19 Places to visit in Pokhara

If you are looking for some interesting places to visit in Pokhara then you can move towards the International Mountain Museum which stands as a testimony to the beautiful mountains which is nestled quite majestically in Nepal. If you want to be completely mesmerized by the therapeutic sound of the water then it is best that you go an enjoy Devi’s fall from where the Pardi Khola stream just vanishes.

It is a spectacular view which draws attention of many tourists. When you are in Pokhara you can also get a chance to see the two tiered pagoda style Varahi style Mandir which stands still in Phewa Tal and is dedicated to Lord Vishnu.

Here are some of the best places to visit in Pokhara:

01Old Bazar
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Image Credit : Jerome Bon
The bazaar lets you witness some mysterious alleys and courtyard which might not have witnessed before. The brightly clad locals of Kathmandu lets you see many Gurkhas and Sherpas.

Image Credits : Jerome Bon

Highlights: Shop for some fruits vegetables, fruits, spices and stunning wares made of brass, copper and bronze. You can also view some temples and shrines which is likely to make Old Bazaar worth a visit.

Best months to visit: October to March.

Price: Entry Free
02Tibetan Refugee Camp
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Image Credit : Ingmar Zahorsky
If you are in Pokhara then you simply can’t miss the chance to see the Tibetan refugee camp. The area is beautifully adorned with prayer flags which enhances the beauty of the place. It has housed numerous monks and therefore you can hear the rumbling of the monks chanting their payers. Even many masked dance performances are also held during the same.

Image Credits : Tracy Hunter

Highlights: You can also enjoy some cultural fests which are held in the Pokhara street during 28th Dec to 1st Jan.

Best time to visit: January and February as it is the time of Tibetan New year.

Prices: Entry Free
03Temple of Tal Varahi
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Image Credit : Maureen Barlin
Another tourist destination of historic importance in pokhara valley.

Highlights: Surrounding lake adds lot of grace to this most famous Hindu temple in Pokhara. Built in 18th century it is dedicated to lord Vishnu in his boar incarnation. The temple has been comprehensively renovated over the years and so the pigeons have decided to make it their permanent shelter. A must visit not only for the religious mind but also for regular tourist.

Difficulty Level: Easy,

Location: 10 minutes drive from Pokhara, located on an island in the middle of phew lake, it can be reached by a boat from Varahi ghat.
04Rupa Tal
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Image Credit : The International Institute for Environment and Devel
If you want to witness the only freshwater lake in Nepal, you have come to the right place, Rupa Tal. It is one of the glorious serene lake which will make you feel truly blessed.

Image Credits : The International Institute for Environment and Devel

Location: It lies towards the south-east of Pokhara valley. The freshwater lake in Nepal is Rupa Tal which is also the third largest lake in Pokhara valley.

Highlights: It provides boating opportunity for all the tourists which makes Rupa Tal an important tourist destination for many.

Prices: Entry is free.

Difficulty Level: Medium
05Begnas Tal
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Image Credit : Fernando Hidalgo Marchione
A quiet fresh water lake in kaski district of nepal that changes colour depending on the season. it is the second largest of the eight lakes in Pokhara valley with a maximum depth of 10 meters. Location: It takes about 40 minutes by bus from Pokhara to reach the lake. Not far from the maddening crowd but extremely clean and quiet.

Since it is visited comparatively less, the original beauty is undisturbed. The lake supports irrigation and fisheries. Water level in the lake is regulated by a dam constructed in 1988 as it fluctuates with season and because of use for irrigation. Pressure of increasing human population is forcing conversion of swampy area into land for cultivation.

Image Credits : Fernando Hidalgo Marchione

Highlights: Boating, fishing and swimming are some of the activities you can indulge in, the bonus being surrounding green mountains.

Price: There are whole lot of hotels around to suit different budgets but the entry to this lake is free.

Difficulty Level: Medium, you can easily try your hands on boating.

Best time to visit: October
06Visit Sarangkot
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A small village which has its own natural beauty. The best thing about the village of Sarangkot is that it lies in the outskirts of the Pokhara city. Moreover, you will alo get a chance to view the one of the most beautiful Annapurna Himalayan range. You can also view the orange hues along with some beautiful mountain ranges.

