The ‘Needs to Know’
Distance: 7.6 miles (12.2km)
Time to walk: No time limit on this one as we’ll be passing through local villages & climbing steep steps up hills, so this is a ‘take your time’ walk with plenty of rests. Please remember to take onboard regular fluids & wear sensible shoes
Difficulty: All on hard surfaces. There are lots of steps & steep climbs so knowing your capabilities & lots of rests are recommended
Parking: n/a
Public toilets: In the city at the start & end & cafes at the Pagoda
Map of the route:
In October / November 2025 we visited wonderful India & Nepal
Part of this journey meant spending 3 wonderful nights in Pokhara where we were able to get up well before dawn to journey up a hillside to watch the rising sun light up the magnificent mountains of the Annapurna range of the Himalayas
Pokhara is a city located in central Nepal & the capital of Gandaki Province.Known as the country’s “capital of tourism”, it’s the second largest city after Kathmandu. It’s located 120 miles west of Kathmandu & took us almost 7 hours to get there, primarily due to the state of the roads
It lies on the shore of Phewa Lake, & sits at an average elevation of approximately 822 m above sea level. The Annapurna Range, with three out of the ten highest peaks in the world Dhaulagiri, Annapurna I & Manaslu, is impressive
Pokhara is a huge base for trekkers undertaking the Annapurna Circuit. The city is also home to many of the elite Gurkha soldiers, soldiers native to South Asia of Nepalese nationality recruited for the British Army, Nepalese Army, Indian Army, Gurkha Contingent Singapore, Gurkha Reserve Unit Brunei, UN peacekeeping forces & in war zones around the world
The city lies on an important old trading route between China & India
This was a walk we did on a ‘day off’ from our tour & I’d spotted a route from our hotel, though villages & then climbing steeply up to the Peace Pagoda
Let’s Walk!
1. We stayed in the lovely Fish Tail Lodge Hotel by the lake in Pokhara & this is where we started this walk from which, to get to anywhere, started with a hand-pulled journey across the lake…
It never failed to amaze us as to the technique they used to keep the rope tidy
2. After leaving the raft walk down the road & bear right along Lakeside Road, which is the main street that runs alongside the lake. The joy of walking in Nepal & India is you never quite know what you’re going to encounter on the path…
In Nepal the cow is the national symbol, revered as sacred due to Hindu beliefs, symbolising motherhood, purity & the goddess Lakshmi. Cow slaughter is banned by law, & you’ll find cows roaming freely, often cared for by locals who offer food & prayers, particularly during festivals, highlighting their deep cultural & religious significance
3. Follow the road as it bends left past the police station to arrive at a main junction. The clouds were beginning to lift slightly to allow glimpses of the mountains
Turn right at the junction & follow the path, turning right along the next street – it appeared that most of Pokhara was doing its washing on the day we did this walk
4. At the next junction bear right & continue in the same direction…
After the road bends left turn right along the smaller one…
5. Look across to the right to see Phewa Dam holding back the water in the lake…
At the end of the street turn right across the road bridge…
…& once again the mountains make an appearance
6. Pass the Boomerang Bar & cross the new concrete Fewabhadh Bridge. Look to the right to see the old footbridge & dam
Now it’s time to experience walking through a traditional village so be careful to respect people’s privacy but you will find everyone extremely friendly & all will greet you with a “Namaste”
7. Look out for local trades…among many we saw was a pottery where the pots were drying in the sun…
Simply follow the lane as it bends
The children were intrigued to meet us & I rewarded their enthusiasm with some Northamptonshire Walks Badges I’d taken with me
8. This part of the walk along the valley’s flat, easy walking & the lane now starts to enter a more populated area…
Everyday life was going on as normal around us
9. The lane reaches a fork & you need to take the right one…
We heard some excited chatter coming from a courtyard & went over to investigate. A group of elders were sat around a giant, home-made Ludo board. They were reluctant to have their photograph taken so we respected their privacy
This area of the village is much more up-market with some lovely, well-maintained properties
10. The path winds & finally emerges on a main road known as the Siddhartha Highway. Turn right & walk around 100 yards…
As the main road bears left, turn right up the steep hill
11. Look for some steep steps almost immediately on your left. This is where our climb to the World Peace Pagoda begins. When we did the walk it was a hot day, so remember plenty of liquid & frequent rests in the shade
The path winds up many steps but is easy to follow. Height’s gained very quickly so don’t forget to keep looking behind you as the views across the valley unfold
12. And because this is a farming area you never know who you’ll meet on the track. The sheer weight these smiling people carry…
You’ll also find everyone willing to chat & ask you about yourself
13. The steepness of the steps seems to increase so rests are now frequent…
The next building on the left has a family using a rotavator to thresh the millet they had harvested & dried
All of a sudden the path arrives at a road (the one you started on at the beginning of the climb)
And the good news is the small building on your left’s a shop which has a very large fridge full of cold drinks, plus they also sell a variety of snacks – we also stopped to stock up on the way back down!
