Plan my trek
Plan my trek
About 800 m
~200 km / 25 min fly
Oct–Nov, Feb–Apr
2–4 days
ACAP ~NPR 3,000
Pokhara (PKR)
Pokhara is Nepal’s second city and its most relaxed one: a lake town at roughly 800 m with the Annapurna range lined up along the northern skyline. On a clear morning the fishtail summit of Machhapuchhre (6,993 m) and the white wall of Annapurna South, Annapurna I and Dhaulagiri seem close enough to touch, even though they are 30 km or more away. Few places on earth put snow peaks of that height so close to a subtropical valley floor.
For most visitors it plays three roles. It is the gateway to the Annapurna treks, from short hikes to Poon Hill and Australian Camp to the Annapurna Base Camp Trek and the Annapurna Circuit. It is Nepal’s adventure capital, with tandem paragliding off Sarangkot, one of the world’s steepest ziplines, ultralight flights and rafting on nearby rivers. And it is where people rest: after Kathmandu’s traffic or two weeks on the trail, a few days of lakeside cafés, boat rides and slow walks feel earned.
It suits almost everyone. Families like the boating, the flat lakeshore path and the mountain museum. Couples and solo travellers come for sunrises, yoga and the café scene. Trekkers use it as the staging post before and after the mountains. If you only want Nepal’s temples and medieval architecture, Kathmandu and the Kathmandu Valley do that better; Pokhara is about landscape, outdoor time and ease.
Pokhara is pleasant, not polished. Lakeside is busy and commercial, building work is constant, and haze can hide the mountains for days in spring. Come in the right season, get up early for the views, and it is one of the most rewarding stops in our Nepal travel guide.
You can see Pokhara’s main sights in two busy days, but the city rewards a slower pace. Plan mountain viewpoints for early morning, when skies are clearest, and save museums, caves and cafés for the afternoon, when cloud usually rolls in. Fees below are approximate and were checked against recent sources; they change often, so carry small notes and check at the counter.
Phewa (Fewa) is Nepal’s second-largest lake and the heart of Pokhara. Hire a painted wooden rowing boat from one of the jetties along Lakeside, either rowing yourself or with a boatman, and head for Tal Barahi, a small two-tiered pagoda temple on an island dedicated to the goddess Barahi. Saturdays bring crowds of Nepali worshippers and animal offerings are sometimes made.
Cost: boat hire is priced per hour on boards set by the local boat associations; expect roughly NPR 600–1,000 an hour (about £3.50–£5.50) depending on boat size and whether you want a boatman, plus life jackets. Time: 1–2 hours. Best time: early morning, when the water is glassy and the mountains are reflected; afternoons are windier and hazier. Tip: check the posted rate before you set off and agree the return time.
Sarangkot is the ridge above the north shore of the lake, at roughly 1,600 m, and its viewpoint is the classic place to watch first light hit Dhaulagiri, the Annapurnas and Machhapuchhre, with the lake and city still in shadow below. On clear post-monsoon mornings it is the defining Pokhara experience.
Getting there: taxis leave Lakeside around 4:45–5:15 am for the 30–40 minute drive up, then it is a short walk or a few hundred steps to the viewing area. Agree a return fare the night before; many drivers will wait. Fit walkers can hike up from Lakeside in about 2 hours. Cost: the main viewpoint has charged a small entry fee in some years; carry a few hundred rupees in small notes. Time: 3 hours including transport. Tip: check the forecast and look out of your window at 4:30 am; if the peaks are hidden from Lakeside they will usually be hidden from Sarangkot too. Bring a fleece, as it is cold before dawn from November to February.
The gleaming white stupa on Anadu Hill, built by the Japanese Buddhist order Nipponzan Myohoji, sits at about 1,100 m on the ridge south of the lake. It gives one of the best combined views in Pokhara: Phewa below, the city spread to the east and the Annapurna range behind.
