By Uncover Nepal Team · Checked by our Kathmandu travel team · Last checked 29 October 2026
The road out of Kathmandu leaves the valley at Nagdhunga, now often through a new tunnel, then drops west to the Trishuli River. For hours the highway follows the water, past small bazaars, fields and long lines of trucks and buses. At the far end is Pokhara, a lakeside city with snow peaks to the north on a clear day.
The Kathmandu to Pokhara distance is about 200 km, most of it on the Prithvi Highway. It is most of a day by road, often six to nine hours with traffic and roadworks, or about 30 minutes by air. You can go by tourist bus, local bus, private car or jeep, or plane.
Still deciding where to go after Pokhara? Our guide to Nepal's tourist places covers the rest of the country.
Key facts
- Distance by road
- About 200 km, Kathmandu to Pokhara (Wikipedia, Prithvi Highway (Department of Roads figures); checked 29 Oct 2026)
- Prithvi Highway
- About 173 to 174 km, Naubise to Pokhara (Department of Roads figure via Wikipedia; OnlineKhabar, 24 Jun 2025; checked 29 Oct 2026)
- Time by road
- Most of a day by road, often six to nine hours with traffic and roadworks (Our Kathmandu travel team; checked 29 Oct 2026)
- Time by air
- About 30 minutes; Buddha Air, Yeti Airlines and Shree Airlines fly the route (Buddha Air route page; The Rising Nepal, 21 Jan 2025; airline listings; checked 29 Oct 2026)
- Tourist buses
- Leave from Sorhakhutte, near Thamel, at about 7 am (Himalayan Partner (booking agency), 6 Sep 2026; checked 29 Oct 2026)
- Road status
- Open, with heavy post-Dashain traffic, as of 24 Oct 2026; no later closure report found (The Kathmandu Post, 24 Oct 2026; checked 29 Oct 2026)
- Manakamana cable car
- 8 am to 5 pm, break 12 noon to 1.30 pm (Manakamana Cable Car; checked 29 Oct 2026)
In this guide
- What is the Kathmandu to Pokhara distance by road?
- Bus, flight or private car: which suits you?
- Kathmandu to Pokhara bus: tourist bus or local bus?
- How does the Kathmandu to Pokhara flight work?
- Should you go by private car or jeep?
- Where can you stop on the way?
- What is the road like in late October 2026?
- How do you make the road journey easier?
- Frequently asked questions
What is the Kathmandu to Pokhara distance by road?
Kathmandu to Pokhara is about 200 km by road. Most of it is the Prithvi Highway, which runs about 173 to 174 km from Naubise, just west of the Kathmandu Valley, to Pokhara. Pokhara to Kathmandu is the same road in reverse.
You leave the valley at Nagdhunga, where many vehicles now use the new Nagdhunga Tunnel, inaugurated in July 2026. The road follows the Trishuli River down to Mugling, the junction where the road to Chitwan turns south, then continues west to Pokhara. In order, it passes Naubise, Galchhi, Gajuri, Malekhu, Kurintar, Mugling, Aanbukhaireni, Dumre and Damauli. Naubise to Mugling is about 95 km (The Kathmandu Post); Aanbukhaireni to Pokhara is 79 km (OnlineKhabar).
Bus, flight or private car: which suits you?
Fly if your time is short or winding roads make you ill: it is about 30 minutes in the air. Take the tourist bus for a reserved seat at a modest fare, if a long day suits you. Hire a car or jeep with a driver for your own timing and stops.
| Tourist bus | Flight | Private car or jeep | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time | Most of a day by road, often six to nine hours with traffic and roadworks | About 30 minutes in the air, plus time at both airports | Most of a day, plus any stops |
| Cost basis | Per seat. Around NPR 1,300 for a sofa-seat "VIP" bus, one booking agency's guide said in September 2026 | Per seat. Fares change with fuel prices and demand | Per vehicle, hired whole or on a cost-sharing basis. Ask us for a quote |
| Comfort | Reserved seat and a fixed departure, but a long day on a winding road | Shortest and least tiring | Your own pace, with breaks when you want them |
| Best for | Budget and solo travellers | Short trips, and anyone who gets carsick | Families, small groups, stops at Bandipur or Manakamana |
| Weather | Heavy rain can stop traffic, as it did one night in September 2026 | Weather can delay flights | As for the bus |
Kathmandu to Pokhara bus: tourist bus or local bus?