14. Refreshed, head over the road & continue up the steps & slope passing some more buildings & cows…
At the top of this slope you’ll see more steps ahead of you. Ignore these & bear left along the dirt track
15. Pass another farm & then ignore the fence ahead & turn right back on yourself up some stone steps to join another track up & past a house
Almost there & at the top of this rise the Annapurna range (hopefully) is in full view. Early morning is best for clear views & today we were experiencing the cloud effects caused by a the remnants of a cyclone in the Bay of Bengal
16. To reach the Pagoda there’s a few more steps up past some cafes with some great decking to admire the views whilst sipping a well-deserved beer…
Pass up through the entrance…
17. Pokhara Shanti Stupa is a Buddhist monument built by Nipponzan-Myōhōji monk Morioka Sonin with local supporters under the guidance of Nichidatsu Fujii, a Buddhist monk & the founder of Nipponzan-Myōhōji
Shanti is a Sanskrit word meaning peace, also widely used in the Nepali & Hindi languages, & Shanti Stupa means Peace Pagoda. The shrine was built as a symbol of peace. Situated at the height of 1100 meters on the Anadu Hill, Nichidatsu Fujii laid the foundation stone along with relics of the Buddha on 12 September 1973
Nepal has two of the eighty peace pagodas in the world. Videos are not permitted but you are allowed to remove your shoes & walk around it
Shanti Stupa is the first World Peace Pagoda in Nepal & is 115 feet tall & 344 feet in diameter. The white pagoda has two tiers for tourists & religious visitors…
The second tier displays four statues of the Buddha presented as a souvenirs from different countries: ‘Dharmacakra Mudra’ from Japan, ‘Bodh Gaya’ from Sri Lanka, ‘Kushinagar’ from Thailand & ‘Lumbini’ from Nepal. Each statue represents important events related to the Buddha and were named according to where they took place
Dharmachakra is placed below the gajur (pinnacle) which signifies the wheel of life, dharma & the teachings of the Buddha. The top of the golden gajur holds the crystal stone from Sri Lanka which symbolises intellect & grace. Dhamma Hall, with the Buddha statue, is located near the peace pagoda where Buddhist rituals take place daily & large pujas are performed on important dates according to the Lunar calendar, such as on full moon day
18. And of course, after the steep climb, it just had to be done…
And after all that hard work it’s back down a few steps for that well-earned drink with the rest of the ‘explorers’
19. To get back to the start of this walk you have two options. Either retrace your way back down the steps, or head down to the road & carefully follow it down the hill. Then walk back through the village again
So that’s the end of our little adventure but…we spent 4 wonderful days in Pokhara & one morning at 4am were taken up above the clouds to sit on a decking & wait…wait for the sun to rise & light up each of the Annapurna range in turn. And you will never experience anything like it as they appear to float above the clouds
Unless you are there you cannot describe the beauty of the Himalayas…
I will return..
If ever you visit Nepal…
Go walk!