Pokhara
Pokhara is a metropolitan city located in central Nepal, which serves as the capital of Gandaki Province.
Named the country's "capital of tourism" it is the second largest city after Kathmandu, with 600,051 inhabitants living in 120,594 households as of 2021 census.
Getting to Pokhara
= = Tourist buses (Rs700-800, 6-7 hr) and crowded local buses/microbuses (Rs400-600, 6-7 hr) travel the 200-km journey between Kathmandu and Pokhara almost every 15 minutes from 07:30 until late afternoon. Night buses are available, but the ride is painful. Greenline operates a convenient bus every morning between the popular tourist areas of Thamel in Kathmandu and Lakeside in Pokhara (US$20, lunch included).
Worth seeing
- 01Phewa/Fewa Lake
One of Nepal's most beautiful spots, Phewa Tal is surrounded by a combination of monkey-filled forests and high white peaks.
- 02Begnas Lake
- 03Rupa Lake
- 04Dipang Lake
- 05Devi's Falls
Spectacular, especially after heavy rains.
- 06World Peace Pagoda
Opened in 1999 on top of a hill just south of Phewa Tal, the Stupa offers great views of the Annapurna Mountains, including Fishtail, Dhaulagiri, Annapurna South, and Annapurna III.
Things to do
Hiking and trekking — for information on trekking in the Pokhara region, including popular treks and suggested itineraries, see Trekking in Nepal Boating and canoeing — hire a boat or canoe for a day out on the water. Canoes can be difficult to steer on the flat lakes. Whitewater rafting, kayaking, and canyoning - 1- to 10-day adventure expeditions on beautiful Nepali rivers. There are many operators offering trips.
- 01Parahawking/Vulture Restaurant
- 02Purna Yoga Retreat Centre
Sedi Bagar, Lakeside, Pokhara (10 min walk uphill from north Lakeside, behind and above Castle Resort), info@purnayoga.com.np.
- 03Calmness Day Spa
Street No.13-Lakeside, calmnessdayspa@gmail.com.
- 04Nextdoor Spa
Hallanchowk, Lakeside, Pokhara, nfo@nextdoorspa.com.
Where to eat
The cheapest (and often the best) food is found at the street stalls, selling momos/dumplings, samosas or fried noodles. Early in the morning, children walk the streets with trays of pastries; chocolate croissants, cinnamon rolls and other cakes. The bazaar across from the old bus station has basic Nepali dishes from Rs60, and a nice atmosphere amongst the bustle of vendors.
- 01Asian Teahouse
Located along the main road through Lakeside on the opposite side from the lake.
- 02Sun Welcome
Small family run place 5 min north of the main strip, a few spots up from Newari.
- 03Sweet Memories Restaurant
Baidam Road.
- 04Tara's Restaurant
- 05Pokhara Java Coffee House
Nice and cosy coffee place, that serves breakfast, sandwiches and different varieties of coffee.
Getting around Pokhara the local way
- Get inShared Tempo Rs 50 Indian on shared tempo/ bus from Siddharth Nagar rail station to Kakrahwa border approx 50 mins if no jam on road (Last bus around 6 pm all via Lumbini).
- Get inRs 25/- per person by shared auto to Bhairahawa Bus Park.
- Get aroundBuses and minivans operate on most of the popular routes.
- Go nextAnnapurna is a mountainous region just outside of Pokhara, famous for trekking.
- Go nextKathmandu is reachable from Pokhara by crowded local minibus (Rs400–600, 6–7 hours), tourist bus (Rs800–2000, 6–7 hours), and by plane (US$102-106, 40 minutes).
- Go nextIndia is enterable at Sunali from the Nepalese border town of Bhairahawa, reachable by crowded local minibus (Rs545, 8 hours) or by tourist bus (Rs700, 8 hours).
- Go nextBeware being a sold a ticket for a tourist bus that is actually for a crowded local minibus.
- Go nextUpon reaching the bus station in Bhairahawa, take a rickshaw to the immigration office/border control station (Rs250).
From Wikivoyage: Pokhara, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Utsab Raj Giri (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons.