For a first trip, take a tourist bus. It leaves from Sorhakhutte, just north-west of Thamel, at about 7 am, and most end at the tourist bus park in Pokhara, a short taxi ride from Lakeside, the hotel area by Phewa Lake. Local buses leave from the New Bus Park at Gongabu, on the Ring Road.
Tourist bus
The Nepal Tourism Board lists tourist buses as an easy way to reach Pokhara. Several companies run them, from basic buses to sofa-seat "VIP" coaches.
- Where and when. Sorhakhutte, north of Paknajol, at about 7 am; one booking agency asks passengers to arrive by 6.30 am.
- Fare. One booking agency's guide, updated in September 2026, put a sofa-seat "VIP" bus at around NPR 1,300. Simpler buses cost less and premium ones more, so check when you book.
- Arrival. Some buses stop nearer Lakeside, depending on the operator.
Local bus
Out-of-valley buses leave from the New Bus Park at Gongabu, near Balaju, says the Nepal Tourism Board, at government-set fares. Festival weeks are crowded: between 3 and 13 October 2026, 239,777 passengers left the New Bus Park by bus and microbus, The Kathmandu Post reported. Buy your ticket at a counter and keep your bag in sight.
How does the Kathmandu to Pokhara flight work?
The Kathmandu to Pokhara flight takes about 30 minutes in the air; Buddha Air quotes 25 to 30 minutes. Buddha Air, Yeti Airlines and Shree Airlines fly the route, with many flights a day. You leave from the domestic terminal at Kathmandu airport and land at Pokhara International Airport.
- The airport in Pokhara. Pokhara International Airport began operations on 1 January 2023. Flights to Kathmandu use it; the old airport handles Jomsom flights, helicopters and ultralights, The Rising Nepal reported in January 2025.
- Fares and bags. Airfares change with fuel prices and demand, so check with the airline, and check the baggage allowance if you carry trekking kit.
- Weather. Weather can delay flights, so do not plan a tight connection on the same day.
Our guide to arriving at Kathmandu Airport explains the domestic terminal. If you are flying into Nepal, flydubai has flown daily from Dubai to Pokhara since 23 September 2026. Flight details here are information only: international flights are your own arrangement.
Should you go by private car or jeep?
Choose a private car or jeep if you want to leave when you like and stop on the way. The road and time are the same as the bus, plus your stops. You can hire one through a travel agent or a car rental company, whole or on a cost-sharing basis, the Nepal Tourism Board notes.
A car suits families, older travellers and anyone who wants to stop at Manakamana or spend a night in Bandipur. Ask us for a quote for a car with driver.
Where can you stop on the way?
The easiest stops are Kurintar, for the Manakamana cable car; Mugling, the junction town where the Chitwan road turns off; and Bandipur, a hill town reached from Dumre. A private car makes stops simple. A tourist bus keeps to its own timetable.
Kurintar and the Manakamana cable car
The cable car's base station is at Kurintar, on the highway between Malekhu and Mugling, so it fits as a stop on the way. Six-person cabins cover 3 km in about 10 minutes, up to the top station at 1,302 m (4,272 ft), close to the Manakamana temple. It runs from 8 am to 5 pm, with a break from 12 noon to 1.30 pm, and closes for two to three days every four months for maintenance, so check it is running before you plan the stop.
Mugling
Mugling is where the road to Narayangadh and Chitwan leaves the Prithvi Highway. If you plan a Kathmandu, Chitwan and Pokhara loop, read Kathmandu to Chitwan.
Bandipur
Bandipur sits at about 1,000 m (about 3,300 ft), on a road that climbs about 8 km from Dumre on the highway, about 30 minutes by local bus. There is no direct public bus from Kathmandu. Stopping in Bandipur splits the Kathmandu to Pokhara drive into two easier days. Read our Bandipur guide.
What is the road like in late October 2026?
As of 24 October 2026 the road was open, with heavy traffic as the Dashain festival drew to a close, The Kathmandu Post reported. The late-August collapse at Krishnabhir was bypassed by a new track in September. We found no later closure report by 29 October.
- 30 August to 17 September. The road at Krishnabhir, in Dhading, subsided after the Trishuli River eroded its base; a new 270-metre track higher up took two-way traffic from 17 September.
- 9 to 13 October. A section at Galuandi, Dhading, subsided and was fully reopened on 13 October.
Around 15,000 vehicles travel daily between Nagdhunga and Mugling, and the Department of Roads expects that to more than triple in the festival season. Widening works on the Mugling to Pokhara section have run for several years.
"Traffic is heavier than usual on the highway stretch from the tunnel entrance towards Malekhu and Mugling."
