Mirrors of the Himalaya: The Lakes of Nepal by Region

Some of the best moments on a Nepal trek happen at the water's edge: a turquoise lake below a glacier, prayer flags on a moraine, a peak reflected so cleanly you can't tell which way is up. The lakes of Nepal range from glacial pools above 5,000 m to boating lakes in Pokhara and bird-filled wetlands in the Terai. This guide pulls them together by region: roughly how high each lake sits, whether you can drive to it or have to walk, where you start, when to go, and which TrailX trails actually reach the shore.

We cover 43 lakes, from the Gokyo chain and Tilicho in the high Himalaya to Rara and Phoksundo in the far west and the sacred ponds of the eastern hills. Where a TrailX route gets to a lake, we link it, so you can open the map, check the elevation profile and see how much climbing it takes. The interactive map above shows every lake we could place reliably. If this is your first time in the country, our guide to your first trek in Nepal covers the basics.

How to read this guide

A few ground rules before the tables.

• Altitudes are approximate. We use the figure in each lake's Wikipedia article. Where sources disagree, we show the range (Tilicho, for example, is given as both 4,919 and 4,949 m). Two lakes, Chola Tsho and Kicho Tal, have no figure on Wikipedia, so we use the height mapped in OpenStreetMap and say so. A dash means we couldn't find a published figure, not that the lake is low.
• Gokyo lakes share a range. Wikipedia gives 4,710–4,950 m for the whole Gokyo system, not lake by lake, so they're marked with an asterisk.
• Access. "Drive-up" means a road reaches the shore or gets within about a kilometre. "Trek" means you can only get there on foot. "Trek (permit)" means it's inside a restricted area that needs a special permit on top of the usual park fees.
• Seasons are typical, not promises. Spring (roughly March to May) and autumn (late September to November) are the usual windows for high lakes. Many freeze in winter, and the monsoon brings cloud, leeches and landslides on the approach.
• TrailX routes are matched by GPS. We only list a route against a lake if its recorded track comes within 500 m of the mapped shoreline (or 700 m of the lake's point for small lakes with no outline). A dash means we don't have a route that reaches it yet.

Everest (Khumbu) and Rolwaling: the highest lakes in Nepal

The Everest region holds the best-known high altitude lakes in Nepal. The Gokyo chain fills the valley beside the Ngozumpa glacier, Imja Tsho sits below Island Peak, and Tsho Rolpa lies over the ridge in Rolwaling. Browse our Koshi Province trails or the Koshi hiking routes for treks in the area.

The Gokyo Lakes are a chain of glacier-fed lakes in Sagarmatha National Park, named after Gokyo Ri. Wikipedia counts 19 lakes spread over about 196 ha, and in 2007 the lakes and their wetlands were designated a Ramsar site. They are sacred to Hindus and Buddhists, and several hundred Hindu pilgrims bathe in them during the Janai Purnima festival in August. Most trekkers walk up the Dudh Koshi valley from Namche Bazaar over several days, acclimatising on the way.

Dudh Pokhari, also called Gokyo Cho, is the main lake, with Gokyo village on its eastern shore and Gokyo Ri (≈5,357 m) rising behind it. From the top of Gokyo Ri you can see four 8,000-metre peaks, including Everest and Cho Oyu. Four TrailX routes reach the shore, including the Go Kyoo Lake trek (41.9 km, 2,680 m of ascent, Extreme) and the Bupsa Khumbu Valley Trek (63.4 km, 4,134 m, Extreme).

Thonak Tsho, the Fourth Lake, is the largest lake of the group at about 65 ha and, at 62.4 m, the deepest. Ngozumpa Tsho (the Fifth Lake) and Gyazumpa Tsho (the Sixth) sit further up the valley towards Cho Oyu. The Surke to Everest Base Camp Trek (61.3 km, 4,538 m of ascent, Extreme) is the one TrailX route that continues past Dudh Pokhari to the Fourth and Fifth lakes.

Imja Tsho (≈5,004–5,010 m) is a young glacial lake. It began as melt ponds at the foot of the Imja Glacier in the 1950s and has grown into one of the fastest-growing lakes in the Himalaya, held back only by a moraine. In 2016, the Government of Nepal and the UNDP built an outlet and drained more than 4 million cubic metres of water to lower the flood risk. Trekkers see it from Chhukung on the way to Island Peak.

