#3 Pokhara Pokhara ( Nepali : पोखरा , Nepali pronunciation: [ˈpokʰʌra] ) is a metropolitan city in Nepal , which serves as the capital of Gandaki Pradesh . [1] It is the country's largest metropolitan city in terms of area and second largest in terms of populations. The city also serves as the headquarters of Kaski District . [2] Pokhara is located 200 kilometres (120 miles) west of the capital, Kathmandu . The altitude varies from 827 metres (2,713 feet) in the southern part to 1,740 metres (5,710 feet) in the north. [3] The Annapurna Range, with three out of the ten highest peaks in the world — Dhaulagiri , Annapurna I and Manaslu — is within 15–35 mi (24–56 km) of the valley. [4] [5] Pokhara is considered the tourism capital of Nepal, [6] being a base for trekkers undertaking the Annapurna Circuit through the Annapurna Conservation Area region [7] of the Annapurna ranges in the Himalayas . The city is also home to many of the elite Gurkha soldiers