Kathmandu to Pokhara by Car: Route, Driving Time and Stops

The drive from Kathmandu to Pokhara is the most travelled road trip in Nepal, and for good reason. In one day you climb out of the Kathmandu Valley, follow the Trishuli and Marshyangdi rivers through terraced hills, and arrive at a lakeside town under the Annapurna range. It is about 200 km, and most people should plan on six to eight hours.

The route

The Prithvi Highway is the only practical road for this trip. You leave the valley via Kalanki and the climb to Nagdhunga, drop down to Naubise, and then follow the Trishuli River west to Mugling, the halfway junction where the road to Chitwan branches south. From Mugling the highway follows the Marshyangdi past Abukhaireni, Dumre and Damauli before the final run into Pokhara.

How long it really takes

On a clear weekday with an early start, six hours is realistic. Leaving Kathmandu after 8 am adds time because the exit through Kalanki is slow in morning traffic. Heavy trucks crawl up the long climbs, and there are usually stretches of road widening where traffic runs one way at a time. In the monsoon, landslides can close sections for hours, so leave buffer time and check conditions the evening before.

Good places to stop

• Riverside restaurants along the Trishuli, around Kurintar, are the classic lunch stop
• Manakamana cable car near Kurintar, if you want a half-day detour to the hilltop temple
• Bandipur, a preserved Newar hill town about 8 km uphill from Dumre, worth an overnight stay
• Mugling for a quick tea and fuel stop at the halfway point

Driving tips for this road

Overtake only where you can see well ahead; many bends are blind and buses swing wide. Use your horn on tight corners. Expect dust in the dry season and mud in the wet season, so keep the windscreen washer topped up. Fuel is easy to find at Mugling, Dumre and Damauli.

Which car to take

A sedan will manage the highway in dry weather. An SUV is more comfortable over rough sections and roadworks, and is the better choice from June to September. For families or groups of eight or more, a Hiace van with a driver is often cheaper per person than two cars.

Not sure you want to drive it yourself? Most visitors book this leg with a driver and then self-drive around Pokhara. We can arrange either, and quote the full trip before you travel.