Trek Nepal
FREN
Rara Lake and the Kanjirowa range

Western Nepal

Rara Lake

A blue lake ringed by pine forest in Karnali, one of the least visited regions of the country: four days from Jumla, or two hours from Talcha airstrip.

  • Walking days 2–6 days
  • Highest point 3,680 m
  • Level Moderate
  • Permits 5,000 NPR (≈ €29)
  • Start Nepalgunj
  • Mandatory guide, checks vary

At a glance

From Jumla, you walk four days through the Chere Chaur pastures, over the Danfe Lagna pass (~3,700 m) then Ghurchi Lagna (3,450 m), and through Thakuri villages to Rara Lake (2,990 m), the largest in Nepal. You then walk out to Talcha airstrip, two to three hours away.

You can also keep it short: fly to Talcha, walk two hours, spend a day around the lake and at the Murma Top viewpoint. Very few foreigners make it this far: a few hundred a year.

Highlights

  • Rara Lake, deep blue, surrounded by pine and juniper forests
  • The view from Murma Top (~3,680 m) over the lake and the Saipal and Kanjiroba peaks
  • Karnali, a region of Thakuri villages with very little tourism
  • No problematic altitude: you stay below 3,700 m

Drawbacks

  • Expensive flights, often cancelled (Nepalgunj, Jumla, Talcha)
  • Little accommodation: only two hotels on the lakeshore, lodges or homestays along the trail, sometimes a tent at Chere Chaur
  • No grid electricity at the lake, almost no mobile signal

In pictures

Rara Lake at sunset
Cattle on the shores of Rara Lake

Route

Four days from Jumla to the lake, then walk out to Talcha airstrip; or a short out-and-back from Talcha.

5 daysof walking
3,680 mhighest point
60 kmD+ 3,790 m D− 3,400 m
TalchaFinish
BulbuleGhurchi LagnaJhyariJumla — 2,350 mChere Chaur — 3,050 mChautha — 2,770 mPina — 2,400 mRara — 2,990 mTalcha — 2,720 mJumla — Start: JumlaTalcha — Start: Talcha · Finish: Talcha+ Day at the lake and Murma Top +1 dJumlaTalchaChere ChaurChauthaPinaRaraBulbuleGhurchi LagnaJhyariAirstrip — JumlaAirstrip — TalchaMove to change your starting pointStartFinish : TalchaFinishN
  • Airstrip
  • Chosen route
  • Other possible trails
  • Optional side trip
  • Possible start or finish

Drag the “Start” and “Finish” labels to another served point, or tap a point. The “+” buttons add a side trip. Zoom with + and − (or Ctrl + scroll wheel), then drag the map to move around.

How do I use it in a hiking app?

The file contains the route you chose on the map (start, finish, side trips), with altitude, and a marker for each night, pass and viewpoint.

  • Organic Maps or Maps.me (free, offline): download the Nepal map before you leave, then open the GPX file from your phone and choose the app.
  • OsmAnd: menu “My places” → “Tracks” → “Import”.
  • Komoot, Gaia GPS, Wikiloc, Garmin: use the app's or website's “Import a GPX file” feature.

With no signal, your phone's GPS still works: you can see your position on the track. The track is indicative: on the ground, waymarks and advice from the lodges come first.

Itinerary
  1. D 0Jumla2,350 m
  2. D 1Chere Chaur3,050 m+700 m9 km690 m30 m
  3. D 2Chautha via Danfe Lagna 3,680 m2,770 m−280 m24 km1,260 m1,470 m
  4. D 3Pina via Bulbule, Ghurchi Lagna2,400 m−370 m11 km720 m1,120 m
  5. D 4Rara via Jhyari2,990 m+590 m10 km1,000 m340 m
  6. D 5Talcha2,720 m−270 m7 km120 m440 m
Distances and elevation gain estimated from OpenStreetMap and a terrain model.
  • Jumla — Flight Nepalgunj → Jumla (about 205 USD (≈ €185), 2026 foreign rate), or by road from Surkhet (9 to 12 hrs). Kathmandu → Nepalgunj: flight (~170 USD (≈ €150)) or bus. ATMs in Jumla.
  • Talcha — Two to three hours' walk from the lake to the airstrip, then flight to Nepalgunj. You can also head back by jeep via Gamgadhi and Surkhet (two days on dirt roads).

Elevation

above 3,000 m: climb slowly1,0002,0003,0004,000D 0 · Jumla — 2,350 mJumla 2,350 mD 1 · Chere Chaur — 3,050 mDanfe Lagna — 3,680 mDanfe Lagna 3,680 mD 2 · Chautha — 2,770 mD 3 · Pina — 2,400 mD 4 · Rara — 2,990 mD 5 · Talcha — 2,720 mTalcha 2,720 mD 12345
Altitude of each night, with the day's passes and viewpoints (red dots). Green dot: rest day.

Permits

The Rara National Park entry fee. No special permit: only the upper Mugu valley is restricted, not the lake.

National park

Rara National Park

3,000 NPR (≈ €17)

At the Nepal Tourism Board in Kathmandu or at the park entrance (Bulbule on the way from Jumla, or near the lake).

Trekker card

TIMS card

2,000 NPR (≈ €12)

Issued only by a licensed agency since April 2023: it goes hand in hand with hiring a guide. See the Guide and porter page.

The TIMS card is handled by the agency providing the guide. See Permits.

Guide

Mandatory guide, checks vary

A licensed guide has in theory been mandatory in national parks since 2023; little is known about checks at Rara.

A guide is useful here: little accommodation, little English, poorly marked trails between Jumla and the lake. See Guide and porter.

A guide for this trek? The Guides Nepal directory lists guides, porters and agencies who know this trek, with their licence checked, the languages they speak and traveller reviews.

