# 3 Days in Pokhara: Phewa Lake, Annapurna Cable Car, Sarangkot, Gupteshwor Cave & the Route Mistake to Avoid By Prashant & Sunaina · 19 May 2026 · https://www.psvlogs.in/blog/pokhara-3-day-guide > Our 3 days in Pokhara, Nepal: why the Gorakhpur–Sunauli road route was our biggest blunder, Phewa Lake, the Annapurna cable car to Sarangkot, Davis Falls, Gupteshwor Cave, SIM and taxi scams, and where to eat. **Nepal is so underrated.** Here's our 3-day Pokhara plan, plus the one blunder that cost us a whole day. Watch the vlog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_z4Sa3KWgA ## The biggest blunder: the Gorakhpur–Sunauli road route We planned four days in Pokhara and three in Kathmandu. There were three of us, and we'd researched a lot. Like many vlogs suggest, we flew **Hyderabad → Gorakhpur**, planning to cross at **Sunauli border** and take a bus or shared cab to Pokhara. It all fell apart. - Everyone says Gorakhpur airport to Sunauli is 2 hours. **It took 3–4 hours.** We reached around 5:30, changed some INR and bought a SIM. - **Shared cabs run only until about 2 pm.** After that it's a private cab, and they asked **₹8,000–9,000** to Pokhara. - **Buses** cost about ₹900–1,000, but weren't comfortable and had no sleepers. - After two hours of trying, we got a cab. We left Sunauli at **8:30 pm and reached Pokhara at 5 am**. Google says 5–6 hours; plan on **10**. - The **ghat road is extreme**, with hardly 100 metres of straight road. Even with motion-sickness tablets, one of us threw up three times. - We lost a full day and a night of hotel booking. **Our advice:** fly into **Kathmandu**, then take a domestic flight. We flew **Pokhara → Kathmandu on Yeti Airlines for about ₹3,000**. Add up the road costs and the wasted hotel night, and you save nothing by road. **With family, don't do this route at all.** If you must, reach Gorakhpur early in the morning and pre-book everything. ## Day 1 ### Phewa Lake A beautiful lake full of kayaks and boats. It's sunny in the day, so **come in the evening** for water sports. ### Annapurna Cable Car to Sarangkot We took a bus, then walked about 400 m to the base. A taxi costs about **300–400 NPR**, but negotiate. - **Two-way ticket:** **1,000 NPR for Indians**, 700 NPR for Nepalis. - It's a long ride, about 2.5–3 km and 10+ minutes, and a little scary. The views are awesome. - At the top, Sarangkot has a Ganesh statue, swings and adventure activities. Then comes the **view of the snow mountains**, which honestly shocked us. - Walk to the **Panchmukhi Ganpati temple**, and try **wai wai chaat** at the little stall there. It's like bhel with noodles. **Try it:** *sea buckthorn* juice on Pokhara main road. It's very sour, but full of vitamin C. ### Food - **Wai wai and momos** at a local spot by the lake. Don't ask for it spicy! - An **authentic Nepali thali** (mutton or fish), with aloo sabzi, rai saag, papad, tomato chutney, curd and dal. **Roti isn't included**, so order it extra. ### Nightlife **Catwalk Club** near our hotel: free entry and a great dance vibe. Fine for families and friends. **Go 11:30 pm–12 am**, because after 12:30 the crowd isn't as nice. ## Day 2 ### Davis Falls Entry is **100 NPR for foreign visitors**. The falls were **closed for work** when we went, so we saw only what's visible from the top, plus a wishing pool full of (mostly Indian) coins and a model Annapurna range. We bought two cute **wind chimes for 300 NPR**. ### Gupteshwor Cave (don't miss) The entrance is just across from Davis Falls, and it was a surprise. It goes **deep down, through wet, narrow, slippery steps**, past little shrines and shivlings, to where **Davis Falls' water thunders in**. It's huge, honestly bigger than we expected after Batu Caves. Photos aren't allowed in parts, and no need to remove footwear. The climb up is tiring and a bit claustrophobic when crowded, but people of all ages were doing it. ### Lakeside Shopping at **Lakeside Centre**: hand-painted magnets for about 120 NPR and Annapurna souvenirs. Then dinner at **Soul Origin Café**, on a rooftop with a good view: **chicken khaja set** (beaten rice, peanuts, chicken, potato, beans), chicken curry with roti, and **momos**. We ate momos every single day here; they're far softer than the ones in India. ## Watch out for small scams - **SIM cards:** a shop quoted **700 NPR**, agreed to 350, then "forgot" and gave us a different 500 NPR SIM. **Pay 350 NPR for unlimited data**, and no more. - **Taxis:** every driver quotes differently (300, 400, 500). We were asked 500 NPR for 3 km and negotiated down to 400. Check with two or three drivers. inDrive exists, but showed few cars. They're small amounts, 100–150 NPR, but over a trip they add up. Then we flew to Kathmandu: [3 days in Kathmandu](https://www.psvlogs.in/blog/kathmandu-travel-guide). ## FAQs **Should I go from Gorakhpur to Pokhara by road via Sunauli?** We wouldn't. Gorakhpur airport to Sunauli took 3–4 hours, and Sunauli to Pokhara took over 8 hours on extreme ghat roads. Shared cabs stop around 2 pm, and private cabs asked ₹8,000–9,000. Fly to Kathmandu instead; Kathmandu–Pokhara flights were around ₹3,000. **How much is the Annapurna cable car in Pokhara?** Two-way tickets were 1,000 NPR for Indians and 700 NPR for Nepalis when we went. **How much should a Nepal SIM cost?** We paid 350 NPR for unlimited data. Don't pay 700–800 NPR if a shop quotes that.