Plan my trek
Plan my trek
Pokhara (Sarangkot)
Oct–May (best Oct–Nov)
~NPR 8,000 (£45)
20–60 min airborne
Often 10+ (varies)
Low; a few steps’ run
Paragliding in Nepal mostly means one place: Pokhara. Since the late 1990s pilots have launched from the Sarangkot ridge above the city, ridden the warm air rising off the valley floor and landed on the shore of Phewa Lake. On a clear day the Annapurna range, with the fishtail summit of Machhapuchhre at its centre, fills the view in front of you. Few places in the world put a commercial tandem flight this close to 7,000 and 8,000-metre peaks.
A tandem flight needs no experience. You are clipped into a harness in front of a licensed pilot who does all the flying, and your only job is to walk or jog a few steps off the slope when told. Most visitors spend 20 to 30 minutes in the air, and longer cross-country flights of up to an hour or more are available when conditions allow. The whole outing, including the drive up to the launch and back from the landing field, takes around half a day.
Almost anyone in reasonable health: first-timers, families with older children, trekkers resting in Pokhara before or after the Poon Hill or Annapurna Base Camp treks, and experienced pilots who come for weeks of cross-country flying. It is less suitable if you are pregnant, have back, neck or heart problems, or weigh more than the operator’s limit (usually somewhere between 90 and 110 kg for passengers).
Paragliding in Nepal counts as recreational aviation. Companies need an operating permit from the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation and a Recreational Aviation Operation Certificate from the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), which also sets where and when flights may take place. From the 2025/26 fiscal year (starting mid-July 2025) CAAN requires every company-owned tandem and solo glider to be registered with it, and unregistered gliders are to be treated as illegal. The industry body, the Nepal Airsports Association (NAA), coordinates operators, flying slots and site management in Pokhara.
Airspace has been the big story of recent years. When Pokhara International Airport opened in January 2023, CAAN moved paragliding away from Sarangkot to sites further west, first Mandredhunga and then Toripani, and moved the landing field to Pame. In May 2025 the authorities restored flights over Phewa Lake: take-offs from Sarangkot and Toripani and landings at Khapaudi, at the western end of the lake. Flying windows are set by the regulator, so always confirm your take-off site, landing field and slot when you book.
Pokhara accounts for the vast majority of commercial flights in Nepal, and for most travellers it is the only site worth planning around. A handful of smaller sites operate near Kathmandu and in the hills, but they have fewer operators and less predictable schedules, so check that a company is actually flying before you build a day around it.
The classic Nepal flight. Sarangkot rises to about 1,590 m above the north shore of Phewa Lake, roughly 30 to 40 minutes by jeep from Lakeside or a short ride on the Annapurna Cable Car. You launch from a grassy slope facing the lake, climb in thermals with the Annapurnas behind you, and glide down to land near the lakeshore at around 750 to 800 m.
Flight time: 20 to 30 minutes for a standard flight. Suits: first-timers and anyone short on time. Since May 2025 the landing field has been at Khapaudi, at the far (western) end of the lake. See our Pokhara guide for where to stay nearby.
Toripani sits on the same ridge system west of Sarangkot. It became the main launch in late 2023, after CAAN closed Sarangkot to protect approaches into the new international airport, and it remains an approved take-off site alongside Sarangkot under the May 2025 arrangement.
The flight is similar in feel: forested ridge, terraced slopes and lake views, with slightly different mountain angles. Which launch you use depends on the wind, the day’s airspace slots and your operator. Tip: ask when you book which launch and landing field your company is using that week, as arrangements have changed several times since 2023 and some websites are out of date.
On strong thermal days pilots can leave the local ridge and fly a longer route, often 45 to 60 minutes and sometimes more, gaining height to around 2,000 to 2,500 m or higher before gliding back towards the lake. The extra altitude brings a broader sweep of the Annapurna range and the Seti valley.
Cost: typically NPR 11,500 to 16,000 (about £65 to £90). Best months: February to April, when thermals are strongest, plus clear spells in October and November. Suits: people who have flown before or who do not get motion sick easily; the air is bumpier and the flight is longer. Cross-country is always weather-dependent, so be prepared to downgrade to a standard flight on the day.
Pokhara has long drawn foreign pilots who stay for weeks of winter flying. CAAN banned solo flights after a fatal accident during the 2022 National Games, then lifted the ban in July 2025 under its Solo Paragliding Flight Procedure, 2024. Solo pilots may now fly only within the designated paragliding zone under NAA supervision; flights outside it need special permission.
