Rara Lake Trekking Nepal
The pristine beauty of Rara Lake, encamped right before the beautiful mountains go Nepal is unbelievable. This mesmerizing alpine lake on the remotest land of Nepal makes the most beautiful trekking route for the nature lover. Among Nepal’s many magical glacier lakes, Rara is known as the biggest, and also among the highest altitude in the world. Now, wouldn’t a fourth night of journey in such a captivating landmark be rejuvenating?
Where is Rara Lake?
Rara Lake lies in the farthest northwestern of Nepal in the remotest land of Karnali Province. At a height of 2,990 meters above sea level, this heavenly piece of beauty is 300 km away from Kathmandu in the Mugu district. Rara is a beast with 10.8 square kilometers of total land and a depth of around 167 meters. And the water of this lake is so pristine and blue like it’s never been touched before, protected by the dense alpine forest nearby.
The highlight of Rara Lake Trek
- Trek to the pristine blue Rara Lake, Nepal’s largest lake
- Explore Nepal’s remotest land and untouched natural paradise
- Witness spectacular flora and fauna within Rara National Park
- View panorama of mountain vistas without having to take the risk of altitude sickness
- Visit Sinja Valley, Nepal’s historical capital of the Malla Dynasty
- Stay in the homes of Thakali and Chetri people
- Visit old monasteries and Temples in the villages of far-west
- Get to witness the life and landscape of Terai, Hill, and Mountain all at a time
Why Rara Lake Trekking?
Well, Nepal has many popular trekking routes that take you to the proximity of mountains and different glacier lakes. Unfortunately, many such popular routes have now faced a huge upsurge in the number of incoming tourists, being too crowded in the peak season. However, Rara Lake Trekking is less visited and preserved in its rawest forms. Also, the fact that you have multiple trekking routes or even flights to get to Rara Lake makes it exciting. You can take a longer route for Rara Lake for more than 15 days or a shorter route of 6-7 days, depending upon your choices.
Also, you get to witness the exceptional bio-diversity of wild fauna such as musk deer, red pandas, Himalayan black bears, etc in the Rara National Park. Also, an excellent spot for bird watching and pony riding during Rara Lake Trekking.
And just to add a cultural spark, the hospitality and the food of the Thakuri and Chhetri people in this region is amazing. With many Nepalese tourists also trekking in the route, you have some great opportunities to make friends here.
Check out our exciting Dhorpatan National Park tour, the legal hunting ground in Nepal.
Detailed itinerary
Day 01 : Arrival in Kathmandu
Your Rara trek itinerary can either begin from the airport or from Kathmandu. If you are with us from the very first day, we pick you up at the airport and drive you to the hotel. The drive from the airport to Thamel shall be a swift 30-minute fun ride. In the evening we shall all gather for our introduction session with our owner Sandip. If you have any last-minute shopping or preparation left, then they assist you to be ready for the Rara Lake trekking.
Meal : Dinner
Accomodation : Hotel
Walking / Driving : 30mins drive
Day 02: Fly from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj (150m)
At the beginning of the Rara Lake Itinerary, we shall take a flight from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj. This is among the biggest cities in the western south of Nepal with a close border to India. If you are from India, you can also join our trip to Nepalgunj. As far as possible, we shall book a morning flight of about 9 to 11 am. So you can drive to the airport after breakfast and we shall reach to Nepalgunj for lunch. After a few hours of rest, we roam around the city of Nepalgunj and visit some local temples and food stalls so that we can witness the life of the Terai people
Meal : Breakfast
Accomodation : Hotel
Walking / Driving : 1 hour flight
Day 03: Fly from Nepalgunj to Jumla and trek to Chere Chaur (3055 m)
Now, this is another relaxing and yet very exciting day of the Rara Lake Itinerary. From the crowded city of Nepalgunj, we fly all into the isolated land of the Himalayas in less than 20 minutes. The morning flight to Jumla shall be full of beautiful views, also of the hills and mountains. This commercial center of Mugu district is a starting point of our trek. Now we take our time to buy some food and do some remaining preparations while also exploring some nearby areas of Rara Lake trekking route.
