Pokhara in three days: a local plan

Pokhara is Nepal's second city, but for visitors it feels like a lake town. Lakeside, the strip of hotels, cafes and shops along the east shore of Phewa Lake, is where almost everyone stays. Damside, at the south end by the dam, is quieter and has some of the best morning views of Machhapuchhre across the water. The old city, with its Newar bazaar and temples, lies a few kilometres north-east, around Bindhyabasini temple and the Bhimsen temple, and very few tourists go there.

Above the lake to the north is the ridge of Sarangkot, about 1,600 m, the classic sunrise point and the launch site for paragliders. Across the lake to the south-west, the white World Peace Pagoda stands on its own ridge. And 15 km east, Begnas and Rupa lakes sit among fish farms and rice terraces. The Seti river cuts through the whole city in a gorge so narrow and deep that you can cross it without noticing.

The mountains are the backdrop to all of it. Machhapuchhre, 6,993 m, is only about 30 km from Lakeside in a straight line, which is why it looks so huge from the shore. It is clearest in the morning, so plan anything that needs a view before 10 am.

Start slowly with breakfast in Lakeside, then walk down to the boat station near the Barahi temple ghat. Hire a wooden doonga with a boatman, or paddle yourself, and cross to the island temple of Tal Barahi, a small two-tiered pagoda dedicated to the goddess Barahi, a form of Durga. On Saturdays local families queue with offerings, and the boats are busy; on a weekday it is calm.

From the island, ask your boatman to take you across to the south shore below the World Peace Pagoda. A stone path climbs through forest for about an hour. The pagoda was built by monks of the Japanese Nipponzan-Myohoji order, and its white dome and gilded Buddha statues look out over the lake, the city and the full Annapurna range. Walk down the other side toward Pardi and Damside, or go back to the boat.

In the afternoon wander Lakeside, sit in a lakeside garden with a pot of tea, and come back to the shore at sunset when the boats come in and Machhapuchhre often clears for a few minutes in pink light.

If you have energy left, walk north along the shore past the end of the main strip, where the hotels thin out, rice fields reach the water and the view of Machhapuchhre is free of rooftops. Cyclists and buffalo share the road here, and the lakeside tea stalls are cheaper than the cafes in town.

Get up at about 5 am for the 30-minute drive to Sarangkot. From the viewpoint you see Dhaulagiri in the west, the Annapurnas and Machhapuchhre in the middle, and Lamjung Himal to the east, with Phewa Lake below in the valley mist. Bring a warm layer from November to February; it is cold before the sun comes up.

After breakfast drive to the south of the city for Davis Falls, called Patale Chhango in Nepali, the underworld falls, where the outflow of Phewa Lake drops into a sinkhole and vanishes. Across the road is Gupteshwor Mahadev cave, with a Shiva lingam in its first chamber and, further in, a view of the same water falling through the rock. Both take about an hour together.

In the afternoon visit the International Mountain Museum, with displays on the great peaks, the history of mountaineering and the peoples of the Himalaya, then head to the old bazaar. Bindhyabasini temple sits on a small hill with a view of the range, and the lanes around it still have some old Newar shopfronts with carved wooden windows.

Pokhara's third day should match what you came for. For the adrenaline, tandem paragliding from Sarangkot is the most popular single activity in the city: 20 to 30 minutes in the air with a licensed pilot, landing on the lakeshore. The ZipFlyer, a long zipline from near Sarangkot, about 1.8 km long, is another option. Both are weather-dependent and best booked a day ahead.

For a taste of trekking, drive an hour to Kande and walk two hours up to Australian Camp for lunch with a full view of Machhapuchhre and the Annapurnas, then walk down via Dhampus to Phedi and drive back. You will need an ACAP permit and a licensed guide for this; check current status before you travel.

For something slow, go to Begnas Lake, rent a rowing boat, and walk the ridge to Rupa Lake. It feels like a different town: no cafes, just fish farms, paddy fields and the occasional kingfisher.

Rough guide to timings and costs for the main activities, per person, at the time of writing. Prices change with season and fuel; treat them as a guide only.

Lakeside has every cuisine a traveller could want, but try at least three local things. A Thakali set, from the Thakali people of the Kali Gandaki valley, is a refined dal bhat with buckwheat or rice, gundruk, pickles and ghee; several Thakali kitchens in Lakeside and the city serve it. Fried fish from Phewa or Begnas, usually small whole fish, is a Pokhara speciality, eaten with beaten rice and chilli. And sel roti, a sweet ring of rice-flour bread, is sold in the morning in the old bazaar, especially around festivals.

For a sundowner, the lakeside gardens at the north end of Lakeside are quieter than the main strip. Bakeries open early for trekkers, so breakfast before a sunrise drive is easy to find.

If you are in Pokhara for a festival, the food changes with it. At Dashain in autumn families cook goat meat and the city empties as people go home to their villages. At Tihar, a few weeks later, houses are lit with oil lamps and children go from door to door singing deusi and bhailo songs for sweets and small coins. Ask your guide or hotel what is on during your stay.

Pokhara is about 200 km from Kathmandu by road, 6 to 8 hours on the Prithvi Highway by tourist bus or private car, or 25 minutes by air. Pokhara International Airport opened in January 2023 east of the city. Within Pokhara, taxis are easy to find, but agree the fare before you get in. Lakeside is flat and walkable, and bicycles and scooters can be rented.

A few practical points will make the three days smoother.

Pokhara is also the natural end of most Annapurna treks, so many travellers do their three days here after walking. If that is you, put the slow day first: a boat, a massage and a long lunch. Save Sarangkot and paragliding for when your legs have recovered.

• Go to Sarangkot and the lakeshore early; afternoon cloud usually hides the mountains.
• Wear a life jacket on boats, and ask for one for children.
• Book paragliding and the ZipFlyer a day ahead in October and November.
• Dress modestly and remove shoes at Tal Barahi and Bindhyabasini temples.
• Carry small notes for entry fees and boat tips.