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Pokhara Travel Guide - Attractions, Hotels, Transfer, Maps

Pokhara is one of the most popular travel destinations, as well as the second largest city in Nepal. It is located on the northwest of Pokhara Valley which lies in the northern Himalaya Range. The city is approximately 200km away from west Kathmandu (about 5~6 hours' driving distance). Compared to the hustle and bustle of Kathmandu, Pokara is much peaceful and relaxing. It offers many marvelous experiences here.

Pokhara – Essence of Nepal Nature and Start of Adventure

Pokhara is a city blessed with natural adornments in abundance. Look into distance, you can get breathtaking views of Himalayas, and three out of the ten highest mountains in the world – Dhaulagiri, Annapurna I and Manslue, just thirty or so kilometers away, can be seen clearly. The perfect pyramid of Mount Machhapuchhare looms high above Pokhara, reflected in the placid waters of Phewa Lake. Moreover, Pokhara is the base for trekking lovers and venturesome travelers to start to explore the Annapurna Circuit. It represents the last chance to stock up on creature comforts before hitting the mountain trails. Apart from beautiful snow mountain views and wonderful trekking experience, Pokhara also attracts travelers for its amazing lakes, caves, temples, museums and lots of interesting or adventurous activities to keep you busy.

Pokhara Travel Map

More Pokhara Maps

Top Pokhara Attractions

Pokhara is the must-visited city if your time permits you to have a deep exploration in Nepal. You won’t miss the triangular mountain capped with snow, the clear water reflecting the snowy peaks, the peaceful villages on the lakeshore, the sunrise views of the peaks, the Buddhist temples etc. Check the following top attractions to get inspired for your Pokhara trip.>>Learn More about Pokhara Attractions and Things to Do

Sarangkot

Type: Viewing Deck

Recommended Length of Visit: 1 hr

Getting up early to reach Sarangkot for sunrise is worth for everybody. a magnificent view of Fishtail and other peaks of Himalaya. When the sun picks out the peaks, they turn a purple-pink to a celestial gold. As the day breaks thoroughly, you will get rewarded by a wonderful panoramic Himalayan peaks by Paragliding from the highland of Sarangkot.

Devi's Fall

Type: Waterfalls

Recommended Length of Visit: 1 hr

Locally known as Patale Chhango (Hell's fall), Devi's fall is an awesome waterfall lying about 2 km south-west of Pokhara airport on the highway to Tansen. An interesting modern legend says that a foreigner named David was skinny dipping in the Pardi Khola (river) when the floodgates of the dam were opened, sweeping him into an underground passage beneath the fall, never to be seen again.

Phewa Lake

Type: Bodies of Water

Recommended Length of Visit: 2 hrs

Phewa Lake is the largest lake in Pokhara valley and the second largest lake in Nepal. It is the ultimate lake for boating where an island temple is located at the middle of the lake. Another attraction is the reflection of Mount Machhapuchhre and Annapurna range on the crystal clear water of the lake. While boating in Phewa Lake, you can see verities of fish.

Gupteswar Gupha

Type: Caverns/ Caves

Recommended Length of Visit: 1 hr

Gupteswar Gupha, a sacred cave, lies 2 km from Pokhara Airport on the Siddhartha Highway leading southwest from the city. The entrance is right across from Devi's Fall and the cave is almost 3 km long. It has some big hall-size rooms and some passages where you have to crawl on all fours. Together with Devi’s Fall, it has attracted many tourists to explore the mystery.

World Peace Pagoda

Type: Religious Sites

Recommended Length of Visit: 1 hr

Located on the peak of a mountain of southern Phewa Lake, the pagoda was built in 2000 by Nepal, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Japan to inspire people to search for world peace. Actually it's a Buddhism monument which houses the Buddha Shakyamuni. Around the pagoda, you get enjoy the pleasant sightseeing - splendid Annapurna peak.