Entry: free at the time of writing. Getting there: the classic route is to take a boat across the lake to the trailhead below the hill and walk up through forest (roughly 45–60 minutes of steady stairs); alternatively taxis drive almost to the top, leaving a short climb. Time: half a day with the boat and hike, 2 hours by taxi. Best time: morning for clear mountains, late afternoon for warm light over the lake. Etiquette: walk clockwise, remove shoes on the upper platform and keep voices low.
Davis Falls, also called Devi’s Falls or Patale Chhango (the ‘underworld falls’), is where the outflow of Phewa Lake drops into a narrow gorge and vanishes underground. The name is said to come from a foreign visitor swept into the chasm decades ago, a story that is hard to verify but well known locally.
Entry: around NPR 100 (about 55p) for foreign visitors at the time of writing. Time: 30–45 minutes. Best time: during and just after the monsoon (July to October) the falls are loud and impressive; by late spring they can shrink to a trickle. Tip: combine it with Gupteshwor Cave, directly across the road, and the Mountain Museum a short drive away. The site is compact and busy with domestic tourists at weekends and holidays.
Across the road from Davis Falls, a spiral staircase leads down into one of Nepal’s longest caves. The first chamber holds a revered Shiva lingam formed from stalagmite; a further passage leads, slippery and low in places, to a viewpoint behind the underground stream of Davis Falls.
Entry: recent sources quote around NPR 100–200 (about 55p–£1.15) for foreigners; fees change, so check at the counter. Time: 45 minutes to an hour. Opening: roughly 6 or 7 am to 6 pm; the inner section may close during heavy monsoon rains when it floods. Tips: wear shoes with grip, expect humidity and dripping water, and respect the no-photography rule in the shrine area. A taxi from Lakeside costs roughly NPR 500–700 (£3–£4) each way.
A large, well-curated museum on mountains and mountain people, run by the Nepal Mountaineering Association. Galleries cover the cultures of Himalayan communities, the geology of the range, the history of climbing on the 8,000 m peaks, original expedition equipment and a sober look at climbing tragedies. Outside there is a climbing wall and a mock peak.
Entry: around NPR 500 (about £2.80) for foreigners and NPR 250 for SAARC nationals at the time of writing. Opening: roughly 8:30 am to 5:30 pm daily. Time: 1.5–2 hours. Best time: midday, when the mountains tend to cloud over anyway. Tip: an excellent primer before an Annapurna trek, and a good rainy-day option for families.
About 15 km east of Lakeside, in the Lekhnath area, these two lakes show what Pokhara was like before the Lakeside boom. Begnas is the larger, with rowing boats, fish farms, rice terraces and a handful of simple restaurants and guesthouses at its western end. Rupa lies just over the ridge and is smaller, quieter and greener, a good spot for birdlife.
Getting there: taxi in about 30–45 minutes, or local bus in roughly an hour. Time: half a day, or a full day if you walk the ridge between the two lakes (around 2–3 hours of easy walking). Cost: no entry fee; boats are hired by the hour at the shore. Tip: try fresh lake fish with dal bhat at the lakeside eateries and stay the night if you want silence and stars.
Most visitors never leave Lakeside, which is a shame. Pokhara’s old trading quarter, north-east of the lake, still has Newar-style brick houses with carved windows from the days when the town sat on the salt-and-grain route between India and Tibet. At its edge, Bindhyabasini Temple stands on a small hill and is one of the city’s busiest Hindu shrines, dedicated to the goddess Durga in her form as Bhagawati.
Entry: free. Time: 1–2 hours. Best time: early morning, when worshippers arrive with offerings, and Saturdays, which are especially busy. Tip: dress modestly, remove shoes where asked and do not touch offerings. Combine it with the small Pokhara Regional Museum or a walk around Bhimsen Temple nearby.
Tibetan refugees settled around Pokhara after 1959, and their communities remain an important part of the city’s identity. Tashi Palkhel near Hemja (on the road north towards the trailheads) and Tashiling near Davis Falls both have monasteries, carpet workshops and small shops.
