Far West · Nepal
Rara Lake & the Far West tour packages
Rara Lake & the Far West in one paragraph
The short version
Rara Lake covers 10.8 sq km at 2,990 m in Mugu district, making it the largest and one of the deepest lakes in Nepal at about 167 m. It sits at the centre of Rara National Park, gazetted in 1976 and, at 106 sq km, the smallest national park in the country, ringed by blue pine, spruce and juniper with Himalayan black bear, red panda and musk deer in the forest. The practical reality is the reason so few people go: there is no road worth the name, and access means flying Kathmandu to Nepalgunj (KEP), overnighting, then taking a small aircraft to the Talcha airstrip at 2,700 m, followed by a 90-minute walk or short jeep ride down to the lake. Talcha flights are cancelled often. Accommodation is a handful of basic lodges and a park-run campsite; there is no reliable electricity, no ATM and no hot shower to count on. What you get in return is a Himalayan lake with almost nobody at it.
When to visit Rara Lake & the Far West
Twelve months, rated honestly. We would rather lose a booking than sell you a month that does not work.
Why people go
- Rara Lake itself — 10.8 sq km and about 167 m deep at 2,990 m, the largest lake in Nepal
- Rara National Park, 106 sq km and the smallest in the country, with red panda, musk deer and Himalayan black bear
- Murma Top at around 3,600 m, a three-hour climb for the full lake with Kanjiroba behind it
- A circuit of the lake on foot, roughly 13 km and doable in four to five hours
- Blue pine and juniper forest that turns the shoreline gold in late October
- Genuine remoteness — you can spend a day at the lake and see almost no other visitors
- Jumla as an alternative approach, with a three to four day trek in over the 3,700 m Ghurchi Lagna pass
Rara Lake & the Far West packages
We do not run a fixed departure to Rara Lake & the Far West. Access is difficult enough, and demand thin enough, that publishing a scheduled group trip would be dishonest — so we plan it privately instead, around your dates and the state of the flights and roads at the time.
Ask us to plan Rara Lake & the Far WestPlaces you will hear about
- Rara Lake
- A 10.8 sq km oval lake at 2,990 m, drained by the Nijar Khola into the Mugu Karnali.
- Rara National Park
- Nepal's smallest national park at 106 sq km, established in 1976 and surrounding the lake on all sides.
- Murma Top
- A grassy ridge at about 3,600 m south of the lake, roughly three hours up, giving the full shoreline in one frame.
- Talcha Airstrip
- The 2,700 m dirt strip that serves the lake, about 5 km and a 90-minute walk from the northern shore.
- Jumla
- The Karnali district headquarters at 2,540 m, the alternative gateway and start of the three to four day walk-in.
Rara Lake & the Far West questions, answered
How hard is it actually to get to Rara Lake?
Harder than anywhere else in this catalogue. The standard route is Kathmandu to Nepalgunj by jet, an overnight there, then a small aircraft to Talcha, then 90 minutes on foot. Talcha flights are cancelled routinely for weather or lack of load. Build two spare days into any itinerary or you will miss your international flight home.
What is the accommodation like at Rara?
Basic. A handful of family-run lodges and homestays near Rara village and Murma, plus a park campsite. Rooms are unheated with shared toilets, electricity is solar and intermittent, and hot water means a kettle. Meals are dal bhat and noodles. If you need comfort, this is not the destination — go to Pokhara instead.
Do I need permits for Rara Lake?
A Rara National Park entry permit at NPR 3,000, about USD 23, for foreign nationals and NPR 1,500 for SAARC passports, plus a TIMS card at NPR 2,000, about USD 15. Rara is not a restricted area, so there is no minimum group size, but a licensed guide is required for foreign trekkers.
Can you trek to Rara instead of flying?
Yes. From Jumla it is a three to four day walk over the Ghurchi Lagna pass at about 3,700 m, through Chere Chaur and Bumra, and you can walk out the same way or to Talcha. It turns the trip into ten days or so and is the better option if you want the region rather than just the lake.
Want Rara Lake & the Far West shaped around your dates?
Send us the days you have and what you care about. You will get a real itinerary with the exclusions spelled out, not a brochure.
Plan my Rara Lake & the Far West trip