newer advisory, shown from 21 October 2026, says boarding “commences at 8:30 AM for Phase-I and 9:15 AM for Phase-II”. The two notices differ on the start time, so go by the time slot printed on your ticket, as JKCCC asks riders to do.
Gulmarg averages 0.7°C by day and −7.7°C at night in January, on 1991–2020 averages; snow reports and every month are in Gulmarg weather. The Go Kashmir app shows a 4-day forecast on Gulmarg’s place card.
Gondola questions
What are Phase 1 and Phase 2?
Phase 1 runs from Gulmarg to Kongdori; Phase 2 continues from Kongdori up towards Apharwat Peak.
How do you get a Phase 2 ticket?
Book it on the official JKCCC portal. Phase 2 starts at Kongdori, so you ride Phase 1 first.
Is Phase 2 open today?
It depends on the day. Check the JKCCC site or its official Instagram on the morning you go.
What is a Tatkal Gondola ticket?
A next-day ticket released online at 5 pm each day, with Tatkal charges added; the system started on 18 December 2024.
Sources
- Jammu & Kashmir Cable Car Corporation, official website and Instagram. Read 22 Oct 2026.
- Curly Tales, Gondola reopening, timings and ticket cost, 26 Jun 2026.
- Travel Coffee, Gulmarg Gondola guide, 26 Jul 2026.
- Kashmir Life, new online Tatkal ticket system, 17 Dec 2024, and services suspended for inspection, 14 Sep 2026.
- Kashmir Observer, Gondola safety probe recommends rescue upgrades, 1 Oct 2026.
- WMO Climate Normals 1991–2020, station 42026 Gulmarg, published by NOAA NCEI.
- JKTDC, Gulmarg and Apharwat information page (station heights). Read 23 Oct 2026.
- Jammu & Kashmir Cable Car Corporation, timing, booking-window and maintenance notices on its website and notifications page. Read 23 and 24 Oct 2026.
Fares on the official booking portal are shown only after sign-in, so we show the reported range with dates. We write from published sources and do not claim personal visits. How we check facts.
Read next
Keep planning
Destination guideGulmarg: what to do, when to go and how to get thereThe Gondola, meadows and ski slopes, 1½–2¼ hours from Srinagar.
Fares & ticketsSrinagar taxi fares to Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg2026 operator fares to Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonamarg and the airport.
Weather & seasonsKashmir in December: weather, snow, roads and what’s openCold nights, a chance of snow, Chillai Kalan and which roads close.
