Pokhara Valley Sightseeing

Pokhara is the Nepal land of adventure where different ethnic groups like Magar, Gurung, Thakalis an ethnic group of flexible entrepreneurship inhabit. This peaceful valley is located in 200 kilometers west of Kathmandu and it is situated at an altitude of 827m above the sea level. Pokhara is the starting point for some of the most popular treks in Nepal it is just about 30 minutes flight and 6hours drive from capital city Kathmandu. Over 60% of the total trekkers of Nepal trek in Annapurna region. Without any question that the serenity of Phewa Lake and magnificent mountains like Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, Manaslu and Machapuchre touch the heart of any mankind. Boating in Phewa Lake with wonderful view and paragliding have been other fascinating activities that one can enjoy here. Pokhara is filled with natural beauty and amazing scenery of great mountains. There are available all kind tourist facilities such as visa extension, foreign currency exchange, ACCAP entry permit, flight ticket reconfirmation and there are several tourist standard hotels including non – star to five star levels. This city is well known as “City of tourism” is totally free from any kind of pollution. There are also various short hiking routs and day trips which are even fit for children and weary trekkers that can be made around valley. A visit to Nepal without stay in Pokhara is often considered incomplete.

Places to See in Pokhara City
Phewa Lake:
This beautiful lake is the second largest lake in Nepal, which is a main tourist’s attraction of Pokhara. The enchanting lake is a peaceful playground. Cheerfully painted wooden boats and sailboats can be able to rent on reasonable cost around lakeside. The lake is neither deep (approximately 46meter at most) nor particularly clean water, but water is warm and swimming is pleasant if you don’t think about the probable pollution. The eastern beach of the lake, popularly knows as lakeside, consists of apparently endless trip of lodges, restaurants, bookshops and souvenir shops. Splendid view of the mountains is the fascinating parts of lakeside, especially when the still water reflects the peaks, creating a double image.

Begnas Lake:
The peaceful Begnas Lake located about 14kilometer drive from Pokhara to the northern side at the end a road that turns from highway to Kathmandu. This wonderful lakes offer you the great nature retreat because of their relative privacy. Fabulous boating and fishing is the best of here.

Barahi Temple:
The temple is the most important religious monument site in Pokhara, It is built in the center of Phewa Lake, the two storied pagoda is dedicated to the boar manifestation of Ajima, the protector god representing the female power Shakti. Especially on Saturday devotees will be seen here, carrying male animals and fowl across the lake to be sacrifice for the deity.

World Peace Pagoda:
This peaceful white pagoda is a huge Buddhist stupa. It is located on the southern shore of Phewa lake on top of hill. Besides being a remarkable sight in itself, the shrine is a grand view point which offers amazing views of the Annapurna range and Pokhara city. if you love to have short hiking take wooden boat cross the Phewa lake and then hike up to the hill to get there.

Seti River Gorge:
Flowing right through the city, the energetic river runs absolutely underground at places. Amazingly, at few points the river will be seen hardly two meters wide. But we can imagine that its depth is over 25meter! Near the old Mission Hospital there is a small bridge call Mahendra Pul, provides a great view of the river’s terrible scuttle and deep gorge made by its powerful flood.

Devi’s Fall:
It is located about 2km south –west of Pokhara airport locally known as Patale Chhango also known as Devi’s fall. It is beautiful water fall an interesting modern legend says that a foreigner named David was skinny dropping in the Pardi river when the floodgates of the dam were opened, after he fall into the deep gorge an underground passage beneath the fall, never to be seen him again.

Gupteswar Cave:
This sacred cave is situated 2km southwest from Pokhara airport, which is near from Devi’s fall.  The cave is about 3kilometer long which has some big hall size rooms and passages where you have to move slowly on all fours. This amazing cave has special value for Hindus since a phalli symbol of Lord Shiva is conserved here in the situation it was discovered. To take pictures is prohibited inside the cave.

Mahendra Gupha (Cave):
Mahendra Gufa, locally known as a Chamero Odhaar (House of Bats), is the large marble cave. Located to the north side of Pokhara it is said that it was discovered it around 1950. If you bring your own torch light that will be best to see stalactites and stalagmites.

The Old Bazaar:
Located about four kilometer from Lakeside is traditional bazaar of Pokhara which is colorful and so are it culturally various traders. In its temples and monuments will be seen ties to the Newar architecture of the Kathmandu valley. The original attraction of
Market is still alive and well.

Bindhyabasini Temple:
Bindhyabasini temple is dedicated to goddess Bhagwati, another manifestation of Shakti. The center of religious activity in the old bazaar is Bindhyabasini temple. Congregation collects here to perform sacrifices, and on Saturdays the park like grounds take a festive fair.

Pokhara Museum:
Pokhara Museum is located between Mahendra Pul and airport, reflects the ethnic variety of western Nepal. History of ethnic groups and their lifestyles such as the Thakali, Gurung and Tharu are attractively displayed. The museum will be close on Tuesday and government holidays and open daily from 10am to 4pm.

International Mountain Museum:
The International Mountain Museum (IMM) is located on the north-east side from the lakeside. The museum was established with a purpose to record, document and history the various developments and changes that has taken place in the past mainly in three areas they are, people living around the world mountain system the historic and scientific information of the beginning of the world mountain system and various activities which has established various world record in the field of mountaineering and other activities. The museum exhibits including mountain, people and their culture, world mountain system, their geological structure, flora and fauna and the displayed related with mountain activities such as mountaineering, skiing etc. and in addition to mountaineering history and the development of mountaineering techniques and equipment over the years. Pokhara, a peaceful city in the western development region has an added attraction in the form of the international mountain museum, the only museum of its kind in the world. During your sightseeing around Pokhara the mountain museum is must be include in your program.