Travel to Pokhara

a modest town in a stunning setting

The town of Pokhara is located around 125km (80 miles) west of Kathmandu in Nepal.

It’s the second largest city in the country, with a population of around 500,000 people.

Although the city itself is not particularly attractive, the surrounding landscapes are absolutely stunning, with verdant farmland and the extensive Lake Phewa being surrounded by pine-clad hills, set against the snow-capped peaks of the greatest mountain range in the world.

The main reason to visit Pokhara is to access the mountains and valleys around Mount Annapurna, the second most popular trekking area in the country after Mount Everest.

In terms of activities, if you kayak across to the south side of the lake, you can hike a steep trail up through the forest to reach the World Peace Temple, which was opened in 1999 and offers great views out over the Annapurna Range.

There’s also a number of interesting caverns in the area, most notable amongst which is the Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave, which is of great religious significance and is accessed by an impressive spiral staircase.

Pokhara is home to some unusually interesting museums, including the International Mountaineering, the Gurkha Memorial Museum and the Pokhara Planetarium (which includes a rather fun mirror maze).

As well as kayaking and hiking, it is also possible to go mountain-biking and paragliding in the area.

The timing of your visit should be determined by the conditions in the trekking areas, rather than those here in town, which should always be milder.

Getting there

Pokhara is usually accessed by air from Kathmandu.

Where to stay

Most people stay one night in Pokhara either side of a trek in the Annapurna area, but there’s plenty to do around here if you do have more time.

a night or two on the way to Annapurna