5 Breathtaking Mountain Towns Where Cable Car Is The Most Practical Method Of Arrival, According To Experts

Ah, mountain towns — who doesn't love them? Whether it's the feel of the crisp highland air, the shimmer of snow-capped peaks above, the happy après ski parties, or the buzz of an upcoming hiking day, they offer something truly unique to would-be travelers. What's more, the journey into some mountain towns can prove to be a real adventure on its own, whisking you along America's highest continuous paved road over the Rocky Mountains, perhaps, or through idyllic Alpine valleys in Europe, for example.

Then there are the mountain towns where the cable car is the most practical way to arrive. That means a journey on a whole other level, pushing you to ditch the wheels and take to the gondolas. Talk about a unique way to start a trip! Of course, such spots are rare, especially in an age when, by some estimations, there are over 4 million miles of roadway in the United States alone.

If all that's got you thinking about seeking out one of these special, cable car-accessible spots, then read on. This guide has trawled the relevant publications to pick out five places around the globe that aren't only best reached by this novelty method, but also reign as rather breathtaking, unforgettable travel destinations to boot.

Just 13 farms and a clutch of traditional Alpine chalets make up the bijou hamlet of Gimmelwald, which sits aloft some 4,485 feet above sea level amid the jagged peaks of the Bernese Oberland. It certainly satisfies the "breathtaking" adjective, what with the soaring summit of the iconic Jungfrau towering to the southeast and the secret Swiss waterfall valley of Lauterbrunnen unfolding to the north. The experts agree, too. Veteran travel guru Rick Steves summed this one up as "just this side of heaven" in a piece where he waxes lyrical about the rustic vibes, the sounds of cowbells ringing in the air, and — of course — the complete lack of car traffic.

Yep, it's as simple as that: You cannot drive to Gimmelwald. The whole village is cut off to private vehicles, save those with a special permit — construction companies and the like. That leaves the Schilthornbahn cable car to take center stage as the main mode of transport up (that, or a pretty hefty hike). You can expect a fairly impressive journey. The official Gimmelwald tourism website paints a picture of the jaw-dropping ride from valley to village, as the gondola skirts a precipitous ridge and dangles above gushing waterfalls.

Once you do finally get there, expect the pace to slow. They say Grimmelwald has more cows than people, and simply wandering around wallowing in the sublime Alpine amphitheater of views often takes the lead on the activities front. If you do want to stretch your legs a little, then hit the hiking trails. They abound here, ranging from easy meanders along the farming tracks to challenging hairpin paths to waterfalls higher in the Swiss Alps.

According to Italiabsolutely.com, you have just three choices when looking to get to Chamois: Hike the old donkey paths up from the valley below, cycle in from the neighboring village of La Magdeleine, or hitch a ride on the Buisson-Chamois cable car. The latter whisks passengers some 2,600 meters from base station to top station every day of the year, starting at 7 in the morning, and finishing at 10:30 at night. It takes just five minutes, making it the fastest ticket to what is now, according to the BBC, the only remaining town in the whole of Italy not accessible by roadway.

Now, if that sounds like it's a chance to get away from it all, that's because, well, it really is. Chamois resides in a particularly gorgeous corner of the Valle d'Aosta, with lush cow fields flowing around it, an alpine lake right next door, and — perhaps most notably of all — the jagged, twisted top of the iconic Matterhorn peaking just over the horizon to the north.

The town itself is small, offering just one local shop at its heart, and the quintessentially Italian combo of a little piazza topped by a chapel. It's worth knowing that there's also quiet skiing on the slopes above Chamois during the winter months, on pistes that run down from viewpoints over the Matterhorn, through forests, and back to the village center.

Mürren is yet another cable-car-accessed town up in the same section of the Swiss Alps as Gimmelwald. In fact, you get to this one on precisely the same gondola, although there is also another option in the form of the gravity-defying Schilthornbahn 20XX — the single steepest cable car on the planet, opened in 2024, capable of transporting you from the valley floor to the sleepy streets of Mürren in just 4 minutes.

Whichever ride you take, the destination is the same: The highest-altitude village in the whole Bernese Oberland. According to the official Switzerland Tourism website, it's hailed as one of the most beautiful spots in the country, with views of the feared Eiger and the colossal Jungfrau abounding on both sides, while the town center bursts with timber-fronted chalets that ooze character and charm.

Of course, there are some spectacular hikes that start and end in Mürren. They begin with the easy-going backcountry tracks that lead to neighboring Gimmelwald, and go right up to the challenging day hike all the way down from the top station of the cable car on the peak of the Schilthorn. James Bond aficionados may also want to ascend to the Piz Gloria station, a panoramic restaurant that featured in the classic 1969 spy flick "On Her Majesty's Secret Service."

I've been to Ngong Ping Village, a little settlement in the very heart of Lantau Island on the western edge of Hong Kong. I vividly recall peering out of the cable car as I rode over, wondering at just how pretty it all was. In one direction, I could see the glimmering waters of the South China Sea. In the other, I could make out the steel skyscrapers of Hong Kong city itself. Below me — and I could see just about everything below, thanks to the glass-bottomed cable car I'd chosen — were undulating hills clad in forest.

The trip on the cable car takes about 25 minutes and deposits you into a lively cultural enclave that's mainly famed for one thing and one thing only: The Big Buddha. It really lives up to its name. You climb over 260 steps to a platform where a colossal statue of Buddha looms over 98 feet high, enjoying sweeping panoramas on all sides as you go.

But that's not all there is at Ngong Ping. The village's official page on the site of the Hong Kong Tourism Board points out that this is a whole 3.7-acre town of shops and stunning Chinese architectural pieces. It's a place to hunt for souvenirs and dine on super-soft bean curd and mango-filled dumplings at the vegetarian cafes of the town's Po Lin Monastery.

Mountain Village is one of the most common destinations in North America mentioned when people talk about places best reached by cable car. Think of it as the little brother of the famous year-round Rocky Mountains resort of Telluride. It peers over its compadre from a plinth nearly 10,000 feet up, surrounded by the flowing aspens of the Uncompahgre National Forest.

Now, you can get to Mountain Village by road if you like, but where's the fun in that? These days, a whopping 3 million people each year opt to hop on the gondola instead. The ride begins on Oak Street in downtown Telluride and whisks you up to aptly-named Gondola Plaza, taking around 12 minutes in total. And here's the kicker: It's totally free.

You'll step out into what the official Telluride Mountain Village tourism portal calls "a town at the top of the world." It sports four handsome town squares, plenty of charming accommodation options, and stacks of outdoor outfitter shops. Plus, it's actually integrated into the Telluride ski map, putting 2,000 acres of skiable country right on the doorstep come the colder months.

To compile this list, I started with simple Google and Bing searches for variations on the term "mountain towns you can only get to by cable car". I then proceeded to comb through all the articles that surfaced to identify recurring destinations. I applied a strict filter: Any town where the most popular mode of transport is a main road was immediately ruled out. Only places where the cable car emerged as the main practical means of arrival made the cut.

Finally, I applied my own editorial eye to my shortlist of mountain towns. Drawing on years of skiing and hiking across four continents — from the Alps and the Himalaya to the trails of New Zealand, Africa, and California — I leaned on first-hand experience to prioritize destinations that don't just tick a logistical box, but genuinely look amazing, offer incredible experiences, and occupy particularly remarkable settings.