Now, we shall start the trek as we walk to Chere Chaur. This beautiful hilltop takes about 500m of ascend for us in 5 to 6 hours. There are lots of ascending and descents involved during the trip, so make sure that you walk slowly and comfortably.
In mid-day, we shall stop at a small market in Khalanga, also enjoy our lunch. Then, we cross a few more villages before crashing at Chere Chaur for the night’s stay. PS: if you take Rara Lake Short trek and fly to Talcha, you will not visit these villages along the way.
Meal : Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner
Accomodation : Tea House
Walking / Driving : 20 min flight/ 5-6 hours trek
Day 05: Trek to Chalachaur (2980 m/9,777 ft)
This is also a relatively easy trekking day as we walk down the western trails. Today’s walk involves a little ascend on the tropical jungle of Rhododendron, birch, and pine forests. In midday, we climb Jaljala Pass at a height of 3,580 meters and witness the beautiful Kanjiroba Himal before us. Then we descend for a couple of hours to the grassland named Jaljala Chaur. Now, into the Rara CIrcuit trail, we rest at Chalachaur.
Meal : Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner
Accomodation : Tea House
Walking / Driving : 5 to 6 hours
Day 06: Trek to to Sinja Valley (2490 m)
This is in fact another easy day of the Rara Lake Itinerary as we hike up to Sinja Valley. In the early part of the walk, we cross the Jaljala River. This grassland can be the best photogenic spot before we ascend further up towards the beautiful village of Sinja. Sinja, once the capital of Malla kings in the 13th century, is now a remote village occupied by some Thakali people.
Meal : Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner
Accomodation : Tea House
Walking / Driving : 5-6 hours
Day 07: Trek to Ghorosingha (3050 m)
Now, this a quite long day and we ought to leave Sinja quite early in the morning. From here, we follow a river path heading to the east, thus getting to Laha for the night. From Laha, we walk to the small village of Gani where we stop for about an hour. Only on the final part of the trek, we walk down to reach Ghorosingha located at 3,050 meters above the sea. Although we don’t gain much altitude on this day, it’s important to be hydrated and well-rested.
Meal : Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner
Accomodation : Tea House
Walking / Driving : 5 to 6 hours
Day 08: Trek to to Rara Lake (3010 m)
It’s gonna be an exciting, as well as a difficult day as we are on a steep hill to Chucharmare Danda. From the top, we start to see the serene Rara Lake just before us. Now, more hours of the trek take us to Majhghat, and then we follow Khatyar river up to Chhapri village. Also the center of Rara National Park, the village can be a good place for a quick spot until we trek to the Rara Lake. It’s gonna be a beautiful and cold night on the premises of Rara Lake trekking route.
Meal : Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner
Accomodation : Tea house
Walking / Driving : 6-7 hours
Day 09: Explore Rara
This is a beautiful day on the premises of Rara Lake. You wake up in the morning with the most beautiful view of a lake and mountains before you. In the morning, the view of the mountain is even more magical. It’s a great time to hire a pony and take some beautiful pictures. You might also be able to go boating in the right season. You can also hike to Murma Top for a closer view of the mountain. Or, if you are not up for 6 to 7 hours of the trek, then you can just relax in your guesthouse and explore the nearby areas. It’s also a day for some cultural explorations and local interaction.
Meal : Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner
Accomodation : Tea House
Day 10: Trek to Pina (2440 m)
Obviously, it’s time to walk down to the lower altitude as we attempt to move home. Leaving the beautiful Rara Lake after breakfast in the morning, we hike through the tropical forest. We walk after 3 to 4 hours of work in the morning we stop at the Headquarters of Mugu called Gamgadhi. Then, we walk in the forest of Jhyari Khola on Rara Lake trekking route and finally reach Pina. Add only a few guest houses for the night stay.
