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City guide

Pokhara, Nepal

Pokhara is a metropolitan city located in central Nepal, which serves as the capital of Gandaki Province. Named the country's "capital of tourism" it is the second largest city after Kathmandu, with 600,051 inhabitants living in 120,594 households as of 2021 census.

Type CityPopulation 600,051

Why go

  • Metropolitan city in Gandaki Province, Nepal.
  • Served by Pokhara Domestic Airport (PKR).

History

Pokhara is a metropolitan city located in central Nepal, which serves as the capital of Gandaki Province. Named the country's "capital of tourism" it is the second largest city after Kathmandu, with 600,051 inhabitants living in 120,594 households as of 2021 census.

Restaurants & places to go

Palette Dessert Café
Coffee, Ice Cream, Cake, Cafe · Premium Dessert Shop all the way from Macau. Opening hours: Mo-Su 09:00-22:00 Features: outdoor seating · Hallanchowk,… · facebook.com
Indoor
Hungry Eye
Regional, Western, Indian, Restaurant · Opening hours: 06:00-18:00 · hotellandmarkpokhara.com
Indoor
Fresh Elements Restaurant
Pizza, Burger, Seafood, French, Grill, Regional, Italian, Coffee Shop, Sandwich, Chinese, Breakfast, Indian, Cake, Salad, Juice, Dessert, Restaurant · Opening… · freshelementsrestaurant.com.np
Indoor
Crown Plaza Himalayas
American, Asian, Chicken, Chinese, Japanese, Pasta, Restaurant · Opening hours: 24/7 Features: vegetarian options · 49.9 Peaceful Road, Pokhara · crownhimalayas.com
Indoor
Forest Sports and Recreation Center
Burger, Regional, Chicken, Pizza, Coffee Shop, American, Italian, Sandwich, Asian, French, Restaurant · Opening hours: 24/7 · 6X79+F6 Hallan Chowk Road · forestsportsarena.com
Indoor
Godfather's Pizzeria
Pasta, Pizza, Restaurant · Opening hours: Mo-Su 08:00-20:30 · Baidam Road, 33700 · godfatherspizzeria.com
Indoor
Godfather's Pizzeria-2
Italian Pizza, Restaurant · Opening hours: Mo-Su 08:00-23:00 · 6 Baidam Road, 33700 · godfatherspizzeria.com
Indoor
Mamma Mai Restaurant
Indian, Kebab, Fish, Curry, Chicken, Burger, Restaurant · Opening hours: Mo-Su 11:00-23:00 · Baidam Road · facebook.com
Indoor

292 more places in the Ultimate edition. See the Ultimate edition →

Airports

Gautam Buddha International Airport (BWA) 97 km to the centre
Siddharthanagar (Bhairahawa), P5, NP — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 1 airline (Yeti Airways) · direct flights to 1 destination incl. Kathmandu (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 1 airline, 1 direct destination

Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.

Indoor
Pokhara International Airport (PHH) 3.7 km to the centre
Pokhara, P4, NP — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather.
Indoor
Pokhara Domestic Airport (PKR) 1.4 km to the centre
Pokhara, P4, NP — Indoor waiting areas, but some gates board by bus or on foot across the apron — plan for the weather on the day. ✈ 1 airline (Yeti Airways) · direct flights to 1 destination incl. Kathmandu (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 1 airline, 1 direct destination

Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.

Indoor | Outdoor
Baglung Airport (BGL) 32 km to the centre
Baglung, P4, NP — Indoor waiting area, but you walk out to the aircraft to board — bring an umbrella or a coat if the forecast is poor.
Indoor | Outdoor
Manang Airport (NGX) 49 km to the centre
Ngawal, P4, NP — Indoor waiting area, but you walk out to the aircraft to board — bring an umbrella or a coat if the forecast is poor.
Indoor | Outdoor
Jomsom Airport (JMO) 69 km to the centre
Jomsom, P4, NP — Indoor waiting area, but you walk out to the aircraft to board — bring an umbrella or a coat if the forecast is poor.
Indoor | Outdoor

Getting there by ferry

Ferry (only to fish tail lodge)
Ferry terminal · 2.8 km from the centre
Outdoor

Where things are

Full geo-intelligence in Better Mapping →
Local search powered by Geoverts and geo-intelligence by Better Mapping base map © OSM

Photographs

Pokhara, Nepal
Pokhara, Nepal
credit: Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons · See source page

When to go

Tourist season
May – September

The warmer, longer-day half of the year is the safest bet for a first visit.

Shoulder season
April, October

Cooler and quieter, with fewer visitors and better value.

Worth avoiding
Deep winter

Short days and the coldest weather — check local conditions before travelling.

Getting there & around

Getting there. The nearest airport on record is Pokhara Domestic Airport (PKR); 6 other airports serve the wider area. Check rail and road links from the tourism sources below. By air: PKR has direct flights to 1 destination on 1 airline (incl. Kathmandu). By water: 1 ferry terminal within 20 km (nearest: Ferry (only to fish tail lodge), 2.8 km).

Getting around. Use the map above to orient yourself; nearby hotels, attractions and places to eat are listed from the live Ultimate data for Pokhara, Nepal. Local transit details will be added as the guide is expanded.

Private aviation

On-demand charter, jet cards and the semi-private scheduled carriers that serve this city.

Air Charter Service
Broker · Any aircraft via operators worldwide · Global charter broker with 30+ offices; private jets, group charters and cargo.
ExecuJet
FBO, charter, management · Managed fleet · FBO network and management across Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific.
Flexjet
Fractional, jet card · Embraer Praetor, Bombardier Challenger & Global, Gulfstream · Fractional ownership and jet cards in North America and Europe.
Global Jet
Charter, management · Large-cabin & VIP airliners · Geneva-based operator known for large-cabin and VIP airliner charters.
Jet Aviation
Charter, management, FBO, MRO · Managed fleet worldwide · General Dynamics company: charter, completions and FBOs in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the US.