Chola Tsho lies below the Cho La pass between Gokyo and the Everest Base Camp trail, on the stretch between Dzongla and Lobuche. Tsho Rolpa (≈4,580 m) in Rolwaling is one of the biggest glacial lakes in Nepal and has grown a lot over the past 50 years. Its moraine dam is watched closely because a breach would threaten thousands of people along the Tamakoshi River, and the Rolwaling valley is a restricted area that needs a permit. Dudh Kunda, the "milk lake" below Numbur in the Solu region, is mapped in OpenStreetMap but we found no reliable published altitude.

Langtang, Gosaikunda and Sindhupalchok: the sacred lakes

North of Kathmandu, the lakes are as much pilgrimage sites as trekking goals. Gosaikunda and its neighbours sit on a high ridge in Langtang National Park, and Panch Pokhari lies further east below the Jugal Himal. See our Bagmati Province page and Bagmati hiking trails.

Gosaikunda (≈4,380 m) is the holiest lake in the region, revered by Hindus and tied in legend to Shiva, who is said to have struck the ground with his trident to make it. The lake covers about 13.8 ha, and the wider lake complex (around 1,030 ha) has been a Ramsar site since 2007. It feeds the Trishuli River and stays frozen through much of the winter. The Gosaikunda Lake Trek on TrailX is short but steep: 9.5 km with 1,110 m of ascent, rated Hard. The Lauribina Pass Trek (15.4 km, 699 m, Hard) continues over Lauribina La (≈4,610 m), on the lake's outskirts, towards Helambu.

Saraswati Kund and Bhairab Kund are two of the smaller lakes in the Gosaikunda group. Wikipedia counts 108 lakes in the area, and the main trail passes several of them. Both TrailX routes above pass within a few hundred metres of Bhairab Kund, and the Gosaikunda Lake Trek also passes Saraswati Kund.

Panch Pokhari (≈4,100 m) is a group of five holy lakes in Sindhupalchok, inside Langtang National Park, with views of the Jugal Himal. It's quiet for most of the year, then busy with Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims during Janai Purnima. Further east on the Jugal Himal trek route, a second Bhairab Kunda is also a pilgrimage site; don't confuse it with the Bhairab Kund near Gosaikunda.

Parvati Kunda (≈2,550–2,600 m) is a small freshwater lake at Gatlang village on the Tamang Heritage Trail. It was originally called Chhodingmo Kunda and is still used for drinking water by the village, which also holds an annual festival there. A road reaches the lake, so it's an easy add-on to a Langtang trip.

A lake that looks close on the map can still be a long day away. At 4,000 m and above, plan by hours and metres of climbing, not kilometres.

Manang, Mustang and Manaslu: lakes of the Annapurna circuit

This is where you'll find Tilicho, often called one of the highest lakes in the world, plus the new contender Kajin Sara and the day-hike favourites around Manang. Start with our Gandaki Province page or Gandaki hiking trails.

Tilicho Lake (≈4,919–4,949 m) sits below the Annapurna range in Manang. It's a two- to three-day detour from Manang on the Annapurna circuit, via Khangsar and Tilicho Base Camp. It's also a lake of records: a Russian team made what were then the highest-altitude scuba dives here in 2000, and Nepal's Department of Hydrology and Meteorology recorded no aquatic life in the lake as of 2003.

Kajin Sara (≈5,020 m) was found by a group of mountaineers in early 2019 in Chame rural municipality. It's about 1.5 km long and 600 m wide, and early reports put it higher than Tilicho, though published figures vary. The route climbs from Chame (≈2,650 m) through Lamjung Himal base camp to a high camp at about 4,750 m, with a short final climb to the lake. Facilities are basic, so carry your own food and sleeping gear.

Kicho Tal, the Ice Lake (≈4,625 m), is the classic acclimatisation hike from Braga or Manang. It's a long, steep day up and back, with big views across to the Annapurnas. Our Annapurna circuit tracks stay on the valley floor about 3 km below, so we don't link one here.

Gangapurna Lake lies right below Manang village, fed by glaciers from Gangapurna (7,454 m) and Annapurna III (7,555 m). Four TrailX routes pass it on the way to Thorong La, including the Manang Valley Thorong La Trek (90 km, 4,229 m of ascent, Extreme) and the Thorong La Pass Crossing (65.7 km, 3,014 m, Extreme).

