Chandragiri Hills Cable Car: Information Guide, Kathmandu, Nepal

The Chandragiri Hills Cable Car is one of those things I’ve heard about a million times. I always wanted to go, but it seemed like such a hassle to get there. It’s only an hour outside of Kathmandu, but the ride is dusty and a bit bumpy. Plus, it’s one of those places that you have to go on a clear day, or there’s really no point. I kept putting off going to Chandragiri until it became the starting point of a hike I wanted to do. The morning was foggy, and I was positive we wouldn’t be able to see a thing. The funny thing about Kathmandu is that it’s in a valley and often the pollution and fog below doesn’t actually go above the valley rim. Meaning, even on a foggy day in Kathmandu, you still have a chance for a perfect view from Chandragiri Hills.

For some reason, I thought I would have to hire a private car or take ten different local buses to get to Chandragiri. That couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, if you’re able to locate a Bhat-Bhateni super market along the Ring Road, you’ll be able to get a free shuttle to the start of the cable car. The shuttle makes a lot of stops, so I’d recommend meeting it at the Kalanki Bhat-Bhateni because it’s the last stop on the way to Chandragiri. It stops there between 11:00 am and 11:15 am as long as it’s on schedule. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).