Pokhara Travel Guide - Attraction, Transfer, Hotels & Weather 2019/2020

Pokhara Travel Guide - Attractions, Hotels, Transfer, Maps

Pokhara is one of the most popular travel destinations, as well as the second largest city in Nepal. It is located on the northwest of Pokhara Valley which lies in the northern Himalaya Range. The city is approximately 200km away from west Kathmandu (about 5~6 hours' driving distance). Compared to the hustle and bustle of Kathmandu, Pokara is much peaceful and relaxing. It offers many marvelous experiences here.

Pokhara – Essence of Nepal Nature and Start of Adventure

Pokhara is a city blessed with natural adornments in abundance. Look into distance, you can get breathtaking views of Himalayas, and three out of the ten highest mountains in the world – Dhaulagiri, Annapurna I and Manslue, just thirty or so kilometers away, can be seen clearly. The perfect pyramid of Mount Machhapuchhare looms high above Pokhara, reflected in the placid waters of Phewa Lake. Moreover, Pokhara is the base for trekking lovers and venturesome travelers to start to explore the Annapurna Circuit. It represents the last chance to stock up on creature comforts before hitting the mountain trails. Apart from beautiful snow mountain views and wonderful trekking experience, Pokhara also attracts travelers for its amazing lakes, caves, temples, museums and lots of interesting or adventurous activities to keep you busy.

Pokhara Location Map

Top Pokhara Attractions

Pokhara is the must-visited city if your time permits you to have a deep exploration in Nepal. You won’t miss the triangular mountain capped with snow, the clear water reflecting the snowy peaks, the peaceful villages on the lakeshore, the sunrise views of the peaks, the Buddhist temples etc. Check the following top attractions to get inspired for your Pokhara trip.

Featured Pokhara Activities

A natural and cultural glimpse of Pokhara can’t fulfill the desire of the ambitious travelers. In fact, Pokhara is the paradise for outdoor enthusiasts as well. In Pokhara, tourists can take a sight of the beautiful natural landscape in other ways or other angle. There are featured activities in Pokhara you can take part in, and with them your tour will be more unforgettable. If you are interested in these activities, feel free to contact us or let your travel consultant add them into your itinerary.

How to Get to Pokhara

Pokhara is located about 200km to west Kathmandu and travelers usually travel to Pokhara from Kathmandu. It is available to take a flight or drive directly from Kathmandu to Pokhara.

By Air: Taking a flight is the most comfortable and time-saving transportation to Pokhara from Kathmandu. Generally, there over 10 daily flights running from Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport to Pokhara Airport. The flying journey takes only 25 minutes. Pokhara Airport is situated in the southeastern corner of the city area, within 20 minutes’ driving.

By Driving: Compared with by air, driving is a much cost-effective way to transfer to Pokhara from Kathmandu, and it also offers an opportunity to appreciate the scenery on the road. The road connects Kathmandu and Pokhara is not in very good condition, so the journeys takes a little longer, about 5~6 hours. For independent travelers, you can take a bus. Green Line Bus is specialized in traveler transfer service between Kathmandu and Pokhara. It offers luxury air-conditioned bus which costs 12$ (including water and lunch).
Best Time to Visit Pokhara

Sitting about 400m lower than Kathmandu Valley, Pokhara enjoys a more comfortable temperature, especially in autumn and winter, much warmer than Kathmandu. However, you will experience an obvious temperature difference. It is important to keep warm. Maybe T-shirt is enough during the daytime, but you need a sweater or jacket in the evening and early morning.

Generally, spring (March ~ May) and autumn (September ~ November) are the best seasons to visit Pokhara. In summer (June ~ August), Pokhara will receive ample of rain fall while the weather will be cold in winter (December ~ Feburary).
Where to Accommodate in Pokhara

There aren’t any 5-star luxurious hotels in Pokhara at present, but you can find many good hotels with comfortable rooms and helpful staffs. Most hotels in Pokhara own a garden for relaxing. The lakeside area is main traveler center equipped with many hotels. From these hotels, you can conveniently transfer to Phewa Lake and World Peace Pagoda. There are two recommended hotels in Pokhara ranked by the tourists:

Hotel Middle Path & Spa: Within several minutes’ walking distance to Phewa Lake, Hotel Middle Path & Spa stays in the perfect location with good view and easy transportation. The public areas of the hotel were lovely, including a leafy garden for breakfast or drinks. Two pretty gardens, free Wi-Fi and lovely restaurants are accessible. Best of all is the kind and responsive service, which makes it worthy of a 5 star palace.

