Pokhara in slow motion: four days without a schedule
Pokhara is the one place in Nepal where doing nothing is the correct itinerary. It is warmer and lower than Kathmandu, it is built along a lake, and the Annapurnas stand behind it close enough to feel unreasonable on a clear morning.
Day one — arrive and stop
Do not schedule anything. Walk the lakeside, find a table with a view, and let the drive fall off you. If the clouds clear in the late afternoon, the range appears above the far shore and you will understand why people extend their stay here.
Day two — up early, then nothing
Sarangkot for sunrise. Leave in the dark, arrive in the cold, and watch the range turn gold over about four minutes. Then come back, sleep, and spend the afternoon on the water. That is a full day and it should feel like one.
Day three — the far shore
Row across to the far side and walk up to the World Peace Pagoda. It is about an hour on foot through forest, and the view back over the lake with the range behind it is the best in the town. Come down for a late lunch.
Day four — choose one
- Paraglide. Pokhara is one of the world's better places to fly tandem, and it is genuinely accessible.
- Or cycle out to Begnas, the quieter lake, where almost nobody goes.
- Or do nothing at all. This is a legitimate use of the day and we would not argue.
Two nights in Pokhara is a stopover. Four is a holiday.
— Richa Adhikari