Image Credits : Aleksandr Zykov

Highlights: The scenic beauty of the place is what makes the village an obvious pick for most of the tourists. It is also an important location for most of the paragliders.

Prices: Free.

Difficulty Level: Easy.

Best time to visit: October
07Pokhara Shanti Stupa
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A Pagoda style monument buddhist monument which is located on the hill top of Ananda hill. You have to trek till the top to have the spectacular look of the place.

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Highlights: This trek allows you to have a full view of Phewa Lake and some of the most gigantic mountains too.

Best time to visit: September to November.

Difficulty Level: Easy, even the children can do this trek.

Prices: Entry is free.
08Phewa Lake
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Image Credit : Matt Zimmerman
Witness the second largest in Nepal the Phewa Lake and it one of the must visit places in Pokhara. You can enjoy some of the best boating rides in this lake and at the same time it also lets you witness some quite moments sometime in the late afternoon. You can also see some beautiful fishes in the water which is another attraction in this places.

Image Credits : Matt Zimmerman

Highlights: The water is so clear that you can also see the reflection of Mount Machhapuchhre and Annapurna range.

Prices: Entry Free.

Best months to visit: October
09International Mountain Museum
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If you want to dig deeper into the history of mountains and other mountaineering activities, the best thing would be to take a look at the International Mountain Museum.It has documented some of the important things realted to mountains. You can find some of the hidden mysteries pertaining to Mount Everest.

Image Credits : Navin Shakya

Highlights: You can check out the records of several mountaineers like Mr Herzog. It is however one of the must visit place when you are in Pokhara.

Price: 300 NPR.

Best time to visit: October.

Difficulty Level: Easy.
10Begnas Lake
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Image Credit : Nirmal Adhikari
A quiet fresh water lake in kaski district of nepal that changes colour depending on the season. it is the second largest of the eight lakes in Pokhara valley with a maximum depth of 10 meters.

Image Credits : ilker ender

Location: It takes about 40 minutes by bus from Pokhara to reach the lake. Not far from the maddening crowd but extremely clean and quiet. Since it is visited comparatively less, the original beauty is undisturbed.

The lake supports irrigation and fisheries. Water level in the lake is regulated by a dam constructed in 1988 as it fluctuates with season and because of use for irrigation. Pressure of increasing human population is forcing conversion of swampy area into land for cultivation.

Highlights: Boating, fishing and swimming are some of the activities you can indulge in, the bonus being surrounding green mountains.

Price: There are whole lot of hotels around to suit different budgets but the entry to this lake is free.

Difficulty Level: Medium, you can easily try your hands on boating.

Best time to visit: October
11Barahi Temple
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Image Credit : দেবর্ষি রায়
A visit to Nepal wouldn’t be complete without this Barahi temple which is quite beautifully nestled on the Phewa Lake. It is the place where deities are religiously worshipped by the people who visit this temple. You can take your own canon and reach the temple.

You can absorb in beautiful scenery which will make you feel that Nepal has a lot to offer. Just soak yourself in the extreme quietness of the place. You can hire your own boat and reach this temple too.

Image Credits : Laxman Thapa

Best time to visit: February, October, November and December.

Location: It is located in Pokhara 33700.

Price: Rs 510.

Difficulty Level: Easy
12Gurkha Memorial Museum
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The amazing Gurkha Memorial Museum talks about the contribution of the Gurkha soldiers which had later joined the Indian army. The museums will definitely leave you jaw dropped as you will witness the Gurkha uniforms which is displayed in the museum. One can also view the bravery medal which they have won in the past.

Highlights: You can also view the service Khukri which is the traditional Gurkha knife used during the war times and the museum is only open from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.

Price: Rs 100-200 and an extra of Rs20 for the camera.

Best time to visit: October is the best month to visit the place.

Location: Pokhara Nepal.
13Bindhyabasini Temple
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In the serene and calm waters of the lake of Pokhara, you will find this beautiful looking Bindhyabasini Temple. It is one of the oldest temple situated in Nepal with the idol of Godess Bhagwati. And an amazing boat ride is just an additional advantage along with it. While visiting the place you can even enjoy the spectacular view of the Himalayas.

