Kathmandu or Pokhara?

Neither city is a place to swim, and the difference is only in what replaces it. Kathmandu has no open water fit for bathing at all, just cold rafting rivers hours away. Pokhara at least has Phewa Lake for rowing in painted boats, plus an occasional dip at Begnas Lake.

Kathmandu is the better place to eat. Newari cooking, with choila, bara pancakes, yomari and rice beer, is found in small places around the old bazaars, in Patan and in Kirtipur. The Tibetan streets by Boudhanath add thukpa and butter tea, and momos are everywhere.

Pokhara eats mostly along Lakeside, where long menus are aimed at hungry trekkers. The rewarding meals are Thakali dal bhat and charcoal-grilled sekuwa away from the shore, and its real strength is a slow breakfast with the mountains in view.

This is Kathmandu's great advantage. Temples, palace courtyards and the Kumari's house sit among working markets, pilgrims circle Boudhanath at dusk, and cremations take place in the open at Pashupatinath. Patan's Durbar Square and museum add a second layer just across the river.

Pokhara offers a pleasant half day or two: the island temple of Tal Barahi, the Peace Pagoda on the ridge, and the mountaineering and Gurkha museums. Most of the town is modern, and nobody goes there for its sights.

Both towns go out in the same way: trekkers celebrating at rooftop bars, with most places closing around midnight. Thamel has a little more to offer, with pool halls, a handful of dance clubs and lounge bars in Jhamsikhel. Pokhara's evenings are smaller and gentler, with cover bands and long happy hours by the lake.

Pokhara has the finer setting. Machhapuchhre and the Annapurnas, peaks above 7,000m, fill the sky over Phewa Lake. Sunrise at Sarangkot, paragliding, lake kayaking and short treks like Australian Camp are all close by, and the classic Annapurna routes begin a short drive away.

Kathmandu's nature lies on the valley rim: forest trails in Shivapuri Nagarjun, the Chandragiri cable car, and sunrise at Nagarkot or Dhulikhel about an hour and a half out. Mountain flights to Everest make up some of the distance.

Kathmandu has the better day out by far. Bhaktapur, the best preserved of the valley's old royal towns, is about an hour away and pairs easily with the carvings of Changu Narayan. Pharping, Bungamati and Panauti add quieter Newari villages for anyone with extra days.

From Pokhara, the slow mountain roads keep the choice short. Bandipur's car-free hilltop street is worth the two-hour drive, but Gurung villages, Gorkha and Tansen work better as stops on a trek or overnight on the road.

Pokhara is easier with children, though neither city is made for them. Lakeside has light traffic, rowing boats and short walks to the caves, the waterfall and the Peace Pagoda, and older children can try tandem paragliding.

In Kathmandu, the monkeys at Swayambhunath and the prayer wheels catch young eyes, but the lanes without pavements, the traffic, the dust and the winter air make long days tiring.

Pokhara is simpler day to day. Lakeside is small and flat, and the shore road is easy on foot or by rented bicycle. Kathmandu's old city and Thamel are walkable too, but you share the lanes with motorbikes, and any trip to Patan, Boudhanath or the airport means a taxi stuck in heavy traffic. Beyond the centre, both rely on taxis and hired drivers rather than their confusing minibuses.

Kathmandu is the stronger craft market. Patan casts its own bronze and copper statues, the shops around Boudhanath sell Tibetan carpets and thangkas, and Asan's old bazaar is worth the walk even without buying.

Pokhara's shopping is mainly practical: trekking gear to buy or rent along Lakeside, plus shawls and singing bowls. Its distinctive stop is the Tibetan settlements on the edge of town, where you can visit the carpet workshops.

Both are among the cheapest places anywhere, so the real difference is where the money goes. In Kathmandu it goes on the entry fees at the Durbar Squares, Pashupatinath and Bhaktapur, and on mountain flights. In Pokhara it goes on paragliding, guided treks and Annapurna permits, while a cheap lakeside room often comes with a mountain view.

Kathmandu has a little more, mostly through its religious calendar. There are masked dances at Indra Jatra, evening devotional singing at temples and an autumn jazz festival. Pokhara has almost no stage life, just cover bands in Lakeside bars and dinner shows of Gurung and Magar dances put on for visitors.

Pokhara is the more restful stay. Its slow lakeside pace, yoga retreats on the far shore and massages for sore trekkers' legs make rest easy. Kathmandu is the place for deeper study, with meditation and Buddhist philosophy courses at Kopan and the hill monasteries. Outside those retreats, though, the city is loud and dusty.