Pokhara is about as safe as tourist towns get. Violent crime against visitors is rare, walking at night is normal, and the biggest risks are the ones that come with the activities. This is what I would tell a friend.
At a glance
- Overall
- Very safe
- Police
- 100
- Ambulance
- 102
- Tourist police
- Lakeside TODO
- Hospitals
- Several, incl. Manipal TODO
The lake
Wear the life jacket in the boat, every time, even if you can swim — the afternoon wind can catch a doonga broadside. Don't swim near the boat traffic at the ghats, and be honest with yourself about your swimming if you go in from the far shore.
The sky
Paragliding, ultralight, zipline and bungee are run by commercial operators with generally good records. Choose registered, established companies; accept a cancelled slot without argument when the weather turns; and make sure your insurance covers the specific activity. More in the adventure guide.
The road
The Prithvi Highway is the most dangerous thing most visitors to Pokhara do. Take day buses, not night ones; avoid travelling in heavy monsoon rain when landslides close the road; and if you hire a scooter, wear the helmet and assume nobody has seen you.
The mountains
Pokhara itself is at 800 m — no altitude concerns. The treks are another matter: altitude sickness above 3,000 m, avalanche risk on the upper ABC trail in winter and early spring, and weather that changes fast. Go with a licensed guide, walk slowly, and carry insurance that covers helicopter evacuation at the altitudes you'll reach.
Health
Drink filtered or bottled water; eat where it's busy. Pokhara has private hospitals used to treating visitors — Manipal Teaching Hospital is the largest — and pharmacies on Lakeside. TODO: confirm the names and locations of the two or three clinics/hospitals to list. Mosquitoes are present in the warm months; dengue has occurred in Pokhara, so use repellent in the evenings from spring to autumn.
Scams and hassle
Low-level and mostly avoidable: over-quoted taxi fares (agree first), "closed" hotels steered to another by a driver (walk in yourself), and the occasional over-friendly guide offering an unlicensed trek. Bag-snatching and pickpocketing are uncommon but not unknown on crowded festival nights. Women travelling alone generally report Pokhara as easy; the usual care on unlit lanes late at night applies.
Questions I get asked
Is Pokhara safe for solo female travellers?
Broadly yes, and many come. Dress a little conservatively away from Lakeside, take the same night-time precautions you would anywhere, and you will likely find it one of the easier places you have travelled.
Are there earthquakes?
Nepal is seismically active; the 2015 earthquake caused little damage in Pokhara. Know where the exits are, as anywhere in the region.