Gulmarg Gondola: tickets, timings and what to expect

The Gulmarg Gondola is the reason many people come to Gulmarg, and it is genuinely worth the fuss: in a little over twenty minutes it lifts you from a meadow at 2,650 metres to the shoulder of Apharwat Peak at nearly 3,980, among the highest cable-car rides anywhere. It is also the single attraction in Kashmir most likely to go wrong for the unprepared — sold-out tickets, a closed top stage, the wrong shoes in deep snow. Here is what to know.

Two stages, two different rides

The gondola runs in two separate stages, and you buy them separately.

• Stage 1: Gulmarg to Kongdoori (about 3,080 m). A short ride up through the pine forest to a bowl of meadow below Apharwat. This stage runs for most of the year and is the one almost everyone takes. In summer Kongdoori is a wide green slope with ponies and walks; in winter it is the hub of the ski area.
• Stage 2: Kongdoori to Apharwat (nearly 3,980 m). The dramatic one. The cabins climb over open mountainside to a ridge with views across to the Pir Panjal and, on a clear day, Nanga Parbat far to the north. It runs only when the weather allows, and in strong wind or poor visibility it simply does not open.

If you only have time or budget for one, take Stage 1 — it is reliable, and the meadow at Kongdoori is lovely in any season. If the morning is clear and Stage 2 is running, go up immediately. Conditions at the top change quickly.

Tickets and booking

Tickets are sold by the Jammu & Kashmir Cable Car Corporation, which runs the gondola, through its official website and at the base station. Online booking opens in advance and the popular morning slots sell out in peak weeks — Christmas and New Year, the February ski holidays, and May and June. Fares are set by the corporation and revised each season, so check the official site rather than any figure you find online.

• Book in the name of each traveller and carry the same original photo ID — it is checked at boarding.
• Choose the earliest slot you can. Mornings are clearer and calmer, and the queues are shorter.
• Stage 2 tickets may be sold only on the day when the stage is running. Do not plan your trip around it.
• Be wary of anyone near the base offering tickets at a premium. Book through the official channel, or let us do it.

When you travel with us, we book your gondola slots as part of the journey and build in a second morning in case the weather closes the top on the first.

Timings

The gondola runs from mid-morning until late afternoon, with the last cabins down well before dusk. Hours shift with the season and the weather, and both stages pause for maintenance for a short period each year — usually in the quiet weeks between the summer and winter seasons. Plan to be at the base early: the queue for boarding is often longer than the ride itself.

What to wear

At nearly 4,000 metres it is cold even in July, and in winter it is properly arctic. Dress for the top, not the meadow.

• Winter: thermal base layers, a down jacket, waterproof trousers, gloves, a warm hat and waterproof snow boots. Boots and coats can be hired in Gulmarg and Tangmarg if you do not have your own.
• Summer: a warm fleece or light down jacket, a wind layer and good walking shoes. The sun is fierce at altitude — bring sunglasses and sunscreen.
• Always: sunglasses. Snow glare at Apharwat can be painful within minutes.

At the top: altitude and safety

Apharwat is higher than most visitors have ever stood, reached in minutes rather than days. Walk slowly, drink water, and expect to feel breathless. Anyone with heart or lung conditions should ask their doctor before going up, and young children and older travellers often enjoy Kongdoori more than the summit ridge. The terrain beyond the marked area is serious avalanche country in winter — unless you are skiing with a qualified guide, stay where the patrol tells you to.

Making a day of it

In summer, Stage 1 is the start of some of Gulmarg's best walking: the meadow walk to Khilanmarg and, for the properly equipped, the longer hike to Alpather Lake, which holds ice well into June. In winter, Kongdoori is where beginners learn and Apharwat is where experienced skiers find some of the longest off-piste runs in Asia — our Gulmarg Snow & Ski journey is built around both.

Whatever the season, come down before the afternoon cloud, warm up with kahwa in the meadow, and save the second morning for another try at the top if the weather was against you. More on the meadow itself on our Gulmarg page.