Top 10 Cruise Destinations for Mountain Cable Cars
That gives lots of opportunities to take in views from your ship that you just cannot get with any other type of travel.
If you are greedy like me and want even better views and a completely different vantage, taking a cable car to the top of a large mountain or other viewing vantage point is one of my favourite options.
There are numerous ports around the world that make this process easy by either having cable cars close to where you dock, having ones that are easily reached via public transport or even some that the experience is just to good to turn down an excursion to.
Those are the ports that I look at in this list as I bring you my top 10 cruise destinations for taking a cable car ride which is based on my own experience, the research I have done of other destinations, the feedback I get from you CruiseHollers and also from friends and family.
Our Top 10 Cruise Destinations for Mountain Cable Cars
Olden (Norway)
If you look at Olden online before you visit, you may be confused by this one as there isn’t actually a cable car in the village.
Instead, you’ll have to head around the corner, to the even smaller village of Loen where the Loen skylift dominates.
I had to place this at number one as it was the cable car ride to the top of mount Hoven that Id did when visiting Olden and what an incredible experience it was.
Although it was May when I visited there, the snow was still so deep it was way above head height but it’s still easy to walk around and the views you get from up there over Loen, Olden and the magnificent Nordfjorden are simply incredible.
Best of all, there is a shuttle bus from the cruise pier to the skylift, so you don’t even need to pay for an overpriced cruse line excursion.
Juneau (Alaska, United States)
Juneau is almost the benchmark for a list such as this one as the cable car is within easy walking distance of the cruise pier, it’s in the heart of the city centre and those arriving at the top of Mount Roberts are set for incredible views.
The Mouth Roberts Tramway is also steeped in history and with nature been one of the major draws for visitors heading up to Alaska, guests can also enjoy a nature of nature trails through the hilltop rainforest.
The ride up the mountain also gives you great views of not just your cruise ship, but of the others docked in port which is also a great plus for me.
Cape Town (South Africa)
The cable car to the top of Cape Town’s iconic Table mountain is on the bucket list for many cruisers and will be on the must do list for most visiting there.
Thankfully, it is relatively straight forward to do just that either via an excursion or by using one of the hop on hop off tour buses making it a great option no matter what your budget is.
It’s one of the world’s greatest cable car rides as not only are the cars large enough to handle a large amount of traffic, but they also spin 360 degrees to give everybody a great view.
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
When I was lucky enough to visit Rio de Janeiro, there was one standout experience for me and that was my time visiting the iconic Sugarloaf mountain.
It actually takes 2 cable car journeys to get from the bottom to the summit, and there is lots to do both in-between the two journeys and once you get to the top but for me, it’s just the incredible views that really make it such a must do.
If you look one way, you get views of a national forest, complete with mountains and even the equally famous Christ the Redeemer statue, to the other way are views of the city of Rio itself.
If you look another way, you get great seas views whilst another direction will give you view over Copacabana beach- plus there much more to spot than those.
Located just outside of the Botafogo district of the city, it is some distance from the cruise port but with most lines offering excursions going there, a wide range of private tours easy to book and with the cities metro making it easy to reach- its an easy to do experience no matter how you like to explore.
Dubrovnik (Croatia)
If you’re heading into Dubrovnik for a day of exploring from the cruise ship, you will need to travel anyway as the cruise port is some distance from the cities walled old town.
Many shuttles and excursions taking you there will also allow you to visit the nearby cable car in the city, so it’s easy to do despite not been next to where you dock.
The ascension to the top of Mount Srd gives you great views of the terracotta rooftops, medieval walks and beautiful blue waters of the Adriatic but it’s only when you get to the top of it when you can really appreciate the beauty of the region and to mosaic layout of Dubrovnik.
Santorini (Greece)
For all of the other options on this list, the cable car rides are add-ons to your visit and are there to give you a great experience.
The cable car in Santorini gives you all of that but it is functional mode of transportation and a hamstring saver for many cruisers.
For visits to Santorini, cruise ship drop anchor and then tender their guests to shore, where you arrive at the foot of the some steeply sided cliffs, with the city of Fira awaits you.
It is there where the white-washed buildings and idyllic vistas await you but unless you fancy the climb of 587 steps, you’ll want to take the cable car making this one not just a great option, but a necessity for many.
Barcelona (Spain)
In Barcelona, there are a couple of options when it comes to cable cars and although many reading this will instantly think of the historic red ones that go over the harbour and near to the cruise port, for this entry I am taking into account the modern cable cars that go up to the top of Montjuic Hill.
Montjuic not only offers incredible views, including over the cruise port so you can get some great photos of your cruise ship, but it is also home to the Olympic Park in Barcelona.
If you take the cable car up, I would recommend walking back down via the palace and the stunning fountain, which if you time right you may even get to watch a fountain and light show set to music.
Singapore
If you are arriving on a smaller boat into Singapore, you will dock quite literally underneath the cable car in the country but for most, it will be a short ride to the Harbourfront shopping centre you need to do, but that is cheap and straight forward by the modern and safe metro system in the city state that goes from a stop at the cruise terminal.
Once you get to harbourfront, you need to head into the shopping centre and just keep heading up and up to board you cable car which takes you over the tourist resort island of Sentosa.
Home to beaches, attractions, bars, restaurants, shops and even a Universal Studios, Sentosa is a great place to head for families and whilst you can walk across from the mainland, or just on a monorail, the best way to head over is on the Cable Car.
If you are to do it, I would recommend getting an open ticket and actually heading the opposite way to Sentosa, as Harbourfront is actually the middle station.
That takes you to the top of Mount Faber, where there are some great nature walks and then when you head over to Sentosa you get great views of its many attractions for a journey that may not too long in length but is full of contrasts.
Funchal (Madeira, Portugal)
Funchal, on the Portuguese island of Madeira, is one of the easiest experiences on this list as the lower station of the cable car is just a short stroll along the flat waterfront promenade that runs from the cruise ports to the historic city centre.
It is over the historic terracotta rooftops where ethe cable car takes you for an unforgettable vies of the city before you arrive in the Monte district of the city, where a beautiful Botanical Garden is found.
This makes the cable car not just a fun attraction that offers great views, but it acts as a way to get to explore a whole other part f the city away from the much more touristy sea front.
St Thomas (US Virgin Islands)
Known as the Skyride to Paradise, this cable car is very touristy and is built especially for cruise ships, but that does mean it is one of the easiest cable car experiences for cruisers.
The lower station is right next to where you dock in St Thomas, so you can head to it on your own timings rather than when an excursion goes and it’s only a short trip to the top- known as Paradise Point.
Up there, tourists are welcomed by lots of spots to grab a drink, have a meal or just take in the views of the beautiful Caribbean Sea and the natural beauty of the island.
