Yangtze River Cableway Chongqing — The Retro Cross-River Cable Car, Fares & Best Time to Ride 2026

Q: How much is the Yangtze River Cableway ticket?

The tourist fare is approximately ¥30 one-way (~฿150 / roughly $4 USD) or ¥50 round-trip (~฿250). Locals using a transit card pay considerably less. Prices can change, so check before you go. The recommended way to book ahead is the Chongqing Cableway mini-program on WeChat, as tickets sell out hours in advance on weekends and holidays; you can also book through Klook.

Q: When is the best time to ride the Yangtze River Cableway?

Late afternoon to early evening, roughly 5 to 7 pm, is the best window — you catch both the daytime view and the city lights coming on across the river. To avoid crowds, come on a weekday morning, when queues are shortest. The busiest times are mid-to-late afternoon (2–6 pm) and public holidays, when waits can stretch to 1–2 hours.

Q: How long is the Yangtze River Cableway ride?

The crossing takes about 4 to 6 minutes over a distance of roughly half a mile (about 1.1 km) above the Yangtze River. It is short, but the skyline and river views fill the windows the whole way. Allow 1 to 1.5 hours in total to cover queueing, boarding and photos.

Q: How do you get to the Yangtze River Cableway by metro?

The north station (Yuzhong, 新华路) is beside Xiaoshizi station (小什字) on Metro Line 1 or Line 6 — use Exit 5 and walk a few minutes. The south station (Nan'an, 上新街) is on Line 6 and connects to Nanbin Road. Tip: if the north-side queue is long, take Line 6 across the river and board at the south station instead, where the line is usually shorter.

Q: What are the Yangtze River Cableway opening hours?

Hours are usually around 8:00 am to 10:00 pm daily, with the last ride about 9:00 pm. During long holidays they may extend to roughly 7:30 am–10:30 pm. Hours can vary by season and weather, so it is worth checking on the day you plan to visit.

What it is

Why riding the Yangtze cableway is a Chongqing rite of passage

Picture this: you step into a slightly battered red gondola at the Yuzhong station, the doors close, and the city floor drops away beneath your feet. Below is the wide, silt-brown Yangtze; on both banks, towers climb the steep hillsides in the way only Chongqing's do — a mountain city so stacked on itself that people nickname it the "8D city," because you genuinely lose track of which level counts as ground.

This is the Yangtze River Cableway (长江索道), a cross-river cable car that has been running since 1987. It was built as real transport, back when the city had far fewer bridges and people needed a way across. Chongqing has plenty of bridges now, but the cableway has stayed — and these days it is something visitors come for on purpose. The line spans roughly half a mile (about 1.1 km) from the Yuzhong station (新华路) to the Nan'an station (上新街) on the far bank.

Its appeal is not speed or thrill. It is a perspective you cannot get anywhere else — suspended in mid-air over the river that has fed this city for a thousand years, with both skylines in view at once. The ride lasts only about five minutes, but it is among the best five minutes of the day, especially when the city lights are starting to come on.

Yangtze River Cableway, Chongqing — a red cable car gondola crossing the Yangtze with the city's hillside skyline behind — The Yangtze River Cableway — gliding over the water with the Chongqing skyline rising on both banks

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Fare (tourist)

~¥30 one-way · ~¥50 round-trip

~฿150 / ~฿250 · locals pay less with transit card

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Best time

5–7 pm

Late afternoon into dusk — view plus city lights

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Metro (north station)

Xiaoshizi (小什字)

Lines 1/6, Exit 5 · a few minutes' walk

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Ride time

~4–6 minutes

~½ mile (~1.1 km) over the river

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Opening hours

~8:00 am–10:00 pm

Last ride ~9 pm · extended on holidays

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Running since

1987

A cross-river fixture of Chongqing

Know before you board

4 things that make this more than a cable car

It is not just a river crossing — here is what is worth knowing before you go.

1

A genuine river crossing, not a tourist replica

Running since 1987 · nearly 40 years of ferrying commuters

Unlike sightseeing gondolas built for tourists, this is a real cross-river transit line that locals have used since the city had few bridges. The cabins and stations still carry their 1980s retro character, which gives the ride a noticeably different feel from the brand-new cable cars elsewhere.
2

Both skylines in five minutes

Yuzhong (新华路) ↔ Nan'an (上新街) · ~½ mile

The whole way across you watch Chongqing's towers climbing the hillsides on both banks, with cargo boats moving on the river below. It explains the phrase "mountain city" better than any photograph. The glass on both sides opens up the view — for the best shot, stand close to the window before the doors close.
3

The south side connects to Nanbin Road

South station 上新街 · walk on to Nanbin Road

Cross to the Nan'an (south) side and you are close to Nanbin Road, the riverside strip with restaurants and night views of the city across the water. Many people ride from Yuzhong over to the south side, then walk the waterfront or find somewhere for hotpot as the evening sets in.
4

Which floor is the ground? — the 8D-city trick

The Yuzhong station hides mid-building

Chongqing is built in layers up the hillsides, so the Yuzhong station entrance can sit on an "upper floor" of a building even when you feel like you are walking at street level. If you cannot find the entrance, look for the 长江索道 signs or follow Exit 5 of Xiaoshizi station — the mismatch between height and ground level is part of this city's charm.

