Pokhara travel guide
Lakeside mornings under Machapuchare and the start of the Annapurna trails
Pokhara is Nepal's lake town and the trailhead city for the Annapurna region. Go in October and November or from late February to April, when the peaks are clearest; give it three days, or two weeks with a trek. Costs are low, and Nepali visas are issued on arrival.
Pokhara lies about 200 km west of Kathmandu, on the shore of Phewa Lake at roughly 820 m. It is Nepal's second city by population, yet most visitors only see Lakeside, the strip of guesthouses, bakeries and gear shops along the eastern bank. On a clear morning the Annapurna range fills the northern sky, close enough to read the ridges.
Machapuchare, the 6,993 m peak called Fishtail for its split summit, is the mountain nearest the city. It has never been officially climbed, because it is held sacred to Shiva and closed to expeditions. That view is the reason most people come, and the reason so many stay longer than planned.
The town works as a base for the Annapurna Conservation Area. Treks to Poon Hill, Ghandruk and Annapurna Base Camp begin a short drive away, and many walkers return to Lakeside to rest before flying home. Those not trekking fill their days with rowing, paragliding off Sarangkot and short hikes to hilltop viewpoints.
Away from the lake, the older Pokhara is worth an afternoon. The Old Bazaar keeps Newar brick houses and the Bindhyabasini temple, and the Seti Gandaki river cuts a gorge so narrow through the city that it is hard to see from the bridges. Tibetan refugee settlements on the southern and northern edges sell carpets and run small monasteries.
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Lake, pagoda, caves and ridge-top viewpoints, most reachable on foot or by taxi from Lakeside.
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Best time to visit Pokhara
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Rain-washed air after the monsoon and sharp views of the Annapurna range; the busiest trekking months.
Warmer, with rhododendron forest in bloom on the trails, though haze builds by late April.
Very heavy rain, leeches on the trails and cloud over the peaks; the lake is green and the town empty.
Dry and clear with cold nights; high passes may close after snow.
Book Lakeside rooms early for October and the Dashain and Tihar festival weeks, when Nepali families travel too.
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Getting there
Short flight or a long day on the road
Most travellers reach Pokhara from Kathmandu. Flights take about 30 minutes, and on the left side of the plane you watch the Himalaya pass the window. Tourist buses on the Prithvi Highway take most of a day, with roadside stops and frequent roadworks, and leave Kathmandu early in the morning.
- Pokhara International Airport (PHH)
- Opened in 2023 east of the city; mostly domestic flights for now
- Tourist buses
- From Kathmandu's Thamel area to the Lakeside tourist bus park
- From Chitwan
- Buses and private cars via Mugling
- From Lumbini
- Road via Butwal and the Siddhartha Highway
- Morning flights are the most reliable; afternoon cloud causes delays.
- Sit on the right of the bus from Kathmandu for river views.
- Taxis from the airport and bus park to Lakeside run on fixed or agreed fares, so settle the price first.
Where to stay
Lakeside, Damside or the hills
Lakeside, called Baidam locally, holds most hotels, cafes and trekking agents, and is the easiest place to stay. Damside, further south, is quieter and looks across to the mountains over the water. For views and silence, guesthouses on the Sarangkot ridge or near the pagoda trade convenience for sunrise from your window.
- Lakeside
- Central and busy; walking distance to boats, agents and restaurants
- Damside
- South of Lakeside by the dam; calmer, with good lake views
- Sarangkot
- Hilltop rooms with sunrise over the Annapurna range
- Begnas Lake
- Rural lodges east of the city for a slower stay
- Ask for a north-facing room if the mountains are the point.
- Many lodges store luggage free while you trek.
Getting around
Walking, taxis, bicycles and boats
Lakeside is flat and easy to cover on foot or by rented bicycle. Taxis run to the Old Bazaar, the caves and the museum, and local buses link the city to Begnas Lake and the trailheads. On the water, rowing boats and paddle boats hire by the hour from several jetties along the shore.
- On foot
- Lakeside to Damside along the shore
- Taxi
- Old Bazaar, Davis Falls, Gupteshwor cave, the mountain museum
- Annapurna Cable Car
- Lakeside to Sarangkot
- Jeeps
- To Nayapul and Ghandruk for treks
- Agree taxi fares before you set off.
- Trekking jeeps fill quickly in October; book the day before.
Know before you go
What draws people to Pokhara, and what is useful to know before you go.
Why travelers love it
- Sunrise from Sarangkot, when the first light turns Dhaulagiri, Annapurna and Machapuchare pink in turn.
- Rowing to Tal Barahi, the small two-tiered temple on its island in Phewa Lake.
- The walk up to the World Peace Pagoda, a white Japanese-built stupa looking down on the lake and city.
- The Gurung villages of Ghandruk and Landruk, reached in a day by jeep and a short trek.
- A slow evening in Lakeside, with live music bars and the lights of boats on the water.
Good to know
- Mountain views are a morning thing. Cloud usually builds by midday, so go out early.
- Trekking rules change. Check the current guide requirement and permit fees with the tourism board office.
- Swimming in Phewa is not advised near the busy shore; take the boats instead.
- Cash runs out on the trail. Withdraw rupees in Pokhara before you head into the hills.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Pokhara, month by month
The monsoon brings almost all of Pokhara's rain between June and September; the panel shows the monthly averages.
Climate figures are long-term averages for Pokhara Airport, 1991 to 2020 (World Meteorological Organization and Nepal Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, via Wikipedia).