Birendra Tal, named after King Birendra, is a glacial lake at the foot of the Manaslu Glacier just above Samagaon. In 2024 an avalanche sent a surge of water over its banks. The Manaslu Circuit Trek passes the shore on its 199 km loop (8,836 m of ascent, Extreme).

In the Kali Gandaki valley, Titi Lake sits near Kalopani on the Beni–Jomsom road. The Titi Lake Trek is a gentle 22.4 km with only 160 m of ascent, rated Moderate. Dhumba Lake (≈2,830 m) near Jomsom is small, about 150 by 100 m, and fed by ice melt from Nilgiri. Damodar Kunda is a sacred lake in Upper Mustang, a restricted area that needs a special permit; we found no reliable altitude for it. Kapuche Lake, a glacial lake above Sikles in Kaski, belongs here geographically even though it's closer to Pokhara.

The Pokhara valley lakes

Pokhara is Nepal's lake city. Nine lakes, Phewa, Begnas, Rupa, Khaste, Dipang, Maidi, Gunde, Neureni and Kamalpokhari, make up the Lake Cluster of Pokhara Valley, a Ramsar site. All of them are easy to reach by road, so they make good rest-day trips before or after a trek. The Gandaki Province page has more routes around Pokhara.

Phewa Lake (≈742 m) covers about 5.7 km² and is the most visited lake in Nepal. Boats cross to the Tal Barahi temple on its island, and on clear mornings the Annapurnas reflect in the water. The Panchase Trek from Pokhara (22.8 km, 847 m of ascent, Hard) starts at the lake and climbs into the hills above it.

Begnas Lake (≈650 m) is the second-largest lake in the valley, at about 3.3 km², with its level managed by a small dam built in 1988. Rupa Lake (≈600 m) lies just to the south: long, narrow and shallow, at around 3 m on average. Khaste, Dipang, Maidi, Gunde and Neureni are smaller lakes in the Lekhnath area, good for an easy cycle or walk between them.

Karnali and the Far West: Rara, Phoksundo and Khaptad

Western Nepal has the country's biggest and deepest lakes, and some of its most remote. Getting there usually means a flight to a small airstrip and several days on foot. Our Karnali Province page has the region's routes, including off-road tracks and scenic drives.

Phoksundo Lake (≈3,589–3,612 m) in Shey Phoksundo National Park is famous for its deep blue-green colour. It covers about 494 ha and is very deep: surveys measured 145 m in 2004 and 136 m in 2019. The village of Ringmo sits on the ancient landslide dam that created the lake, and below it the outflow drops over a 167 m waterfall. There are more than 20 stupas along the northern shore and a gompa on the eastern side. The Phokshondo lake dolpa nepa route on TrailX reaches Ringmo and the shore in 35.3 km, with 1,831 m of ascent, rated Extreme.

Rara Lake (≈2,975–3,048 m) is the largest freshwater lake in the Nepal Himalaya: about 10.8 km² of water, 5.1 km long, 2.7 km wide and up to 167 m deep. It's the centrepiece of Rara National Park and home to the Rara snowtrout, a fish found nowhere else. Wikipedia describes it as reachable only on foot from Jumla, with the nearest airstrips at Jumla and Talcha, though OpenStreetMap now shows tracks near the shore, so check locally. Heavy snow from December to March can block the way.

Khaptad Lake (≈3,050 m) sits in the north-east of Khaptad National Park in Doti, among rolling high meadows. Kupinde Daha in Salyan is a lowland hill lake next to the Baraha temple, beside NH27. Wikipedia's figure and coordinates for Kupinde don't match where OpenStreetMap places the lake, so we've left its altitude blank.

Eastern hills and Kanchenjunga

The eastern hills are full of small sacred ponds (pokhari) on ridgelines, many on trekking routes towards Kanchenjunga and Makalu. For routes in the east, see Koshi Province hiking.

Timbung Pokhari (≈4,335 m) in Taplejung is about 466 m long. Its name comes from the gunfire-like sound the lake is said to make. Salpa Pokhari (≈3,443 m) in Bhojpur drains into the Sunkoshi watershed, and Gupha Pokhari (≈2,890 m) near Chainpur is a pilgrimage site for Kirat, Hindu and Buddhist communities, with a road now reaching it.