Making the most of it

Timing, queues and the best places to shoot

🕖 When to go

The best stretch is late afternoon into dusk, roughly 5 to 7 pm, because you get the clear daytime view and the city lights coming on in the same frame. Board around then and you reach the south side just as Chongqing begins to light up — the moment most people find best.

To dodge the crowds, come on a weekday morning, when queues are shortest. The opposite is true mid-to-late afternoon (2–6 pm) and on public holidays, when it is busiest — some days the wait reaches 1–2 hours.

🎟️ Booking tickets and skipping the queue

The tourist fare is ~¥30 one-way (~฿150) or ~¥50 round-trip (~฿250); locals using a transit card pay considerably less. On holidays, tickets often sell out hours ahead — the way most people recommend booking in advance is the Chongqing Cableway mini-program on WeChat, though you can also book through Klook.

A queue tip that works: if the Yuzhong (north) side has a long line, take Metro Line 6 across the river and board at the south station (Nan'an) instead, where the queue is usually much shorter — then ride back to the north bank.

Tip: Booking tickets and cableway-area activities through Klook in advance is easier than queuing at the station ticket office on a busy holiday. Check the Chongqing cableway on Klook →

The Yangtze River at Chongqing — a wide river running through the mountain city with skyscrapers climbing the hillsides on both banks — The Yangtze that the cableway crosses — the river that feeds Chongqing, with skylines rising on both banks

📸 Photography — when and where

The classic shot is from inside the gondola, out through the glass, while you are suspended over the middle of the river — you get the water below and the towers as a backdrop. Stand close to the window before the doors close to claim the best position, since the cabin gets crowded and it is hard to move around once you are gliding.

If you want the "cable car floating over the river" shot from the outside, head to the riverside near Nanbin Road on the south bank, or the waterfront on the Yuzhong side — the red gondolas look striking against the skyline and the river, especially when the city lights are up at night.

Getting there

How to reach the Yangtze River Cableway

The metro is the easiest option — it brings you right to both cableway stations.

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North station (Yuzhong)

Xiaoshizi station (小什字)

Line 1 or Line 6, Exit 5 — a few minutes' walk to the 新华路 station; also the most direct, and within walking distance of Jiefangbei and Hongyadong

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South station (Nan'an)

Metro Line 6, the 上新街 side

Connects to Nanbin Road — the queue here is usually shorter, so it's a good place to start the ride

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Taxi / DiDi

Ask for whichever station has the shorter queue

Give the name 长江索道 — handy with luggage, or to continue to the Nanbin Road waterfront at night

Planning your time: the cableway is very close to Jiefangbei and Hongyadong — all within walking distance. A neat route: stroll Jiefangbei in the afternoon → ride the cableway from the Yuzhong side near sunset → cross to the south side and walk the Nanbin Road waterfront → come back for Hongyadong's golden lights after dark. A full evening in one compact area.

What's nearby + where to stay

Pair it with Hongyadong, Jiefangbei and a central hotel

The cableway sits in the Yuzhong core, within walking distance of several of the city's best sights — easy to chain into a single outing.

Hongyadong (洪崖洞) — golden night lights

The stilt-house complex on the Jialing riverbank, lit gold at night like a film set — walkable from the cableway

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Jiefangbei (解放碑) — the city centre

The Liberation Monument, the CBD shopping core and Bayi snack street — a walk from the cableway station

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Central Yuzhong locations — walk out the door to the cableway, Hongyadong and Jiefangbei

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Frequently asked

FAQ · Yangtze River Cableway practical

How much is the Yangtze River Cableway ticket?

The tourist fare is approximately ¥30 one-way (~฿150) or ¥50 round-trip (~฿250). Locals using a transit card pay considerably less. Prices can change, so check before you go. The recommended way to book ahead is the Chongqing Cableway mini-program on WeChat, as tickets sell out hours in advance on weekends and holidays; you can also book through Klook.

When is the best time to ride the Yangtze River Cableway?

Late afternoon into early evening, roughly 5 to 7 pm, is the best window — you catch both the daytime view and the city lights coming on across the river. To avoid crowds, come on a weekday morning, when queues are shortest. The busiest times are mid-to-late afternoon (2–6 pm) and public holidays, when waits can stretch to 1–2 hours.

How long is the Yangtze River Cableway ride?

The crossing takes about 4 to 6 minutes over a distance of roughly half a mile (about 1.1 km) above the Yangtze River. It is short, but the skyline and river views fill the windows the whole way. Allow 1 to 1.5 hours in total to cover queueing, boarding and photos.

How do you get to the Yangtze River Cableway by metro?

The north station (Yuzhong, 新华路) is beside Xiaoshizi station (小什字) on Metro Line 1 or Line 6 — use Exit 5 and walk a few minutes. The south station (Nan'an, 上新街) is on Line 6 and connects to Nanbin Road. Tip: if the north-side queue is long, take Line 6 across the river and board at the south station instead, where the line is usually shorter.

What are the Yangtze River Cableway opening hours?

Hours are usually around 8:00 am to 10:00 pm daily, with the last ride about 9:00 pm. During long holidays they may extend to roughly 7:30 am–10:30 pm. Hours can vary by season and weather, so it is worth checking on the day you plan to visit.

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