Four caves around Pokhara, and why the valley is full of them
Limestone, a river that vanishes into the ground, and the best thing to do here on a day when it won't stop raining.
By the Lakeshore team · 5 min read · Updated 5 October 2026
Pokhara sits on limestone. That's why the valley has a waterfall that disappears into the ground, and a set of caves running under the city.
The caves are the most weatherproof outing in Pokhara and cost almost nothing, yet most visitors see one of them at best.
Four are worth your time. We've put them in order of effort, easiest first.
Gupteshwor Mahadev
Gupteshwor is directly across the road from Davis Falls, and it's the better half of that pair. A long staircase takes you well below ground to a Shiva shrine. Further in, you reach a spot where you can see and hear the Davis Falls water arriving from the other side of the rock.
That connection is the point of the visit. The river drops into the sinkhole above, runs through the cave system, and this is where you meet it. Understand the geology and two mildly underwhelming stops become one good one. The cave is a working temple too, so leave your shoes where you're told, and expect photography to be restricted around the shrine itself.
Mahendra Gufa and the Bat Cave
Both lie north of the city, twenty minutes apart on foot, and people usually visit them as a pair. Mahendra Gufa is the tourist-friendly one, with lights and steps, and its stalactites and stalagmites are in reasonable condition given how many hands have been on them.
Chamere Gufa, the Bat Cave, is the interesting one. Inside it's dark and damp, with a colony of horseshoe bats, and the standard exit is a tight squeeze upward through a gap that not everyone gets through. There's a normal way out as well, and no shame in taking it.
Bring a torch even where there's lighting, and shoes with grip, because both cave floors are wet.
Siddha Gufa, at Bandipur
Siddha Gufa is the largest cave in Nepal, an hour's walk down from Bandipur on the Kathmandu road. A narrow entrance opens into a very large chamber with big formations.
This cave hasn't been tidied up for visitors, so expect dust, uneven ground and unlit stretches. Guides wait at the entrance and are worth taking, for the route and because they know which formation is which. Allow half a day for the round trip, and the walk back up is the workout. It pairs well with a night in Bandipur when you break the drive between Kathmandu and Pokhara. To add it to our Bandipur overnight, ask us.
Why there are so many
Most of the Pokhara valley floor is limestone, laid down and then buried under debris washed off the Annapurnas. Water moving through limestone dissolves it, and over a long time that makes sinkholes, underground rivers and caverns.
Davis Falls is the most visible sign of it. The Pardi Khola simply disappears into the ground instead of carrying on along the surface.
The same process is why sinkholes occasionally open in the valley. That's a story for the local news, not something visitors need to worry about, but it explains the ground you're standing on better than any sign at a cave entrance will.
Walk it with us
Private departures on your dates, guided by the people who wrote this page.
Questions we get asked
Are the caves suitable for children?
Gupteshwor and Mahendra, yes, with a hand on the wet steps. The Bat Cave squeeze isn't for everyone, and Siddha Gufa means a long walk plus rough ground.
Do I need a guide?
Not for Gupteshwor or Mahendra. Worth taking at the Bat Cave if you want the exit route explained, and at Siddha Gufa, where guides wait at the entrance. Gupteshwor is also on our Pokhara Highlights day tour.
Is it claustrophobic?
Mahendra and Gupteshwor are open enough for most people. The Bat Cave exit is a tight squeeze, so if that isn't for you, walk back out the way you came in.
Best time to visit?
Any time, which is why they're our rainy-day answer. In the monsoon the caves are wetter and Davis Falls is at its most dramatic, so the wet season is arguably the better one for this outing.
Still deciding?
Tell us your dates, and we'll tell you whether Pokhara Highlights Day Tour is right for you. If it isn't, we'll say so.
Nothing to pay online. We confirm your dates first.
Or call the office +977 61-457830