Entry: free; donations at monasteries are welcome. Time: 1–2 hours each. Best time: early morning or late afternoon to hear monks chanting at the monastery in Tashi Palkhel. Tips: ask before photographing people or prayer halls, walk clockwise around stupas and prayer wheels, and buy directly from the workshops if you want rugs or crafts. Be aware that hawkers selling ‘Tibetan’ trinkets along Lakeside are not necessarily linked to the settlements.
If you want a taste of the trail without committing to a long trek, this is the best short hike from Pokhara. A 45–60 minute drive takes you to Kande, from where a steep forest path climbs about an hour to Australian Camp (around 2,060 m), a grassy ridge with lodges and a superb close view of Machhapuchhre and the Annapurnas. From there it is an easy hour or so to the Gurung village of Dhampus.
Permits: you enter the Annapurna Conservation Area, so ACAP rules apply (see Practical tips). Time: a long day trip, but far better as an overnight to catch sunset and sunrise. Best time: October to April. Tip: combine it with the first stage of the Mardi Himal or Annapurna Base Camp routes, which pass close by.
Lakeside’s restaurant strip caters for every taste after a trek, from wood-fired pizza and baked goods to Korean and Israeli dishes. Do not skip Nepali food: a proper dal bhat (rice, lentils, curries, pickles and usually free refills), momos (steamed or fried dumplings), Thakali sets from the Mustang region, and the local fish from Phewa and Begnas.
Cost: a dal bhat set in a local eatery is roughly NPR 300–600 (£2–£3.50); a main course at a tourist restaurant is roughly NPR 600–1,500 (£3.50–£8.50), and many places add 13% VAT and a 10% service charge. Tip: the side streets one block back from the lake are cheaper and more local. Choose places that are busy and use filtered water. A cooking class is a good way to learn dal bhat or momos, and several are offered around Lakeside.
Pokhara has become one of Nepal’s main yoga and meditation centres, with drop-in classes along Lakeside, multi-day retreats on the hillsides above the lake and plenty of massage studios aimed at tired trekkers.
Cost: drop-in classes range from a few hundred rupees to around NPR 1,500–2,000 (£8.50–£11), depending on the teacher and setting; residential retreats are priced as packages. Time: 1–2 hours for a class. Tip: standards vary widely, so look for teachers with recognised training and recent independent reviews. A massage after a long descent can genuinely help, but stick to established studios and ask the price before you start. Early-morning lakeshore walks along the path north of Lakeside are free and reliably calming.
For adventure activities, including paragliding, ziplining and rafting, see the next section. If you are here to trek, our best treks from Pokhara round-up covers the full range of trails that start from the city.
Pokhara is Nepal’s adventure base. Most activities can be booked the day before through your hotel or the agencies along Lakeside, and almost all include pick-up. Prices are commonly quoted in US dollars; we give rough equivalents. Many operators are small and changing, so we do not name them here: look for registered companies with clear safety briefings, well-maintained gear and recent independent reviews.
Pokhara is one of the world’s best-known paragliding sites. You take off from the Sarangkot ridge with a licensed pilot, circle on thermals with the Annapurnas in front of you, and land on the lakeshore at Lakeside. Raptors often share the air.
Cost: recent prices are roughly NPR 9,000 (about £50) for a standard 20–30 minute tandem flight and around NPR 12,000 (about £68) for a longer cross-country flight, usually including the jeep to take-off. Photos and video are typically an extra NPR 2,000 or so (about £11). Season: September to May; flying largely stops during the July–August monsoon. Time of day: morning slots are usually calmer; midday slots have stronger thermals and longer flights. Safety: use an established operator with proper equipment, ask about pilot certification and insurance, respect weight limits (often around 100 kg) and accept cancellations for weather.
The ZipFlyer runs from the Sarangkot area down towards the Seti valley and is marketed as one of the steepest and longest ziplines in the world, with a drop of several hundred metres and speeds that the operator states can exceed 100 km/h. The ride lasts under two minutes but the views and acceleration are memorable.
Cost: packages are priced in US dollars and usually include transfers from Lakeside; expect something in the region of US$50–70 (roughly £40–£55) at the time of writing, but check the current rate. Time: a half-day including transfers. Tip: book a day ahead in peak season (October–November) and check weight limits.