International Mountain Museum

Type: Museums

Recommended Length of Visit: 1 hr

The International Mountain Museum is an expansive museum devoted to the mountains of Nepal and the mountaineers who have climbed them and the people who inhabit in the area. It offers you a great insight to the world of mountaineering, those who conquered them. and a ton of knowledge of the great peaks, including mountaineering, climate change, geology, culture of the Himalayas.

Featured Pokhara Activities

A natural and cultural glimpse of Pokhara can’t fulfill the desire of the ambitious travelers. In fact, Pokhara is the paradise for outdoor enthusiasts as well. In Pokhara, tourists can take a sight of the beautiful natural landscape in other ways or other angle. There are featured activities in Pokhara you can take part in, and with them your tour will be more unforgettable. If you are interested in these activities, feel free to contact us or let your travel consultant add them into your itinerary.

Trekking

Annapurna is the most popular destination in Pokhara for trekking, and many tourists like to take a Ghorepani-Poon Hill Trekking which is an easier and shorter trek. At the same time of stretching your legs, the natural views are marvelous. You will walk through the traditional villages, lush forest and fertile fields. The highlight comes when you climb to Poon Hill, the most specular painting will be unfolded in front of your eyes.

Paragliding

Did you dream that you could fly in the air like a bird? Paragliding in Pokhara offers you the same feeling. It is an adventurous trip which will leave you truly jaw dropped. From highly above, you can see this lovely city. There are many local companies provide paragliding service equipped with a professional pilots. They are always nice and able to speck good English. Many of the pilots will take some wonderful pictures and videos for you.

Boating

In Phewa Lake Scenic Area, you can find many colorfully painted boats. A boat ride of Phewa Lake will be the highlight of your Pokhara tour, even your Nepal tour. The rafting itself is a relaxing and comfortable experience. Plus the delicate boat, picturesque reflection, and surrounded forests and magnificent peaks, it really awe-inspiring. If you are in Pokhara, a rafting on Phewa Lake is a purification for your mind, body and soul.

How to Get to Pokhara

Pokhara Pokhara

Pokhara is located about 200km to west of Kathmandu and travelers usually travel to Pokhara from Kathmandu. It is available to take a flight or drive directly from Kathmandu to Pokhara.

By Air: Taking a flight is the most comfortable and time-saving transportation to Pokhara from Kathmandu. Generally, there over 10 daily flights running from Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport to Pokhara Airport. The flying journey takes about 30 minutes. Pokhara Airport is situated in the southeastern corner of the city area, within 20 minutes’ driving.

By Driving: Compared with by air, driving is a much cost-effective way to transfer to Pokhara from Kathmandu, and it also offers an opportunity to appreciate the scenery on the road. The road connects Kathmandu and Pokhara is not in very good condition, so the journeys takes a little longer, about 6~8 hours. For independent travelers, you can take a bus. Green Line Bus is specialized in traveler transfer service between Kathmandu and Pokhara. It offers luxury air-conditioned bus. >>Learn More about Kathmandu to Pokhara

Best Time to Visit Pokhara

Pokhara

Sitting about 400m lower than Kathmandu Valley, Pokhara enjoys a more comfortable temperature, especially in autumn and winter, much warmer than Kathmandu. However, you will experience an obvious temperature difference. It is important to keep warm. Maybe T-shirt is enough during the daytime, but you need a sweater or jacket in the evening and early morning.

Generally, October to March of the next year is the best time to visit Pokhara. In summer (June ~ August), Pokhara will receive intense rainfall and the weather will be cool in winter (December ~ Feburary). >>Learn More about Pokhara Weather

Where to Accommodate in Pokhara

Pokhara Pokhara

As the tourism capital of Nepal, Pokhara gathers lots of hotels ranging from luxurious hotels and cozy homestays. There are four major regions to stay in Pokhara. Most of the tourists will choose to stay around the Fewa lakeside in Pokhara with bothe peaceful lake and specatular Himalaya Mountain vises, and the lakeside area is main traveler center with many shops, restaurants, yoga centers and paragliding offices, etc. Besides the lakeside, you can also go to the damside in the south of Fewa lake and the World Peace Pagoda up to the weat of Pokhara to enjoy more tranquil stay, and some people would also like to stay around the highland of Pokhara, Sarangkot to watch the sunrise or go paragliding from here.