A national paragliding competition returned to Pokhara in March 2026 for the first time in five years. Several Pokhara schools run introductory and licensing courses. Suits: qualified pilots and serious learners. Bring your licence, logbook and third-party insurance, and register with an NAA-affiliated company, which handles the paperwork.
The hilltop Newar town of Bandipur, in Tanahun district roughly halfway between Kathmandu and Pokhara (about 140 km from Kathmandu), has offered tandem flights from the ridge above the bazaar, with views of Manaslu, Ganesh Himal and the Annapurnas. Flights reported in 2023 lasted 15 to 30 minutes and cost around NPR 7,000 (about £40).
Operations here are small and seasonal, and we could not confirm a regular 2026 schedule. Suits: travellers already stopping in Bandipur on the Prithvi Highway. Ask your guesthouse whether the local operator is flying before you rely on it, and treat it as a bonus rather than the reason to visit. Bandipur’s preserved Newar bazaar is worth the stop in its own right.
If you cannot get to Pokhara, a few operators fly tandems from the hills ringing the Kathmandu Valley. Reported launches include Chapakharka above Godavari and Chapagaun to the south (around 45 minutes from Thamel), and Jhyaure–Deurali near Shankharapur in the north-east, landing in the fields below. Flights are usually 20 to 30 minutes.
Cost: foreigners are typically quoted around US$95 to 100 (about £72 to £76), more than Pokhara. Suits: people on a short Kathmandu stopover. The flying is less scenic than Pokhara, haze is common, and schedules are irregular, so book through an operator who can confirm a slot the day before.
In the far east, operators have flown tandems from the Bhedetar ridge above Dharan, landing on the plains below, with flights of around 30 minutes. In 2023 the main local company quoted around NPR 7,000 and recommended August to February, when the ridge is often above a sea of cloud.
Suits: travellers heading to the eastern hills or to Kanchenjunga, or domestic visitors. It is a long way from Kathmandu (a domestic flight to Biratnagar then a drive of about 1.5 hours), and we could not confirm a 2026 schedule, so check before planning around it.
The ridges of Syangja district south of Pokhara are known to experienced pilots; Bhirkot municipality hosted Nepal’s first Paragliding World Cup event in November 2018. Other ridges, including the Gaurishankar area of Ramechhap, are sometimes flown by expedition-style groups.
These are not tandem tourist sites. Conditions can be strong and turbulent, rescue access is limited and there are no regular commercial flights. Suits: only qualified, experienced pilots flying with local knowledge and appropriate permissions. Everyone else will get a better experience, and a safer one, in Pokhara.
If you want height and closeness to the mountains without the paraglider, Pokhara also has ultralight (microlight) flights. A pilot takes you up in a small open or enclosed two-seater from the old Pokhara airport near Lakeside. Flights are sold by duration: about 15 minutes over the lake and city, 30 minutes towards Machhapuchhre, and an hour or more deep towards the Annapurnas.
Cost: online listings in 2025–26 range from roughly US$130 to 180 (about £100 to £135) for 15 minutes to around US$370 (£280) for an hour. Best time: early morning, when mountain views are clearest. Book a few days ahead in October, November, March and April.
A standard Pokhara tandem takes about two to three hours door to door, of which 20 to 30 minutes is in the air. Here is how a typical outing runs.
Most people book the evening before at an office in Lakeside, or through their hotel. You will be asked your weight (be honest: it decides which pilot and wing you fly with) and any health conditions. Some companies take a small deposit. You will be offered a time slot, which may change on the day if the wind or airspace windows shift.
A jeep collects you from Lakeside and climbs to the launch, usually around 30 to 40 minutes. At the top there is often a short wait while pilots read the wind and the NAA coordinators release groups. This is a good time to apply sunscreen and use the toilet.
Your pilot fits you into a seat harness, clips you to their own harness and hands you a helmet. The briefing is short: when they say run, lean forward and keep running until your feet leave the ground; do not sit down early. Once airborne, slide back into the seat and relax. Ask your pilot to show you the reserve parachute handle on their harness.
After a few steps the wing lifts you. The pilot works the thermals to gain height, then cruises along the ridge with views over Phewa Lake, the Peace Pagoda ridge and the mountains. If you feel well, many pilots will offer a few spirals or a ‘wingover’ near the end. If you feel queasy, say so at once and they will fly more smoothly.
