10 lakes of Nepal

Nepal is the country blessed by the Mother Nature. There are many beautiful lakes in this country where you can find either spirituality or serenity. Almost all the lakes of Nepal are located in the picturesque landscape either in the high hills valleys or mountain glacier foothills. There are more than 5300 lakes in Nepal including more than 2300 glacier lake. The normal route of flowing water in Nepal is from Northern Himalayas to Southern plains. Along the route, lakes are formed either by the melting of glacier or by a naturally formed dam. In this blog, we will know about major and beautiful 10 lakes of Nepal.

Here is the 10 Lakes of Nepal from different regions:

1. Tilicho Lake

Up in the mountainous region of the Annapurna region of Nepal lays the highest situated lake the Tilicho Lake. At an altitude of 4919 m, the Tilicho Lake is the glacial lake located in the Manang district of Nepal. The Lake is at the base of the Tilicho Peak. It takes about 6 to 8 days to reach the lake. Travelers can reach the lake in just two days from Manang village of the Annapurna Circuit Trek route. You can also do either Meso Kanta La Pass Trek or extend the Annapurna Circuit Trek along with the Tilicho Lake Trek itinerary.

2. Gosaikunda Lake

The Gosaikunda Lake is the holiest lake of Nepal located in the Langtang Region of Rasuwa district of Nepal. It is at the altitude of 4380 m from sea level. There are many lakes in the surrounding of this lake. You can reach the lake either directly from Dhunche Rasuwa or via Chisapani Trek route. Some trekkers also prefer to do the Langtang Valley Trek with Gosaikunda Lake via Thulo Syabru route. The lake is sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists.

It is believed that the lake was formed by the hit of Lord Shiva’s trident. The holy water has power to relieve you from all kinds of sin and help your deceased relatives’ soul to get peace. In addition, the lake is also the perfect vantage point to get scenic view of mountains like Langtang Lirung, Gauri Shankar, Dorje Lakpa, etc.

3. Rara Lake

Nepal’s queen of lakes is the Rara Lake. The lake is also the largest lake of Nepal which is located in the Mugu district in the splendid natural setting. The mountains on the backdrop and green lush forests in the surrounding make this lake a perfect art crafted expertly in a canvas. The most interesting fact about Rara Lake is that it changes its color multiple times in a day. Therefore, it has many admirers. Travelers can observe cymric, grey, purple, and blue color waters. We can reach the lake via road trip or if you are doing the Rara Lake Trek then you will have to start the journey from Jumla. Along the ancient temples of Sinja Valley, the trail traverses through Chare Chaur, Chola Chaur, Gaha, etc. villages.

4. Shey Phoksundo Lake

At an altitude of 3589 m, the Shey Phoksundo Lake is the deepest lake of Nepal. It’s greenish and turquoise lake which is located beautifully in the vicinity of the Shey Gompa. It takes about 9 days to complete the Phoksundo visit. There are few tea houses and lodges on the shores of the lake where you can get basic accommodation and meals. Nowadays, lots of people are attracted towards trekking to the lake because of its splendid virgin beauty. In addition the trekking trail up to the lake is equally mesmerizing as there are countless high waterfalls.

5. Birendra Lake

The Lake is named after much loved Late King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah of Nepal. It is at the basin of the Manaslu glacier and located near the Punhyn monastery and glacier. This is the beautiful fresh water lake which is in the trekking route to the Manaslu Base Camp from Samagaon. The increase in the number of trekkers doing the Manaslu Circuit Trek is increasing. Therefore, the popularity of the Birendra Lake is also slowly increasing. The lake is at an altitude of 3691 m from sea level. It takes about 1 hour to reach the lake from Samagaon village.

6. Panch Pokhari Lake

Do you know that the Panch Pokhari Lake is the highest situate wetland of Nepal? Yes, there are five holy lakes in the area which are diverse in terms of ecology. These five lakes are highly revered and sacred to Hindus. Every year during the Janai Purnima festival, Hindus visit the lake to take a dip into the holy water of the lakes. This is situated at the Sindhupalchok district and offers breathtaking scenery of mountains like Jugal, Dorje Lakpa, Phurbi Chhyachu, Madiya, etc.

