If you’ve just finished a long multi-day and need somewhere to chill, relax and recover this is the place to be. Even if you aren’t coming from a hike Pokhara should sit high on every visitor to Nepal’s to-do list.
Accessible by car, bus and plane getting to Pokhara from Kathmandu, Chitwan or the end of your hike in the Annapurna Circuit is pretty straightforward. Pokhara is located 45km west of Kathmandu and sits on the Phewa Lake, the second largest lake in Nepal.
Pokhara is the tourism capital of Nepal and the gateway to the Annapurna ranges. Visitors are offered a wide range of activities from whitewater rafting to bungee jumping and zip-lining to paragliding to paddling on the lake, trekking or just relaxing and taking in the crystal clear views of the Annapurna ranges.
There are no shortages of great places to stay, eat and drink all along the waterfront. After a day chilling or adventuring hit the local food and pub scene to meet other travellers and enjoy an eventful evening in Pokhara.
On your trip to Pokhara try not miss out of these top 5 experiences
1. Explore Phewa lake
Explore the lake on foot, by bike, on water or all three. There are loads of nice short walks around the lake or alternatively hike a bike and cycle around the lake. Paddle around the lake on a bright colourful doongas (boat) or if you’re feeling lazy you can hire your boat with a boatman for not much extra.
2. Bar crawl
Who doesn’t love a bar-crawl? In peak season Pokhara will be heaving with tourists from all over the world. Get out and make some new friends! Be sure to check out
The Busy Bee Cafe for a place to meet other travellers and for live music
Silk Road for one of their famous Thirsty Camels
The Old Blues Bar for live reggae and blues
All That Jazz for all your jazz needs
Movie Garden for an outdoor movie experience you won’t forget
The Irish Pub for all your sports needs
3. Live life on the edge
Pokhara is one of the adventure sports capitals of Asia. Why not get your adrenaline pumping with one of the following
Go for a bungee jump - Fall from a height of 70m before being unhooked and collected by a boat.
Try out the zip flyer - boasting top speeds of 120km, you’ll cover a total distance of 1.8km dropping from 1625m to 960m
Go paragliding - Pokhara is known as one of the top paragliding destinations in the world, enjoy bird’s eye views of Phewa Lake, Pokhara and the Annapurna ranges.
Try an Ultra-light flight over Pokhara - Feel the air against your face as you glide over Pokhara and Phewa Lake. Enjoy first-class views of the Annapurna ranges.
Go mountain biking - rent a bike, helmet and gloves from one of the many bike hire shops in Pokhara and spend a day checking out the many trails in the area.
4. Yoga Retreat
Choose from one of the many yoga retreats available in Pokhara. There are options to suit all needs including all styles of yoga, teacher training and even silent retreats.
5. Hiking
Pokhara is the gateway to the Annapurna ranges and some of the best hiking in the world. There are many one day hikes from Pokhara with the most obvious ones being the walk to the World Peace Pagoda or the walk to Sarangkot. If you are feeling more adventurous there are many multi-day hikes which include Poonhill and the Annapurna Circuit.