Two hours and no plan, short walks straight from Lakeside
Five walks that start where you're standing, for a morning with a gap in it, no transport arranged and no appetite for a project.
By the Lakeshore team · 4 min read · Updated 5 October 2026
Not every walk needs a taxi, a permit and a five o'clock alarm. Sometimes there's a gap between breakfast and a bus, and you just want to be outside.
All of these start on foot from Lakeside, need nothing arranged in advance, and take about two hours including the sitting down.
In rough order of effort.
The lakeshore north
Walk north along the lake past the end of the main strip and keep going. The restaurants thin out, the road gets quieter, and within twenty minutes you're among fields with the water on your left.
There's no climbing at all, and it's the best flat walking in Pokhara. Turn around whenever you like. Go early, when the fishermen are out and the lake is flat calm.
The boat-and-back
Row across to the far shore, walk twenty or thirty minutes up the forest path toward the Peace Pagoda, and come back down without finishing the climb if you're short of time.
The forest is the best part, and it starts right away. You don't need to reach the stupa for the walk to be worth it.
Allow about two hours door to door if you turn around halfway.
The Damside loop
Head south along the lakeside road to the dam at the far end, cross it, and come back up the other side. Flat and urban, it shows you a different and much less touristy part of town.
The dam itself is worth a stop for the view back up the lake toward the mountains.
Around two hours at a stroll.
The Sarangkot lower slopes
You don't have to go to the top. Walk out of Lakeside on the road toward Sarangkot, take the path off it, and climb through the villages on the lower slopes for an hour before you turn back.
You gain enough height for the view to open up over the lake, and you get village walking instead of a viewpoint. The path is steep, so the way down is quick.
Bindhyabasini and the old town
Take a taxi to the old bazaar, walk the street, climb the small hill to the temple and walk back. It's flat apart from the temple steps, it's all old town and temple, and it works in any weather.
The old town is the one on this list that isn't really about the outdoors, and the one people are most surprised by.
Walk it with us
Private departures on your dates, guided by the people who wrote this page.
Questions we get asked
Do I need anything for these?
Water, sun cream and a hat. That's all you need.
Which is best if I only have one gap?
The boat and the forest path. It's the only one of these that gets you onto the water and into the trees in the same two hours.
Are they safe alone?
Yes, all of them, in daylight. The lakeshore and Damside are busy enough that you're never far from people.
Can I do these in monsoon?
All of them, with a jacket. The lake in drizzle is atmospheric, and the old town is the same in any weather.
Still deciding?
Tell us your dates and how much walking you've done, and we'll tell you whether World Peace Pagoda Loop 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