One day in Pokhara, what to see and what to skip
A lake, a waterfall that disappears into a cave, a mountain museum that's better than it sounds, and a couple of stops we'd quietly skip.
By the Lakeshore team · 6 min read · Updated 5 October 2026
Most people treat Pokhara as a place to arrive before a trek and recover after one. The town deserves a day of its own, and a day is enough for the good parts if you're organised about it.
This is the order we'd do it in. One or two of the standard tour stops are underwhelming, and you shouldn't feel bad about skipping them. We live here, so read this as local opinion.
Early morning on the lake
Get onto Phewa Lake before nine, while the water is flat and the mountains sit in it the way they do on the postcards. Row out to Tal Barahi, the small pagoda temple on its island, which is a working shrine and busy with local worshippers more than tourists.
Hire the boat by the hour, not by the trip. It's better value, and you can sit still in the middle of the lake for a while, which is what you came out for.
If the mountains are out, this is the hour they'll be clearest. By eleven the haze usually has them.
Davis Falls and the cave at midday
Davis Falls, Patale Chhango to locals, is where the Pardi Khola drops into a sinkhole and vanishes underground. In the monsoon it's a torrent. In the dry season it's a modest waterfall behind a railing with a lot of souvenir stalls, and we'll tell you so.
Gupteshwor Mahadev cave, directly across the road, is the better half of the pair. You go a long way underground to a Shiva shrine, and further in you can see the Davis Falls water arriving from the other side. Expect it dark, damp and properly cave-like. Go to both together or neither, because on its own neither justifies the taxi.
Afternoon in the old town, which most visitors miss
Pokhara's Old Bazaar, north of the lake, is the original town, with Newari merchant houses and their carved wooden windows, small temples, and metalworkers and cloth shops still in business. Twenty minutes from Lakeside, and a century away from it.
Bindhyabasini temple sits on a small hill at the top of the old town. Locals come here as pilgrims, especially on Saturdays, so expect a busy temple more than a tourist stop.
If the day gets squeezed, this is the part we'd protect. Lakeside is pleasant, but it's mostly built for visitors. The old bazaar is the town people live in.
Sunset at the pagoda, or an evening in Lakeside
If you have the energy, finish at the World Peace Pagoda for sunset. Take a boat across, walk up for forty minutes, and watch the light go over the lake.
Otherwise, Lakeside in the evening does what it does well, with a long strip of restaurants, live music in a dozen of them, and the lake in the dark. It's a tourist street and makes no apology for it, and a pleasant place to end a day. With a second day, go to Begnas Lake to the east, which is quieter, greener and barely developed by comparison. That's where people from Pokhara go when they want a day off.
Walk it with us
Private departures on your dates, guided by the people who wrote this page.
Questions we get asked
Is a guided day tour worth it, or should I just use taxis?
Taxis work fine and Pokhara is easy to get around. A guide earns the fee in the old bazaar and the museum, where context is most of the value, and matters less at the lake. Our day tour covers the guide, a car and driver, and the entry tickets.
What should I skip if I am short on time?
Davis Falls in the dry season, and the various small 'view points' that charge an entry fee. Keep the lake, the cave, the old bazaar and the pagoda.
How much should a day of taxis cost?
Agree a rate for the whole day up front, not per trip. Your hotel will tell you the going number, and it's usually a fraction of what a packaged tour costs.
Is Pokhara worth a day in monsoon?
Yes. This is the itinerary that works when the mountains are hidden, because the cave, the museum and the old town are all weather-proof.
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