Pokhara · Batulechaur · Caves
Mahendra Cave & the Bat Cave
Two limestone caves ten minutes apart: one lit, easy and holy; the other pitch dark, alive with bats, and left by a squeeze up a rock chimney.
6 km northOpen 7am–7pmSmall fees2 hours
Two limestone caves ten minutes apart: one lit, easy and holy; the other pitch dark, alive with bats, and left by a squeeze up a rock chimney.
The Pokhara valley sits on limestone, and the rock is riddled with caves. Two of the best lie close together at Batulechaur, about 6 km north of the centre.
Mahendra Cave, named after a former king, is the easy one: a lit passage with stalactites and stalagmites, and a small shrine to Shiva deep inside where visitors leave flowers and coins.
Chamero Gufa, the Bat Cave, is the adventure. There are no lights; you walk down into a high chamber where thousands of bats hang from the ceiling, squeaking and shifting in your torch beam.
The usual way out is a narrow rock chimney you climb and wriggle through. It's short, but not for the claustrophobic or anyone in their best clothes; you can always go back the way you came.
Do Mahendra first, then the bats.
Buy a ticket and walk down into the lit passage. Mind your head where the roof drops.
Follow the path to the small Shiva shrine among the formations, then come back up to daylight.
Walk up the lane to Chamero Gufa. Local guides wait at the entrance and are worth hiring for the exit.
Climb down slippery rock into the main hall and shine your torch on the ceiling. Keep quiet and don't touch.
Squeeze and scramble up the narrow crack to the surface, or retrace your steps to the entrance.
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About 20 minutes by taxi from Lakeside. Ask the driver to wait, or walk on to the Old Bazaar afterwards.
For the Bat Cave, a local guide with a strong light makes the visit safer and shows you the way out. Agree the fee first.
No flash photography close up, no shouting and no touching. The bats are easily disturbed.
Pokhara practical notes →Photographs from Wikimedia Commons and Pexels under their licences.
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