The southern ridge: Peace Pagoda to Pumdikot

A Japanese stupa at one end, an enormous Shiva at the other, and a forest ridge between them that most visitors never walk.

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

Everybody goes to the World Peace Pagoda. Almost nobody walks on along the ridge it sits on, which continues south-east with the lake below it the whole way.

At the far end is Pumdikot, a hill with a very large Shiva statue that has become popular with Nepali visitors and is still largely unknown to foreign ones.

Two religious sites of completely different traditions, a forest ridge between them, and a view down onto Phewa for most of it.

The walk

Boat across from Lakeside, climb forty minutes through forest to the Peace Pagoda, then pick up the ridge path heading south-east rather than turning back down.

The path undulates along the crest through forest and small settlements, with gaps opening onto the lake and the valley. Two to three hours to Pumdikot at a comfortable pace.

Come back the same way, or drop down to the road and take a taxi home, which most people do because the legs have had enough by then.

The two ends

The Peace Pagoda is a Shanti Stupa built by a Japanese Buddhist order, one of a set put up around the world since the aftermath of the Second World War. Four Buddha statues, gifted by different countries, around the base.

Pumdikot is Hindu, recent, and enormous — a Shiva statue on a hilltop with a complex around it, built largely with local funds and now a significant destination for Nepali visitors. Walking between them in an afternoon is a decent short lesson in how comfortably the two religions sit alongside each other here.

Practicalities

The ridge is exposed in places and there is no water for sale between the two ends. Carry a litre.

The path is clear enough but there are junctions where local knowledge helps. If you are unsure, this is a walk worth doing with a guide, and it is a cheap half-day.

In monsoon the forest section is slick and leechy. It still works, with salt and better shoes.

Walk it with us

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

World Peace Pagoda LoopHalf day · 1,113 mRs 3,900 · See dates →Pokhara Highlights Day TourFull day · private carRs 9,200 · See dates →Sarangkot Sunrise HikeHalf day · 1,600 mRs 4,700 · See dates →

Questions we get asked

Can I drive to Pumdikot?

Yes, there is a road, and plenty of visitors do exactly that. The walk along the ridge is the better version if you have the legs.

How long does the whole thing take?

Four to five hours including the boat, the pagoda and the ridge walk to Pumdikot. Half a day comfortably.

Is there anywhere to eat?

Tea shops at both ends and very little between. Take something with you.

Best time of day?

Afternoon into sunset at Pumdikot. Morning if you want the mountains sharpest, though the ridge is really about the lake and the valley.

The World Peace Pagoda — a boat, a forest and the postcard viewRow across Phewa Lake, walk up for forty minutes, and get the shot of Pokhara that everybody recognises. The easiest real viewpoint in the valley.4 min read →Walking around Pokhara when it is rainingMonsoon and the shoulder weeks are not a write-off. The mountains hide, the forest comes alive, and half the good walking here does not need a view.6 min read →Two hours and no plan: short walks straight from LakesideFor the morning you have a gap, no transport arranged and no appetite for a project. Five walks that start where you are standing.4 min read →One day in Pokhara: what is worth your time and what is notA lake, a waterfall that disappears into a cave, a mountain museum that is better than it sounds, and a couple of stops we would quietly skip.6 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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