Treks from pokhara

City of Lakes

Nepal's gentlest city — a lakeside resort backed by an 8,000-metre mountain range. Pokhara sits at the foot of the Annapurna massif, with the sacred peak of Machhapuchhre rising 5,000 metres above its main street. Every major Annapurna trek begins or ends here.

822 mAltitude
4.4 km²Phewa Lake
~520,000Population
6,993 mMachhapuchhre
Explore Trips
Treks from pokhara
822 mAltitudeCentral Nepal (Gandaki)Region
TREKS FROM POKHARA TRIPS

Trips Starting from Treks from pokhara

Hand-crafted itineraries that start in Treks from pokhara — from a single sunrise day-trip to multi-week Himalayan expeditions.

Treks from pokhara
About Treks from pokhara

Where the Himalaya Meets the Lakes

Pokhara sits at the foot of the Annapurna massif, on the shore of Phewa Tal — Nepal's second-largest lake at 4.4 km². The sacred peak of Machhapuchhre ("the Fishtail") rises 6,000 metres directly above the lakefront, making Pokhara's vertical drop the most dramatic of any city in Nepal. The city itself sits at just 822 m, which means the world's steepest altitude rise from city to summit happens here.

Modern Pokhara was built on tourism — the first overland travellers arrived in 1959 after a road was cut from India, and by the 1970s the lakefront was the centre of Nepal's hippie trail. Today it is the country's second city, home to ~520,000 people, with an international airport opened in January 2023 that brings direct flights from Lhasa, Delhi and Bangkok.

The town's role for trekkers is unmatched: every major Annapurna route begins or ends here. Annapurna Base Camp, Annapurna Circuit, Mardi Himal, Poon Hill, Khopra Ridge — all start within a day's drive of Lakeside. Pokhara is also the world's tandem paragliding capital by some measures: the warm thermals off the lake and the cliff-launch at Sarangkot make for the safest big-air sites on the trekking circuit.

822 mAltitude
4.4 km²Phewa Lake
~520,000Population
Highlights

Things to do in Treks from pokhara

Standout experiences hand-picked by our local guides.

  • 01
    Phewa Lake Boating
    Hire a doonga at sunrise and row to Tal Barahi temple on the lake's island. Free of motorboats.
  • 02
    Sarangkot Sunrise
    A 30-minute drive uphill reveals Dhaulagiri, the Annapurnas and Manaslu at sunrise — and the paragliding launch.
  • 03
    Paragliding from Sarangkot
    30-minute tandem flights with Himalayan backdrops — one of the world's most scenic paragliding spots.
  • 04
    World Peace Pagoda
    A white Buddhist stupa on the ridge above the lake — a 1-hour hike from Damside with valley-wide views.
  • 05
    Begnas Lake
    A quieter alternative to Phewa, surrounded by rice paddies and Brahmin villages. Best by bicycle from town.
  • 06
    International Mountain Museum
    Nepal's main mountaineering museum — Hillary's ice axe, Sherpa heritage exhibits, and full-scale ice-climbing wall.
  • 07
    Davis Falls & Gupteshwor Cave
    A waterfall that disappears underground, paired with a Shiva cave temple on the opposite road.
  • 08
    Annapurna Trek Starts
    Departures for ABC, Mardi Himal, Poon Hill, Annapurna Circuit, Khopra Danda — Pokhara is the staging point for all of them.
When to visit

Best time to visit Treks from pokhara

Pokhara is more forgiving than the high mountains. Even monsoon visits work for lakeside, just not trekking.

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Best Good Avoid trekking Avoid
  • ★ BEST SEASON
    Spring
    March – May
    Warm lakeside afternoons, clear morning mountain views, and the start of pre-monsoon humidity in May.
    16°C – 30°C
  • MONSOON
    Summer
    June – August
    Pokhara gets some of Nepal's heaviest monsoon rain. The lake stays beautiful, but mountain views vanish behind clouds.
    22°C – 32°C
  • ★ BEST SEASON
    Autumn
    September – November
    Peak season. Crystal-clear mountains, warm days, the lake mirrors Machhapuchhre, and paragliding conditions are ideal.
    12°C – 28°C
  • ★ BEST SEASON
    Winter
    December – February
    Cool nights, blue-sky days and sharp mountain visibility. Trekking from Pokhara stays comfortable down to about 3,000 m.
    7°C – 22°C