Katsuragi Ropeway
Ride six minutes from the Gose foothills to the highland, with a separate bus connection and a return time to plan.
Verified site photographs are being prepared.Discover Katsuragi Ropeway
The ropeway turns Mount Katsuragi into a practical day trip from Kintetsu Gose: a bus reaches the lower terminal, then a six-minute cable journey rises to the highland. The view changes with azaleas, grasses, autumn colour and winter conditions, but no season guarantees a particular display. The decisive planning step is the return: ordinary ropeway service, the connecting bus and the walk around the top all have different schedules and physical demands. The map pin here marks the lower approach, not the summit.
Know which leg the ticket covers
Kintetsu lists its ropeway between Katsuragi Tozanguchi and Katsuragi Sanjo as a journey of about six minutes. The ropeway fare does not include the Kintetsu train or Nara Kotsu bus from Gose Station. A visitor may save with the published return ticket, but anyone planning to walk down should buy the appropriate one-way ticket and check trail conditions first. The summit still needs a walk beyond the upper station.
Separate ordinary hours from event extensions
Kintetsu lists ordinary hours as 9:10–17:00 and says it may add trips when crowded. For the dated 24–25 October 2026 Susuki Sunset Walk, the operator lists a last ascent at 19:30 and last descent at 21:00; this applies only to those event dates, not a normal evening. Weather, inspection or crowding may change service. Check Kintetsu and Nara Kotsu on the day, including the last bus back to Kintetsu Gose.
Price each traveller correctly
Kintetsu's current tariff is ¥950 one-way or ¥1,500 return for adults and ¥480 or ¥750 for children. It lists selected group, disability, pass, lodge-guest and outdoor-club reductions with conditions; ask the ticket office rather than stacking discounts. The Gose municipal tourist car park by the lower station separately charges ¥1,000 per private car per use. Paying for parking does not provide a ropeway or bus ticket.
Make the approach from Kintetsu Gose
Gose City directs rail visitors to the Nara Kotsu bus for Katsuragi Ropeway-mae from Kintetsu Gose Station, then a walk to the lower terminal. The city lists a one-way adult bus fare of ¥340 and the operator links a combined train–bus–ropeway timetable; the bus is seasonal on some days, so check the date-specific schedule in both directions. Gose's lower-station car park charges ¥1,000 per visit and has about 120 spaces; large tour buses need to be booked with the tourism association. Cars cannot drive to the summit. During the May azalea peak, the city warns of waits of tens of minutes for parking and several hours for the ropeway, especially 10:00–14:00, and says traffic restrictions may be imposed. A station-side car park plus bus may be more predictable.
Plan for paths, weather and mobility
Kintetsu notes that some upper paths are unpaved and that the summit is roughly five degrees cooler than the lowlands. Wear shoes suited to rough paths and carry a warm or rain layer. Gose City's current trail map labels a wheelchair-passable route to some highland facilities, but warns that the route has many slopes; this does not establish a level, step-free journey from the bus stop through the ropeway and on to every summit path. Contact the operator about the exact route and assistance before travel. Small dogs may ride only in a cage and need a separate ¥290 one-way baggage ticket.
What to look for
Six-minute cable ride above the Yamato basin
Azaleas, autumn grasses and winter scenery by season
Train–bus–ropeway route with a separate return plan
Photo notes
Kintetsu's seasonal images are not licensed for MyNara. Ask before commercial filming on railway property; for personal photos, avoid other passengers and obey staff directions. A generated image must not be presented as documentary evidence of that day's flowers or weather.
Make a day of it
Explore guides close to this map point, then check the actual route before travelling. Distances below are straight lines, not walking distances or travel times; map points may not be entrances.
Sources & editorial status
Original MyNara draft based on the linked sources. Sources reviewed 20 October 2026. Opening arrangements, prices and offers may change; use the operator's current information before travelling.
- Kintetsu — current ropeway fare, ordinary hours, special 2026 event hours and seasonal rules
- Gose City — bus access, no summit driving and lower parking capacity/fares
- Nara Kotsu — seasonal autumn bus timetable and fare
- Gose City — 2026 azalea-season congestion and traffic guidance
- Gose City — wheelchair-passable course, slopes and trail warnings
- OpenStreetMap — approximate Katsuragi Ropeway-mae bus marker