See guides for this trek

Transport

Getting to the start

Kathmandu → Nepalgunj

Duration ~1 hrPrice ~170 USD (≈ €150)

Several flights a day; bus also possible (12 to 16 hrs).

Nepalgunj → Jumla or Talcha

Duration 35 to 45 minPrice ~205 USD (≈ €185) (Jumla), ~240 USD (≈ €215) (Talcha)

Tara Air, Summit Air, Sita Air. Small planes, morning flights, frequent cancellations: keep some margin.

Getting back

Talcha → Nepalgunj

Duration 35 to 40 minPrice ~240 USD (≈ €215)

Or jeep via Gamgadhi and Surkhet, two days on dirt roads.

When to go

J: Not advisedF: PossibleM: IdealA: IdealM: PossibleJ: Not advisedJ: Not advisedA: Not advisedS: PossibleO: IdealN: IdealD: Not advised

IdealPossibleNot advised

March–April and October–November: the best periods. February is often fine but cold.

December to March: snow (sometimes a metre) that blocks passes and flights. Monsoon: mud, leeches, landslides on the Karnali road and cancelled flights.

On the trail

AccommodationTwo hotels on the lakeshore, others in Murma, Salleri and Talcha; simple lodges or homestays on the trail from Jumla, sometimes a tent at Chere Chaur.
BudgetAbout 15 to 25 USD (≈ €13 to €22) a day for food and a bed, much more with a guide and flights.
MoneyATMs in Jumla and Nepalgunj, nothing at the lake: bring cash.
SignalAlmost no mobile signal at the lake; no grid electricity.

Good to know before you go

Flights: Jumla and Talcha are small mountain airstrips, often closed by weather. Don't book an international flight right after.
The trail from Jumla: the day from Chere Chaur to Chautha is long (over 20 km, pass at about 3,700 m); set off early.

What about the visa? A two-week trek plus a few days in Kathmandu and Pokhara quickly adds up to more than 15 days: get the 30-day visa. The calculator on our sister site Visa Nepal shows the cheapest length.

Which visa length?

Comments

A question, recent news from the trail, your own experience? Share it here.

Loading comments…

Other treks

AnnapurnaAnnapurna CircuitThe great classic, over the Thorong La pass9–20 days5,416 m maxDemandingMandatory guide, checks varySee the trekKhumbuEverest Base CampAt the foot of the roof of the world, via Namche and Kala Patthar11 days5,645 m maxDemandingGuide not requiredSee the trekEverest (Khumbu)Gokyo LakesTurquoise lakes and the finest view of Everest10–14 days5,645 m maxDemandingGuide not requiredSee the trekEverest (Khumbu)Three Passes TrekThe grand Khumbu loop over three passes above 5,300 m17 days5,645 m maxVery demandingGuide not requiredSee the trekAnnapurnaAnnapurna Base CampAn amphitheatre of ice at 4,130 m5–11 days4,130 m maxChallengingMandatory guide, checks varySee the trekAnnapurnaPoon HillSunrise over the Annapurnas in three days3–5 days3,210 m maxModerateMandatory guide, checks varySee the trekAnnapurnaKhopra DandaPoon Hill without the crowds, and a ridge facing Dhaulagiri6–7 days4,660 m maxChallengingMandatory guide, checks varySee the trekAnnapurnaMardi HimalA ridge facing Machapuchare, an hour from Pokhara5–6 days4,500 m maxChallengingMandatory guide, checks varySee the trekAnnapurna (Mustang)Upper MustangThe old kingdom of Lo, Tibet on foot, doable even in the monsoon5–13 days4,280 m maxChallengingAgency and guide mandatorySee the trekAnnapurnaNar Phu ValleyTwo timeless villages just off the Annapurna Circuit8–9 days5,320 m maxDemandingAgency and guide mandatorySee the trekLangtangLangtang ValleyGlaciers and Tamang villages, a day from Kathmandu6–10 days4,984 m maxModerateMandatory guide, checkedSee the trekLangtangGosainkunda LakeThe Hindus' sacred lake, four days from Kathmandu4–8 days4,610 m maxChallengingMandatory guide, checkedSee the trekEastern NepalMakalu Base CampAt the foot of the world's 5th-highest mountain, far from the crowds12–16 days4,830 m maxDemandingMandatory guide, checks varySee the trekManasluTsum ValleyA Buddhist valley left apart, at the foot of Ganesh Himal9–17 days5,106 m maxChallengingAgency and guide mandatorySee the trekEastern NepalKanchenjungaAt the foot of the world's 3rd-highest peak, at the country's far eastern edge10–14 days5,140 m maxVery demandingAgency and guide mandatorySee the trekSolukhumbuPikey PeakSunrise over Everest, without a flight to Lukla5 days4,065 m maxModerateGuide not requiredSee the trekJiri (Ramechhap)Numbur Cheese CircuitA wild circuit around Numbur, between high lakes and cheese factories11 days4,880 m maxDemandingMandatory guide, checkedSee the trekWestern Nepal (Dolpo)Phoksundo LakeDolpo's turquoise lake, at the far end of the west7 days3,680 m maxChallengingMandatory guide, checks varySee the trekManasluManaslu CircuitThe wild circuit, over the Larkya La11–13 days5,106 m maxDemandingAgency and guide mandatorySee the trek

Preparing your trek

PermitsPrices, where to buy, documents needed, trek by trek.Guide and porterMandatory or not, region by region, and what it costs.TransportBuses, jeeps and flights to the start of each trek.Altitude and safetyAcclimatisation, altitude sickness, rescue, insurance.BudgetDaily costs, cash to bring, ATMs.FAQThe questions people ask before they go.