Approaching the landing field the pilot will ask you to lift your legs or stand ready to run a few steps. Landings are usually gentle. A vehicle then returns you to Lakeside. Allow some extra time if your flight is late in the day, as landing fields get busy.
Pilots usually carry a camera on a selfie pole and film parts of the flight, including take-off and landing. This normally costs NPR 1,500 to 2,000 extra (about £9 to £11) and files are transferred to your phone or a memory card. You can take your own phone if it is on a secure lanyard; dropped phones over the lake are not recoverable. Confirm whether photos are included before you pay.
Prices in Pokhara are set by individual companies rather than fixed centrally; CAAN declined to let the industry fix rates after a pricing dispute some years ago. That keeps prices competitive, but very cheap offers can mean an inexperienced pilot or older equipment. The ranges below are typical for foreign visitors at the time of writing (2025–26) and may include 13% VAT; confirm what is included.
| Option | Time in air | Approximate price |
|---|---|---|
| Standard tandem, Pokhara | 20–30 min | NPR 8,000–10,000 (£45–£57) |
| Extended tandem, Pokhara | 30–45 min | NPR 10,000–11,500 (£57–£65) |
| Cross-country tandem, Pokhara | 45–60+ min | NPR 11,500–16,000 (£65–£90) |
| Photos and video | — | NPR 1,500–2,000 (£9–£11) |
| Tandem, Kathmandu Valley | 20–30 min | US$95–100 (£72–£76) |
| Tandem, Bandipur or Dharan (2023 rates) | 15–30 min | around NPR 7,000 (£40) |
| Ultralight, Pokhara | 15 min / 30 min / 60 min | US$130–180 / ~US$260 / ~US$370 (£100–£135 / £195 / £280) |
Pay in rupees where you can; card payments may carry a 3–4% surcharge. Prices often drop slightly in quieter months (December–January and late May), while October and November are firmest.
Pokhara flies for most of the year outside the monsoon. Visibility and thermals are what change. For the broader picture see our best season to travel in Nepal guide.
| Months | Conditions | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| October–November | Post-monsoon clarity, crisp mountain views, steady thermals. Busiest period. | Best overall; book a day or two ahead |
| December–January | Cool, stable air, mostly clear mornings, weaker thermals so shorter flights. Morning haze over the lake can build. | Good, quieter; wrap up warm |
| February–April | Strongest thermals and longest flights; cross-country season. Haze and dust increase from late March, softening mountain views. | Best for long and cross-country flights |
| May | Hot, hazy, pre-monsoon storms build in the afternoon. | Possible; fly early in your slot window |
| June–August | Monsoon rain, cloud and storms. Most commercial flying stops or is very sporadic. | Avoid |
| September | Monsoon tails off; flying resumes as weather clears, often from mid-month. | Variable; have a back-up day |
Pilots generally find mid-morning to early afternoon gives the most lift. In May 2025 CAAN set the permitted window over the lake at roughly 11:00 to 16:30, though slots can change with airport traffic, so take any ‘sunrise flight’ advertised online with caution and check what is actually allowed when you book. Mountain views tend to be clearest earlier in the day, so take the earliest slot available if photographs matter most.
Tens of thousands of tandem flights take place in Pokhara each year and the large majority pass without incident. Paragliding is still an adventure sport with real risks, and standards vary between companies. These are the checks that matter most.
Many UK travel policies exclude paragliding as standard or cover it only through an adventure or hazardous-sports add-on, sometimes only for tandem flights with a licensed operator. Read the wording for ‘paragliding’ or ‘parapenting’ and check medical and repatriation limits. The operator’s passenger cover is usually limited. If you are also trekking, our guide to travel insurance for trekking explains helicopter rescue cover.
Do not fly if you are pregnant, have had recent surgery, or have significant back, neck, heart or seizure conditions. Mention any condition when booking. If you are prone to motion sickness, take a standard flight, eat lightly beforehand, skip the acrobatics and tell your pilot early if you feel unwell.
Nepal’s press has reported a small number of serious accidents in Pokhara over the past decade. We list the ones we could verify so you can judge for yourself:
We found no reports of fatal commercial tandem accidents in Pokhara in 2023–2026 at the time of writing, though not every incident is widely reported. Accidents have tended to involve pilot error, power lines near landing fields and sudden weather, which is why pilot experience and willingness to cancel matter so much.