Meal : Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner
Accomodation : Tea House
Walking / Driving : 4-5 hours
Day 11: Trek to Bumra (2850 m)
This is another challenging day of Rara Lake Itinerary as we hike for Burma. Firstly, we hike through the Ghurchi Langna Pass at an altitude of 3,480 meters. After hiking to the highest altitude of the trek, you will be greeted with colorful prayer flags and a view of mesmerizing Karnali river. After taking some beautiful pictures here, we walk down to Bulbule. From here, we move to the South on Chautha and rest at the beautiful village in Burma/ Nauri Ghat of Rara Lake trekking route.
Meal : Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner
Accomodation : Tea House
Walking / Driving : 5-6 hours
Day 12: Trek to Jumla (2540 m)
Now, brace yourself for a final trekking day. Firstly, we walk down from Bumra to cross suspension bridges and climb along the Hima River. After some descent, we can stop at the hot spring, a quick bath of a natural hot spring is going to be truly rejuvenating. Only after mid-day, we walk via Danphe Lagna Pass and cross over 3,691 meters, the highest in the trek. Then we walk down to Chere Chaur and retrace our path all the way to Jumla.
Meal : Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner
Accomodation : Tea House
Walking / Driving : 5-6 hours
Day 13: Fly to Nepalgunj, Fly to Kathmandu
The trip is almost over and you have successfully completed the circuit of Rara Lake. We tried to book an early morning flight to Nepalgunj. If you want, we can explore more places in Nepalgunj and also see the border of India and do some shopping in the border area.
However, our original plan is to fly from Nepalgunj to Kathmandu. We will reach Kathmandu in about an hour, maybe before the meeting. In the evening you have some time for souvenir shopping. Most importantly, we shall all gather together for a farewell dinner and a final celebration where you will also get a certificate on the completion of the Rara Lake trekking.
Meal : Breakfast/ Lunch
Accomodation : Hotel
Walking / Driving : 20mins+ 1 hours flight
Day 14: Final Departure
Now it’s time to head back to your home. We drop you at the Airport a few hours before the trip and then it’s time for final goodbye.
Meal : Breakfas
Useful Info
Permits for The Rara Lake Trek
Now, do note that you need three different kinds of permits for trekking in the Rara Region.
TIMS card: Ask your trekking agency if you still need a TIMS card as most of the trekking regions have waved off TIMS cards recently. If needed, it costs from NRP 1000 to NRP 2000 and can only be issued from Kathmandu.
Rara Lake National Park Permit: This can be issued only at an entry point once you get into this region and costs NRs 3000 per person for foreigners.
Mugu Restricted Area Permit: The restricted area permit is assigned for a few remote regions of Nepal to control the flow of tourist and track their move. You can get this permit from Kathmandu only and need to meet some special criteria. The cost for this permit is US$90.
Things to know before going to Rara Lake trekking route
- Rara trekking region is among the few restricted areas of Nepal and here are a few things you should know before trekking here.
- Must be in a group of at least two people. Solo trekking is not permitted in this region
- You must book your trek with the licensed trekking agency of Nepal or at least hire a guide, independent trekking in the Rara region is not permitted
- If you have to stay more than 10 days in a year and the Rara region, you should extend the permit time.
Rara Lake Trek difficulty
Rara is considered a moderately difficult trek. Although the trek is long, you do not gain a lot of attitude. The highest altitude during the trek is 3600 m and the overall route is comfortable. Obviously, you wouldn’t need any technical knowledge or previous experience of high altitude trek in the journey. However, you will be walking 5 to 6 hours each day, covering about 10 to 12 km. So, keeping yourself physically and mentally healthy will be important. Do engage in some good exercises and cardio while you are in your home country so that you can boost your energy.
Any newbie who hasn’t been to trek in all of their life can also easily accomplish the Rara Lake short Trek. If you want a rather comfortable experience in Nepal, take Everest Base Camp Helicopter Tour.