Here, we listed some recommended hotels for your reference.

♦ Hotels Around Lakeside: Temple Tree Resort & Spa, Waterfront Resort by KGH Group, Mount Kailash Resort, Hotel Crown Himalayas, The Castle Resort, Hotel Peninsula Nepal
♦ Hotels Around Damside and Airport: Fish Tail Lodge, Hotel Pokhara Grande, Shangri-La Village Pokhara
♦ Hotels Around World Peace Pagoda: Raniban Retreat, Peace Dragon Lodge
♦ Hotels Around Sarangkot: Himalayan Front Hotel, The Superview Lodge, View Top Lodge And Restaurant
♦ Other Hotels in Pokhara Rupakot Resort, Mountain Glory Forest Resort, The Pavilions Himalayas >>Learn More about Pokhara Hotels (with Map)

Useful Nepal Travel Notes

1. How to Plan Nepal Travel
Usually, tourists take about 4~15 days to have a classic Nepal tour. Most of them start their Nepal tour from the capital city – Kathmandu. Four days are recommended to explore the highlights of Kathmandu Valley. Then, you can extend your tour to a deep nature or culture exploration. One more day allows you to have a great view of Mount Everest in Nagarkot. With 2~3 more days, you can turn to Pokhara for the picturesque natural landscape or Chitwan National park for the great wildlife adventure – both of them are recommended. If you are interested in Buddhist culture, Lumbini – the birthplace of the Lord Buddha, can’t be missed. You are suggested to spend 9 days to have a full Buddhist tour from Kathmandu Valley to Dhulikhel, Lumbin, Bharktapur, and Pharping. If you want to stretch your legs, a 9 days Poon Hill Trekking will be amazing. In fact, many tourists choose to have a tour combining Nepal and Tibet. After you Nepal Tour, you can get to Tibet through Gyirong Airport which was newly open to foreign travelers in 2017. After that, you can drive to Mount Everest, Mount Kailash or Lhasa. It is also available to take a nonstop flight to Lhasa from Kathmandu.
2. What to Pack
For foreign travelers to Nepal, documents – valid passport and Nepal Visa are the most important to pack. Then, you are suggested to take a large backpack for big luggage and a smaller bag for valuables. Traveling in Nepal during summer times, rain gears are necessary while warm clothing is must when you travel in winter. If you plan a trekking tour in Nepal, take both light and warm clothing in casual styles because you will experience a wide range of climates. Good windproof and waterproof jacket, walking boots with ankle support are must.
3. How to Get to Nepal
At present, Nepal can be reached by flights and overland driving. Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport is the only international airport in Nepal, connected with many cities, like Bangkok, Colombo, Calcutta, Delhi, Dhaka, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Karachi, Lhasa, London Osaka, Paris, Moscow, Paro, Singapore and Varanasi. If you feel to find available flights from your country to Nepal, it will be a good idea to travel China first. After your China mainland tours, you can easily get to Tibet by flight or driving, then have an unforgettable overland driving experience to Nepal across Gyirong Airport.
4. What to Eat in Nepal
Heavily influenced by Indian and Tibet dishes, Nepal food is quick to cook and tasty to eat. The most popular Nepal food is a dish called “Daal, Bhaat and Tarkaari” (lentils, rice, vegetable curry respectively). This is the main course served in the most Nepalese houses regardless of the economic conditions, that too in both lunch and as well as dinner. Kathmandu is a melting pot of international cuisine. Besides Nepal food, Nepal restaurants here serve varieties of hygienic delicacies from Indian, Chinese, Tibetan, Japanese, Italian, Australian, Russian, Korean, and Mexican etc to Continental at remarkably reasonable price.

Most Recommended Kathmandu Tour Packages

Following are some other recommended Kathmandu tour packages that you may be interested in. All of our Nepal tour packages are customizable to meet your personal requirements. You can also contact us to customize a trip if you want.