Top Attractions in Pokhara
Introduction: Nestled Among the Stone Topped Spires
The best things in Pokhara can be found as you trek across the Himalayas. Uncaring climes and blistering winds buffet you as you descend from your mountaintop camp. The travel downwards is treacherous, rough, and maybe not quite as safe as you once thought. As you break back through the low cloud line, the world beneath you is once more revealed. You breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that your incredible climb will not end in misery.
As you survey the glorious rolling vistas below you, each descending step magnifying your eventual destination that little bit more, you notice something. Nestled amongst these heady heights and hiking extremes, you see civilization. A small, calm city flanked by the most inviting, gorgeous lake.
This is Pokhara.
Of course, you naturally adjust course to this spot of urgently needed serenity, and as your course nears the lakeside town you may catch yourself wondering just what to do in Pokhara.
Well, wonder no more.
Pokhara is, unsurprisingly, a quieter place than some of its Nepalese peers. In the old Superman comics, Clark Kent often talks about retreating to his Fortress of Solitude when he needs to reflect on his very being.
Pokhara stands as its own little Fortress of Solitude, one nestled comfortably in the icy embrace of the Himalayan peaks around it. Some of these mountains stand a staggering 8000 meters high, dwarfing the tiny little town and its inhabitants.
Sometimes that’s wonderful, though. We can too often as humans develop an inflated sense of self and grandeur, and it can work as a humbling reminder that we stand as nothing compared to these geological obelisks that have stood longer than our collective unconscious can remember and will be there long after our memory has faded.
But what then, are the top things to do in Pokhara?
Well, that’s what this article will help you find out.
Be it the incredible views, heights, and historical sightseeing points, to the amazing local cuisine or the burgeoning adventure sports industry: Pokhara has something for you.
Or, if that sort of thing is less your speed, Pokhara is the perfect place to do nothing at all.
The city sits beside a lake, and despite the occasional bob of a paddleboat, you could easily be persuaded that it is not a lake at all. Gazing off from the city’s lakeside base, you could easily believe that in fact, you are gazing into a hand mirror of the gods as you watch the mountaintop reflections light sway in the daytime breeze.
You can even get a ride on one of those solitary bobbing boars if you so desire. Float without a care across the remote pool of liquid glass. Or you could go white water rafting – we won’t judge you either way.
In this guide to the beautiful, reserved city of Pokhara, we will first let you know about the incredible hikes and vista-spotting treks you can embark on.
Next, the extreme sports scene comes under our lens, as we examine the various activities you can undertake if the weather lets you.
Alongside that, we will check the best things to do in Pokhara if you are at all interested in the strange, mystical, or downright bizarre as it may appear in the solitary city.
So, if that at all interests you, then read on as we dive into the best things to do in Pokhara!
The Silent Sights: Best Locations to Visit in Pokhara
Hidden Gem: Pokhara Unraveled
The best way to start any visit to Pokhara is to see the sights. At this point, you do not need to be fully gorge walking or mountain scrambling, the idea is to get used to the city and its geo-historical context.
Check out fantastic deals here that involve seeing the entire city on its own terms.
Want to get a base level introduction to what to do in Pokhara? Then this is certainly the activity for you.
A full-day tour begins with a visit to the incredible Lake Phewa at the city’s heart, already mentioned in this guide. A quiet, reserved boat trip takes you to the Barahi Temple at the lake’s epicenter. After that, you travel to the World Peace Pagoda.
From there you can view the stunning sights of the city juxtaposed against the towering natural force of the mountains. After journeying through the International Mountain Museum and the top of Sarangkot hill, you will stroll towards one of the oldest Hindu temples in Nepal.
All of this, finished off with a trip past a roaring gorge? That I don’t have to get close enough to get wet? Sign me up.
Sarangkot Sunrise View
If the above trip at all inspires you as you wander past Sarangkot hill, watching the noble hang gliders soar past like particularly large, unwieldy birds, then returning might be a great idea.
Check out these trips beginning at the crack of dawn.
The event may start early, but the rude awakening is quickly made worth it. Your driver will take you back up to Sarangkot Hill, and you can watch as the sunlight creaks its iridescent fingers over the tops of the mountains, gently pulling away from the dusk of early morning.
Watch as the white-topped peaks refract a kaleidoscope of color across the peaks and get a chance to explore the nooks and crannies of the Sarangkot village atop the viewpoint.
What events are there to do in Pokhara?
Nearby Mountain Hikes
First things first: we understand that not all hikers are of the same ability. Perhaps you are visiting the Pokhara with your family, or maybe you are not the most mobile of people.
Whatever the case may be, the locals of Pokhara have you covered.
There are hiking trips that take you up some beginner routes at a slower, more considered pace than the extreme sports fare common to Pokhara. Along the route, you are also treated to a trip to the Machhapuchhre Guest House, and the Dhampus View tower, situated among a typical Guring village.
Interested in something a bit more challenging (and an awful lot more expensive)? There are also guided trek and hikes to the Annapurna Base Camp. An hour and a half ride from Pokhara are where the trek starts. The journey goes to the Pun Hill at 3,200m elevation, which has 15 different snow peaks within view. After that, you move through the Rhododendron forest and towards the prized base camp.
Paragliding
Paragliding is like “flying with your own wings” over the soaring heights of the Himalayas. Get a chance to see the staggering peaks of Mt Everest, Mt Fish Tail, and many others. You can see them from an aerial perspective while paragliding. You can paraglide with a bit of help from your partner pilot. The airborne journey takes you from a jump point elevated at 1592 meters in the air. Then all the way back down to Pokhara’s Phewt Lake.
Rafting
An hour and a half of nonstop rafting in the Upper Seti River? Sounds good to us. Rafting strikes a rather more exciting chord than the lower-key hikes and treks up and down the Annapurna ranges. The white rapids are Class Four and above in difficulty. They make for a much more challenging and thrilling mode of traversal along the mountain than most other methods.
The white rapid rafting starts with a more relaxed, gentle cruise across the top of the mountains. Then rapidly increases in difficulty towards the bottom of the aquatic descent.
अनौंठो: Anauṇṭhō, or, The Peculiar in Pokhara
When we say “the peculiar” here, we do not mean that the things mentioned are inherently strange. But perhaps slightly alien to those from outside of Nepal.
There are fantastic opportunities to integrate yourself into Tibetan culture for an afternoon with half-day afternoon guided trips.
This insight into Tibetan society comes in the form of a personalized small-group walking tour with a local Tibetan guide. The guide is an expert in the field, having been born in a local Tibetan town and running the tour for a solid ten years up to this point.
Along the trip, you will learn the everyday life of a Nepalese Tibetan refugee. As well as this, you will be interacting with local monks at a monastery and take part in their evening prayer chant.
An incredibly rare chance to see into the lifestyle of Tibetan people is available here: certainly not one to miss.
