Can you ride the Mérida cable car in 2026? Prices, closures and what else to see

Official stated by a public body on its page, in a statement or in the Gazette. Reported from operators, press or travel media, with their date. Unconfirmed no reliable source: confirm before you go.

What the Mukumbarí is

It is Mérida’s cable car system. It starts at Barinitas station, in town, and runs through La Montaña, La Aguada and Loma Redonda before ending at Pico Espejo.

• Top station: 4,765 m above sea level at Pico Espejo Official. The Tourism Ministry and Ventel statement, as quoted in May 2026, calls it “the highest in the world and the second longest” Reported.
• Length: about 12.5 km Reported. Sources disagree on the height of each intermediate station, so we don’t list them.
• History: Mérida’s original cable car dates from 1960 and the Mukumbarí system opened in April 2016 Unconfirmed. We found no official source for those dates.

You go up to more than 4,700 metres in a short time. If you have heart, blood pressure or breathing problems, talk to your doctor before you go up.

Ticket prices (May 2026)

This is the price list the Tourism Ministry published when the system reopened on 9 May 2026, as reported by El Diario Reported. No newer list came out, not even with the August reopening.

The foreigner fare has been double the general one for years: it was already 40 against 20 in 2023 Reported. Carry US dollar bills: dollars are widely accepted, and you can’t withdraw cash from foreign bank accounts at Venezuelan ATMs, according to Canada’s travel advice Official.

Hours and last ascents

In May 2026 it ran Thursday to Sunday, 10:00 to 22:00 Reported. What matters most is the last ride up to each station:

For the August reopening it was announced as open daily, with ascents sold until 14:00, from 19 August to 13 September Reported. If you want to reach the top, go early.

The 2026 closures

The Mukumbarí closes often. In 2025 it shut from 13 to 21 January and from 10 to 12 March for maintenance Reported. In 2026:

1. 19 January: maintenance closure

   More than 7 km of haul rope were replaced Reported. Mérida's economy secretary announced a restart on 13 February Reported.

2. 9 May: reopening

   It resumed after the haul rope on Section I, Barinitas to La Montaña, was replaced Reported.

3. 21 May: temporary suspension

   The Tourism Ministry announced it with no reason and no return date Official.

4. 19 August: reopening for the holiday season

   Announced by Tourism Minister Daniella Cabello. The delay was blamed on the double earthquake of 24 June 2026, which held up equipment deliveries Official.

5. From 14 September: no data

   We don't know whether it stayed open. Check @ventel_ve or the Tourism Ministry before you travel.

Sierra Nevada and Laguna El Suero

The cable car climbs inside Sierra Nevada National Park, created in 1952 according to Wikidata Reported. From the top you look out over the country’s highest peaks. Pico Bolívar, the highest, is around 4,978 m Unconfirmed.

Laguna El Suero sits in the Sierra Nevada and is one of the area’s classic views. We found no reliable source on how to reach it, how long the walk is or whether you need a permit, so we don’t give a route. The same goes for the hike to Los Nevados from Loma Redonda and for INPARQUES permits to climb Pico Bolívar Unconfirmed. For any high-mountain walk, hire a local guide and ask INPARQUES, the park authority, which permit you need.

The city of Mérida

Barinitas station is in the city itself, so you can pair the ride with a walk downtown. Plaza Bolívar brings together the cathedral and the Archbishop’s Palace. We found no 2024–2026 guesthouse prices; plug the quotes you get into our trip budget calculator.

Getting there

By road it is about 658 km from Plaza Bolívar in Caracas, and the model puts it at about 11.5 hours of driving Reported (approx., computed on OpenStreetMap, without traffic). In practice it takes longer.

Most international travellers land at Caracas–Maiquetía (CCS). After the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes of 24 June 2026, the airport reopened on 1 September 2026 in a temporary terminal with reduced capacity Reported. Leave slack in your connections. We found no verified data on flights into Mérida.

Before you book

• Visas. Canadians need a visa before travelling, and it is not issued on arrival Official. The US embassy says the same applies to US citizens Unconfirmed.
• Travel advice. The UK advises against all but essential travel to most of Venezuela, and Canada advises against all travel Official. Read is Venezuela safe to visit for each government’s advice and its date, and check your travel insurance.
• Other places. If the cable car is closed when you can go, look at Margarita Island or Morrocoy National Park.