Pokhara

Pokhara is a natural amphitheater of mountains, housing three lakes within its vicinity. The towering snow-capped peaks form the majestic backdrop to the north. It is arguably one of the rare locations on the planet where mountains exceeding 7,000 meters can be viewed unobstructed from an elevation of 800 meters, all within a distance of 25 kilometers.

Pokhara tour - things to do

While Pokhara could be a great luxury holiday destination to admire the Himalayan culture and scenery, it also offers adventure activities like hiking, bungee jumping, Zip flyer, paragliding, ultralight flight and helicopter sightseeing with landing at Annapurna base camp or Mardi Himal high camp. One can easily spend a couple of days to a week enjoying mesmerizing sunrises and sunsets over the Himalayas and exploring its natural and cultural history.

Things to do in Pokhara

Phewa Lake boating and walking

Phewa Lake is the center of all attractions in Pokhara. It is the largest and most enchanting of the three lakes that add to the resplendence of Pokhara. Boating in Phewa Lake also offers insight into the bird life of Pokhara and an undisturbed view of the Himalayas. There is also a walking path and cycling, and you can visit the quieter side of the lake.

Drive or hike to World Peace pagoda

This Pagoda is situated on the top of a 300 m hill south of the Phewa Lake. The Pagoda is an impressive sight and its hilltop location commands a grand view. It is a great vantage point, which offers spectacular views of the Annapurna range, Phewa Lake and Pokhara valley. You can either drive or take a boat across and walk for about 50 minutes.

Sunrise & Sunset from Sarangkot

Sarangkot Hill (1,600 m) overlooking the Pokhara Valley is only a 25-minute drive away from the lakeside. The hilltop offers a grandstand view of both sunset and sunrise over the Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, and Machhapuchhre.
Stay overnight in Sarangkot to spend more time in the vicinity of Annapurna and watch both sunrise and sunset over it. There are a few luxury hotels to stay overnight at Sarangkot.

International Mountain Museum

The International Mountain Museum provides information on mountaineering, the world's mountain system, mountain cultures, environments, prominent people in mountain history, mountain geography, ecology, exhibition of mountaineering history and implied methods. The museum is perfectly located as three 8,000 m mountains can be seen from the venue.

Tibetan Refugee Camp, Devis Fall and Gupteshwar Cave

Since the 1960s, Tibetans who fought guerrilla warfare for their homeland and others fleeing Tibet because of the conflict have been sheltered across various parts of Nepal. One such refugee camp is Tashiling Tibetan Refugee Settlement at Chhorepatan, which is located near two popular sightseeing sites, i.e., Devi's Fall and Gupteshwar Mahadev Cave. One may visit a Tibetan monastery, a hand-made carpet factory, schools, etc., in this community. Another village is in Hemja, 7 km west of Pokhara.

The Devi's Fall and Gupteshwar Cave are in walking distance from the Tshiling Tibetan Camp. It is charismatic to observe Water gushing down about 100 ft into the hole and disappearing. The bottom of the fall could be reached from a natural cave of Gupteshwar Mahadev. This is the best way to understand the geology of Pokhara, which has no river flowing on the surface.

Suspension Bridge over a serene canyon with a view of the Himalayas

Rivers in Pokhara go underground and come out as a deep canyon outside the valley. Cross the 276 m long Damsadi bridge, suspended 90 m above Kali River, to enjoy a drink from a resort overlooking the deep canyon in the backdrop of the Himalayas.

Gurkha Memorial Museum and Bhalam Suspension Bridge

Pokhara and its surrounding is mainly the homeland of the world famous Gurkha soldiers. Reminding the reminiscence of those soldiers, Gurkha Memorial Museum has been established in the premises of the British Camp. It exhibits the visual story of those soldiers with a collection of uniforms, Medals and other materials used during the first and second wartime.

Nearby the museum is another long bridge spanning the length of 295 m over a Seti River canyon.

Begnas & Rupa Lake

Begnas Lake is situated in the eastern part of Pokhara valley, at a distance of 15 km from Pokhara. Tourists can relax in the lodges and resorts situated alongside the lake. Yet another popular lake of Pokhara is the Rupa Lake. It is separated from Begnas Lake by a bridge known as Pachabhaiya. The lakes offer the perfect nature retreat because of their relative seclusion and opportunities for boating and fishing.