# Kathmandu Travel Guide: Chandragiri Cable Car, Pashupatinath, Patan Durbar Square & Sky Walk By Prashant & Sunaina · 27 May 2026 · https://www.psvlogs.in/blog/kathmandu-travel-guide > Our 3 days in Kathmandu: staying in Thamel, the Chandragiri cable car (1,350 NPR for foreigners), Pashupatinath, Patan Durbar Square and its 570 AD stone fountain, the glass Sky Walk, thakali thalis, and where (not) to shop. Three days in Kathmandu: cable cars into the clouds, ancient temples, Newari architecture and a lot of thakali thalis. (We came here after [3 days in Pokhara](https://www.psvlogs.in/blog/pokhara-3-day-guide).) Watch the vlog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7v3vNJHluDg ## Where we stayed **Capital Boutique Hotel in Thamel**, the main tourist area, close to food, clubs and shopping. ## Day 1 ### Korean lunch in Thamel **Hand Cook Sarang Korean Restaurant**: half-and-half fried chicken, spicy yangnyeom chicken, bibimbap in a clay pot (hot!), rabokki, and seafood soup. If you want authentic Korean in Thamel, this is it. ### Chandragiri Cable Car - A taxi to the base station cost about **670 NPR**. - **Tickets:** **1,350 NPR for foreigners**, 850 NPR for Nepalis. It's a big difference, but the view is worth it. - There was almost no queue. The red cabins look Swiss, and the ride takes **10–15 minutes**, straight into the clouds, over the whole Kathmandu valley. Our friend Dinesh rated it far above Sarangkot. - At the top: viewpoints (clouded over for us), wish locks, a **zipline and cycle zip**, a small garden, and a **Shiva temple** that is incredibly peaceful. - The **restaurant at the top** serves pasta, pani puri, and Indian, Chinese and Nepali food. **Don't miss it if you're in Kathmandu.** We were back by about 7 pm. ### Night A pub, then **LOD (Lord of the Drinks)**, then a great thakali dinner at **Jasper**. ## Day 2: Temples and Patan ### Pashupatinath Temple A form of Lord Shiva as protector of animals and birds ("Pashupati"). With Muktinath, it's one of Nepal's **top two temples**, a must-visit. The complex is large, and there's a Ganesh temple inside. A puja thali costs about 250 NPR. **Cameras aren't allowed inside.** ### Patan Durbar Square (Lalitpur) Lalitpur is called the **City of Beauty**, and the **Newari art and architecture** will stun you. Don't miss the **stone water spouts (dhunge dhara)**, among Nepal's oldest still working, flowing since about **570 AD**, a masterpiece of ancient water engineering. ### Bagalamukhi Temple Walking distance from Patan Durbar: go straight down the street opposite. It's peaceful and scenic. Dinner was **Sikkimese food** near our hotel, then the club at night. ## Day 3: Sky Walk, Durbar Square & shopping ### Thakali thali, every day A thali system where only the main changes (fish, chicken, mutton or veg). It comes with sabzi, black dal, curd, pickle, saag, salad, rice and papad. It's perfect and not heavy. ### Sky Walk (glass bridge) - **1,600 NPR for foreigners**, 1,000 NPR for Nepalis. There's a **package with food and drinks for about 3,000 NPR**. - You wear shoe covers up top. If you've never walked on glass, it's a fun scare. **One thing that bothered us:** Kathmandu's overhead cables. The whole city is cluttered with them. ### Kathmandu Durbar Square Similar vibes to Patan, but in central Kathmandu. It was closed by the time we arrived, so we explored around it. ### Shopping: New Road vs Thamel - **New Road** reminded us of Bombay. It's mostly dupes and household goods, and **branded stuff is imported from India and a bit pricier**. Skip it. - **Thamel** is better for local clothes, around **1,000–1,100 NPR (₹700–800)**. Don't expect much more. - We also picked up a famous sweet, milky like khoa. ## Nepal felt hassle-free Apart from small SIM and taxi overcharges (see the [Pokhara guide](https://www.psvlogs.in/blog/pokhara-3-day-guide)), **nobody approached us for money** in seven days. We saw only one or two kids selling water bottles. Zero disturbance. ## FAQs **How much is the Chandragiri cable car?** 1,350 NPR per person for foreigners and 850 NPR for Nepalis, when we went. A taxi from Thamel to the base cost about 670 NPR. **Is Kathmandu safe for tourists?** We felt very comfortable. In seven days in Nepal nobody pestered us for money; there are small overcharges on SIMs and taxis, but zero disturbance otherwise. **Is shopping cheap in Kathmandu?** Local clothes around 1,000–1,100 NPR (about ₹700–800) are good value in Thamel. Branded goods are mostly imported from India, so they're slightly pricier.