How To Reach Pokhara

The core of all major tourism in Nepal, Pokhara is a metropolitan city that is located in the foothills of the mighty Himalayas. The city is located at an altitude of around 900 m and displays a perfect contrast of breathtaking beauty in its landscapes, coupled with action-packed sporting events being carried out in the skies and land alike all around you. Irrespective of what background you come from, no matter what you are looking for, in Pokhara, you are destined to find a myriad of choices to bring a new dimension to your travel experiences. Here is a quick guide on the easiest ways to reach Pokhara.

Pokhara has its own landing field, which means you can conveniently fly out directly to Pokhara Airport from the domestic terminal of the international airport in Kathmandu (Tribhuvan International Airport) or the domestic airports located in major cities all across Nepal. Reputable airlines like Buddha Air, Yeti Airlines, and Simrik Air operate on a daily basis between Pokhara and Kathmandu. Travel time between the two cities is roughly 40 minutes. Throughout the short flight, you will be able to appreciate the spectacle of rolling countryside and magnificent mountain views.

The only downside to flying out to Pokhara is the unreliability of timings since domestic flights in Nepal are largely dependent on local climactic conditions, and can often be delayed due to bad weather or buildup of incoming and outbound flights.

Most of the travelers choose to travel to Pokhara from Kathmandu, in which case there are a number of options if you decide to hit the road. The distance between the two cities is just over 210 km, but the bumpy and uneven terrain means this relatively short distance can take a while to cover, depending on your means of travel.

The most common way to get from Kathmandu to Pokhara is through buses. Ranging from standard to super deluxe, you can opt for tourist buses which start from Kantipath in Kathmandu at 7 am every day. You can check out companies like Jagdamba Travels or Travel Nepal that offer luxury benefits with their select bus services, which will make your 6-7 hour journey to Pokhara a breezy experience. Local buses are also available on an hourly basis from Kalanki Bus Stop or New Bus Park Station in Kathmandu, but their timings tend to be a tad unreliable and may take longer to reach your destination because of frequent stopovers.

In case you plan to visit Pokhara directly from India, you can opt to travel to one of the cities closest to the Sunauli border crossing, most likely Gorakhpur or Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, and cross into Nepal to catch a direct bus or private car to Pokhara, which is approximately 8 hours away.

There are no train options within Nepal to get from one city to another. If you are travelling from India, your closest option is to catch a train to Jayanagar, New Jaipalguri (NJP) or Gorakhpur, get to the corresponding border crossing (Panitanki or Sunauli), and then board a bus to Pokhara via Kathmandu.

Pokhara is a town that is best explored on foot, especially if you are there for sightseeing. You can also hire two-wheelers or bicycles to get to difficult spots like World Peace Pagoda or Sarangkot. All the other popular routes are covered by cheap public transports as well.