Microlight or ultralight aircraft take off from the airport area and fly over Phewa Lake and towards the Annapurna range. With an open cockpit you get an unobstructed, very close view of the mountains.
Cost: priced by duration, from around 15 minutes to over an hour; a 15-minute flight has historically cost around US$100, rising steeply for longer flights that get nearer the peaks. Season: mainly autumn to spring, when visibility is good. Tip: book for early morning, when the mountains are clearest, and be ready to reschedule if cloud builds.
The Upper Seti, close to Pokhara, offers a half-day of fun class III–IV rapids, while the Kali Gandaki and the Trishuli (on the road to Kathmandu) offer longer one- to three-day trips. Phewa Lake itself is calm enough for stand-up paddleboarding and beginner kayaking, and Pokhara has long been a base for kayak clinics.
Cost: a half-day Upper Seti trip has typically cost around US$50–60 including transport and lunch; SUP and kayak hire on the lake is by the hour. Season: October–November and March–May are best; high monsoon water closes or limits many runs. Safety: choose a member operator of the Nepal Association of Rafting Agencies, insist on helmets, buoyancy aids and safety kayaks, and check river conditions after the heavy August 2026 floods elsewhere in Nepal.
Insurance check: many standard travel policies exclude paragliding, bungee and white-water rafting unless you add an adventure sports extension. Read the wording before you fly or jump.
Pokhara has a huge range of accommodation and, outside the October–November peak, plenty of room to bargain. Power cuts are now rare in the city, and most hotels have Wi-Fi and hot water, though quality varies. Rooms with a genuine mountain view cost more and are worth it in autumn and winter. Prices below are rough nightly bands for a double room at the time of writing; many hotels add 13% VAT and 10% service charge on top of quoted rates.
The obvious base: everything is within walking distance, from restaurants and gear shops to boat stands and trek agencies. North Lakeside, beyond the main strip, is quieter with more lake views and greenery; the central strip is livelier with bars and live music.
Suits: first-time visitors, trekkers, anyone without a car. Prices: simple guesthouses from around NPR 1,500–3,000 a night (£8.50–£17); comfortable mid-range hotels roughly NPR 4,000–10,000 (£23–£57); upper-range lake-view hotels from around NPR 12,000 (£68) upwards. Prices rise sharply in October and November.
At the southern end of Lakeside, near the dam, Damside is a little calmer and has some clear mountain views across the water. It is a short walk or taxi ride to the main strip and handy for the Peace Pagoda and Davis Falls.
Suits: travellers who want quiet without being remote, and those on a longer stay. Prices: similar to or a little below Lakeside, with good-value mid-range guesthouses roughly NPR 2,000–6,000 (£11–£34).
Staying on the ridge means sunrise from your doorstep and no 5 am taxi. Lodges and small hotels line the road up and around the viewpoint, many with terraces facing the Annapurnas.
Suits: photographers, couples, anyone flying with a paraglider the next morning. Prices: basic lodges from around NPR 2,000 (£11); better hotels with views roughly NPR 6,000–15,000 (£34–£85). Trade-off: limited dining in the evening and a taxi ride to Lakeside.
Pokhara has a handful of established upmarket resorts on the hills around the valley and above Begnas Lake, many with pools, spas and big mountain views. Around Begnas you will also find simple lakeside guesthouses and homestays.
Suits: honeymooners, families wanting space, and travellers recovering after a long trek. Prices: luxury resorts commonly from around NPR 20,000 (£115) a night and well beyond in peak season; Begnas guesthouses are much cheaper. Trade-off: you will rely on taxis or resort transfers.
Backpacker hostels cluster around Lakeside with dorm beds and social common areas. Homestays are found in villages around the valley, on the Australian Camp–Dhampus ridge and around Begnas, and offer home-cooked meals and a window into family life.
Suits: solo travellers and budget trips. Prices: dorm beds commonly around NPR 600–1,200 (£3.50–£7); village homestays often include dinner and breakfast for a modest per-person rate. Tip: confirm hot water, heating in winter and the exact location before you book.
