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Asia, Nepal, Solo Travel, Travel Tips
Top Tourist Attractions and Things to do in Pokhara (Nepal)
Jun
Popular tourist destination Pokhara is the main tourism hub and the capital of tourism in Nepal. Every year the majority of tourist travel Pokhara to experience the ultimate adventure. Pokhara became a famous tourist destination for trekking (Annapurna Mountain Trek). Besides trekking, there are many reasons which made Pokhara a must-visit destination for all in South Asia. This tour guide will inspire you some best things to do in Pokhara, the peaceful destination in Nepal.
Pokhara became my favorite destination in Nepal since my first trip here in 2014. I found Pokhara is lovely, peaceful, and safe to travel solo. You can say Pokhara is a popular solo travel destination as well as in Nepal. This second largest city is safe to move around alone at any time. Here locals are friendly, generous, and cooperative.
The climate is cold, never too hot. The city is quiet, neat and clean as well. What I love most about Pokhara are the calmness and serenity. Just a perfect destination to stay long for a calm seeker or an adventure or nature lovers. Whether you love adventure or not you’ll enjoy your holiday or leisure time by staying even at the hotel while enjoying the Annapurna view.
A glimpse of top tourist attractions in Pokhara, Nepal before you going through the tour guide.
Table of Contents
Best Time To Visit Pokhara
Pokhara is beautiful in almost all seasons. But September to November is the best time to visit Pokhara. The reason is during this time the whole of Nepal is in a festive mood for Tihar. And the perfect time for hiking, trekking, and mountaineering. The unobstructed view of Machapuchare (Fish Tail Mountain) in the Annapurna you’ll get or enjoy during this season. You’ll love your Pokhara trip at this time.
Beautiful Pokhara From Fewa Power House
Sunrise from Furse Khola Pokhara
How To Travel Pokhara?
Nepal offers the most accessible tourist visa service (on arrival visa) for almost all SAARC countries (No Visa for Indian). According to different countries, the visa duration is 15-90 days. And free on arrival visa service is there for Bangladeshis, but don’t forget to carry PP size photo with you else ready to pay $5 for that. 😉 Nepal offers on arrival tourist visa for almost all nations, and it is easy to get.
Either by road or air, you can travel Pokhara from Kathmandu. It takes 6-8 hours by bus and just 30 mins by air to reach Pokhara from Kathmandu. There are many reputed public bus services (Greenline, Delux) which run every day at 7 am (Nepal time) from Thamel, the central tourist zone in Kathmandu. And there are many domestic airlines (Buddha Air, Yeti Air, Tara Air) fly everyday morning to noon from Tribhuvan International Airport to Pokhara Airport.
Pokhara Airport
And the bonus part of your journey is the scenic beauty from the adventurous road to the beautiful sky. In my first Nepal tour, I enjoyed the long trip by bus. And this time by airplane loved the spectacular view of Annapurna Mountain from the sky 11500 feet high.
On The Way To Pokhara
Where To Stay in Pokhara?
The famous tourist zone in Pokhara is Lakeside; this is the Northern side of Phewa Lake. Pokhara Lakeside is best for all kinds of accommodations. Here you’ll get many budget hotels to 2-star/ 3-star hotels ranges to start from 18$ to more.
Lakeside Pokhara
I loved my stay at the Hotel Grand Holiday and Hotel Orchid. Both hotels run by Janak Karki. He is very cooperative and friendly towards his guests. Both hotels are best regarding range, standard service, environment, and excellent communication. I enjoyed the view of Annapurna from hotel room window, rooftop, and balcony. Who will not love to wake up with the stunning sunrise view of Annapurna?
With Janak Karki at Hotel Orchid
Annapurna Mountain View From The Rooftop of Hotel Orchid
Hotel Orchid Garden
Many top destinations in Pokhara are close to Lakeside, Peaceful road, and Damside. The most beautiful Fewa Lake is just within walking distance. Pokhara airport is only 10-15 mins from Lakeside.
Top Things To Do in Pokhara
So, what to do in Pokhara? When Nepal is worldwide famous for Mount Everest, Pokhara itself is world famous for Annapurna. And so Pokhara is the best destination for trekking. All kinds of adventure are possible from Pokhara or nearby Pokhara. Different tour companies also offer many Pokhara adventure packages.
Annapurna Mountain Trek
There are many trek and tour companies in Pokhara you can rely on to take their package to enjoy 7-10 days trek. The most popular are Annapurna Base Camp Trek for 8-10 days from Pokhara. You can go for short trekking as well.
Australian Camp Trek for two days from Sarangkot is the easiest one. Poon Hill trek from Pokhara for five days is also famous these days. I enjoyed the short trek to reach Annapurna for paragliding.
Short Trek To Sarangkot Paragliding Zone
Annapurna Mountain Sunrise
What if you don’t like trekking or can’t go trekking? And so you must-visit Sarangkot. The best Annapurna Mountain Sunrise you can enjoy from Sarangkot. The Fish Tail mountain view is superb from Annapurna. You can even take a rented bike to enjoy the ride as well as to reach Sarangkot. It is much adventurous and fun.
