How to do the Sarangkot sunrise properly

Everyone 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.

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

Sarangkot is the view that ends up on the front of every Pokhara brochure: a ridge at 1,592 m looking north at Dhaulagiri, the Annapurnas and Machhapuchhre, with Phewa Lake in the valley behind you.

The drive from Lakeside takes twenty-five minutes, which is why almost everybody arrives in a van at half past five in the morning, files onto a concrete viewing tower with two hundred other people, and leaves an hour later. That works. It is also the least interesting way to spend this particular morning, and the alternative is not much harder.

The better version: walk up the day before

From Lakeside you can walk to Sarangkot in about two and a half to three hours, up through Bindhyabasini temple and a series of stone staircases and village paths. That is a proper climb of nearly 800 m, and a pleasure in the late afternoon once the heat has gone.

Sleep in one of the lodges on the ridge. Watch sunset over the lake, which almost nobody stays for and which is arguably the better light of the two. Then walk fifteen minutes to the viewpoint at dawn instead of driving an hour. In the morning you walk back down through the villages — Kaskikot, terraced fields, people going to school and to work — and you are back in Lakeside for a late breakfast. It turns a photo stop into an actual day.

If you are driving up anyway

Leave earlier than you are told. In peak season the tower fills before first light and the difference between arriving at 5:15 and 5:40 is whether you are at the railing or behind three rows of phones.

Then walk away from it. Five minutes east along the ridge there are open terraces with the identical view and almost nobody on them. Any local will point you in the right direction, and the walk itself is where the morning gets good.

Bring a warm layer even in spring. It is dark, you are not moving, and the ridge sits in the wind. People who dressed for Pokhara at noon are miserable by 5:30 am.

The paragliding connection

Sarangkot is also the launch site for Pokhara's tandem paragliding, which is one of the best flying sites in the world. The take-off field is a few minutes from the viewpoint.

If you are undecided about flying, this is the place to make up your mind: sit with a tea from about nine in the morning and watch twenty canopies inflate and go. Half an hour of that tells you more than any review will.

Practically, plenty of people combine the two — sunrise on the ridge, breakfast, then a flight when the thermals start working around ten. It makes an excellent half day.

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 →Sarangkot Tandem Paragliding30–40 min flightRs 11,900 · See dates →Australian Camp Sunrise HikeFull day · 2,060 mRs 7,900 · See dates →

Questions we get asked

How early do I need to leave Lakeside?

Around 4:45 am in winter and 5:00 am in spring and autumn, but we confirm the night before against the actual sunrise time rather than using a fixed number.

Can I walk up without a guide?

Yes. The route is obvious enough and there are people on it. A guide is worth having if you want the villages and the history rather than just the climb.

Is the view worth it in monsoon?

Honestly, often not — the mountains are behind cloud most mornings from June to August. The lake and the valley are still beautiful and there are occasional spectacular clear windows after overnight rain. Set expectations low and you may be pleasantly surprised.

Is there anywhere to eat at the top?

Several tea shops and small lodges, open early for exactly this reason. Hot lemon and an omelette after sunrise is part of the experience.

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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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