Rara or Phoksundo, Here's Which of Nepal's Two Great Hidden Lakes You Should Actually Book

Permits & Rules Rara and Phoksundo are Nepal's two legendary remote lakes, and almost nobody treks to both. Here's the real difference in cost, permits and days. By Laxman Rawal · Sep 23, 2026 Read the full story

Key facts Rara is Nepal's largest lake by surface area and, at 167 m, its actual deepest — despite Phoksundo's reputation for the title Phoksundo sits at 3,611 m inside a restricted area; Rara sits at 2,990 m and needs no restricted-area permit Lower Dolpo's… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Which lake is actually harder to reach, Rara or Phoksundo?

Phoksundo is harder to reach, by every measure. Getting to Rara means flying Kathmandu to Nepalgunj to Talcha airstrip near Jumla, then walking two to three hours to the lakeshore — a full trek circuit around the lake adds several more days, but the lake… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

What each trek costs, permit by permit

Rara needs no restricted-area permit at all — just the standard national park entry fee of NPR 3,000 (about USD 23) plus a TIMS card, the same paperwork as most non-restricted Nepal treks. Phoksundo sits inside the Lower Dolpo restricted area, which the Nepal… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

How high do you actually go, and how hard is each trek?

Rara stays gentle: the lake and the trek's highest point are the same 2,990 m, so there's no real altitude risk beyond the ordinary caution any trek deserves, and the terrain is forest paths and open ridgelines rather than high passes. Phoksundo is a… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

So which lake should you actually book?

What this means for you Book Rara if you want Nepal's biggest and genuinely deepest lake, a moderate trek, no restricted-area paperwork, and a lower price — it's the better choice for a first remote-Nepal trek or a shorter window. Book Phoksundo if the… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Can you visit both Rara and Phoksundo on one trip?

Technically yes, but not casually — there's no direct trail between them, so it means flying out of one region and into the other via Nepalgunj, which most itineraries treat as two separate trips rather than one combined trek. Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Which lake is better for photography?

Both change colour through the day, but Phoksundo's colour shift against its cliff backdrop and higher altitude gives it the more dramatic single postcard image; Rara's larger surface area rewards a longer stay and a sunrise or sunset over open water. Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Do I need a guide for Rara Lake even though it isn't restricted?

It isn't legally mandatory the way Lower Dolpo is, but the routes beyond the lakeshore are remote with little signage, and we still send every Rara group with a guide for navigation and safety, not paperwork. Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Rara Lake Trek — 12 Days

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