Skiing in Gulmarg
Dec–Mar; most reliable mid-Jan to mid-Mar, deepest snow in Feb
Starts from
₹ 4,500/person
Book Now — Skiing in GulmargGulmarg Gondola Cable Car
4.6(214 Ratings)out of 5Gulmarg
At a glance
- Location
- Gulmarg
- Duration
- 2 – 4 hours for both phases
- Season
- Year round; Phase 2 weather-dependent, best Dec–Mar for snow
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Suited for
- Anyone for Phase 1. Skip Phase 2 with a heart or breathing condition — it gains 900 m fast
- Phase 1 top
- Kongdoori, ~3,080 m
- Phase 2 top
- Apharwat, ~3,980 m
- Cabin capacity
- 6 people
- Ride time
- ~10 min per phase
About Gulmarg Gondola Cable Car
The Gondola is the reason most people put Gulmarg on the list, and it is genuinely worth it: two stages of cable car take you from a green meadow to a snowfield that holds through summer, in under half an hour of travel.
The two phases are two different days out
Phase 1 runs from the Gulmarg base to Kongdoori at about 3,080 m. It is the easy half — ten minutes, and there is a small cluster of food stalls and sledge hire at the top.
Phase 2 continues to Apharwat Top at about 3,980 m, and it is a different proposition. There is snow at the top for most of the year, the air is noticeably thinner, and the wind decides whether it runs at all.
The queue is the real problem
Phase 2 has a hard daily ticket cap. In the season those tickets are gone early, and the counter queue routinely costs people the morning they came for. Booking online ahead of the day is the single thing that changes this trip most.
What it is like at the top
- Apharwat is cold and exposed even on a bright day — wind chill, not air temperature, is what you feel.
- Snow boots and a jacket can be hired at the base; hiring at the top is not an option.
- The altitude gain is fast. Take the first twenty minutes slowly, and skip Phase 2 if anyone in the group has a heart or breathing condition.
What to expect on Gulmarg Gondola Cable Car
Tickets at the base
The base station sits at the edge of the meadow. If you have booked online you skip the counter entirely; if not, expect the queue to be the longest part of the day in season.
Phase 1 to Kongdoori
About ten minutes, climbing over pine and then open slope. Kongdoori has stalls, sledge hire and — on a clear day — the first proper view down the valley.
The decision point
Phase 2 is ticketed separately and closes in wind or poor visibility. Staff at Kongdoori will tell you whether it is running; the answer can change within the hour.
Phase 2 to Apharwat
Another ten minutes and 900 m of altitude. There is snow at the top for most of the year and the wind is the thing you will remember. Half an hour up there is plenty.
Coming down
The last cabin down is earlier than the last cabin up. Watch the closing time rather than the light — it gets dark quickly behind the ridge.
Inclusions and exclusions
Inclusions
- Phase 1 cable car, one way each direction
- Phase 2 cable car, one way each direction
Exclusions
- Snow boots, jacket and glove hire at the base
- Sledge, ski or ATV hire at Kongdoori
- Food and drink at either station
- Guide or instructor, if you want one on the snow
Booking & timings
Booking required
Book Phase 2 online at least a day ahead in Dec–Feb.
Summer (Apr–Oct)
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Last entry 4:00 PM
Mon openTue openWed openThu openFri openSat openSun open
Phase 2 tickets are capped daily and usually gone well before midday.
Winter (Nov–Mar)
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Last entry 3:00 PM
Mon openTue openWed closedThu openFri openSat openSun open
Closed Wednesday
Wednesday is the maintenance day through the winter season only.
Closed dates
- 2026-03-15 — Annual rope inspection
Weather-dependent
Phase 2 closes in high wind or poor visibility, often at an hour's notice.
Timings checked on the ground on 2026-08-01.
Booking and on-ground tips
know before you book
- Book Phase 2 online before you travel. The daily cap is real, and the counter queue is what costs most people the morning.
- Take the first slot of the day. Cloud builds over Apharwat through the afternoon and the view you came for is a morning view.
- Hire snow boots and a jacket at the base, not at Kongdoori — the base has the stock and the competition, so it is both better and cheaper.
Sartaj's on-ground tips
Born and raised in Kashmir · 20 years planning these trips
- If Phase 2 is shut when you arrive, do not buy a Phase 1 ticket and hope. Ask at the counter what the wind is doing on the ridge — they know by mid-morning whether it is opening at all that day.
- The pony handlers at Kongdoori will offer to take you 'to the top' for less than the Phase 2 fare. That ride does not reach Apharwat, and the price is negotiated after you are already on the horse.
- Wednesday in winter is the maintenance day. Every year people plan a Gulmarg day trip around it and find the cable car still.
Before you book
Gulmarg Gondola Cable Car questions
For Phase 2, yes — tickets are capped daily and sell out early through the winter. Phase 1 can usually be bought at the counter, but you will still queue in season.
Phase 1 runs year round in normal weather. Phase 2 is the one that closes: high wind or poor visibility on the Apharwat ridge shuts it, sometimes within the hour, and Wednesday is the winter maintenance day.
Usually yes. Apharwat holds snow patches through most of the year even when the meadow below is green, which is why the Gondola is worth doing outside winter.
Apharwat is close to 4,000 m and the cable car gets you there in minutes rather than hours, so there is no acclimatisation. Most people are fine but feel the thin air. Skip Phase 2 with a heart or breathing condition.
Still have a question? Ask Sartaj directly — born and raised in Kashmir, 20 years of planning these trips.
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