Highlights: It is one of the foremost Shaktipiths of western Nepal and all the rituals are strictly followed as per the Hindu culture. If you are lucky enough you can get a chance to witness a nice Nepalese wedding.

Location: Pokhara-Baglung Highway.

Price: Entry is free.

Best months to visit: October
14Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave
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Caves have always been mysterious but the curious thing about this Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave is that it comes with a religious bent too. One of the huge stalagmite is usually worshipped as Shiva Lingam. The peaceful atmosphere of the cave will definitely soothe your senses and will let you introspect a little bit.

Amidst the regular hustle and bustle of the city, it is a good place to spend some peaceful time. If you planning to visit this place it will be advisable for you to carry a torch along as it is usually dark.

Image Credits : Davide Zanchettin

Highlights: The Gupteshwar Mahadev Cave is a combination of Devi’s fall in the upstream and the cave in the downstream, one has to climb down the metal stairs to have a real look. Although it is a bit scary but its definitely worth a watch.

Price: Rs.50 to Rs.100.

Location: Chhorepatan. Pokhara.
15Seti Gandaki (Seti River)
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If you are a trek lover then you shouldn’t miss the chance to take a dip into the Seti Gandaki. The name “Seti” has been derived because of the white color which is the result of the limestone rock base.

Image Credits : Maureen Barlin

Highlights: You can enjoy the scenic view of the village of Jhijirka where you will also find a small guest house under construction. The Seti Gandaki joins the Trisuli river which will give you an opportunity for hiking.

Location: It is 5 hours from Kathmandu by tourist bus.

Best time to visit – September to December and February to June.

Prices: If you are planning to raft to this place, ideally you will be charged US$50 per person.
16Devi's Fall
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Image Credit : Moin Uddin
A spectacular fall which you might have never seen before, the peculiar thing about this fall is that the starting point of this fall where Pardi Khola stream which eventually vanishes in the underground. The most amazing thing about this fall is that you can clearly hear the sound of the water which eventually strikes the fall. The cascading waterfall secretly comes and meets the cave which makes this fall a must-watch in Nepal.

Image Credits : Moin Uddin

Prices: Rs 30.

Difficulty Level: High, reaching the fall is however tough.

Best time to visit: Monsoon is the best time to visit.
17Annapurna Butterfly Museum
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If you have always loved to catch butterflies when you were young then Nepal is a land to witness some beautiful looking colorful butterflies. The small museum has housed wide variety of Butterflies which will fill you with a wide variety of knowledge. Every single minute that you spend in this museum is all worth it. The interiors of the museum is quite earthy which makes it a delight for most of the visitors.

Image Credits : 3dom

Highlights: Don’t forget to see Corman Birdming which is the largest butterfly of Nepal.

Prices: Entry is free.

Best time to visit: Post monsoon is the best time.

Location: Prithvi Narayan Campus at Bagartole.
18Shree Gaden Dhargay Ling Monastery
It is a bliss for you to spend some time in Shree Gaden Dhargay Ling Monastery. It is one of the best spiritual places in Nepal and you can spend some time in peace an tranquillity which is going to leave you truly relieved. It is the best way to experience Tibetan style and culture which is going to leave you truly relieved. You might need some tourist’s guidance because of language problem. It has housed some 28 monks and it is not a very big monastery.

Highlights: A specialized form of chanting by the monks which allows them to produce multiple pitches.

Prices: Entry is free.

Best time to visit: October.

Location:
19Mahendra Cave
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If you are a strong Hindu believer, you wouldn’t miss the chance to visit Mahendra cave. The cave was named after Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev and has several stalactites and stalagmites along with a statue of Lord Shiva which attracts almost thousands of visitors every year.

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Highlights: You cn also visit the Bat Cave which lies on a ten minutes walking distance from this cave and is also an important tourist attraction.

Location: Kaski district close to river Seti in Pokhara.

Best time to visit: Avoid visiting this cave during monsoons, however it will be best if it could be done during October.

Prices: Free of cost