Mai Pokhari in Ilam is a Ramsar wetland (since 2008) and a pilgrimage centre for Hindus and Buddhists. The lake is about a kilometre around, with boats on the water and a botanical garden on the shore.

Kathmandu and the Terai: wetlands and bird lakes

The lowland lakes are a different world: warm, flat and full of birds in winter. They're all reachable by road.

Bishazari Tal (≈286 m) is a large system of oxbow lakes in the buffer zone of Chitwan National Park, covering about 32 km², and a Ramsar site since 2003. Ghodaghodi Tal (≈205 m) in Kailali is a Ramsar site of about 2,563 ha and was declared a bird sanctuary in 2022. The Mahendra Highway runs right past it, and the Rakam Karnali to Banbasa - Shortcut Route (296.8 km on-road, 934 m of ascent, Moderate) drives along its shore. Taudaha Lake is a small lake on the edge of Kathmandu, near Kirtipur, an easy half-day trip from the city. Jagdishpur Reservoir in Kapilvastu is the other big birding lake in the west.

Permits and access

Permits change more often than lakes do, so we'll keep this general and you should check the current rules before you go.

• National parks and conservation areas. Most high lakes are inside a protected area: Sagarmatha (Gokyo, Imja), Langtang (Gosaikunda, Panch Pokhari), the Annapurna Conservation Area (Tilicho, Ice Lake, Gangapurna), Shey Phoksundo, Rara and Khaptad. Each charges an entry fee, paid in Kathmandu, Pokhara or at the park gate.
• Restricted areas. Upper Mustang (Damodar Kunda), the Manaslu region (Birendra Tal), Rolwaling (Tsho Rolpa) and Dolpo need special restricted-area permits, usually arranged through a registered agency. Rules and fees change, so check with Nepal's Department of Immigration or a local agency.
• Guides. Nepal has required foreign trekkers in many areas to go with a licensed guide since 2023. Check the current rules for your route.
• Sacred sites. Many of these lakes are holy. Don't swim or wash in them unless locals do, keep stupas and shrines on your right, and expect crowds at Gosaikunda, Gokyo and Panch Pokhari around Janai Purnima.

Staying safe at high lakes

The lake is usually the easy part. Getting there at altitude is what takes planning. Our guide to crossing Himalayan mountain passes covers acclimatisation in detail, but here are the essentials.

1. Acclimatise first. Tilicho, Gokyo, Imja Tsho and Kajin Sara all sit around 4,600–5,000 m. Build in rest days (Namche and Manang are the usual stops) and don't rush the last climb.
2. Read the profile, not just the distance. A short route like the Gosaikunda Lake Trek packs 1,110 m of climbing into 9.5 km. Our guide on how to read an elevation profile shows how to spot the steep parts before you set off.
3. Start early. Mornings are usually clearer and calmer, and the reflections are best before the afternoon wind picks up.
4. Respect the water. Glacial lakes are close to freezing, ice can be thin in spring and autumn, and moraine banks are loose. Stay back from the edge, especially at growing lakes like Imja Tsho and Tsho Rolpa.
5. Watch the weather. Snow can fall on high trails in any month, and monsoon cloud can hide the trail. Turn back if conditions change.
6. Take the map offline. Signal drops out quickly in the mountains. Save regional maps and your trail in the TrailX app before you leave town, and plan side trips in the Route Composer.

For kit and general safety, see our safety guidelines and gear checklist.

Sources

We checked every lake against published sources and left a dash where we couldn't confirm a figure.

• Wikipedia articles for individual lakes, especially Gokyo Lakes, Tilicho Lake, Phoksundo Lake, Rara Lake and the List of lakes of Nepal. Our full per-lake source list sits alongside this guide.
• OpenStreetMap (via Nominatim) for lake outlines and coordinates, nearby roads, and the altitudes of Chola Tsho and Kicho Tal.
• TrailX GPS tracks, compared point by point against each lake's mapped shoreline.

Where to next?

• Mountain passes in India: a guide to the Himalayan passes
• Hiking trails in Nepal
• Gandaki Province: Annapurna, Manang and Mustang
• Koshi Province: Everest and the east
• All TrailX routes in Nepal
• Get the TrailX app for offline maps