Pokhara's best short outing: a rowboat across Phewa Lake, an hour's climb through shaded forest to a white stupa above the water, the Annapurnas on the skyline, and a ridge path down to a roaring waterfall and a sacred cave.
The Shanti Stupa, or World Peace Pagoda, was built by monks of the Japanese Nipponzan Myōhōji order on the Anadu ridge across the lake from Lakeside, one of a chain of peace pagodas around the world.
The classic way up is by water: hire a rowboat or take the ferry across Phewa Lake to the jetty below the ridge, then climb about an hour on a stone path through shaded forest. From the white stupa, gilded Buddhas look out over the lake and the city to Machapuchare and the Annapurnas. Go in the morning before haze builds and clouds cover the peaks.
Return along the ridge and down to Davis Falls, where the lake's outflow plunges into a gorge and vanishes underground, and the Gupteshwor Mahadev cave across the road, a Shiva shrine with steps down to the underground river. On rest days you can also walk the flat way: along the lake south through Damside, over the dam and on to the falls. Bring water; there are only a couple of tea shops on the way.
A loop that uses the lake on the way out and the ridge on the way back.
Hire a boat with or without a rower from the stands in Lakeside, about half an hour across to the jetty below the pagoda ridge.
A stone path climbs steadily through shady forest with glimpses back over the lake, past a few village houses and tea stalls.
Walk round the stupa clockwise, shoes off on the upper terrace, and look north to the Annapurna range above the city.
Follow the road and paths along the ridge south-east and down to the Siddhartha highway near Chhorepatan.
Visit Patale Chhango, the "underworld falls", then cross to Gupteshwor cave before a taxi or bus back to Lakeside.
Boat hire is priced per hour from the official stands in Lakeside; agree the return time if your rower is to wait.
The stupa is free; Davis Falls and Gupteshwor cave each charge a small fee.
Walk the forest path in daylight and with company; there have been occasional thefts on lonely stretches.
Pokhara practical notes →
Sunrise over the Annapurnas, then west to Naudanda.
A grassy clearing facing the Fishtail.
A ridge between two quiet lakes.
Rhododendron forest above Phewa Lake.
The classic short teahouse trek.
A ridge straight at the Fishtail.
Wikimedia Commons photographs are used under their licences; Pexels photographs under the Pexels licence.
