Running and walking from your Lakeside hotel

Flat routes along the water, a hill for repeats if you want one, and the two hours of the day when the air is worth breathing.

By Dawa Gurung · 5 min read · Updated 1 August 2026

Visitors who run tend to assume Pokhara is impossible for it — the traffic, the heat, the hills. It is actually one of the better places in Nepal to keep a routine, as long as you go early.

The same routes work as a gentle walk for anyone who wants to move without committing to a day out.

Everything below starts from Lakeside on foot.

The lakeside strip

The main Lakeside road runs a few kilometres along the water, and before about seven in the morning it is quiet, cool and pleasant. After eight it is buses, dogs and dust.

Out and back along the strip toward Damside gives you a flat six to eight kilometres on tarmac with the lake beside you most of the way. It is not scenic in the way the hills are, but it is easy, safe and repeatable.

The dam at the southern end is a natural turnaround, and there are quieter lanes behind the main road if you would rather avoid vehicles altogether.

The northern shore

Head north past the far end of Lakeside toward the Pame road and the strip thins out into villages, fields and a much quieter lakeshore.

This is the pleasantest flat running or walking near the town, with the lake on one side and terraces climbing away on the other. Ten kilometres out and back without meeting much at all.

It also passes some of the quieter guesthouses, which are worth knowing about if the Lakeside strip is not your thing.

If you want a hill

The road up to Sarangkot is 800 m of climbing over roughly ten kilometres and it is a serious piece of running. Local and visiting runners use it for repeats and it is the standard benchmark here.

Do it very early. The road carries paragliding jeeps and tourist vans from around nine and it is unpleasant to share. The path up to the World Peace Pagoda from the far side of the lake is a shorter, shadier alternative — forty minutes of steep steps, which is a decent session in itself.

Practical notes

Altitude here is about 800 m, which is low enough that it will not affect you. The heat and humidity will, especially from April.

Dogs are around, generally uninterested, occasionally territorial at night. Running after dark is not recommended and not because of people.

Pavements are inconsistent and vehicles do not expect runners. Face the traffic, wear something visible, and do not use headphones on the main road.

If you are here to trek, gentle running in the days before is fine but this is not the moment to start a new training block. Arrive rested.

Walk it with us

Private departures on your dates, guided by the people who wrote this page.

Sarangkot Sunrise HikeHalf day · 1,600 mRs 4,700 · See dates →World Peace Pagoda LoopHalf day · 1,113 mRs 3,900 · See dates →Australian Camp Sunrise HikeFull day · 2,060 mRs 7,900 · See dates →

Questions we get asked

Is it safe to run alone as a woman?

In the early morning on the Lakeside strip and the northern shore, yes — there are people about and it is a well-used area. As anywhere, trust your read of a quiet stretch over your reluctance to turn back.

Are there trail running routes?

Plenty, once you leave the valley floor — Sarangkot ridge, Panchase, and the Australian Camp trail. They are steep, stepped and rocky rather than runnable in the European sense.

What about air quality?

Winter mornings can hold an inversion with woodsmoke and dust. Early is better than late; after rain is better than before it.

Can I run before a trek?

Gently, yes. Do not arrive tired — the first two days of a trek are more demanding than most people plan for.

Four Pokhara day hikes, ranked by how little effort they needYou do not need a week and a permit to stand in front of the Annapurnas. Here are the four walks we send people on when they have one free morning.6 min read →Sunrise or sunset? Which Pokhara viewpoint for which lightEveryone gets up at half past four for Sarangkot. Half of them would have had a better time going out at five in the afternoon instead.5 min read →Walking for the stars: night skies above PokharaGet an hour above the town lights in winter and the sky is extraordinary. Where to go, when, and how not to break an ankle getting down.5 min read →How to do the Sarangkot sunrise properlyEveryone drives up in the dark and stands on the same tower. There is a better version of this morning, and it costs you one afternoon.5 min read →

Still deciding?

Tell us your dates and how much walking you have actually done, and we will tell you honestly whether this trek is the right one for you.

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