Booking tip: before and after a trek, choose somewhere that will store your extra luggage free of charge. Most Lakeside hotels do this for guests.
Pokhara is about 200 km west of Kathmandu. Most international travellers still arrive in Nepal at Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport and then fly or drive to Pokhara. Allow a buffer day in your plans, because both the road and mountain flights are affected by weather.
| Option | Time | Approximate cost | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic flight from Kathmandu | 25–30 minutes in the air | Roughly US$100–150 one way for foreigners (£75–£115), higher at peak times | Many daily flights; morning flights are less prone to delay. Mountain views on the right side heading west. |
| Tourist bus from Kathmandu | Usually 7–9 hours, sometimes 10+ | Roughly NPR 1,000–2,800 (£6–£16) depending on comfort class | Departs around 7 am; arrives at Pokhara’s tourist bus park, about 10–15 minutes by taxi from Lakeside. |
| Private car or jeep | 6–8 hours | Commonly quoted at roughly US$150–250 per vehicle | Flexible stops (Bandipur, Manakamana cable car); best value for groups. |
| From Chitwan (Sauraha) | 5–6 hours by tourist bus | Roughly NPR 1,000–2,000 (£6–£11) | Daily tourist buses; also private cars. |
| From Lumbini / Bhairahawa | 7–9 hours by road; short flight via Bhairahawa when operating | Bus roughly NPR 1,000–2,000; check flight availability | Siddhartha Highway is winding; tourist buses and cars run daily. |
Buddha Air and Yeti Airlines run the bulk of Kathmandu–Pokhara flights, with Shree Airlines and Nepal Airlines also on the route at times. Foreigners pay a dollar fare that is higher than the Nepali rate. Delays and cancellations are common in the monsoon and on hazy spring days, so do not book a tight international connection on the same day. All Nepali airlines are on the UK Air Safety List (meaning they cannot fly to the UK), which the FCDO advises travellers to be aware of; most visitors still use these domestic routes, which are among Nepal’s busiest and best-served.
Pokhara International Airport opened in 2023 and handles domestic flights. International scheduled services have been limited: a Pokhara–Lhasa service operated briefly in 2025 and was suspended, and in mid-2026 flydubai received approval for daily Pokhara–Dubai flights from 23 September 2026. Check with the airline before relying on any international route into Pokhara.
The Prithvi Highway links Kathmandu and Pokhara via Mugling. In late August 2026, floods on the Trishuli corridor damaged the road at Krishnabhir in Dhading, closing it for around 18 days and stopping Kathmandu–Pokhara tourist buses. A temporary gravel track reopened the route to all vehicles from 18 September 2026, but several single-lane sections remained between Nagdhunga and Mugling and further landslides were reported later in September. Expect slower journeys than the timetable suggests, check the latest road status with your bus company or our team the day before, and consider flying if your schedule is tight.
The short answer is October to November for the clearest mountain views, followed by March to April for warmth and rhododendrons. Pokhara is also one of Nepal’s wettest cities, so the monsoon here is serious. For the bigger picture across the country, see our best season to travel in Nepal guide.
| Season | Weather in Pokhara | Mountain views | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autumn (late Sep–Nov) | Warm days (mid to high 20s °C), cool evenings, little rain after early October | Excellent, especially after the monsoon has washed the air | Peak season: busiest trails, highest hotel and flight prices. Book early. |
| Winter (Dec–Feb) | Mild sunny days (around 18–22 °C), cold nights near 5 °C or below; morning fog in the valley | Very good once fog lifts | Quieter and cheaper. Great for short treks; higher passes can be snowbound. |
| Spring (Mar–May) | Warm to hot (up to 30 °C+ in May), pre-monsoon storms later in the season | Good in March, often hazy by April and May | Rhododendron season on the hills; second-busiest trekking period. |
| Monsoon (Jun–mid Sep) | Hot, humid, very heavy rain (often several metres a year falls here) | Rarely visible, except brief clear dawns | Lush and cheap, but leeches, landslides, flight delays; paragliding largely paused July–August. |
Festival dates follow the lunar calendar and shift every year, so check exact dates for your travel year. During Dashain and Tihar, government offices, including permit counters, may keep reduced hours.
