How much are Yangtze River Cableway tickets in 2026?
Up to ¥30 per person one way and up to ¥50 per person round trip. Those are the maximum prices published by the Chongqing Development and Reform Commission in a price notice that applies from 1 January 2025. The notice is dated 27 December 2024 and the web page carries 24 March 2025. Some older guides still quote other prices.
The notice calls ¥30 and ¥50 a ceiling (最高限价). The operator may set the actual price anywhere within the government-guided range, depending on passenger flow. So read them as "up to", not as a fixed fare. The notice names no other price.
Discounts
The notice says the exact reductions and exemptions follow a Chongqing municipal rule (渝发改规范〔2023〕9号) and are decided by the operator itself. Neither the notice nor the operator's pages list who qualifies, so we can't give an age, a height or a percentage. Ask at the station or call the hotline, 023-68816888. The contact page says the hotline works around the clock.
Yangtze River Cableway opening hours and closure days
The operator's guide page lists two seasons. October falls in the summer season. The homepage shows the same 08:00-22:00 with 07:30-23:00 on holidays.
| Season | Normal days | Statutory public holidays |
|---|---|---|
| Summer, 1 March to 30 November | 08:00-22:00 | 07:30-23:00 |
| Winter, 1 December to end of February | 08:00-21:00 | 07:30-22:30 |
The operator's pages don't give a last entry time, so don't count on arriving just before closing.
Monthly maintenance closure
The cableway stops for monthly maintenance (月度维护保养). The dates change from month to month and are posted only a few days before. In 2026 the notices were dated two to five days ahead. These are some of the dated closures posted this year, so you can see how irregular they are:
- 10 February 2026: 14:00-21:00 only; back to normal on 11 February at 08:00.
- 31 March 2026 (Tuesday): all day; back on 1 April at 08:00.
- 27 May 2026 (Wednesday): all day; back on 28 May at 08:00.
- 29 July 2026 (Wednesday): all day; back on 30 July at 08:00.
- 23 September 2026 (Wednesday): all day; back on 24 September at 08:00. This one has passed.
There is no fixed weekday or day of the month, so check the operator's notices for the days you plan to go.
How to buy Yangtze River Cableway tickets
The official channel is the cableway's WeChat account (长江索道微信公众号). The online ticketing page says sales open at 07:45, or 07:15 on statutory public holidays. It lists these steps:
- Tap buy now.
- Choose the ticket type.
- Choose the date.
- Choose the station.
- Choose the time slot.
- Enter the number of tickets.
- Fill in your information.
- Pay online. The ticket is issued once payment goes through.
So you pick a station and a time slot when you book. The page also shows a QR code to scan. The homepage shows a live "tickets left" figure, split between the south station and the north station.
Do I need to book ahead? Can I buy on the spot?
The operator's pages don't say whether booking is compulsory, whether there is a ticket counter at either station, or whether there is a queue or a cap on numbers. The online page says the WeChat account sells same-day tickets, yet the steps include "choose the date". The page doesn't say whether the account sells for later dates. The refund rules do mention tickets bought in advance on "authorised e-commerce platforms" (授权电商平台), without naming them. The operator's pages do not say that any option lets you skip the line.
Can I buy with a foreign passport?
The online ticketing page says only "fill in information" (填写信息). It doesn't mention ID, real-name registration or passports, so it neither confirms nor rules out a foreign passport. Call 023-68816888 if you need a firm answer before you go.
Yangtze River Cableway ticket refunds
The operator says cableway capacity is limited and cannot be stored, so it uses time-limited refunds. It does not allow partial refunds, refunds after you've ridden, or refunds after the time limit. The refund policy image on its site is undated. It splits tickets in two groups.
| Ticket | When | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Bought for the same day | 07:45 to 16:00 | Full refund, online or offline |
| Bought for the same day | 16:00 to 20:00 | Full refund at the scenic area's visitor centre |
| Bought for the same day | After 20:00 | No refund; a ticket not used in that day's operating hours becomes void |
| Bought in advance on an authorised platform | Before 07:00 on the day of travel | Full refund, requested on the platform where you bought it |
| Bought in advance on an authorised platform | After 07:00 | No refund; an unused ticket becomes void at the end of that day's operating hours |
For an online same-day refund, the image shows this path: in the 购票取号 entry, go to my orders, then e-ticket, then refund/after-sales, then submit. The money goes back to the account you paid from. The image says nothing about ID, passports or prices.
Yangtze River Cableway stations: which one to start from
The line runs across the Yangtze between two stations.
- North station: Xinhua Road, Yuzhong District (渝中区新华路). The operator's listed address is 151 Xinhua Road (重庆市渝中区新华路151号).
- South station: Shangxinjie, Longmenhao, Nan'an District (南岸区龙门浩上新街). The operator's pages give no street address for this side.
The operator's pages don't say which end is better to start from. We'd start from whichever side is closer to where you are, since you choose the station on the booking screen anyway. Check the "tickets left" figures on the homepage too, because they are shown per station.
How to get to the Yangtze River Cableway by metro or bus
The operator's route page is undated. It calls the metro lines "light rail" (轻轨), which is the local word for Chongqing's metro.
| Station | Metro | Bus |
|---|---|---|
| North (Xinhua Road) | Line 1 or Line 6 to Xiaoshizi (小什字), Exit 5, about 30 metres on foot | Buses 153, 262, 401, 476 and others to the Xinhua Road (新华路) or Xiaoshizi stop |
| South (Shangxinjie) | Line 6 to Shangxinjie (上新街), Exit 2, then walk | Buses 304, 318, 320 and others to the Longmenhao (龙门浩) stop, about 3 minutes on foot |
The Chongqing Rail Transit network map shows Xiaoshizi as the interchange of Line 1 and Line 6. It shows Shangxinjie as the interchange of Line 6 and the Loop Line. The two stops sit next to each other on Line 6. The map has no distances, walking times or exits, so use the operator's page for exits.
Coming from the airport? See our Chongqing airport to city guide.
Children, health and safety rules for riding
The operator's visitor notice sets these rules. It is undated.
- Wait for the cabin to stop. Let people off first, then board. Hold a strap or handrail once inside.
- Elderly, frail, ill, disabled and pregnant people, and children under 1.3 m, need a relative to accompany them.
- People with a risk of triggering illness are advised not to ride. The notice names heart disease, high blood pressure, mental disorders, fear of heights, a history of habitual miscarriage, some pregnant women in early or late pregnancy, and some frail elderly or less mobile visitors.
- People who are out of control after drinking, critically ill people and people with a mental illness may not ride.
- No flammable, explosive or corrosive items.
- Don't open the cabin doors, put your head or hands out of a window, or throw anything out.
- If there is a power cut or the cabin stops, stay calm and follow the staff.
The hotline for enquiries, rescue and complaints is 023-68816888.
Planning the rest of your Chongqing day
For the wider picture, see our Chongqing travel guide. If museums are on your list, there is also a guide to Three Gorges Museum tickets. We can help you plan the day, including hotels, train tickets and a local guide or private car, and tell you how to book the cableway yourself.