Spectacular Sunrise at the Fish Tail Mountain
Paragliding
Sarangkot is the perfect zone for paragliding not only from Pokhara but also in Nepal. Many reputed paragliding companies offer different packages per duration. I went for 30 mins paragliding with Golden Heaven Paragliding under ABC Trek & Tour. It was fabulous. In fact, who doesn’t love flying? The beautiful Annapurna is just the behind you while flying and how about flying above the beautiful Phewa Tal? Yes, you just got to try, no point to imagine. 😉
But definitely, this GoPro videography will help you to visualize. 🙂
Paragliding Above The Fewa Lake
Sarangkot Paragliding
Rafting on the Trishuli River
On the way to Pokhara, you can take a short break to enjoy white water rafting on the Trishuli River. You’ll see the beautiful Trishuli river and many rafting points while crossing the road to Pokhara. Either you can go for one or three hours rafting to enjoy the rapids and the real adventure on the Trishuli river.
I went for three hours rafting on the way to Chitwan. The words will be less to describe the beautiful Trishuli, high view, and all adventure on the spot. You got to try in real to experience it.
Scenic View of Trishuli River
Bungee Jumping
Bungee jumping is also possible from Pokhara, and the location is Hemja, which is just 11 km from Lakeside Pokhara. You can go to the Water Touch Bungee Jumping. It is safe and more details you can get from many tour agencies or directly from the location itself.
You might like to book Nepal tours, attractions, and activities online or check out some of the options below. Also, it is worth going through some of the recommended books before travelling Nepal.
Tihar Celebration
It was nice to be familiar with the culture of Nepal during my trip to Pokhara. I came to know about Tihar for the first time in Pokhara. Tihar is the festival of lights, and if you visit Nepal during Autumn, then you’ll love to celebrate this one of the most popular festivals with Nepalese. Pokhara became in a festive mood during this time. So how about Tihar celebration in Pokhara?
Lighting up candles to celebrate Tihar at Lake View Resort in Pokhara
Top Tourist Attractions in Pokhara
There are some top landmarks and tourist attractions in Pokhara to explore. Here is the list of places to visit in Pokhara during your Nepal tour.
Boating on Phewa Lake or Phewa Tal
Boating on Fewa Lake is the must do activity for all tourists. To me, Pokhara is so beautiful for Fewa Lake. You can take a boat and start rowing as long as you like until the evening. You’ll get the list of different boating activities to hire a boat from the lake counter. A group boating with the help of boatman is enjoyable as well. You’ll enjoy the scenic view of Annapurna and the beautiful sunset moment at Fewa Lake. Will you like to go swimming? Fewa Lake is safe to swim, and it is fun as well.
Boating on Phewa Lake
Phewa Tal
Tal Barahi Temple
You can go for a visit to Tal Barahi Temple which located in the middle of the Fewa Lake. It seems like a small island where is this beautiful Hindu temple to pray. Many tourists those don’t go for boating, take a boat and make a visit here from the Fewa Lake. I took a boat for one hour and also explored this temple. The lake view from this place is so serene that you’ll love.
Tal Barahi Temple
World Peace Pagoda
World Peace Pagoda is another must-visit destination in Pokhara. This pagoda is the sacred destination and free for all to visit. How beautiful is Pokhara! You’ll love the city view from this destination. Shanti Stupa or Peace Pagoda is a stunning architect, and there is one in Lumbini also. But very far away and so one should not miss visiting Peace Pagoda in the city of Pokhara.
World Peace Pagoda
Boating on Begnas Lake
Begnas Lake is a bit away (16 km) from Pokhara and located in Lekhanth. But definitely, a worthy one to visit and you’ll enjoy boating as well. On the way, you will see the Seti river while passing one bridge. The mountain peak of Annapurna is also visible and beautiful from Begnas Lake.
Boating on Begnas Lake
READ ALSO: Natural Beauty of Nepal in Sarangkot and Nagarkot
Davis Falls
Davis Falls is the famous waterfall in Pokhara. Monsoon is the best time to explore Davis Falls. This beautiful waterfall is one of the top attraction in the city.
Davis Falls
Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave
Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave is much famous among tourists for the view of Davis Falls inside the longest cave. I loved the architectural design of this oldest cave. You must have to buy the entry ticket to enter the cave. There is also one temple of Shiva to worship inside the cave.
The View of Davis Falls from Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave
International Mountain Museum
There are some museums to visit in Pokhara, but International Mountain Museum is the exceptional one and must-visit for all mountain lovers. You will come to know all the history of the Himalayas and all details about all highest peaks in Nepal. This museum is open every day for all and has to buy the entry ticket to enter.