Two to three days covers Pokhara’s main sights at a comfortable pace. Add a night or two outside the city (Sarangkot, Australian Camp or Begnas) to see its best side, and plan a week or more if you are trekking. Always put early-morning viewpoints on your first clear day: the weather may not repeat.
Day 1: follow the one-day plan above at a gentler pace, perhaps skipping the museum for a long lunch by the lake.
Day 2: morning tandem paragliding flight from Sarangkot (book the day before and choose an early slot). Afternoon at the Old Bazaar and Bindhyabasini Temple, or the ZipFlyer if you still want adrenaline. Finish with a massage or yoga class.
Day 1: lake, boat, Peace Pagoda and evening in Lakeside.
Day 2: drive to Kande, hike to Australian Camp for lunch and sunset; overnight in a lodge.
Day 3: sunrise over Machhapuchhre, walk to Dhampus and down to Phedi, drive back to Pokhara. Afternoon caves and falls.
Day 4: paragliding or a day trip to Begnas and Rupa lakes, with a ridge walk between them and fresh fish for lunch.
Day 1: arrive, collect permits with your guide, check gear and buy any missing items in Lakeside.
Days 2–5 or more: trek. Poon Hill takes around 4 days, Mardi Himal around 5, and Annapurna Base Camp around 7–11 days depending on route. See our guide to Annapurna Base Camp for detail.
After the trek: keep at least one full rest day in Pokhara before flying home, both for recovery and as a buffer for delayed flights or road closures.
Pokhara is easy to navigate, but a few practical points save time and money, especially if you are heading into the mountains. Fees below were checked at the time of writing and change often. If you are trekking, read up on travel insurance for trekking before you book.
Most nationalities, including UK citizens, can get a tourist visa on arrival at Kathmandu airport or apply online in advance. Fees have long been US$30 for 15 days, US$50 for 30 days and US$125 for 90 days; check the Department of Immigration before you travel, as fees can change. Your passport must be valid for at least six months. Our things to know before travelling to Nepal article covers arrival in more detail.
Treks from Pokhara enter the Annapurna Conservation Area, which requires an ACAP permit, widely reported at NPR 3,000 (about £17) for foreigners and a lower rate for SAARC nationals. Since April 2023, Nepal’s rules require foreign trekkers in national parks and conservation areas to trek with a licensed guide arranged through a registered agency, and a TIMS card (around NPR 2,000, about £11) is issued through that agency. Permits are arranged in Pokhara at the Nepal Tourism Board / ACAP counters in Damside, or in Kathmandu. Rules and fees are revised from time to time, so confirm the current position before you go.
The currency is the Nepalese rupee (NPR). Lakeside has many ATMs and exchange counters; ATMs typically dispense up to around NPR 25,000–35,000 per withdrawal with a local fee of roughly NPR 500 on top of your bank’s charges. Hotels, agencies and better restaurants accept cards, often with a 3–4% surcharge. Carry cash for taxis, entry tickets and anything on a trek, as ATMs beyond the trailheads are unreliable. Indian 500 and 2,000 rupee notes are not accepted.
Nepal Telecom (NTC) and Ncell both offer tourist SIMs, available at Kathmandu airport and in town with your passport and a photo. Data packages are cheap and 4G works well across Pokhara. Coverage on the Annapurna trails is patchy, with many lodges offering paid Wi-Fi. eSIMs from international providers are an option if your phone supports them.
Pokhara is generally safe and relaxed. Nepal saw serious unrest in Kathmandu in September 2025, when protests led to deaths and the resignation of the government; national elections took place on 5 March 2026 and a new government has since formed. Protests and strikes can still start at short notice, so avoid demonstrations and follow local news. In 2026 the bigger practical risk has been weather: the FCDO highlights major flooding and landslides from late August 2026 in parts of central Nepal. Check the latest UK FCDO travel advice for Nepal before you travel, guard against pickpockets in busy areas, and avoid walking alone late at night.