7. Phewa Lake

Pokhara is the hottest and the most popular touristic destination for both foreigners and domestic tourists. The major reason behind this popularity is the presence of the Phewa Lake as well. The lake used to be called as the Baidam Tal and it is originally a man made largest lake. In fact, it is the second largest lake of Nepal after Rara Lake. In the waters of the lake, you can get mesmerizing scenery of mountains like Machhapuchhre, Annapurna, etc. In addition, you can enjoy in the various eateries and bars in the shores of the lake. The iconic Tal Barahi Temple in the middle of the lake is also enticing place to be while boating in the lake. The Lake is an identity of Pokhara.

8. Tsho Rolpa Lake

In the Rolwaling Valley located between the Sagarmatha National Park and Langtang National Park, the largest glacial lake of Nepal, the Tsho Rolpa Lake is located. At an altitude of 4580 m, the lake is surrounded by the towering mountains like Menlungtse, Langtang Lirung, and Gauri Shankar. It takes about 6 days to reach the lake following the Rolwaling Trek itinerary.

9. Imja Tsho Lake

One of the most deadly high – altitude glacial lakes of Nepal is the Imja Tsho Lake. It is at the base of the Imja Glacier. The Lake was formed by the melting of ice in the Imja Tse and surrounding mountains. In addition, the lake is also the fastest growing lake in the Himalayas. It shows the critical global warming symptoms affecting the Himalayas of Nepal. The lake can be reached while trekking from Chhukung to the Imja Tse base camp famously known as the Island Peak Base Camp as well. It is located at an altitude of 5010 m but the glacier height extends more than 5100 m.

10. Gokyo Lake

The most famous blue turquoise lake of the Everest region of Nepal is the Gokyo Lake. There are more than 19 lakes within this periphery and five lakes are the most significant ones. The major lake is the 3^rd Lake the Gokyo Lake also known as the Dudh Pokhari. It takes about 10 to 12 days to complete the Gokyo Lake Trek via Dole Machhermo route. Trekkers or travelers can choose to do various side trips from Gokyo Lake like Ri Hike, Renjo La Pass Crossing, and Chola Pass Crossing. EBC Chola Pass Trek and Three High Passes Trek itinerary also includes the visit of the Gokyo Lake.

These are the famous 10 lakes of Nepal. Besides these lakes, Nepal has countless other beautiful lakes. In this blog, we shouldn’t miss out to mention the honorable picks for the 10 lakes of Nepal. Some of the lakes are in off the beaten places which are becoming waste because of the lack of visitors. Some lakes were formed due to the global warming too. If government is functioning properly then they should know the lack of marketing and also communication error  don’t help the people to save various Gokyo Lakes of Nepal.

Other famous lakes of Nepal

The honorable mentionable lake of Nepal is Kapuche Lake. It has been very few years that it was discovered. If you are looking for a glacial lake where you can reach without any risk of altitude sickness then look no further than the Kapuche Lake. You can reach this famous lake in just 4 days from Pokhara including staying in the famous home stay village of Sikles. At an altitude of 2546 m, the lake is altitude friendly glacial lake to visit if you are inside the Annapurna region of Nepal.

The Begnas Lake located in Pokhara is the twin lakes of Rupa Lake. These lakes are said to have been connected and offers the breathtaking scenery if watched from the top during the Annapurna Royal Trek journey. Kal Tal of Manaslu, Khair Lake of Khopra, and Maina Pokhari Taal are other famous lakes of Nepal.

In this blog, we have delved into the brief introduction of the 10 Lakes of Nepal. For those who love to know about the places where they must and document those memories with the professionals about the destinations. Our blog titled 10 Lakes of Nepal can inspire you to book your trip to Nepal. Please subscribe and stay on touch with us as we will continue to offer travel advices to our valued clients.