Pokhara sits in central Nepal, in Gandaki Province, about 200 km west of Kathmandu: the country’s second-largest city, at 822 metres above sea level, in a valley by Phewa Lake and at the foot of the Annapurna range. A paraglider lands on the lakeshore and nobody turns to look — here, that’s just normal. Almost everyone coming to trek in this part of Nepal passes through at some point, but plenty of people stay for days without setting foot on a trail.
From Kathmandu there are two options. The flight is short, 25-30 minutes in the air, though with check-in and transfers the full trip is closer to 2-3 hours. The tourist bus is the other route — about 200 km along the Prithvi Highway — and while some sites advertise it as 6-7 hours, the reality tends to run quite a bit longer: 7 to 10 hours is typical, and it can stretch to 10-12 in peak season or when there’s roadwork, which has come and gone on that stretch in recent years. Better to plan on losing most of the day if you go by road.
Phewa Lake is the centre of it all: you can row out to Tal Barahi Temple on its own island, or just sit on the shore watching paragliders drift down from Sarangkot, the classic sunrise viewpoint over the Annapurnas. Nearby there are quieter spots — Begnas and Rupa lakes — and for more adrenaline, zip-lining, bungee jumping and ultralight flights over the valley. The World Peace Pagoda, on a hilltop across the lake, is reached either on a forest trail or by combining a boat ride with a short climb. There are limestone caves (Gupteshwor, Mahendra) and Davis Falls, plus a couple of museums — the International Mountain Museum is the most complete — for anyone who wants to understand the region before heading higher. And for those who do want to climb, Pokhara is the gateway to Annapurna Base Camp, the Annapurna Circuit, Poon Hill and Upper Mustang.
Our own Pokhara itinerary runs 4 days and 3 nights: a lake day, with a morning singing bowl and yoga session, a boat out to Tal Barahi and the aarti ceremony at sunset (paragliding optional), and a full day in Ghandruk, a Gurung village with the Annapurnas showing literally from the doorstep. It works on its own, or as a quiet close after a trek in the area or after the yoga and sound healing retreat.
See the 4-day Pokhara itinerary