The 15 Best Cable Car Rides in South America

1.Comuna 13 Graffiti Tour, Cable Car & Street Food

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 9,046 reviews · 4 hours · from $18Our pick

Join a small group of up to 10 for a four-hour visit to Comuna 13, traveling by metro, cable car, bus, and foot. Guides such as Natalia, Santiago, Martin, and Melina explain the neighborhood’s past, graffiti, coffee, dance, and daily life. The tour includes transport, coffee, an arepa with cheese, and one drink.

“The tour was amazing! Santiago shared a lot of knowledge about the history of Comuna 13. Knowing more about the past and how it shaped the culture was fascinating. Would definitely recommend this tour!”

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2.Sugarloaf Cable Car Official Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 2,873 reviews · 1 day · from $46

Make your own way to Sugarloaf Mountain, exchange your voucher or scan your official ticket, and ride both cable-car routes to the summit. You get free time for viewpoints, food, drinks, and photos over Rio, Copacabana Beach, and Guanabara Bay. Sunset is beautiful, but queues can be long, so arrive early.

“complete experience and lots to do while up there. We loved the views and food options too”

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3.Comuna 13 District Tour with Cable Car Ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 1,467 reviews · 4 hours · from $27

Spend four hours exploring Comuna 13 with a local guide such as Christian, Walter, Camilo, or Angel. Ride Medellín’s metro, cable car, and a local bus, then walk past graffiti, outdoor escalators, shops, and a community library. Expect plenty of stairs, strong local stories, and excellent city views.

“We loved our tour!! Angel definitely make the difference. He’s more than a guide, because he shared the story of the Comuna lived by himself what is very real and touching. We definitely recommend this tour, special with Angel like a host. Congratulations, dude!!”

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4.Canela Cable Car Park Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 1,030 reviews · 45 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes (approx.) · from $23

At Parque Bondinhos Canela, you ride cable cars between three stations with views toward Caracol Waterfall. Allow about 45 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes, including time for the lookout, shops, and hot chocolate. The ticket includes the cable cars only. Transport, Caracol State Park, photos, and the Eagle zip line cost extra.

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5.La Paz and El Alto: Cable Car Rides and Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 790 reviews · 2h 30m · from $10Best value

Begin at San Francisco Church with a guide such as Carolina, Luis, or Fernando, then visit La Paz’s Witches’ Market, San Pedro Square, El Alto, Jaen Street, and Plaza Murillo. Several cable car rides link the route, giving you a quick, memorable view of both cities for $10.

“Great city walking tour. I saw places and leant the history that I may not have found alone plus we got to ride 4 cable car lines with incredible views.”

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6.Bogotá´s Barrios: El Paraíso Favela Tour with Cable Car

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 731 reviews · 4h 30m · from $78

Travel from central Bogotá to El Paraíso with a Spanish or English-speaking guide such as Samuel, David, or Jorge. Ride the cable car, walk through mural-lined streets with a local guide and security escort, meet community leaders, enjoy a Colombian snack, and support the Juan Manuel Ortiz community library.

“David was an excellent guide, very informative and passionate about the development of the favellas. Both David & John made us feel very safe and comfortable. We came to see the whole country and found this tour very interesting indeed. Would highly recommend. Special thanks to David and John and the driver who went out of his way to drop us back at our hotel.”

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7.La Paz: Private City Tour with Cable Car & Moon Valley Visit

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 508 reviews · 5 hours · from $43

Start with hotel pickup and Moon Valley’s eroded clay spires, then ride several cable car lines over La Paz and El Alto. With an English- or Spanish-speaking guide such as Andrea, Santiago, or Rolando, you’ll visit Jaen Street, Plaza Murillo, San Francisco Basilica, and the Witches’ Market. The small-group format allows room for questions and photo stops.

“Guide was excellent, provided a lot of detail and her English and pronunciation were superb.”

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8.1-Day Hop-On Hop-Off Bus and Cable Car Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 332 reviews · 1 day · from $60

See Santiago by London-style double-decker bus, then ride the Teleférico and historic Funicular up Cerro San Cristóbal. You can hop off at 10 stops for Plaza de Armas, La Moneda, Santa Lucía Hill, major malls, parks, and Providencia. Recorded commentary comes in six languages, while the Turistik app shows stops and bus locations.

“The tour was fine. It takes you around to the places that are important in the city, but the only two that were really worth getting off in my opinion are the plaza de armas and cable car.”

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9.Medellín Coffee Farm Tour with Trolley and Cable Car Ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 277 reviews · 4h 30m · from $56

Spend 4.5 hours traveling from San Antonio by electric tram and cable car to Barrio La Sierra. Walk with an English or Spanish-speaking guide, harvest coffee berries, visit Casa Finca de La Sierra, learn each step from seed to cup, and taste locally grown coffee with a welcoming local family.

