The best trips are those that were never planned and the best experiences are those that you never imagined. This is the best way I can explain my recent impromptu backpacking trip to the city of Pokhara in Nepal. I will be sharing a basic short backpacking itinerary that anyone can use to enjoy a few but exciting days in this city.
My trip to Nepal was not planned at all. Not a single thing had been decided including how I was going to enter the country and which places I was going to visit. This idea suddenly sprouted in my mind when I was chatting with a few friends I made at the place I was couch surfing at in Varanasi.
They said they were headed
to Nepal for 3 months in a few days and that just left me dumbfounded. I wanted
to go stay in the mountains for a while to relax & decompress as it was my first
trip after my accident, a long gap of 15 months. So instead of going to North
India, I joined my new friend Lukas and we left for Pokhara together.
This is the itinerary I would suggest for a short backpacking excursion to Pokhara:
· Day 1: Arrive in Pokhara. Unwind and relax for the rest of the day/evening.
Yes, obviously I will be elaborating this itinerary and explain exactly what you can do. I will also cover the FAQs like places to visit in Pokhara, what to eat in Pokhara and others of the sort. But this is a glimpse of what I’m suggesting that you can copy or take a screengrab of & share with your friends if you want.
Before you read the
detailed itinerary, let me clarify that I have built it for a short backpacking
excursion. If you’re aware, most backpackers just chill in one place for a few
days (at times even weeks if they like the place & the weather). So if you
follow this plan, your day will be rather relaxed without too many strenuous
activities except when you do the adventure sports of course!
I stayed in Pokhara for 7
days and literally did nothing. I simply enjoyed listening to music on the
rooftop of my hotel with friends I made there, sipping on coffee or tea or
maybe a beer. I roamed the streets during the day chatting with the locals,
trying different Nepali delicacies and practicing speaking a little bit of
Nepali. Here’s the detailed version of the backpacking itinerary for Pokhara,
Nepal.
Pokhara Backpacking Itinerary
JOUR 1 (Jour means Day in French)
So you will arrive in
Pokhara today either in the morning or at night depending on your mode of
transportation and the place you’re coming from. Irrespective of when you
arrive, all you will be doing is sitting back and relaxing in your hostel or
homestay; maybe even making a few friends over some Gorkha beer (it’s a local
brew).
How to reach Pokhara?
Now, there are only two
modes of transportation connecting to Pokhara from anywhere: air and road. The
Pokhara airport (PKR) currently caters only to domestic traffic and thus one
can only fly in from 4 destinations namely Kathmandu (KTM), Bhairahawa (BWA),
Bharatpur (BHR) and Jomsom (JMO) and there are 2 air carriers operational daily.
But there’s some good news for international travelers. As of August 2019,
plans are in motion to construct Nepal’s 2nd international airport so
in a few years reaching Pokhara by air will be much easier.
Road transport on the
other is abundant and significantly cheaper than air travel. Buses run on a
daily basis from the Sonauli/Sunauli border near Gorakhpur, India to Pokhara as
well as from Kathmandu. Barring a few bad patches of road in certain areas,
Nepal is well connected by roads.
Sonauli Border to Pokhara:
|
|
Fare
|
Travel Duration
|
|
Flight (from Bhairahawa airport)
|
~ US$ 150
|
~ 25 min
|
|
Local bus
|
~ US$ 5
|
~ 09 h 30 min
|
|
Tourist class bus (without AC)
|
~ US$ 7
|
~ 09 h
|
|
Tourist class bus (with AC)
|
~ US$ 9
|
~ 08 h
|
Kathmandu to Pokhara:
|
|
Fare
|
Travel Duration
|
|
Flight (from Kathmandu airport)
|
~ US$ 150
|
~ 30 min
|
|
Local bus
|
~ US$ 3
|
~ 08 h 30 min
|
|
Tourist class bus (without AC)
|
~ US$ 5
|
~ 07 h 30 min
|
|
Tourist class bus (with AC)
|
US$ 10 to US$ 25
|
~ 07 h
|
*These prices are for
travelers with nationalities other than Nepalese.
JOUR 2
Wake up as and when you
like. Have some breakfast at your hostel itself or take to the streets and find
a café. After you’ve sipped on some coffee, just roam the streets of Pokhara.
It’s your 1st day in the city so just wander about making friends,
chatting with locals at cafés or restaurants, maybe do some window shopping (at
least that’s what I did LOL!) or just sit by the lakeside of the serene Fewa Lake
enjoying the cool breeze & tranquility.
