The flat walk: Pokhara's old town on foot

Two hours, no hills, and the part of Pokhara that existed before the tourists. Carved windows, a hilltop temple and a working market.

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

Lakeside is about fifty years old and was built for visitors. Pokhara's old bazaar, north of the lake, is several centuries older and is where the town actually came from — a trading settlement on the route between the hills and the plains.

Twenty minutes by taxi, and almost nobody goes. The whole route is flat, which makes it the walk for a day when your legs are finished or the weather has closed in.

Two hours on foot, no climbing except one small hill at the end.

The bazaar

A long street of Newari-influenced merchant houses — brick, with carved wooden windows and shuttered ground-floor shops opening straight onto the road.

The trades are still there: metalworkers, cloth merchants, grain sellers, and shops selling the things a hill household actually needs rather than singing bowls. This is a working street, not a preserved one, and some of it is falling down. Walk it slowly and look up. The upper storeys are where the carving is, and it is easy to miss at street level.

Bindhyabasini

At the northern end, a small hill with a temple complex on top — Bindhyabasini, dedicated to Durga, and one of the most important Hindu sites in Pokhara.

Expect local worshippers rather than visitors, particularly on Saturdays and at festivals, and there is usually something going on. Shoes off, ask before photographing people, and be aware that animal sacrifice happens here on certain days.

The view from the top takes in the old town and, on a clear day, the mountains behind.

Making a day of it

Combine it with the International Mountain Museum, which is on the same side of town and is far better than it sounds — Himalayan climbing history, the Sherpa community and Nepal's ethnic groups, all indoors.

Or with the Gupteshwor cave and Davis Falls, which are south rather than north but close enough by taxi.

That combination — old town, museum, caves — is the standing answer to a wet day in Pokhara, and a good one.

Walk it with us

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

Pokhara Highlights Day TourFull day · private carRs 9,200 · See dates →World Peace Pagoda LoopHalf day · 1,113 mRs 3,900 · See dates →Bandipur Overnight Escape2 days · incl. hotelRs 20,000 · See dates →

Questions we get asked

Is it worth it if I have limited time?

If you have three days in Pokhara, yes — it is the only part of town that is not built for you. With one day, the lake and a viewpoint come first.

Do I need a guide?

Not to walk it. A guide earns their fee here more than almost anywhere else in Pokhara, because the buildings and the trades need explaining.

Is it accessible?

The bazaar street is flat with uneven paving. The temple involves steps. Easier going than most of Nepal.

Can I buy things?

Yes, and at local prices rather than Lakeside ones. Spices, brassware and cloth are the things worth looking at.

Underground Pokhara: four caves and why the valley is full of themLimestone, a river that vanishes into the ground, and the best thing to do here on a day when it will not stop raining.5 min read →Pokhara after dark: what to do when the walking is doneLive music on the strip, a lake that empties at dusk, and the two places locals go that no visitor finds.5 min read →Yoga, meditation and doing very little: what is actually hereRetreats, courses and quiet places, in a town full of signs offering all three. We do not run any of it — here is how to tell the good from the packaged.6 min read →Travelling in Nepal with limited mobility: an honest assessmentMost of the country is genuinely difficult, and a real amount of it is possible. Here is which is which, without the encouragement or the dismissal.6 min read →

Still deciding?

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