Three days around the lake and the ridges
Three days in Pokhara cover the lake, the best viewpoints and the old town without a trek. Plan around the mornings, when the mountains are clearest, and keep afternoons for the city.
Day one. Take a taxi up to Sarangkot before dawn for sunrise over the Annapurna range. Back in town, hire a rowing boat to the Tal Barahi temple, then walk the shore path south to Damside for lunch.
Day two. Cross the lake by boat to the southern shore and climb through the forest to the World Peace Pagoda, built in 1996. Walk down the other side to Davis Falls, where a stream drops into an underground channel, and the Gupteshwor Mahadev cave opposite.
Day three. Spend the morning at the International Mountain Museum, which covers the peaks, the climbers and the hill peoples of Nepal. In the afternoon, explore the Old Bazaar and the Bindhyabasini temple, and end with a tandem paragliding flight if the wind allows.
Treks that start from Pokhara
Pokhara is the main base for the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal's most-walked trekking region. Short and long routes start within a couple of hours by road, and agents in Lakeside arrange guides, porters and permits.
The Ghorepani and Poon Hill loop takes about four days and climbs through rhododendron forest to a famous sunrise viewpoint over Dhaulagiri and Annapurna South. It suits walkers with limited time and no altitude experience.
Annapurna Base Camp takes about a week and a half and ends in a ring of peaks at roughly 4,130 m. The Mardi Himal route is newer, quieter and climbs a ridge straight towards Machapuchare.
For a single day, the walk from Kande to Australian Camp gives a close view of the range with almost no planning. Whatever you choose, carry layers: nights above 3,000 m are cold even in October.
Dal bhat, thakali sets and Lakeside bakeries
Eating in Pokhara means dal bhat on the trail and almost anything in Lakeside. The town learned to feed trekkers decades ago, so bakeries, coffee shops and pizza ovens line the main road.
For local food, look for thakali restaurants, named after the trading people of the Kali Gandaki valley. Their set meals bring rice, lentil soup, greens, pickles and a meat or vegetable curry, with refills offered until you stop them.
Momos, steamed or fried dumplings, are the standard snack, and fresh lake fish is fried whole at stalls by the water. Try sel roti, a ring-shaped rice bread, during festivals. Tap water is not safe to drink; refill bottles at the filtered-water stations many cafes keep for trekkers.
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How we research our Pokhara travel guide
Airport, climate and sight details are checked against the Nepal Tourism Board and published climate normals. Trekking permit rules are rechecked each season, because they change often.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Answers to the questions travellers ask most before a trip to Pokhara.
General
Tourist buses take most of a day on the Prithvi Highway. Flights take about 30 minutes and land at Pokhara International Airport, opened in January 2023.
Yes, on clear mornings Machapuchare and the Annapurna peaks are visible from Lakeside. Haze and monsoon cloud hide them for much of the summer.
Sarangkot, on the ridge north-west of the lake. Go up by taxi before dawn or ride the Annapurna Cable Car later in the day.
Yes. Day hikes to the World Peace Pagoda and Australian Camp, boating and the mountain museum fill three or four days easily.
Yes, for a quieter day. Both lie east of the city, with fish farms, rice terraces and far fewer boats than Phewa.
Lakeside is flat and easy to cover on foot or by rented bicycle. Taxis run to the Old Bazaar, the caves and the museum, and local buses link the city to Begnas Lake and the trailheads. On the water, rowing boats and paddle boats hire by the hour from several jetties along the shore.
Pokhara is best known for:
- Sunrise from Sarangkot, when the first light turns Dhaulagiri, Annapurna and Machapuchare pink in turn
- Rowing to Tal Barahi, the small two-tiered temple on its island in Phewa Lake
- The walk up to the World Peace Pagoda, a white Japanese-built stupa looking down on the lake and city
- The Gurung villages of Ghandruk and Landruk, reached in a day by jeep and a short trek
- A slow evening in Lakeside, with live music bars and the lights of boats on the water
Lakeside, called Baidam locally, holds most hotels, cafes and trekking agents, and is the easiest place to stay. Damside, further south, is quieter and looks across to the mountains over the water. For views and silence, guesthouses on the Sarangkot ridge or near the pagoda trade convenience for sunrise from your window.
Visa & documents
An Annapurna Conservation Area permit, issued at the Nepal Tourism Board office in Pokhara or Kathmandu. Check current rules on licensed guides before you set out.
Most nationalities buy a tourist visa on arrival or online. Pokhara's airport mostly handles domestic flights, so most visitors enter at Kathmandu.
Health & safety
Tandem flights with a licensed pilot take off from Sarangkot and land by Phewa Lake. Choose an operator registered with the tourism authorities and ask about insurance.
Getting there
Only by boat. Rowing boats leave from the Lakeside shore and cross to the island shrine in a few minutes.
Timing & weather
June to September. Pokhara is one of the wettest cities in Nepal, and July alone averages more than 900 mm of rain.
The best time to visit Pokhara is Oct to Nov, Mar to Apr. Dry air and the clearest mountain views.
- Best overall: October - November (Rain-washed air after the monsoon and sharp views of the Annapurna range; the busiest trekking months)
- Spring: March - April (Warmer, with rhododendron forest in bloom on the trails, though haze builds by late April)
- Monsoon: June - September (Very heavy rain, leeches on the trails and cloud over the peaks; the lake is green and the town empty)
- Winter: December - February (Dry and clear with cold nights; high passes may close after snow)
Booking
Go in October and November or from late February to April, when the peaks are clearest; give it three days, or two weeks with a trek.
