Pokhara Travel Guide: Phewa Lake and the Annapurna View

See & Do

The city is built around a lake, and almost everything worth doing is either on the water or above it.

Phewa Lake and Tal Barahi

Phewa is the third largest lake in Nepal and the most visited, 5.7 square kilometres at 742 metres, with the mountains reflected on a still morning. The Tal Barahi temple sits on an island in the middle and the only way in is by boat: a few hundred rupees for a rower and a wooden bench. Go at seven, before the water picks up.

Sarangkot and the paragliders

Sarangkot became Ward 18 of the city in 2015 and is the ridge the whole town climbs for sunrise: Annapurna and Machhapuchhre in one line, the valley and the lake below. It is also the launch for the tandem paragliding Pokhara is known for, with the landing zone on the lake shore. Taxis go up before dawn.

Caves, the peace pagoda and Begnas

Mahendra Cave at Batulechaur is a limestone show cave with stalactites, a Shiva shrine inside and a lit staircase through it. The World Peace Pagoda stands on the hill south of the lake, a walk up from the dam or a boat and a climb. Begnas Lake, east of town, is the one locals use at weekends when Phewa is full of boats.

Trekking permits

Annapurna Base Camp, Poon Hill, Mardi Himal and the longer circuit all start from here, and the permits are bought in town rather than at the trailhead. The counter in Lakeside wants cash and passport photographs, and it is quiet in the afternoon.

Eat

Nepali food is cheap here and the lake adds fish to it.

What a meal costs

Numbeo's 2 October snapshot: a meal at an inexpensive restaurant NPR 300 (USD 2), a three course dinner for two NPR 2,000 (USD 13), a fast-food combo NPR 1,000 (USD 7), a local beer NPR 377.50 (USD 3), a cappuccino NPR 160 (USD 1).

Dal bhat, momo and lake fish

Dal bhat arrives with rice, lentils, vegetables and pickle, and it gets refilled until you stop, which is why trekkers eat it twice a day. Momo are the snack, steamed or in a sesame broth. The Lakeside menus add fresh fish from Phewa, and the Thakali kitchens do the set meals the region is known for.

Lakeside and the local side

Lakeside is the tourist strip and carries the tourist prices. Walk ten minutes inland to Baidam or the bazaar and the same food costs half, which is also where the guesthouse owners eat.

Where to Stay

What a bed costs

Nomads.com's medians are USD 42 a night for a hotel, or USD 898 across thirty nights, and USD 28 a night for an Airbnb, or USD 848 a month. Its central studio is USD 129, and Numbeo's one bedroom in the centre is NPR 19,333, about USD 129, with NPR 13,000 or USD 86 outside the centre. Those are the cheapest rents on this site.

Lakeside, Baidam or the north shore

Lakeside north has the cafés, the agencies and the bus stand, and the noise that comes with them. Baidam, the ward behind it, is cheaper and quieter. The north end of the lake is where the views are and where a month costs most.

Logistics

Pokhara International Airport opened on 1 January 2023, three kilometres east of the old domestic field, and as of September 2026 it handles mostly domestic flights plus some charters, so most international arrivals still come through Kathmandu. The tourist bus from Kathmandu is a day's ride.

In town a taxi starts at NPR 250 (USD 2) and runs NPR 120 a kilometre, and Sarathi is the ride app nomads.com lists. Cash is the assumption. Tap water is not drinkable.