Things to do in Pokhara
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Pokhara
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best months, monsoon washed clear skies, Annapurnas visible most mornings and dry trails.
Clear views on many days, cold pre-dawn starts, quiet Lakeside except Christmas to New Year.
Second best season, warm with rhododendrons in Mar to Apr and haze building by May.
Monsoon, torrential rain, leeches, landslides, mountains hidden and flights often cancelled.
What's on
- Pokhara Street Festival 28 Dec-1 Jan
Biggest party of the year, food stalls, live music and cultural shows along closed Lakeside streets.
- Dashain ~11-25 Oct
Nepal's biggest Hindu festival over 15 days, temples full, transport slammed and many shops closed around Tika day.
- Tihar / Deepawali ~7-11 Nov
Festival of Lights over 5 days, Lakeside lamps, rangoli, marigolds and Kukur Tihar for dogs.
- Tamu Lhosar 30 Dec
Gurung New Year in a Gurung heartland city, with cultural dance, dress and gatherings.
- Holi Mar
Colour festival in Lakeside, joyful and messy, wear clothes you will discard and protect cameras.
- Nepali New Year mid-Apr
Lakeside parties and Begnas area boating events during peak spring trek season.
Best things to do in Pokhara
Phewa Lake
Row a boat on glassy water at dawn with Machhapuchhre reflected and the crowds not yet arrived.
Tal Barahi Temple
Small island temple reached by boat, also the focus of the evening lakeside aarti.
World Peace Pagoda
White stupa on the ridge with lake, city and Annapurnas in one frame, best by hike up and boat back.
International Mountain Museum
Three halls on Himalayan peoples, geology and mountaineering that make sense of everything outside.
Devi's Fall
Waterfall that vanishes into an underground gorge, most dramatic in or just after monsoon.
Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave
Damp cave descending to a sacred Shiva shrine and a view back toward the fall channel.
Bindhyabasini Temple
Pokhara's central temple to Bhagwati on a small hill, busiest and most alive on Saturdays.
Old Pokhara Bazaar
Historic trading streets of brick houses and brass and spice shops where Pokhara actually lives.
Where to stay in Pokhara
Lakeside North
first trip, all-round base, couples
Quieter end of Lakeside with better lake and mountain views, still a short walk to the centre.
Central Lakeside
convenience, nightlife and group trips
Everything on your doorstep along Barahi Path, but the noisiest part of Lakeside at night.
South Lakeside / Damside
budget long stays
Quieter and cheaper and more local, with fewer lake views and a longer walk to the best restaurants.
Sarangkot village
one special night, photographers
Wake up already at the sunrise viewpoint, but you are far from Lakeside dining each time.
Outskirts eco-lodges
wellness, decompression, post-trek recovery
Silence, views and space 20 to 45 minutes from Lakeside, best as an add-on rather than the only base.
Think twice about
- Prithvi Chowk / Bus Park and Mahendra Pul commercial centre
Transport and wholesale hub with diesel fumes, horn noise, chaotic bus traffic and no lake or views.
- Pokhara Airport / Damside highway strip
Flight and truck noise, dust and a long pavement poor walk to anything pleasant along the highway frontage.
- Central Lakeside Road around Barahi Chowk
Avoid a street facing room here in peak season and Street Festival week, when music and crowds run late.
- Industrial highway edge toward Lekhnath beyond the Begnas turn-off
No visitor infrastructure and isolated without a car, though not unsafe.
Best restaurants in Pokhara
Fresh Elements Restaurant & Bar
Pokhara's top all rounder for farm fresh salads, lava grill dinners and a warm brownie to finish.
Moondance Restaurant & Bar
The Lakeside institution for a proper sit down dinner, famous for lemon meringue pie.
OR2K Pokhara
Israeli and Mediterranean vegetarian favourite for shakshuka, burek, hummus and big salads.
Byanjan Restaurant
Upscale lake view dinner with Nepali, Indian and continental cooking and cocktails at sunset.
Caffe Concerto
Italian in Pokhara since 1987, credible pizza and pasta plus gelato and pastries from its bakery.
Rosemary Kitchen
Quiet courtyard restaurant with jazz and carefully cooked Nepali and Western dishes.
Cheli Thakali
Essential thakali set with dal, rice, tarkari and chutneys and refills, the best pre trek dinner.