Places To Eat in Pokhara
The staple food in Nepal is Dal Bhat (Rice with Lentil). I found most Nepalese are non-veg. They like to eat chicken curry with rice and vegetables. I loved the way they decorate all the dishes in the middle of the rice.
I had a great dinner with dear buddies Janak and Manju at their home (Hotel Grand Holiday) where we had together various Nepalese Dishes.
Another must-try food is Momo (Kind of Dumpling), and this is Tibetan cuisine. I loved having Bhujiya (Fried Eggs, cabbages, Potatoes) from the roadside of Palpa while coming back to Pokhara from Chitwan.
There are many excellent restaurants to dine or lunch all kinds of cuisines in the Lakeside Pokhara. All hotels offer different food to taste your bud as well. The best and favorite restaurant in Pokhara is Moondance restaurant.
Shopping in Pokhara
You should not be surprised if you see many trekking shoe shops in every tourist zone in Nepal. But remember not to buy from Thamel if you are visiting Pokhara. You’ll get same shoes from Pokhara just in a half price and maintain quality as well. I took one boot shoe from Pokhara which cost me almost 30$, and you can’t expect this price in Thamel, Kathmandu.
There are also many Tibetan Shops in Pokhara. The best things to buy from Pokhara are many artistic souvenirs, handicrafts, carpet, organic coffee, green tea, and pashmina. For all kinds of trekking equipment, you must visit Yak & Yeti Trekking Shop in the Lakeside. The owner (Raj) is friendly and cooperative I must mention here. I was looking for boots, and it was not available. No point to ask he just gave me a lift on his bike to another shop to get that boots which were far away from Yak & Yeti. How generous and helpful locals in Pokhara!
And Lastly
Even a single walk in the Lakeside you’ll enjoy with the view of Fewa Lake. A morning walk to the Damside is recommended as well near the Fewa Power House.
And needless to say, almost everywhere in Nepal you can be connected to wifi network by Nepal Telecom. And Ncell is the best mobile company to be always connected no matter where you go to Nepal. So it is still a great stay in Pokhara as well as Nepal for any digital nomad or online freelancer around.
You can communicate with all in English, Hindi besides Nepalese. You can also use directly Indian Rupees to eat or shop.
How beautiful and welcoming is Pokhara! This city will always give you many reasons to visit or revisit.
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Share your favorite things to do in Pokhara. You can even leave comments to know more about Pokhara.
Pokhara looks like such a beautiful place to travel. Great in depth guide. What do they put inside the momos? Is it vegetarian or meat? just curious. thanks for the post!
Veg or meat but without beef, they put inside the momos. Yes, must visit destination in Nepal. Thank you too!
Nepal is on my bucketlist. Would love to visit it one day. Really cool blog :1
Yes, you should! Thank you 🙂
Very detailed guide! Been hearing a lot more about Nepal recently. Seems like a really nice country to visit!
Yes, really worth to explore. Thank you!
I have been to Nepal so many times, but somehow always missed Pokhara. I think I need to plan a dedicated trip to Pokhara.
I’m sure you’ll love your trip to Pokhara very near future 🙂
I did not know, you could water raft in Nepal – now that is something i would love to do! Great guide to Pokhara. Thank you for sharing.
Yes, Trishuli river rafting is much popular and must-try for adventure lovers around. Surely you’ll love!
The attention to detail in this post is astounding. Definitely a comprehensive guide to Nepal. And it seemed like you had the time of your life, too.
Yes, I really had the best time there.Thank you 🙂
Pokhara seems to be full of activities as well as natural beauty. I would like to take the mountain trek, try paragliding and visit some religious places around. Overall, I would love to soak into the natural beauty of the place. Thanks for the list of available options at disposal.
A pleasure to know your awesome plan Neha. 😉
Loved watching your video. The culture dance was very interesting and then the footage of the elephants was so cute. Looks like you did a ton of stuff on your solo trip 🙂
Thanks a lot for watching some videos. Nepal truly an awesome destination for solo travelers as well 🙂
A fascinating and in depth post. I hadn’t heard of Pokhara, but it sounds like a great alternative to Nepal.
Pokhara is must-visit during any trip to Nepal. Thank you!
I’m amazed that there’s so much to see and do in a place that I’d never even known existed before reading your post. The hiking sounds right up my alley, and I hope I could pluck up my courage to go paragliding like you did! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Then paragliding is must-try for you Kelly in Pokhara during your trip to Nepal, hehehe
Awesome photos, thanks for sharing your experience in Nepal. Had you done some short near Pokhara like Poon Hill Trek or not?
Thank you, probably next time I’ll go for Poon Hill Trek.
Nice pictures and videos … This shows the beauty and makes the peoples one of the best destination to visit and enjoy the holidays….
Thank you, yes Pokhara is one of the best places in Nepal to enjoy the scenic holiday.
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Such a very useful blog. Very Interesting to read this blog. I would like to thank you for the efforts you had made for writing this awesome blog.
I’m glad you found this post a useful one. Thank you.
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