I know it looks like you
would be doing nothing the entire day but that’s what I intend to share; doing ‘nothing’
isn’t as easy as it sounds. As a backpacker, you will often be chilling in a single
place/destination for a rather long time and do nothing exciting. For me, that’s
what makes backpacking & slow travel intriguing & fun.
Take my case, I spent a
week in Pokhara and didn’t do a single thing a ‘tourist’ would do. The exception
being, the day of Holi festival (Indian festival of colors) which I celebrated
with my hostel mates for almost 8 hours in the streets of Pokhara. I had a
blast throwing colors, drinking beers & dancing to amazing music with
incredible people like Eimeil, Ludo, Vincent, Eve, Sophie, Pooja, Pierre, Rudy,
Pol, Lenny, Amit, Asaf, Pritam and many others. So like me, sit back &
immerse yourself in nature & the ambiance of the city for this one day.
 |
| We were blessed with this spectacular view while we were celebrating Holi |
 |
| After 8 hours...... |
JOUR 3
Today you will be doing
some touristy things that show up on Trip
Advisor or Google when you search “things
to do in Pokhara” or “Pokhara sightseeing”. Unfortunately for this you’ll have
to wake up a bit early say by 5:30-6:00 AM and immediately head out to witness
a bewitching sunrise by the Fewa Lake.
Have your breakfast at one
of the several cafés or restaurants on the lakeside and then either take a
local bus or hire a cab to visit the Global Peace Pagoda. On your way back to
the city stop by the Devil’s waterfall and visit the ancient caves under it.
After having lunch you can either enjoy a relaxed boat ride in the Fewa Lake or
you can opt for something a bit more exciting like paddle boarding or maybe
fishing.
 |
| Fewa Lake as seen from the Global Peace Pagoda |
JOUR 4
The 4th day
will give you an adrenaline rush that’ll probably last a few days. After doing
some research on the internet & asking around in the adventure sports shops
in the city, you can settle on which activities you’d like to go for. Keep in
mind that all these exciting sports are usually a bit expensive so opt
carefully. Being injured & suffering neurological damage I wasn’t permitted
to do any activities that could cause further damage to my muscles/nerves but I
definitely recommend every one of you to try out at least a couple of them. I
hear the experience is enthralling.
I know you can get all
this information that too in-depth on the internet but since you’re here, I
have made a list of a few adventure sports activities available in and around
Pokhara, and the prices.
|
·
Zip lining
Pricing:
~US$ 40.
Top
speed achieved: around 100 km/h (60 mi/h).
·
Kayaking
Location:
Seti River.
Pricing:
~US$ 65.
Duration:
about 1½ hour.
·
White water rafting
Location:
Bhote Kosi River.
Pricing:
~US$ 50.
Duration:
about 1 hour.
·
Canyoning/Canyon Swing
Location:
Panglang.
Pricing:
US$ 80 to US$ 120.
|
·
Paragliding
Pricing:
US$ 95 onwards.
Duration:
20 minutes to 1½ hour (cross country).
·
Hang Gliding
Location:
Sarangkot.
Pricing:
US$ 100 onwards.
Duration:
20 minutes to 1 hour.
·
Ultralight Flight
(lightweight aircraft)
Pricing:
US$ 80 onwards.
Duration:
15 minutes to 1½ hour.
·
Bungee Jumping
Pricing:
US$ 30 onwards.
Height:
160 meters.
|
*The prices that I’ve
mentioned may vary depending on the influx of tourists as well as the adventure
company you opt.
After an action-packed
day, return to your hostel or homestay and enjoy the peaceful clime that is
Pokhara.
JOUR 5
Just like your 2nd
day in the city, you will simply let loose and relax. Roam the streets, try
local cuisine, and maybe learn a few words of a new language from your hostel
buddies like I did with my mate Vincent who helped me with German. Use this day
to plan your onward journey- where you’ll be going and for how long. Spending
this day may seem unnecessary but I recommend you to take some rest and unwind.
 |
| The view from the rooftop of my hostel- Bespoke! |
 |
| I made a friend on the lakeside and we hung out for a few hours! |
What to eat in Pokhara?
All sorts of cuisines as
well as ‘dietary preference’ friendly are available in Pokhara. Vegetarian,
Non-vegetarian and Vegan cafés and restaurants are spread out in the city.
Those interested in local cuisine must try momos, jhol momos, thukpa, and
Newari khaja. Hummus, pita bread, shawarma, and falafel are quite popular in
Pokhara along with strong freshly brewed coffee, rice beer called Chhang and
rice whiskey known as Rakshi.
 |
| My vegan breakfast |
 |
| Jhol momos and some Rakshi |
JOUR 6
Bid farewell to the
wonderful city of Pokhara and leave for your next destination.
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