Accommodation and food during Rara Trek
You will have three different types of accommodation during the trip. In the cities of Kathmandu and Nepalgunj, we will be staying in comfortable hotels. In the Jumla, you will get to stay in a decent guest house. During this period, we got a comfortable room with all amenities and a private bathroom. Wi-Fi, charging, hot shower, and everything else is available.
However, beyond that, all accommodation will be done in tea houses. This means there will be small houses, mostly made of wood and stones. The locals themselves cook you some good food and provide you with a warm bed. Most rooms have two or three single beds and a common bathroom. You should pay extra for facilities like a hot shower and electricity because the cost of the room is less than $5 and nothing else is included in the trek to Rara Lake.
Talking about food while you travel to Rara Lake, all kinds of food of your choice Are available in Kathmandu and Nepalgunj. You can pick from Indian, Chinese, Italian, Nepalese, and all kinds of cuisine. Meals in hotels are not included in the package so you have the freedom to eat anything of your choice. In the trekking routes, you mostly get Nepalese Dal Bhat for dinner and lunch. This unlimited buffet of steamed rice, mixed vegetables, and pulse soup is delicious. For breakfast, you have the option of bread, oats, fruits, pancakes, and more.
Rara Lake short Itinerary
If you are not looking forward to a 15-day trek to Rara Lake, then there is another short way to reach there. Rara is also reachable in 3 days from Kathmandu, directly by plane. The newly established Talcha airport is just a few hours away from Rara Lake and you can easily reach there with a half an hour’s flight from Nepalgunj. Here is the 3-day Rara Lake trek short Itinerary
Day 1: Fly from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj to Talcha
Trek to Rara Lake
Day 2: Stay in Rara and trek back to Talcha
Day 3: Fly Talcha to Nepalgunj and Nepalgunj to Kathmandu
Wanna short trek in Nepal? Also check Everest View trek in Nepal.
FAQs
What is the best time for a Rara Trekking?
Almost all of the trekking regions we visit are from 2,000 meters to 3,000 meters above sea level. This altitude has a comfortable kind of weather with the warmth of Sunrays and the soft wind of the mountains. Rara Lake Trek is definitely possible throughout the year. However, we recommend trekking in Autumn and spring the most. Autumn provides some of the best views of the Himalayas while spring is full of colorful rhododendron and wild flowers. The chances of snowfall and rainfall from March to May and September to November are almost nil, the best season for Rara lake trek.
Rara Trek trekking can be done in monsoon and winter as well. The western region of Nepal receives comparatively less rainfall in the monsoon than other parts of Nepal. This means, that if you are in Nepal from June and July, this can be a good trekking option. Rara Trek can also be done in winter with little preparation and guidance. Areas above 5,000 meters are covered with snow and it is quite risky. However, in comparison to other base camp treks of about 5,000 meters, travel to Rara Lake is a safer winter trek.
What is the Rara Lake trek price?
Rara Trek’s cost for foreigners is somewhere between Dollar 1200 to dollar 1700. Depending upon the season, facilities provided during the trek, group size, and the cost of flight tickets the price may vary within the year. You will find the cheapest travel to Rara lake with Himalaya master but facilities that are never compromised. Wanna cheaper trek in Nepal? Check Langtang Valley Trek.
What is Rara Lake's altitude?
The altitude of the Rara trek is 2990 meters above sea level. While most of the glacier lake in Nepal is above 5000 meters, trek to Rara Lake might be one of the lowest altitude Lake you get to visit.
How to get to Jumla from Kathmandu?
You can travel from Kathmandu to Jumla via jeep. But the route is very long and dangerous, takes 2 full days of ride. That is why we recommend you fly to Nepalgunj and then to Jumla.
What is Jumla to Rara Lake distance by road?
There is a completely dangerous off-road built from Jumla to Rara. This road can only accommodate a wheeler jeep and no bus. You can travel to Rara lake from Jumla and finish the tour in 3 days, staying in Rara for a day and driving back to Rara on the 3rd day.