Bandipur and Pokhara in 5 Days: A Slow Route from Kathmandu Without a Trek

Last updated 9 October 2026.

Short answer: yes, Bandipur is worth one night. It breaks the journey between Kathmandu and Pokhara, gives you a car-free Newar town and a sunrise over the Annapurna range, and leaves you three nights beside Phewa Lake. There is no trekking, only cobbled lanes and some stone steps.

This is the slow way into Pokhara, and it is the route I suggest for couples, photographers and older travellers who do not want the highway alone. You can see the whole plan on our Bandipur and Pokhara Tour, 5 Days page. A licensed guide stays with you for all five days.

Is Bandipur worth a night?

Bandipur is a Newar hill town on a mountain saddle at 1,030 m, about 8 km above the Prithvi Highway. It was once a trading town on the India and Tibet route, and the bazaar is still one cobbled lane of brick and carved-wood houses about 200 years old, with covered porches. There is no traffic in the bazaar, so you can walk it slowly in the evening.

One night is enough to feel the place. Two would be fine if you wanted to walk more. If you want the history of the town, my longer Bandipur guide tells it in full.

Quick facts

What does each day look like?

Day 1, Kathmandu to Bandipur. We collect you from your hotel or the airport and drive west on the Prithvi Highway. The drive is the longest part of the day, so we leave early and stop for lunch. At the turn-off the road climbs the hill to Bandipur. In the evening you walk the old bazaar.

Day 2, Tundikhel, temples and the drive to Pokhara. A short walk from the bazaar takes you to Tundikhel, a grassy plateau and the best viewpoint in town. On a clear morning you see Dhaulagiri, the Annapurna range, Machhapuchhre and, far off, Manaslu. After breakfast we visit the Bindhyabasini temple, and you can climb the stone stairs to the Mahalakshmi temple for the view over the town. If you have the time and the legs, your guide can take you down to Siddha Cave. We then drive to Pokhara.

Day 3, Old Bazaar, Davis Falls, a cave, the museum and a boat. We start in the Old Bazaar, the original trading street of Pokhara, and visit the Bindhyabasini temple above it. Then we go to the Seti river gorge and Davis Falls. On the way back we visit one of the two caves, Gupteshwor Mahadev or Mahendra, and you choose on the day. After lunch you spend an hour or two in the International Mountain Museum, which is managed by the Nepal Mountaineering Association. The day ends with a private boat on Phewa Lake.

Day 4, Sarangkot and the World Peace Pagoda. We collect you at about 5:00 am and drive up to Sarangkot, about 1,600 m, to watch the sun come up on the Annapurna range and Machhapuchhre, with breakfast at the viewpoint. Later we cross the lake by boat and walk up through forest to the World Peace Pagoda on the ridge, with a wide view back over the lake. Read my Sarangkot sunrise guide for what to expect.

Day 5, fly to Kathmandu. After a slow breakfast we take you to Pokhara airport for the short flight. If your flight home leaves in the morning, tell us when you book and we will change the order.

What is Bandipur like at sunrise and in the evening?

Bandipur is cool in the evening and early morning, so keep a warm layer with you. The evening is for the bazaar, on foot, with no traffic in the lane. The sunrise is for Tundikhel, the viewpoint a short walk from the bazaar.

Cloud can hide the mountains, and I cannot promise the view. If the morning is grey, you still have the town, the temples and the walk, which is why I suggest the night even for people who are unlucky with weather.

What do you do in Pokhara in three days?

The plan gives you one day for the old city, the falls, the cave and the museum, one early morning on Sarangkot, and the rest of the time to rest by the lake. That pace is deliberate. Pokhara is a place to sit down. For more ideas, see my guide to things to do in Pokhara and the Phewa Lake guide.

When is the best time to go?

October and November give the clearest air, and March to May is good in spring. The monsoon, from June to September, brings rain almost every day, so I would not choose it for the views.

Who is this route for?

It suits couples, photographers, older travellers and anyone who wants a quiet start. It also suits people who have flown to Pokhara before and want to see something different on the road. It is not a route for hard walking, and it is not for people who cannot manage steps and cobbles. If you want to know your other options for getting to Pokhara, read my guide to getting from Kathmandu to Pokhara.

What is included and what is not?

The tour includes four hotel nights with a private room, breakfast, lunch and dinner from dinner on day 1 to breakfast on day 5, a licensed guide for all five days, a private vehicle for every transfer and sightseeing day, entrance fees, a private boat on Phewa Lake, and the flight from Pokhara to Kathmandu for you and your guide. It does not include international flights, your visa, travel insurance, tips, drinks outside the plan, or Kathmandu hotel nights before and after the programme.

Group size is 2 to 20, and you can also travel solo. The deposit is 10 per cent and it is non-refundable, with no refund if you cancel. You can reschedule free of charge with at least 72 hours notice, to any date within one year. The balance is paid on arrival in Kathmandu, in USD or EUR, cash or by card. Card carries 3.5 per cent and cash in Kathmandu carries none. We do not take Nepali rupees from foreign clients. We tell you your guide's name after you book.

Questions people ask

Is Bandipur car-free? The bazaar is, so you see it on foot.

Do I need to be fit? You need to manage stone steps and cobbled lanes. The Siddha Cave walk is optional, and the climb back is harder than the walk down.

Can I see Everest from Bandipur? No. The view from Tundikhel is of Dhaulagiri, the Annapurna range, Machhapuchhre and, far off, Manaslu.

Are Kathmandu hotel nights included? No. Nights before and after the programme are separate, and we can book them for you.

Written by Shreejan Simkhada, CEO of The Everest Holiday, from a family of three generations of family guides. TAAN Member #1586. WhatsApp +977 9810351300.