Guide to Pokhara, Nepal
- margauxgathy6
- Apr 29
- 5 min read
Updated: May 31
Pokhara is described as the adventure capital of Nepal. It is an absolutely stunning city located on Phewa Lake, surrounded by the Annapurna mountain range. It’s incredibly peaceful which makes it a great place to relax, but there is also plenty to do. I spent 4 days there but you could easily do more. This guide will tell you about the best things to do, where to stay, and my favourite places to eat.
Contents
Getting to Pokhara
Pokhara is accessible either by road or by plane from Kathmandu. Given the safety record of the Nepalese airlines, I opted for the bus. The flight is less than an hour and relatively cheap, so this is a viable option if you are short on time. The bus is much cheaper however, and cost me 1280 NPR (approx. £9.35) each way. There are a lot of options to choose from for the bus, and you can book a few days in advance through any of the travel/booking shops in Kathmandu, your hostel/hotel, or online at 12Go Asia. If you can book in person, I recommend this as it gives you a personal contact and a bit more of a safety net. I was running around Kathmandu trying to find where the bus left from, and it honestly came out of the blue on the side of the road, not at a designated bus stop or station. To this day, I still do not understand how I managed to get on the bus.
The bus ride says 7-8 hours, but it actually took me 11. This is very common. The road is completely full of potholes, has so many turns, and gets quite congested. It’s a very slow journey and not a comfortable one at all. If you can book a sofa-seater, these buses have much more comfortable chairs and would be worth it for all the bumps! There are toilet breaks along the journey, but make sure you have toilet paper or tissues, and hand sanitiser or wet wipes. They are all squat toilets.
That being said, the scenery from the bus was absolutely beautiful, and it stops for lunch right by the river which is stunning. You’d miss all this if you went on the plane!
Things to Do
There are plenty of adventure-based and relaxing activities in Pokara, and you could easily spend a week doing all of them. Here are some of the best things I did.
White Water Rafting
I booked white water rafting through my hostel, and it was one of my favourite experiences. It cost 5500 NPR (approx. £40) for the whole excursion, including pickup and drop off at your accommodation, photos, videos, the guides, and all equipment. The guides made it so much fun, and we got to raft and swim in the river. I honestly cannot recommend it enough.
Ziplining
Allegedly, Pokhara has the world’s steepest zipline. I have since seen the same claim in other places in the world, but regardless, the one in Pokhara remains very steep. I got picked up at my accommodation and driven up the mountains to the start of the zipline. We went down it really quickly and it was a lot of fun. The views are also incredible the whole way down. It was a little more expensive, at 8000 NPR (approx. £58.50), but I had a great time.
Rent a boat on Phewa Lake
Pokhara is located on Phewa Lake, and it is absolutely beautiful. A lot of companies have boats you can rent to explore the lake, either with a guide or without . I opted to row myself, so paid 500 NPR for an hour, plus a 50 NPR charge for a mandatory life jacket, bringing the total to 550 NPR (approx £4). It is incredibly peaceful out there, and if you are lucky, you will catch a view of the Annapurnas, some of the world’s highest mountains.
Walk around Phewa Lake
Walking around the lake is also stunning. There are plenty of places to sit and relax, as well as restaurants and cafés with great views. The lake itself is huge so it may not be possible to go all the way around it, but there is enough distance to cover anyway!
Sunrise at Sarangkot
Sarangkot is the most popular sunrise viewpoint in Pokhara, and rightly so. On a clear day, the sun rises over the Annapurnas and provides a beautiful view. Book a taxi the day before, and it will pick you up and drive you to the bottom of the hill, where there is just a short walk (maximum 30 minutes) uphill to the viewpoint. I split the car between 4 people and it cost 630 NPR (approx. £4.60) each for the return trip.
Yoga Class
Pokhara has so many options for yoga and meditation classes. You’ll see them advertised everywhere, and you can book online or directly at the studio. I went to the drop-in class at Kiwi Backpackers Hostel, which cost only 500 NPR (approx. £3.65) and was really good.
Pokhara Movie Garden
The Pokhara movie garden shows a different film each night. It is outdoors (with some covered areas) and has an incredible vibe. You can check their Instagram (@moviegardenpokhara) for the weekly showings. You can buy pizza, popcorn, and the ticket on the door for around 900 NPR (approx. £6.50). I highly recommend this!
Paragliding
Pokhara is famous for paragliding. Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to do it as I was worried about getting injured before my Everest Base Camp trek. However, if I was to go back, it would be the first thing on my list.
Where to Eat
I went to so many great places for food in Pokhara. Everywhere is vegan and vegetarian friendly, which makes it very easy. These are some of my top recommendations:
The Juicery: for healthy western-style food
Yak Kharka Chulo
Marwadi Restaurant
Where to Stay
You need to be staying in the Lakeside area of Pokhara. This is where most hotels and hostels are anyway, but it is the most beautiful and convenient part of the city. The bus also drops off here. I stayed at Pokhara Backpackers Hostel and thought it was great. They had a good restaurant there, provided breakfast, and let you book all kinds of trekking, activities, and transport through them. It was social as well.
I would go back to Pokhara in a heartbeat, and I hope that this has inspired your trip too. It is a city of incredible natural beauty, so please help keep it that way: leave only your footprints behind :)
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