Pokhara itself is low (around 800 m), so altitude is not an issue in the city. It becomes a concern on treks: Annapurna Base Camp reaches 4,130 m and the Thorong La on the Annapurna Circuit 5,416 m. Drink filtered or treated water, use hand sanitiser and be careful with salads. Pokhara has several private hospitals for minor issues. Make sure your insurance covers helicopter evacuation if you trek. Read our safety tips for trekking before you set off.
Dress modestly at temples and in the Old Bazaar, covering shoulders and knees. Remove shoes before entering shrines and homes, walk clockwise around stupas, and ask before photographing people. Some Hindu temples do not admit non-Hindus to the inner sanctum. Public displays of affection are frowned on outside Lakeside. Use your right hand to pass or receive things. Our guide to culture in Nepal explains the basics.
Refill bottles at water stations rather than buying plastic; many Lakeside cafés and hotels offer refills. Hire licensed local guides and porters, ask about their pay and kit, and avoid unusually cheap trek deals, which the FCDO warns can be linked to unnecessary helicopter rescues. Do not feed wildlife or buy products made from protected species, and research volunteering offers carefully; the FCDO specifically warns about profit-driven orphanages.
Pokhara sits at the centre of a classic Nepal loop: Kathmandu for culture, Pokhara for mountains, and Chitwan or Lumbini in the lowlands. Here is how the main options fit together.
We run small-group and tailor-made trips that combine Pokhara with the Annapurna trails, Chitwan and Kathmandu, with experienced local guides, permits handled and buffer days built in. Tell us your dates and interests and we will help you plan your trip, or send us an enquiry about a specific trek.
Yes. It combines some of the closest big-mountain views anywhere in the Himalaya with an easy, relaxed lake town, Nepal’s best range of adventure activities and direct access to the Annapurna treks. Even non-trekkers usually rate it a highlight of a Nepal trip.
Two to three days covers the main sights, including Sarangkot sunrise, Phewa Lake, the Peace Pagoda and the caves and museum. Add a day or two for paragliding, Begnas Lake or an overnight at Australian Camp, and a week or more if you are trekking.
Fly in about 25–30 minutes (roughly US$100–150 one way for foreigners) or take a tourist bus for roughly NPR 1,000–2,800, which usually takes 7–9 hours. Road repairs after the August 2026 floods have added delays, so check the current situation before you travel by road.
October and November give the clearest mountain views and settled weather. December to February is quieter and still clear, though mornings can be foggy. March and April are good for rhododendrons but views are often hazier.
A standard tandem flight from Sarangkot of around 20–30 minutes costs roughly NPR 9,000 (about £50) at the time of writing, with longer cross-country flights around NPR 12,000 and photos or video extra. Prices vary by operator and season.
Pokhara is generally safe, with low levels of serious crime. Take normal care with valuables, avoid protests and check the UK FCDO travel advice for Nepal before travelling, particularly for road conditions and weather-related disruption.
Yes, for treks into the Annapurna Conservation Area, including Poon Hill, Mardi Himal, Australian Camp and Annapurna Base Camp. You need an ACAP permit (around NPR 3,000 for foreigners) and, under current rules, a licensed guide and TIMS card arranged through a registered agency.
No. Everest is in the east of Nepal, far beyond view. From Pokhara you see the Annapurna range, including Machhapuchhre, Annapurna I, II and South, and Dhaulagiri on clear days. For Everest views you need the Everest region or a mountain flight from Kathmandu.
They are different. Kathmandu is about history, temples and culture; Pokhara is calmer, greener and focused on mountains, lakes and outdoor activities. Most first-time visitors spend time in both.
Pokhara International Airport opened in 2023 but has had few scheduled international routes. flydubai was approved to start daily Pokhara–Dubai flights from September 2026; check current schedules with the airline. Most travellers still arrive via Kathmandu.
Plan it with us
Tell us your dates and interests and our team will shape a Pokhara trip around you: local guides, small groups and honest advice.