Tara's
Tiny Tibetan kitchen for hand pulled noodle soup, momos and much praised chocolate momos.
Best bars in Pokhara
Busy Bee Café
Go for live music and barbecue atmosphere rather than dinner, a core Lakeside night venue.
Best coffee in Pokhara
am/pm organic cafe
Specialty coffee and breakfast stop in Lakeside, part of a cafe scene that changes yearly.
Himalayan Java
Established coffee house option in Lakeside for specialty coffee and breakfast.
Outdoor things to do in Pokhara
Sarangkot
Classic sunrise panorama over Annapurna, Machhapuchhre and Dhaulagiri from a 1,592 m ridge.
Annapurna Cable Car
Cable car ride up to Sarangkot that removes the pre-dawn hike while keeping the sunrise view.
Sarangkot Paragliding
Tandem flight over Phewa Lake with vultures and the Annapurnas behind, Pokhara's signature adventure.
Poon Hill
Classic 3 to 5 day teahouse trek ending in a pre-dawn climb for the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri panorama.
Australian Camp
Short walk to a 2,060 m camp with Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre views, ideal first overnight hike.
Dhampus
Gurung village on the descent from Australian Camp, a gentle way to add village life to the hike.
Panchase
Quieter forest trek west of the lake with a sacred lake and subtler views and far fewer crowds.
Mardi Himal
Quiet five day ridge trek with the closest Machhapuchhre views, steeper than Poon Hill.
Best hotels in Pokhara
The Pavilions Himalayas, The Farm
Luxury eco resort of farm based villas with Himalayan views, spa and pool, Pokhara's best splurge.
Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge
Grand hill lodge of stone cottages with an infinity pool facing Machhapuchhre and expert guided walks.
Temple Tree Resort & Spa
Luxury without leaving Lakeside, stone cottages in gardens with pool and spa near the lake.
Hotel Barahi Pokhara
Classic full service upscale hotel a street back from the lake in Lakeside.
Bar Peepal Resort
Resort gardens and pool at the north end of Lakeside, a traveller favourite.
Hotel Middle Path & Spa
Mid range sweet spot on a quieter lane with spa and mountain views in good weather.
Majestic Lakefront Hotel & Suites
Lakefront hotel in Sedi praised for customer care and breakfast, on the quieter north shore.
Waterfront Resort by KGH
Larger KGH resort directly on the quieter north shore with pool and gardens, good for families.
Is Pokhara expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | NPR 4,000 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | NPR 13,000 a person |
| Splurge | NPR 34,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Phewa Lake: a few days ahead
- Tal Barahi Temple: a few days ahead
- Sarangkot: a few days ahead
- Annapurna Cable Car: a few days ahead
- Sarangkot Paragliding: weeks ahead
- Poon Hill: weeks ahead
- Australian Camp: a few days ahead
- Dhampus: a few days ahead
- Book Pavilions, Tiger Mountain and Temple Tree class hotels weeks ahead in Oct to Nov and Mar to Apr.
- Book paragliding for your first clear morning and keep a spare day for weather.
- Book ultralight, balloon, ZipFlyer and Upper Seti rafting a day ahead.
- Buy ACAP permits at the Nepal Tourism Board office in Damside with passport and photos.
Is Pokhara safe?
- Main risks are road traffic, altitude, water activities and monsoon landslides.
- Do not drink tap water; refill purified water at hotels and refill stations.
- Give stray dogs space at night and keep food zipped away from temple monkeys.
- Trek insurance must cover your maximum altitude and helicopter evacuation.
Pokhara travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Compare two reputable operator offices, not street touts, for paragliding, treks and taxis.
- Devi's Fall is underwhelming in the dry season and the rushed 7 stop bus tour is not Pokhara at its best.
- Lakeside pashmina and singing bowl shops range from real workshops to imported stock at workshop prices.
- Do not swim in Phewa Lake; swim in hotel pools or at Begnas designated spots instead.
Getting around Pokhara: public transport and more
- Lakeside is walkable end to end in about 30 minutes.
- Agree taxi fares before getting in, or use Pathao or inDrive ride apps in Pokhara.
- Fly Kathmandu to Pokhara in 25 minutes or allow 7 to 9 hours by road, never with a tight connection.
- Rent a scooter only with a motorcycle licence, a real helmet and experience.
Who Pokhara suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Pokhara your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
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