Pokhara Travel Guide

Pokhara is the second largest city in Nepal with about 520,000 people in 2021. It is the starting point for most of the treks in the Annapurna area. It is a very popular location with most people staying around the beautiful Fewa Lake. Dozens of hotels and restaurants are sprouting like mushrooms everywhere, and today it is much easier to find modern amenities not common to other locations in Nepal, but Pokhara is losing its small town charm and the lakeside now feels more like Khao San Road (with all the usual: yoga, reiki, massages by blind people, overpriced souvenirs and disingenuous locals). Pokhara is still beautiful and many great and genuine people can be found, but it takes some work on the traveler's side. If you intend to stay on the lakeside road, para-glide, and trek to Annapurna, you will be getting a very inauthentic version of Nepal. If you make an effort to get out of the tourist areas, you will find amazing scenery, great people, and unforgettable experiences.

Tourist buses (Rs700-800, 6-7 hr) and crowded local buses/microbuses (Rs400-600, 6-7 hr) travel the 200-km journey between Kathmandu and Pokhara almost every 15 minutes from 07:30 until late afternoon. Night buses are available, but the ride is painful.Greenline[dead link]operates a convenient bus every morning between the popular tourist areas of Thamel in Kathmandu and Lakeside in Pokhara (US$20, lunch included).Swiftoperates comfortable tourist buses for US$15 per ride. The bus runs twice dai

Pokhara is a mid-sized city and can be traversed on cycle or car or bike. Walking is necessary to get to places where vehicles or bicycles can't reach.

Virtually all tourist accommodations are in Lakeside and Damside, near Phewa Lake. In addition, there are around 12 guesthouses uphill in Sarangkot which offer better views and less air pollution, but are much more expensive for both accommodation and food. Note that these hotels are not accessible by car - they are a 20-minute walk uphill on gravel from the taxi stand in Sarangkot (Rs500 for a taxi, less for a microbus).