“This coffee tour in Medellín was honestly one of the highlights of our trip. Melisa was amazing, she took the time to explain everything and made sure nothing got lost in translation between Spanish and English. We learned so much about how much work actually goes into making coffee and it gave us a whole new appreciation for it. What really made it special was meeting the family in Barrio La Sierra. They welcomed us so warmly and being able to share that moment with them made the experience feel really personal and unique. If you’re in Medellín and want to experience coffee beyond just drinking it this is definitely…”

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10.Sugarloaf Cable Car and Corcovado Train Tickets

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 267 reviews · 4 hours · from $86

Visit two of Rio’s major sights with official tickets for the Corcovado Cog Train, Christ the Redeemer, and Sugarloaf Cable Car. You ride through Tijuca National Park to the famous statue, then rise 396 meters above sea level for sweeping city views. This is a self-guided ticket package, so you arrange transport and manage the timing yourself.

“Aucun besoin d’avoir sa carte bleue et ses passeports ! Mail du mail 28 septembre avec des vouchers au 24 septembre 😱 Beaucoup de temps de perdu Merci aux employés des sites pour leur patience Organisme à fuir”

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11.Private Pablo Escobar Tour with Cable Car Ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 228 reviews · 4h 30m · from $73

Spend 270 minutes with a private English- or Spanish-speaking guide visiting Inflexión Memorial Park, Montesacro Cemetery, Pablo Escobar’s former neighborhood and Los Olivos. You’ll hear the local story behind Medellín’s cartel years, then ride the Juan XXIII cable car for broad city views. Hotel pickup, transport, water, and metro tickets are included.

“It was the best decision to make this Trip. We had a great time!”

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12.La Paz: Cable Car, Cemetery, Shaman, and El Alto Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 218 reviews · 3 hours · from $20

Ride the red teleférico from La Paz toward El Alto, visit the cemetery’s street-art gallery, explore local markets, and meet a yatiri, or Andean shaman, if time allows. Guides such as Max, Christian, Daniel, and Chris explain Aymara customs in clear English while you travel by cable car and local minibus.

“The tour absolutely exceeded our expectations. We were the only ones with the guide, who showed us around El Alto and the Cemetery, places we would never have visited ourselves. We went to the local shaman and learned so much about the history of the city of La Paz, as well as Bolivia. We can't wait to be back and really recommend this trip to everyone. Bear in mind this is an extended version of the city tour, and we would recommend to take the walking red caps tour first :) Thank you once again!”

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13.2-Day Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Ticket and Cable Car

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 162 reviews · 2 days · from $69

Explore Santiago on a two-day hop-on hop-off bus pass covering 10 stops from Parque Arauco to the historic center and San Cristóbal Hill. Your ticket also includes unlimited cable car, funicular, and panoramic bus rides inside Metropolitan Park. Audioguides are available in six languages, with staff support in several more.

“Nicole was amazing!! Super friendly and helpful. Everyone was but she stands out! The attractions that we stopped at were fantastic. The app is super well designed the audio on the busses was great and the brochure is fantastic. Overall we would recommend this tour to anyone wanting to see Santiago and orient themselves to this amazing city. Thank you”

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14.PRIVATE CITY TOUR: Quito Colonial, Half the World and Cable Car

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 144 reviews · 6 to 7 hours (approx.) · from $99Top rated

This 6 to 7 hour private tour combines Quito’s colonial center, the TelefériQo cable car, Mitad del Mundo, and Intiñan Museum. You get private air-conditioned transport, a guide, water, and accident insurance. Guides such as Jessica, Jonathan, Luis, and Juan are praised for adapting the pace and adding local food, markets, and photo stops.

“Ruben was an excellent guide and host for our special first visit. Exploring the sites we hoped to see and adding in information and experiences that we totally enjoyed! A great day!!”

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15.Full Day Quito (City Tour + Middle of the World + Teleferico)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 84 reviews · 6 to 8 hours (approx.) · from $90

Travel by private vehicle with guides such as David, Juan, Leo, or Daniel through Quito’s Old Town, churches, viewpoints, chocolate tasting, Teleférico, and Intiñan Equator Museum. The 6 to 8 hour outing is ideal when you want broad coverage in one day, but bring extra cash for entry fees and lunch.

“This tour was a great way to see the best parts of Quito. The Unesco world heritage old city was very interesting. Then the cable car with its magnificent 360 city views and the middle of the earth tour was a lot of fun. David our guide recommended a wonderful local restaurant with great food for lunch. He was an amazing guide and very knowledgeable about his city.”

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