Machapuchare (6,993m) — the Fishtail Mountain — is one of the most visually distinctive peaks in Nepal. Its twin summits, converging to a sharp point when seen from the south, give it the silhouette of a fish's tail and make it immediately recognisable from anywhere in the Pokhara Valley. From the Annapurna Sanctuary, seen from base camp directly below, it is a vertical wall of ice rising 3,000m overhead — as dramatic a mountain view as you will find anywhere.
The peak is sacred to the Gurung people and closed to climbing by Nepalese law. This gives it a certain mystique that the summit-conquered Annapurnas lack. You approach but cannot conquer — a relationship with a mountain that feels appropriately respectful. Machapuchare Base Camp (3,700m), reached on a two-hour walk from Annapurna Base Camp, is the closest viewpoint.
From Pokhara, the mountain is visible on clear days looming above the Fewa Lake shore — the combination of still water, the reflection of the city, and the fish-tail peak behind is a classic Nepal photograph. The best morning views are from the Lakeside district; the best dawn light on the summit is seen from Poon Hill, Ghorepani, or Ghandruk on the approach trails.