Nepal saw serious unrest in Kathmandu in September 2025; elections were held on 5 March 2026 and a new government has formed. Protests and strikes can still start at short notice, and late-monsoon flooding and landslides in 2026 have disrupted roads, including the Prithvi Highway between Kathmandu and Pokhara. Check the latest UK FCDO travel advice for Nepal before you travel and read our safety tips for Nepal.
Pokhara is Nepal’s adventure base, so a flight slots easily around treks and other activities. Keep a spare day in your plans in case weather cancels your slot. You can also try zip-lining, bungee jumping or white-water rafting from the same base.
Morning: sunrise at the Sarangkot viewpoint, then breakfast in Lakeside. Late morning: tandem flight landing at the lake. Afternoon: hire a rowing boat to Tal Barahi temple, then walk up to the World Peace Pagoda for sunset over the lake you have just flown above.
Day 1: paragliding in the late morning, then the ZipFlyer or a bungee jump at Hemja in the afternoon. Day 2: a half-day canyoning trip or a mountain-bike ride around the lake and up to the ridges, finishing with dinner on Lakeside.
Use the flight as a reward after a short trek. Days 1–2: drive to Kande, hike to Australian Camp and Dhampus, or begin a longer walk towards Ghandruk. Day 3: return to Pokhara and fly in the afternoon. It also works at the end of the Annapurna Circuit, once your legs need a rest.
Outside October–November and the Dashain and Tihar holidays, booking the evening before in Lakeside is usually fine and lets you meet the company. In peak weeks, book two or three days ahead, and fly early in your stay so you have spare days if weather cancels. Avoid paying the full amount online to an unknown agent.
Tipping is not compulsory, but a tip for your pilot of around NPR 500 to 1,000 (about £3 to £6) is appreciated if they flew well and looked after you. Pilots typically receive a share of the fare, so tips go directly to them.
Stick to the landing field and paths so you do not trample farmers’ crops near the lake. Take litter back down with you, refill water bottles in Lakeside rather than buying plastic, and choose companies that pay pilots fairly and invest in maintenance. Do not ask pilots to fly closer to birds of prey, cliffs or cloud than they judge safe.
Some older guides mention ‘parahawking’, flying alongside trained birds of prey. The best-known Pokhara project faced government action over its birds and was reported shut down in 2017. We could not verify any current parahawking operation, so treat any offer with caution.
Paragliding fits naturally into a wider Nepal trip. Explore our Nepal travel guide for ideas, then plan your trip with Get Lost Forever and we will help you fit a flight around your trek, safari or city stay.
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At the time of writing a standard 20–30 minute tandem flight costs roughly NPR 8,000 to 10,000 (about £45 to £57), including transport. Cross-country flights of 45–60 minutes cost around NPR 11,500 to 16,000 (£65 to £90). Photos and video usually add NPR 1,500 to 2,000.
Most flights pass without incident, but it is an adventure sport and serious accidents have occurred, mainly linked to pilot error, power lines and sudden weather. Choose a CAAN-certified, NAA-affiliated operator with experienced pilots, check equipment, and accept cancellations for weather.
A standard flight is about 20–30 minutes in the air; extended flights run 30–45 minutes and cross-country flights 45–60 minutes or more. Allow two to three hours for the whole outing including transport and waiting at launch.
Most Pokhara companies accept passengers up to about 90–100 kg, and some up to around 110 kg with a larger wing. Very light children may also be refused. Give your true weight when booking so you are matched with the right pilot and wing.
October and November give the clearest mountain views and steady conditions. February to April brings the strongest thermals and longest flights. Most commercial flying stops during the June–August monsoon.
Since May 2025 flights have taken off from Sarangkot and Toripani and landed at Khapaudi, at the western end of Phewa Lake. Arrangements have changed several times since the new airport opened in 2023, so confirm the sites with your operator.
Yes, usually. Policies vary, but many operators fly children from around 8–10 years old with a parent’s consent, provided they meet minimum weight and can follow instructions. Ask the company about its policy before booking.
Not always. Many policies exclude paragliding unless you buy an adventure or hazardous-activities add-on, and some cover only tandem flights with a licensed operator. Check the policy wording before you fly.
Many people who dislike heights find paragliding surprisingly calm, because there is no edge to look over and the sensation is gentle floating rather than falling. Tell your pilot and ask for a smooth flight without acrobatics.
Qualified pilots can. CAAN lifted its solo-flight ban in July 2025; solo flights must stay within the designated zone under Nepal Airsports Association supervision. Register through an NAA-affiliated company and bring your licence and insurance.
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