Pokhara Travel

Local Transportation
A taxi to the airport from Lakeside is around Rs 125.

Tourist buses usually arrive at the Main bus stand, two or three km from the main areas to stay at Lakeside and Damside, to where it cost around Rs 50 to Rs 70 to get to. On arrival you can expect to be attacked by taxi drivers and touts who will often tell you enough negative things about the hotel that you request to go to that you almost want to cry.

It cost Rs 50 to Rs 70 by taxi to go from the Baglung Highway bus stand on the west side of town, where you get the bus to the Annapurna region. If you are arriving from the south on the Siddhartha Highway you could ask to be dropped off at Damside (ask for Pardi, the local name).
Taxis hang out around the airport, bus stands and at the circle at the beginning of Lakeside. It is often easier to have your hotel arrange a taxi. The taxis have meters, but most drivers will not use them. Foreigners are expected to pay a high price. To get around the area it could be a good idea to get a taxi for the day. It should cost around Rs 1400 per day, plus petrol. For a long trip and to stay over night should costs more.

There are regular buses between the airport, lake and bazaar. The buses for the most part move rather slow in Pokhara.

You can rent bike in the Damside and Lakeside areas for around Rs 50 per day. Mountain bikes with gears are around Rs 70 to Rs 125. Pokhara has a steady slope uphill going north.

The rent a motorbike is around Rs 500 for a day, plus you pay extra for fuel.

Travel
Air There are several daily flights between Kathmandu and Pokhara. It takes about 30 minutes and you have a great view of the Himalayan range on the right hand side of the plane coming from Kathmandu and left side departing from Pokhara. The fare is $61 one way. There are two or three Royal Nepal Airline (21021) flights a day from Kathmandu. Two good airlines are Necon Air (20256, 25311) and Buddha Air (21429). Other airlines are Cosmic Air (21846), Yeti Airways (20027), Lumbini Airways (27233; Kathmandu; 483-381) and Gorkha Airlines (25071, 25971). It is best to take the earliest flight possible to get a view of the mountains, as clouds come in later in the day.

It is usually better to arrange flights with a travel agency. Travel agents can often confirm by phone in Kathmandu international flights.

There are flights to Jomsom (3 daily, $60) and to Manang ($65). Everest Air and Necon Air have daily flights to Kathmandu.

There are mountain flights ($65) to get a great view of the Himalaya Mountains.

A taxi from the airport to Damside is around Rs 70 and to Lakeside is Rs 100.

Bus Tickets should be purchased one day in advance to insure a seat. The ticket office for night buses is up some steps. The booking office for day buses is at the booth in the back of the bus stand. There are buses to Kathmandu (8hr, 10 daily, Rs 120), Sunauli (9 hr, 8 daily), Narayanghat (5 hr, 10 daily), Gorkha (4 hr, 2 daily), Bhairawa (8½ hr, 10 daily) and Tadi Bazaar (for Chitwan, Rs 90). Buses traveling on the Siddhartha and Prithvi highways depart from the Main bus station, east of Prithvi Chowk.

Travel agents offer more comfortable tourist buses to Kathmandu (7 hr, Rs 250 to Rs 350), Narayanghat (Rs 200) and to Sunauli (Rs 200). During the off-season prices may be cheaper. There pick up passengers in Damside and Lakeside. Greenline Tours arranges luxury buses to Kathmandu for Rs 650. There are some tourist buses to Sauraha (Chitwan National Park). Bus tickets prices vary between travel agencies, so you may want to shop around.

It costs between Rs 50 and Rs 100 to get from the bus stand to the Lakeside or Damside areas.
There is no reason to deal with the touts (commission agents) who will try to bring you to a hotel of their choice, so they can get a commission of up to 50% of the price of the room. You can get a taxi to a restaurant in Lakeside, have a meal, and then set out to find a room.

Tourist buses arrive at the tourist bus station near Damside. Greenline buses stop at the south end of Lakeside. As soon as you arrive it is a good idea to get a taxi immediately, or you will be attacked by the touts trying you to bring them to a hotel of their choice. The touts will tell you they will bring you for free to a hotel, so they can receive a good commission from the hotel. A taxi to most destinations will cost from Rs 30 to Rs 85.

Public buses mainly arrive at the Main bus station, east of Prithvi Chowk. If you are coming from an Annapurna trek and coming to Pokhara on the Baglung Highway the buses arrive at a small Baglung bus stand at the west side of town. A taxi to Lakeside or Damside will costs around Rs 100 from these bus stations.

Baglung buses are known to be very crowded and dangerous. You might want to take a taxi to the beginning of a trek in this area.

To Kathmandu
Public buses from the bus stand are Rs 120, and private buses are Rs 150 for a big bus to Rs 250 a mini-bus. The mini-buses are faster, but for some people maybe to fast (more dangerous).
The tourist buses are much more convenient for pick-ups. In Pokhara they pick-up passengers outside their hotels. Buses coming from Kathmandu stop at a bus stand at Mustang Chowk, located between Damside and the airport.

Bus departing from Kathmandu pick up passengers and drop them off in Thamel
Greenline (27271) has a daily luxury A/C service to Kathmandu, which includes breakfast halfway.
You can get a morning tourist bus for Rs 175 which takes about seven hours. You can arrange this with one of the many travel agents in Kathmandu.

To India Border
Buses to the Indian border depart from the main Pokhara bus stand. To Sunauli/Bhairawa (9 hr, 8 daily; Rs 135 day, Rs 160 night), Bhairawa (8½ hr, 10 daily; Rs 130 day; Rs 160 night) and Nepalganj (15 hr, Rs 285). The road going to Sunauli is called the Siddhartha Highway.
There are no tourist buses to the border, but supposed tourist buses pick you up outside your hotel.

To Trekking Starting Points
Several treks begin in Pokhara. Treks can often be begun by walking from Pokhara, which adds one to three days to some treks. To cut off some days you can take a bus or taxi further along a trek.
For the Annapurna Circuit the bus goes to Baglung. Many trekkers take the bus to Nayapul (2 hr, Rs 40) (on the way to Baglung) and from there it is a 20-minute walk to Birethanti, where the trek begins. Buses depart every half-hour from early morning until the late afternoon.

There is one bus daily from the main Pokhara bus stand at around 7 am to Besisahar (5 hr), where the Annapurna trek begins.

Taxis and Jeeps
If you take a long distance vehicle, you often have to pay for travel in both directions. Taxis are more comfortable than buses and cheaper than flying. Your hotel or lodge, or a travel agent can arrange taxis. The typical taxi cost to Kathmandu is $65, Sanauli or Lumbini $85, and to Chiwan is $85.

Copyright ©2001 John Howley and Spiritual Guides