Overview
This Pokhara tour from Kathmandu is the budget-friendly way to see the lake city: a seat on a tourist sofa bus each way, three nights at a Lakeside hotel with breakfast, and a private vehicle for the sightseeing in between. You arrive on day one in time for the evening aarti at Barahi Ghat on Phewa Lake. Day two covers the World Peace Pagoda, the International Mountain Museum, Gupteshwor Cave and Davis Falls, with time for a rowing boat to the Tal Barahi island temple. Day three starts with sunrise from Sarangkot over Dhaulagiri, Annapurna and Machhapuchhre, then the rest of the day is yours. Day four is the bus back to Kathmandu. It suits couples, friends and solo travellers who are happy on the road and would rather spend their budget on time in Pokhara than on flights.
The itinerary
- Depart Kathmandu at about 7:00 am by tourist sofa bus along the Prithvi Highway, about 7 to 8 hours with breakfast and lunch stops (meals at your own cost)
- Pickup at the Pokhara tourist bus park in the afternoon and transfer to your Lakeside hotel (check-in from 2:00 pm)
- Evening aarti at Barahi Ghat on Phewa Lake, the prayer ceremony with songs, oil lamps and bells
- World Peace Pagoda, the white hilltop stupa with views over Phewa Lake and the Annapurna range
- International Mountain Museum, on the history of Himalayan climbing, mountain peoples and geology
- Gupteshwor Cave and Davis Falls, a sacred cave temple and the waterfall that disappears underground, opposite each other
- Late afternoon rowing boat to the Tal Barahi island temple, or free time at Lakeside (boat and entrance fees at your own cost)
- Early drive at about 5:00 am to Sarangkot, 1,595 m, for sunrise over Dhaulagiri, Annapurna and Machhapuchhre, cloud permitting
- Back to the hotel for breakfast
- The rest of the day is free: Lakeside cafes, shops and lake walks, or optional paragliding (at your own cost)
- Breakfast and check-out, an early or packed breakfast as the hotel arranges, then transfer to the tourist bus park
- Depart Pokhara at about 7:30 am by tourist sofa bus, about 7 to 8 hours back to Kathmandu (meals on the way at your own cost)
- Arrive in Kathmandu in the afternoon, where the tour ends
What the price covers
Things to carry
- Warm layer for the Sarangkot sunrise
- Comfortable walking shoes with good grip
- Small torch or headlamp for the caves
- Sun hat and sunscreen
- Light rain jacket
Good to know
Complete guide
Pokhara by tourist bus: who this tour suits
Pokhara is the lake city most visitors to Nepal want to see after Kathmandu: a calm lakeside, temples on the water and, on a clear day, a wall of Himalayan peaks behind the town. This four-day tour takes the overland route both ways on a tourist sofa bus, which keeps the price down and shows you the river valleys and hill villages of the Prithvi Highway. In return you give two days to the road. If you have the time and enjoy seeing a country from the window, it is the best-value way to get three nights in Pokhara with the main sights covered.
The journey: Kathmandu to Pokhara on the Prithvi Highway
The tourist buses leave Kathmandu early in the morning, at about 7:00 am, and take about 7 to 8 hours to reach Pokhara. The road follows the Trishuli River for part of the way, with stops for breakfast and lunch at roadside restaurants. Meals on the road are at your own cost, which lets you eat as lightly or as fully as you like. Bring a light layer, water and something to read; the road is winding in places and traffic or roadworks can slow the last stretch. When you arrive at the tourist bus park, a private car meets you and takes you to your hotel at Lakeside.
Evening aarti at Barahi Ghat
The first evening is deliberately gentle. After the bus, you walk down to Barahi Ghat on the Lakeside shore for the aarti, an evening prayer ceremony with songs, oil lamps and the sound of bells, facing the Tal Barahi island temple. It is free, open to everyone and a lovely way to arrive in Pokhara. Afterwards, Lakeside's restaurants are a short walk away.
A full day of Pokhara sightseeing
Day two is spent with a private vehicle and driver, so you move between the sights at your own pace without waiting for buses or bargaining for taxis.
- World Peace Pagoda: a white Buddhist stupa on the ridge above the south shore of Phewa Lake, with the best all-round view of the lake, the town and the Annapurna range.
- International Mountain Museum: the story of Himalayan climbing, the mountain peoples of Nepal and the geology of the range, worth an hour or so.
- Gupteshwor Cave and Davis Falls: a sacred cave temple dedicated to Shiva and, across the road, the waterfall where the lake's outflow drops underground into a gorge.
- Phewa Lake: late in the afternoon you can hire a rowing boat to the Tal Barahi island temple or simply relax at Lakeside.
Entrance tickets at these sights are small and paid on the spot, and the World Peace Pagoda is free to visit.
Sarangkot sunrise and a free day
On day three a car picks you up at about 5:00 am for the short drive up to Sarangkot, 1,595 m, the hill above Pokhara where the sunrise lights up Dhaulagiri, the Annapurna range and the fishtail summit of Machhapuchhre. Views depend on the cloud, so the morning is never guaranteed, but on a clear day it is one of the easiest big mountain views in Nepal. You are back at the hotel for breakfast, and the rest of the day is yours. Many travellers stroll or cycle along Lakeside, sit in a lakeside cafe or book a tandem paragliding flight from Sarangkot; we can arrange it for you if you tell us in advance.
Where you stay
You spend three nights at Hotel Majestic Lake Front or a similar hotel at Lakeside, in a double room with breakfast. Lakeside puts you within walking distance of the lake shore, cafes, shops and the aarti. Check-in is from 2:00 pm and check-out is at 12:00 noon; on the last morning the hotel arranges an early or packed breakfast so you can catch the bus.
When to go
Pokhara is a year-round destination, but the mountains are clearest from October to February, after the monsoon has washed the air. Spring brings warmer days and rhododendrons in the hills, with more haze over the peaks. From June to September the monsoon brings heavy afternoon rain and frequent cloud, but the lake is green and quiet and the bus still runs, so the tour works if you do not mind a cloudy sunrise.
Good to know before you book
- This is a driver-led package rather than a guided one. If you would like a licensed guide for the sightseeing day, we can add one.
- Bus times are approximate and can change with road and traffic conditions.
- The order of the sights may change locally for weather or traffic, without leaving anything out.
- If you prefer to save the travel time, the same sights can be combined with a flight to Pokhara on our flight and road tour.
