Pokhara, known as the "Lake City" and the "Tourism Capital of Nepal," offers a diverse range of attractions, including stunning lakes, mountains, and cultural sites, making it a popular destination for tourists.

Pokhara's spellbinding beauty has been the subject of many travel writers. Its pristine air, the spectacular backdrop of the snowy peaks of the Annapurna range and the serene Phewa, Begnas and Rupa lakes, makes this destination the Jewel of the Himalaya.

After the occupation of Tibet by China in 1950 and the Indo-China war in 1962, the old trading route to India from Tibet through Pokhara became defunct. Today only a few caravans from Mustang arrive in Bagar.

In recent decades, Pokhara has become a major tourist destination: it is considered the tourism capital of Nepal,^[1] mainly for adventure tourism and the base for the famous Annapurna Circuit trek. Thus, a major contribution to the local economy is made by the tourism and hospitalities industry. Tourism is the primary source of income for local people and the city.^[2] There are two 5-star hotels and approximately 305 other hotels that includes one 4-star, five 3-star, fifteen 2-star and non-star hotels in the city.^[3]

The city promotes two major hilltops as viewpoints to see the city and surrounding panorama: World Peace Pagoda, built-in 1996 A.D. across the southern shore of Phewa Lake and Sarangkot, which is northwest of the city. In February 2004, International Mountain Museum (IMM)^[4] was opened for public in Ratopahiro to boost the city's tourism. Other museums are Pokhara Regional Museum; an ethnographic museum; Annapurna Natural History Museum^[5] which houses preserved specimens of flora and fauna, and contains a particularly extensive collection of the butterflies, found in the Western and Annapurna Conservation Area region of Nepal; and Gurkha Museum featuring the history of the Gurkha soldiers.^[6]

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  Annapurna Mountain
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  Machhapuchhere Mountain
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  Machhapuchhere and Annapurna Himal
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  Dhaulagiri Mountain

Pokhara valley is rich in water sources. The major bodies of water in and around Pokhara are:^[7][8]

• Phewa Lake, Begnas Lake, Rupa Lake, Dipang Lake, Khaste lake, Maidi Tal, Niureni Tal, Gude Tal, Kamal Pokhari Tal, Kashyap Tal (Thuli Pokhari)

• Seti Gandaki (Seti Khola), Kahun Khola, Bijaypur Khola, Furse Khola, Kali Khola, Yamdi Khola, Mardi River, Harpan Khola, Hadi Khola.

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  (Bindhyawasini Temple Pokhara)
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  (Barahi Island Temple)
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  (Radha Krishna Temple)
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  (Buddhist Gumba)
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  (Peace Pagoda)
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  (Matey Pani Gumba)

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  Phewa Lake
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  Begnas Lake
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  Rupa Lake

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  Kali Gandaki River
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  Seti Gandaki River

• Pokhara
• Pokhara Valley