Pokhara is the second largest city in Nepal, located west of the Kathmandu Valley and in the center of Nepal. Pokhara, also known as the city of seven lakes, is a popular tourist destination. Along with natural beauty, this city is also rich in cultural heritage. Pokhara city is like a piece of heaven in the world. That’s why every year, many tourists come from far and wide to visit this city in Nepal.
Sightseeing in Pokhara: Must-Visit Attractions
Pokhara City has many attractions to visit. The beautiful clear lake here calms the mind, and the view of the twin hills on the horizon is awe-inspiring. Besides enjoying the beautiful environment, tourists also like to go boating. The sightseeing places of Pokhara are given below:
Phewa Lake
The second-largest lake in Nepal attracts a lot of tourists. Here you will enjoy water rides along with different types of water sports such as canoeing, boating, swimming, sailing, fishing, and kayaking. You can also see various birds here. In the middle of this lake, there is a temple named “Barahi,” where every Saturday, devotees sacrifice animals and birds to Baraha. And being a SAARC country, ticket prices are kept low for Bangladeshis.

Davis Fall
This beautiful waterfall is just 2 km from Pokhara Airport. Basically, the water of Phewa Lake is the main source of this spring. A woman named “Davi” drowned here, and the spring is named after her. Due to this phenomenon, tourists like to come here in search of mystery. However, this fountain looks more beautiful during the rainy season.

Gupteswar Mahadev Cave
This cave is located next to Davis Falls. One has to go inside this cave by a curved staircase. This naturally formed cave is believed to be the old abode of “Shiva Lingam.” A kind of adventure has to be faced here.
Jangchub Choling Gumpa
This monastery is home to Tibetan refugees from Pokhara. The monastery here is mainly built in Tibetan style, which attracts the attention of tourists. The inner hall of the monastery is used for prayer, and the architecture is very beautiful. The most interesting feature is the 7-foot-long copper and gold-wrapped Buddha statue, which is a special attraction for all.
Sarangkot
Sarangkot is one of the popular tourist spots in Nepal. From here, you can see the beautiful views of Pokhara Valley, Annapurna Mountain, and Phewa Lake. The amazing view of the morning sunrise from here is something anyone can enjoy. Paragliding here will add a different dimension to the tourist’s Pokhara trip.

Pokhara Peace Stupa
Known as the Peace Pagoda of the world, this pagoda is located on Phewa Lake. This white-colored dome is a symbol of peace for Buddhist monks. There are many ways to reach this stupa, such as hiking or boating and walking through the forest. Some precious parts of the life of Gautama Buddha are presented here through four Buddha statues.

International Mountain Museum
This is one of the popular tourist spots in Pokhara. Three mountain peaks – Dhaulagiri, Annapurna, and Manaslu – can be seen from here. The scenic natural beauty here gives one pure joy. In this museum, along with learning the history of the mountain, you can watch various documentaries and learn in-depth about the mountain’s geographical location, rules and regulations for climbing, and many other things about mountains worldwide.

Gurkha Memorial Museum
The Gurkha Museum is one of the other museums in Pokhara. The different roles and achievements of the brave Gurkhas (National Soldiers of Nepal) in peacekeeping missions and during World War II are highlighted here.
Mahendra Cave
This Pleistocene limestone cave was once home to a king named Mahendra, and the cave is named after him. A lot of history can be learned by visiting this cave surrounded by a botanical garden.
Annapurna Butterfly Museum
In this small museum, you can see many butterflies. The atmosphere inside the museum is also pleasant for tourists.
Also visit the Pokhara Valley (the Himalayan range and lake can be seen from here), Annapurna Base Camp, Bindhyabasini Temple, Sri Gaden Dhargay Ling Monastery, Begnas Tal Lake, Temple of Tal Barahi, and Bat Cave. If you want to do trekking, you can go to Ghorepani Hill and Seti Gandaki.
Special attractions of Pokhara
Paragliding, bungee jumping, canoeing, ultra-light flight, and mountain trekking are available here.

How to Reach Pokhara: Travel Options
There are car, plane, bus, and even helicopter services from Kathmandu to Pokhara in Nepal. For traveling by bus, local and tourist AC buses are available from Thamel in Kathmandu to Pokhara. It is better to go by tourist bus by paying a little more fare. By air, direct domestic Buddha and Yeti flights from Kathmandu take just half an hour to reach Pokhara.
Pokhara Travel Expenses: Cost Breakdown
Sightseeing in Pokhara through a package will cost around 6500 to 7000 rupees per person. This also includes paragliding. The price of food in Pokhara is quite low; you can eat normal food for 200-250 rupees per meal. If you stay at a low-priced hotel on the lakeside, it will cost 500-600 rupees per person.
Accommodation in Pokhara: Where to Stay
Pokhara has several good quality hotels for lakeside accommodation. For example, you can get a good room for two people with AC and WiFi for 850-1500 rupees in hotels like Koji Guest Room, Gauri Shankar Hostel, various hotels of the Woyo series, Hotel Fewa Dream, Hotel Eagle Zone, Hotel Angel, Hotel Blue Magnet, and Hotel View Resort.

Dining in Pokhara: Where and What to Eat
Dal rice is a traditional food of the Nepalese people. For foodies, there are various food arrangements at low cost, and almost all the dishes are quite interesting. Especially the dal, momo, spaghetti, fried trout fish, pasta, and Newari cuisine are very good. Among the street food, cell roti and pani puri are very interesting. Almost all the hotels serve papad and spicy chutney before the meal, which can be considered a starter. If you want to eat Nepalese local food, you can go to Narsang Kitchen, Pokhara Thakali Kitchen, Asian Tea House, Mike’s Breakfast, Pokhara Beach Club, or Pema Tibetan Restaurant. There are many restaurants on the lakeside of Pokhara city where, apart from lunch or dinner, they also arrange BBQ at night. In Pokhara, you will also find chain shops like KFC and Pizza Hut.
Shopping in Pokhara: Where and What to Buy
Mostly handmade items are available in Pokhara. Within Pokhara city, you can visit Old Town for shopping. The commercial area northeast of Fewa Lake is good for shopping. In the city, there is the Tussailing Handicrafts Center (where you can buy various jewelry and souvenirs made by Nepalese people), RK Shopping Complex (where you can buy various kinds of handicrafts at low prices), and “Pokhara Cottage” (where you can find good quality woolen shawls). Tibetan Gift Shop is good for small gift items, and Yak Wool Handicrafts is good for woolen clothes, bags, sweaters, dolls, and many other gift items. You can go to Alpine Trekking Equipment or Fair Mount Trekking Shop to buy trekking accessories.
Travel Tips for Pokhara: Essential Advice
- March to April and August to November are the best times to visit Pokhara, Nepal.
- It is good to know a little Hindi to facilitate shopping and traveling here.
- Both Indian and Nepalese rupees are used in Nepal. However, it is better to keep some Nepalese rupees with you.
- If you go to Pokhara from Kathmandu by bus, take a seat on the riverside to enjoy the beautiful view.
- If you want to do trekking in Pokhara, it will be good to allocate 2-3 days for trekking.
- There is a motorbike sightseeing opportunity here; don’t miss it if you have time.
- If you want to do Pokhara sightseeing, you can choose a package by talking to various tour agencies or hotel reception.
- If you go in a group, renting a taxi or taking a tourist bus to visit different tourist places will reduce travel costs.
- If you are staying at a hotel, try to get a room on the top floor to enjoy the beauty of Pokhara city in the morning and at night.