Yangtze River Cableway, Chongqing

Yangtze River Cableway tickets: price and booking

A ticket costs ¥30 one way or ¥50 return, according to the Chongqing Bendibao city portal and recent English-language guides. The operator's website doesn't publish fares, so treat these as unofficial. Older guides and Wikipedia still quote ¥20 and ¥30 — that was before the increase.

Locals buy through the operator's “长江索道” WeChat official account, which releases same-day tickets at 7:45 (7:15 on public holidays). Every ticket comes with a queue number, shown in the app and on the screen at the gate; you board when your number range is called. A ticket alone doesn't get you on a particular cabin.

For foreign visitors the easier route is Trip.com, Klook or a similar platform: book with your passport details, then take a queue number from the machine at the station and carry your passport. There's also a ticket counter by the north station, but same-day tickets often sell out on weekend evenings (unofficial).

Paying: Alipay and WeChat Pay both accept foreign Visa and Mastercard; cards issued in Russia won't link. Cash yuan should be accepted at the counter, though change can be short, so bring small notes.

Children: some sources say kids under 1.2 m ride free with an adult, others say under 1.3 m, one child per adult. The operator's rules say children under 1.3 m must ride with a guardian.

Opening hours and maintenance days

The official timetable runs in two seasons. From 1 March to 30 November the cableway is open 8:00–22:00, and 7:30–23:00 on public holidays. From 1 December to the end of February it's 8:00–21:00, and 7:30–22:30 on holidays. Boarding usually stops 30–60 minutes before closing (unofficial).

There's no weekly day off, but the line closes for a whole day once a month for maintenance. In the operator's recent notices that day was always the last Tuesday or Wednesday of the month, reopening at 8:00 the next morning. The notice goes up only one to five days ahead, so check the operator's site or WeChat account if you're visiting late in the month.

Fog, thunderstorms and strong wind can halt the cabins without warning. During national holidays — above all the first week of October and the Spring Festival — waits can stretch to hours.

What is the Yangtze River Cableway?

It started life as public transport, not a tourist ride. The line opened on 24 October 1987 as a river crossing between the two banks, and it still works like one — ticket office, gates and a timetable rather than theme-park trimmings.

Two large cabins shuttle in opposite directions along 1,166 m of cable, from Xinhua Road on the Yuzhong peninsula to Shangxin Street in Nan'an. Each carries 65 passengers plus an attendant, all standing by big windows.

Below you is the wide, brown Yangtze with its barges and river boats; behind you, the wall of Yuzhong's towers; ahead, the south-bank slope with its older streets. The cabin skims past apartment blocks and over rooftops — Chongqing in miniature, a city stacked on hills.

The line was listed as a protected heritage structure in 2009 and given a national AAAA grade in 2018. The same operator runs the long Lianglukou escalator and the Kaixuan Road lift — more everyday transport that turned into sights.

What you see on the ride

• The Yuzhong skyline — the peninsula's towers from the water; heading south, stand at the rear window.
• The Yangtze — barges and river boats right below as you cross mid-stream.
• Dongshuimen Bridge — not far from the line, carrying metro Line 6 across the river.
• Longmenhao Old Street — stone houses and stairways of an old riverside quarter by the south station.
• The passing cabin — the two cabins cross mid-river, the shot everyone waits for.
• Night lights — after dark the Yuzhong waterfront is lit, and the crossing turns into a four-minute night tour.

North or south station, one way or return?

The north station at Xiaoshizi is in the thick of things, close to Jiefangbei, Hongyadong and Luohan Temple, so its queue is longer. The south station at Shangxinjie is calmer, and you can walk straight into Longmenhao Old Street.

A return ticket saves ¥10, but you still queue again for the way back. It's usually smarter to ride one way and return by metro: Line 6 links Shangxinjie and Xiaoshizi in one stop across the river.

A good first-day plan: metro to the south side, a wander through Longmenhao, the cableway north at sunset, then a walk to Hongyadong lit up at night.

Is the Yangtze River Cableway worth it?

Yes on a first visit: in four minutes you see how Chongqing sits on hills between rivers, and it's cheap. Go at dusk if you can, when the towers light up.

Skip it if you won't queue an hour or more for a short ride — that's normal at weekends and holidays. A weekday morning is your best chance of walking straight on. The operator advises against riding for people with a fear of heights or heart conditions.

Manage expectations: the river is often hazy and the cabin is packed. It's more about the thrill of crossing than the best panorama in town — for that, head up to Eling Park.

Cableway, Eling Park and Liziba station

All three show Chongqing's hills and rivers: the cableway from the water, Eling from above, Liziba from inside.

Chongqing viewpoints compared

Every Chongqing viewpoint rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.

Nearby — add to your day

45

Jiefangbei

Chongqing, China

30 min · Free, open 24 hours · 15 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Jiefangbei

38

Luohan Temple

Chongqing, China

45 min · ¥20, incense included · 16 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Luohan Temple

44

Hongyadong

Chongqing, China

1 h 30 min · Free · 24 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Hongyadong

43

Shibati

Chongqing, China

1 h · Free · 28 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Shibati

How to do it right

• The shortest queues are on weekday mornings right after opening; weekend evenings are the longest.
• Grab a window on the Yuzhong side — the skyline from the water is the view you came for.
• Take your queue number early and go for a walk: the screen shows which numbers are boarding.
• Luohan Temple and Jiefangbei are close to the north station; Hongyadong is about 15 minutes' walk.
• Longmenhao Old Street starts right by the south station and is free to wander.
• Hard with a pushchair: the queue is cramped and the south side has steps.
• During national holiday weeks, skip it — the wait can eat half a day.

Questions