Nepal Photo Library, "A look at the Prithvi Highway as Dashain draws to a close", The Kathmandu Post, 24 October 2026
How do you make the road journey easier?
Plan for a long, winding day: eat lightly, sit towards the front, keep a small bag with you, travel by daylight and check the road news the evening before. If the road is blocked, stay with your vehicle, follow the police and ask us whether flying makes more sense.
- Motion sickness. The road bends with the river valleys most of the way. Look ahead rather than at your phone, and ask your doctor or pharmacist before the trip about travel-sickness medicine.
- Luggage. Keep water, snacks, a warm layer, medicines, a power bank and your passport in a small bag with you. Label your main bag and see where it is stowed.
- Seats. Book a day or more ahead, and earlier at festival time.
- Safety. Travel by day. In heavy rain the authorities can stop traffic at night, as they did on the Prithvi Highway from 8 pm on 24 September 2026. Wear a seatbelt if there is one, and at stops in heavy rain keep away from flood-prone riverbanks, as NDRRMA advises.
What if the road is blocked?
- Stay with your bus or car. Do not walk across or under a fresh landslide.
- Follow the traffic police and your driver.
- Get news: call your hotel or us, or check the national press.
- If repairs will take long (Krishnabhir needed 18 days), go back and fly.
Read next: Pokhara to Lumbini road routes and travel time.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get from Kathmandu to Pokhara: bus, flight or private car?
By air it is about 30 minutes. It is most of a day by road, often six to nine hours with traffic and roadworks. Tourist buses leave Sorhakhutte, near Thamel, at about 7 am. A private car with driver lets you stop at Manakamana or Bandipur. Weather can delay flights, and heavy rain can stop traffic on the road.
How do I reach Muktinath from Kathmandu or Pokhara?
From Pokhara, go by road through Beni and Jomsom, then by jeep or bus to Muktinath; scheduled Pokhara to Jomsom flights were suspended in mid-October 2026 with no restart date. From Kathmandu, first reach Pokhara: most of a day by road or about 30 minutes by air. Charter helicopters also fly to Muktinath, but the altitude jump is sudden. For 29 to 31 October 2026, Mustang's chief district officer warned that weather could disrupt road and air transport (The Himalayan Times, 28 October 2026). See our Muktinath Temple guide.
What is the safest way from Pokhara to Upper Mustang: jeep or flight?
Neither is risk-free, and no scheduled flight goes into Upper Mustang. Flights reach only Jomsom, and scheduled Pokhara to Jomsom flights were suspended in mid-October 2026 with no restart date. Beyond Jomsom it is by jeep, on a road that floods, landslides and snow cut in November 2025, stranding hundreds of people (OnlineKhabar). The restricted-area permit (USD 50 per person per day) is issued through a registered agency, with a licensed guide, and you also need the ACAP permit. For 29 to 31 October 2026 the Department of Immigration stopped issuing trekking permits for high-risk Himalayan areas (OnlineKhabar, 27 October 2026), and Lomanthang Rural Municipality advised against travel towards the Korala border point until the weather improves (The Himalayan Times, 28 October 2026). Ask us about permits and road conditions before you plan it.
How do I get to Lumbini from Kathmandu or Pokhara?
Fly from Kathmandu to Gautam Buddha International Airport at Bhairahawa, near Lumbini, in about 30 minutes, then drive about 30 minutes to Lumbini. From Pokhara, Buddha Air lists one daily flight of about 20 minutes to Bhairahawa; check it is running. By road it is a long day from either city: from Pokhara south on the Siddhartha Highway through Tansen and Butwal, from Kathmandu south from Mugling through the plains. See our Lumbini guide.
What are the Manakamana cable car ticket prices and opening hours?
Adult fares are USD 11 one way or USD 20 return for other foreign nationals; USD 6 or USD 10 for SAARC and Chinese nationals; INR 400 or INR 670 for Indian nationals; and NPR 450 or NPR 770 for Nepali citizens (operator's website, checked 29 October 2026). The cable car runs from 8 am to 5 pm, with a break from 12 noon to 1.30 pm. Tickets are non-refundable, valid for 7 days, and rates can change.
What should you do next?
In Pokhara, see things to do in Pokhara, Phewa Lake and Sarangkot; for where to go next, see Nepal's tourist places. To have the journey arranged, see our relaxed Kathmandu, Bandipur and Pokhara tour, our Pokhara tour by flight and road or the Classic multi-city tour. Ask us on WhatsApp or through the enquiry form, and we will tell you which way suits your dates.
