Magical Rara Lake Trek in Nepal

After being picked up in the Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport by one of our representatives, they will transfer you to the hotel. Once there, you will get a short briefing of your trip and have the rest of the day off. Overnight at Hotel.

On the second day of the tour, we will visit some of the World Heritage Sites of Kathmandu. These include Durbar Square, the sacred Hindu temple of Pashupati Nath, the famous Swayambhu Nath ‘Monkey Temple’ , and the Bouddha Nath Buddhist shrine. You can also make last minute purchases of personal items and prepare for the next day. Overnight at Hotel.

In order to get to Dolpa, we will  fly to Nepalgunj first. Nepalgunj is a steaming hot city in South Western Nepal. It is close to the Indian border and culturally resembles India more than Nepal. Once there, you can take a rickshaw for a ride in the town, and stop by the bazaar where you can see horse carts full of colorful people going to or coming from the Indian border. The Bageshowri temple is one of Nepal’s most important Hindu temples and is worth a visit as well. Overnight at Hotel.

After an early rise, a morning plane will take us to the town of Jumla, which lies on the banks of the Tila Khola river. Jumla is one of the highest rice-growing areas of the world, where the unique ‘red’-rice is grown.

Overnight at Camping.

As we begin our trek, the Jumla Valley will disappear behind  a ridge. The trail will follow the river, keeping fairly level and passing through fields and pine forests. Then, we will ascend the Padmara Valley where we will stop for lunch.  Along the Padmara valley, the canyon becomes very narrow with vertical cliffs on both sides as the trail ascends through a deep forest of pines, spruces and firs. Finally, we will arrive in the last village of Padmara and we will continue the trek until we reach the Danphe Langa. Overnight stay at the camp.

We will begin the day with a steep descent through forests of firs, birches, walnuts and bamboo. After, we will zigzag down to Sinja Khola and cross it on a log bridge. From there, we will follow the river downstream to Nyawre. Then we will continue climbing. We will pass through marijuana fields and over a ridge into a side valley. The steep climb will continue until the trail makes a turn into a big valley and then descends into Chautha. Overnight stay at the camp.

On day 7, we will begin with a climb to the Bhulbule.  Above the Bhulbule, the trail will emerge into an immense treeless meadow and lead us to an assortment of Chhortens, cairns and prayer flags atop the Ghurchi Lagna. From there, we will catch views of the Mugu Karnali River and snowy peaks bordering Tibet. The route will then descend gently on a broad path to a hut, and then drop precipitously down a rough trail through a spruce forest. From there, we will follow the direct trail to Rara Lake and  descend to the Jhyari Khola for another stretch of easy walking to Dhotu. Overnight stay at the camp.

We will continue climbing through cedar forests to a huge meadow on top of a ridge with a great view of Rara Lake. We will descend on the northern side of the lake where camping ground is available. Overnight stay at the camp.

On day 9 we will explore Rara Lake, the largest in Nepal. It is almost 13 km around the lake and  well worth exploring. It is mostly an isolated region where birds, flowers and wildlife thrive. Overnight stay at the camp.

Overnight stay at the camp.

To begin our return from Lake Rara we will chose a different route. From the bridge at the western end of Rara Lake, the trail will take us to the Nisa Khola and then ascend to Murma. After, the trail will descend gradually to the river, we will cross the river on a log bridge, and then cross another stream beside a decrepit mill. A small trail will take us straight up the hill, and we will climb through pine, then spruce and rhododendron forests. We will then cross a meadow to a ridge from where we will catch views of western Himalaya in clear weather and Rara Lake far below as the trail skirts the head of a huge valley on the crest of the Ghurchi Mara. Then, the route will follow the main trail as it drops into the Ghatta Valley, and finally head towards Ghorosingha. Overnight stay at the camp.

On day 12 we will head down the Ghatta Valley from Ghorosingha. Then we will follow the Sinja Khola downstream to Sinja. After, we will take a short walk down the fertile valley on a renovated trail through a heavily populated region to the Brahmin and Chherti village of Sinja, on the banks of the Sinja Khola. From the 12th to the 14th centuries, Sinja was the capital of the Malla dynasty that ruled western Nepal. The ruins of the palace can be seen across the river. The large temple at the top of a promontory is the Bhagwati Than, dedicated to Bhagwati, the goddess of justice who rises atop a tiger. Overnight stay at the camp.

After breakfast, we will cross the Sinja Khola on a wooden cantilever bridge, and then begin a long trip up the Dhobi Khola. The trail will then cross back and forth across the river on a series of log bridges and pass a few scattered houses and barley and corn fields. From Chala Chaur, a meadow with a few herders’ huts, we will climb steeply to Jaljala, a gigantic meadow full of grazing horses. Overnight stay at the camp.

On our way back to Jumla, we will keep climbing through forests to another meadow, just below the ridge, and then descend to Chauri Khola. Then, we will cross a stream and contour around the head of the valley. Eventually, we will cross another ridge to rejoin the upward high trail at Chere. Finally, we will descend to Jumla. Overnight stay at the camp or in Lodge.

Early morning flight to Nepalganj.
This is a wonderful 35-minute flight over the Himalayan foothills, with fine views of the main peaks including Annapurna and Dhaulagiri to the north. You will then connect with the flight back to Kathmandu. Overnight at Hotel.

After a fun packed journey you will have a full day at leisure on your own. Otherwise,  if you wish to extend your trip with us for an additional fee, we can organize to explore the Thamel for one last day shopping and evening farewell dinner at a Nepali restaurant.
Overnight at Hotel /B.

GuideSource will transfer you to the International Airport for your departure flight.