What is Pokhara famous for? 15 facts about Pokhara
Lakes, 8,000 m peaks, caves, Gurkhas and a waterfall with a story.
Pokhara is famous for its view: Phewa Lake with the Annapurna range rising behind it, including Machhapuchhre (6,993 m), the “Fishtail”, and three peaks over 8,000 m within about 25 to 55 km. It is Nepal’s tourism capital and the start of the Annapurna treks, one of the world’s best places for paragliding, the home town of many Gurkha soldiers, and a city of caves, gorges and Tibetan settlements. At about 822 m it is also lower and warmer than most people expect.
15 facts about Pokhara
From 822 m to over 8,000 m
The city lies at about 822 m, and within roughly 25 to 55 km the Himalaya rises to over 8,000 m. Few places on earth have such a steep rise from a valley to the highest peaks.
Three 8,000 m peaks in view
On a clear day you see Dhaulagiri (8,167 m), Annapurna I (8,091 m) and Manaslu (8,163 m), three of the world’s fourteen 8,000 m mountains.
The Fishtail that no one has climbed
Machhapuchhre, 6,993 m and about 25 km north of the city, is named for its double summit, like a fish’s tail. A British team in 1957 stopped about 50 m below the top, as their permit required, and the mountain, sacred to Shiva, has been closed to climbers ever since.
You cannot see Everest
Everest is far to the east. Pokhara’s mountains are the Annapurna, Dhaulagiri and Manaslu ranges.
Phewa Lake
Nepal’s most visited lake, about 4 km long, 742 m above sea level and up to 24 m deep, with the Tal Barahi temple on an island. More about Phewa.
A big city
Pokhara is the capital of Gandaki Province, Nepal’s largest metropolitan city by area (about 464 km²) and the second largest by population, about 200 km west of Kathmandu.
The tourism capital
Lakeside is the base for the Annapurna treks: Poon Hill, Mardi Himal, Annapurna Base Camp and the road to Mustang all start here.
Paragliding
Sarangkot, above the lake, is known as one of the best places in the world to paraglide. Paragliding in Pokhara.
One of the wettest places in Nepal
The valley gets about 3,350 mm of rain a year, and Lumle in the hills nearby about 5,600 mm, the most in the country. Most of it falls from June to September; October to April is dry.
Home of the Gurkhas
Many Gurkha soldiers come from the hills around Pokhara, and both a British Gurkha camp and an Indian Gorkha pension office are in the city. The Gurkha Memorial Museum tells their story.
A waterfall with a sad story
Davis Falls, Patale Chhango in Nepali, is named after a Swiss woman who drowned there on 31 July 1961, when the water suddenly rose and swept her into the pit. The water vanishes underground and reappears in Gupteshwor Cave.
A city of caves and gorges
The Seti River runs through Pokhara in a gorge only a few metres wide in places, and the limestone hills are full of caves: Gupteshwor, Mahendra and Bat Cave.
Tibetan settlements
Four Tibetan settlements in and around Pokhara, among them Tashi Palkhel and Tashi Ling, were set up by refugees in the 1960s; visitors come for the monasteries, carpet weaving and handicraft stalls.
The World Peace Pagoda
The white stupa on Anadu hill, built by a Japanese Buddhist order and inaugurated in 1999, looks over the whole lake.
A new international airport
Pokhara International Airport opened on 1 January 2023, and since September 2026 a daily flydubai flight links Pokhara with Dubai.
Food Pokhara is famous for
- Thakali khana: the set meal of rice, lentil soup, greens, pickles and curry from the Thakali people of Mustang, served with refills.
- Lake fish: fried or grilled fish from Phewa and Begnas, best at the lakeside villages of Begnas.
- Momos: steamed or fried dumplings, everywhere, with a spicy tomato dip.
- Sel roti and sekuwa: the ring-shaped rice bread of festivals, and spiced grilled meat in the evenings.
Taste them with a guide on our food walk or learn to fold momos at our momo class.
If you only have one day
Watch the sunrise from Sarangkot, see Davis Falls and Gupteshwor Cave, climb to the World Peace Pagoda and finish with a boat to Tal Barahi temple. Our 1-day Pokhara itinerary has the times, and our full-day Pokhara tour does it with a guide for US$ 100 per person.
Questions people ask
What is Pokhara famous for?
Its view of the Annapurna range over Phewa Lake, Machhapuchhre (the Fishtail), paragliding from Sarangkot, the start of the Annapurna treks, the Gurkhas, caves, Davis Falls and the World Peace Pagoda.
What is the altitude of Pokhara?
About 822 m above sea level. Phewa Lake is at 742 m and Sarangkot at about 1,600 m.
Can you see Everest from Pokhara?
No. Everest is far to the east. From Pokhara you see Dhaulagiri, the Annapurnas, Machhapuchhre, Lamjung Himal and Manaslu.
Which province is Pokhara in?
Gandaki Province; Pokhara is its capital.
Is Pokhara a hill station?
Not quite: it is a city in a valley at about 822 m, warm most of the year, surrounded by hills such as Sarangkot (about 1,600 m) with the Himalaya behind.
Why is Machhapuchhre called Fishtail?
Its double summit looks like the tail of a fish from some angles. It is sacred and closed to climbers.