Hotel Adam: Located in the central city of Pokhara, Hotel Adam is chosen by many tourists. It is a wonderful stay at Hotel Adam. The staff is incredibly friendly and helpful. The rooms are clean and quiet. Complimentary breakfast on the rooftop was awesome with the views of the mountains and lake.

Useful Nepal Travel Notes

1. How to Plan Nepal Travel
Usually, tourists take about 4~15 days to have a classic Nepal tour. Most of them start their Nepal tour from the capital city – Kathmandu. Four days are recommended to explore the highlights of Kathmandu Valley. Then, you can extend your tour to a deep nature or culture exploration. One more day allows you to have a great view of Mount Everest in Nagarkot. With 2~3 more days, you can turn to Pokhara for the picturesque natural landscape or Chitwan National park for the great wildlife adventure – both of them are recommended. If you are interested in Buddhist culture, Lumbini – the birthplace of the Lord Buddha, can’t be missed. You are suggested to spend 9 days to have a full Buddhist tour from Kathmandu Valley to Dhulikhel, Lumbin, Bharktapur, and Pharping. If you want to stretch your legs, a 9 days Poon Hill Trekking will be amazing. In fact, many tourists choose to have a tour combining Nepal and Tibet. After you Nepal Tour, you can get to Tibet through Gyirong Airport which was newly open to foreign travelers in 2017. After that, you can drive to Mount Everest, Mount Kailash or Lhasa. It is also available to take a nonstop flight to Lhasa from Kathmandu.

2. What to Pack
For foreign travelers to Nepal, documents – valid passport and Nepal Visa are the most important to pack. Then, you are suggested to take a large backpack for big luggage and a smaller bag for valuables. Traveling in Nepal during summer times, rain gears are necessary while warm clothing is must when you travel in winter. If you plan a trekking tour in Nepal, take both light and warm clothing in casual styles because you will experience a wide range of climates. Good windproof and waterproof jacket, walking boots with ankle support are must.

3. How to Get to Nepal
At present, Nepal can be reached by flights and overland driving. Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport is the only international airport in Nepal, connected with many cities, like Bangkok, Colombo, Calcutta, Delhi, Dhaka, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Karachi, Lhasa, London Osaka, Paris, Moscow, Paro, Singapore and Varanasi. If you feel to find available flights from your country to Nepal, it will be a good idea to travel China first. After your China mainland tours, you can easily get to Tibet by flight or driving, then have an unforgettable overland driving experience to Nepal across Gyirong Airport.

4. What to Eat in Nepal
Heavily influenced by Indian and Tibet dishes, Nepal food is quick to cook and tasty to eat. The most popular Nepal food is a dish called “Daal, Bhaat and Tarkaari” (lentils, rice, vegetable curry respectively). This is the main course served in the most Nepalese houses regardless of the economic conditions, that too in both lunch and as well as dinner. Kathmandu is a melting pot of international cuisine. Besides Nepal food, Nepal restaurants here serve varieties of hygienic delicacies from Indian, Chinese, Tibetan, Japanese, Italian, Australian, Russian, Korean, and Mexican etc to Continental at remarkably reasonable price.

Pokhara Travel Guide - Attractions, Hotels, Transfer, Maps

Nepal Travel Guide

Nepal Destinations

Useful Nepal Travel Guide

Nepal Transportation

Top Pokhara Attractions

Sarangkot

Devi's Fall

Phewa Lake

Gupteswar Gupha

World Peace Pagoda

International Mountain Museum

Featured Pokhara Activities

Trekking

Paragliding

Rafting

Useful Nepal Travel Notes

Most Recommended Pokhara Tour Packages

5 Days Kathmandu Pokhara Leisure Tour (by Flight)

8 Days Nepal Holiday Tour (Kathmandu - Pokhara - Chitwan)

15 Days Tibet Nepal Bhutan Himalaya Exploration In-depth Tour

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