Sarangkot is a ridge-top village at roughly 1,600 m, rising directly above the northern shore of Phewa Lake. Once the site of a hilltop fort, it is now Pokhara’s best-known viewpoint and the main launch site for paragliding, which has made the city one of the most popular places in the world to fly.
At dawn the sun lights up Dhaulagiri in the west, the Annapurna range and the sharp fishtail summit of Machhapuchhre (6,993 m), with Phewa Lake and the city still in shadow below. Later in the morning the sky fills with colourful paragliders spiralling down towards Lakeside, above the rooftops of Pokhara and the forested ridge of the Peace Pagoda.
Most visitors drive up in about 30 minutes from Lakeside in the dark and walk the final stretch to the viewing area, where a small local entry fee applies. Allow two to three hours for a sunrise trip. October to April gives the clearest views; bring a jacket, as mornings are cold. Fit walkers can hike up from Lakeside in two to three hours.
