16-Day Rara Lake Trek Far West Nepal

16 Days in Nepal's Far Northwest

Days 1 to 3  |  Kathmandu and Nepalgunj

Arrive in Kathmandu and spend two days in the valley: Swayambhunath, Pashupatinath, Boudhanath, and the Durbar Squares. On Day Three, fly to Nepalgunj, the business hub of western Nepal, in the flat Terai lowlands near the Indian border, for a final briefing and gear check before the next day's mountain flight.

Days 4 to 6  |  Jumla to Sinja

A thirty-minute flight takes you from Nepalgunj to the mountain airstrip at Jumla (2,370 meters), and the trek begins right away, climbing rocky paths past late 15th-century Buddhist stupas to Chala Chaur, then over a high grassy pass at 3,500 meters with the twin peaks of Kanjiroba to the north. Descend through birch and spruce forest along the Jaljala Khola to Botan and the Sinja Valley, where stones along the trail carry inscriptions from the Malla kings who ruled all of western Nepal from this valley for three centuries.

Days 7 to 10  |  Rara National Park

Climb to the Ghurchi Mara ridge (3,710 meters) for the first wide views, then descend to the lake. Spend two full days at Rara, with its turquoise water, forest trails, and the quiet of a place few people visit, and climb Chuchemara Danda (4,087 meters), the best viewpoint in the park. Look for red panda in the oak and bamboo forest, Himalayan black bear in the mixed woods above the lake, and musk deer in the alpine meadows.

Days 11 to 14  |  Back to Jumla

Leave the lake through terraced farmland and walnut groves, cross the Ghurchi Lagna Pass (3,450 meters), and climb the high ridges of Danphe Lekh for last views back toward the park before descending to Jumla. On the way you pass the Silajit outcrop at Kabra, where a medicinal mineral seeps from under overhanging rock, one of the odder sights of the return trail.

Days 15 to 16  |  Return to Kathmandu

Fly from Jumla to Nepalgunj and on to Kathmandu. Final evening in Thamel. International departure on Day 16 or the morning after.

Day by Day

Days 1 to 2  Kathmandu  Sacred Sites and the Briefing

Arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport and transfer to your hotel with a traditional welcome. You then have two days in the Kathmandu Valley before heading west. You visit Swayambhunath on its hilltop, where the painted eyes of the Buddha have looked out over the city since the 5th century; Pashupatinath on the Bagmati River, the most sacred Hindu site in Nepal; Boudhanath, the great white stupa at the heart of the Tibetan Buddhist community; and Patan Durbar Square, with the valley's best medieval Newari architecture. The final afternoon is for the expedition briefing: the route, the altitude gain, and the gear you need for a trek through remote country far from any resupply point.

Stay: Kathmandu Hotel

Day 3  Kathmandu to Nepalgunj  Flight and Gear Check

A one-hour flight takes you from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj, the commercial and administrative center of Nepal's mid-western Terai. Nepalgunj sits in the flat Terai lowlands near the Indian border at roughly 150 meters, so it is hot, busy, and nothing like the country ahead. It is on the itinerary for logistics: the mountain flight to Jumla leaves from here, and it is the last place to sort out any equipment or supplies before the trail. Final gear check at the hotel, and an early start tomorrow.

Stay: Nepalgunj Hotel

Days 4 to 6  Jumla to Botan  Ancient Kingdoms and High Passes

The thirty-minute flight from Nepalgunj to Jumla is one of the most scenic mountain approaches in Nepal, climbing from the flat Terai into the high valleys of the Karnali region with the Himalayan ranges ahead. Jumla (2,370 meters) is the administrative center of Jumla District, a quiet hill town and the trailhead for several of the most remote treks in the country. You start walking straight from the airstrip.

The first stretch passes 15th-century Buddhist stupas standing in the fields beside the trail, their whitewashed domes marking the edge of the old Malla kingdom. The climb to the high grassy pass at 3,500 meters takes most of a day and comes out on a wide ridge with the twin peaks of Kanjiroba (6,883 meters) to the north, one of the most important sacred mountains of the far west and little known outside Nepal. Descend through birch and spruce forest along the Jaljala Khola to the gorge at Botan. Sinja lies just beyond, in a broad river valley that was once the political and cultural center of the entire western Himalaya.

The Malla dynasty ruled from Sinja from roughly the 12th century until the 15th, and at its height controlled a kingdom that stretched from what is now Tibet to the Terai and from the Karnali River to the Kali Gandaki. The inscribed stones along the trail in the Sinja Valley are what remains of that rule: boundary markers, religious dedications, and administrative records carved when this valley was the center of a kingdom that has since almost entirely disappeared. The village today is small and quiet.

Stay: Professional Tented Camp and Mountain Lodge

Days 7 to 10  Rara National Park  The Queen of Lakes

From the Sinja Valley the trail climbs through ever more remote country to the Ghurchi Mara ridge (3,710 meters), where the park boundary begins and you get your first open view of the surrounding ranges. Descend from the ridge to the lake shore. Rara (2,990 meters) is Nepal's largest lake by surface area and its most protected, lying entirely within the country's smallest national park. Its deep turquoise water turns cobalt in the afternoon light and reflects the Dolpo mountains and the peaks of the Tibetan border to the north. The forest around the lake is intact mixed conifer and oak, largely undisturbed since the park was established in 1976.

You have two full days at the lake. The climb to Chuchemara Danda (4,087 meters) gives the best view in the park: the lake below, mountain ranges on all sides, and wild country in every direction, with no road, settlement, or trail visible beyond the park boundary. Red pandas live in the oak and bamboo forest on the lower slopes, the most elusive animal in the park and one of the most endangered in Asia. Himalayan black bears range through the mixed forest above the lake, and musk deer graze in the alpine meadows on the ridges. The observation tower near the shore is a second place to watch for wildlife at dusk. From camp on the lake shore you can see the water from your tent as the mountains catch the last light above the treeline, and many guests remember these nights longest.

Stay: Professional Tented Camp on the Lake Shore

Days 11 to 14  The Homeward Trail  Jumla via Ghurchi Lagna

Leave Rara through terraced farmland and walnut groves on the southern side of the park, gentler country than the high ridges of the approach. On the return you cross the Ghurchi Lagna Pass (3,450 meters), a different pass from the approach, with new views over the western ridges toward Jumla. The climb to the high pastures of Danphe Lekh, named for the Danphe pheasant, Nepal's national bird, which you may still see in these forests, gives the last wide view of the trek before the long descent to the valley.

The trail passes the Kabra outcrop, where Silajit seeps out from under huge overhanging rocks. Silajit is a mineral resin that forms over centuries from decaying plant material at high altitude, and it has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for over 3,000 years. It is found in several places across the Himalaya, but the Kabra deposit is one of the most important in the Karnali region, and local people have known it for generations. You reach Jumla in time for the evening and the last night in camp before the next day's flights.

Stay: Professional Tented Camp then Jumla

Days 15 to 16  Return to Kathmandu

Take the morning flight from Jumla to Nepalgunj, then the connection on to Kathmandu. After the quiet of the far northwest, the city feels loud. Spend your final evening in Kathmandu with a last walk, a last meal, and perhaps a visit to the bookstore. International departure is on the morning of Day 16 or the following day, depending on your flight home.

Stay: Kathmandu Hotel then International Departure

The Sherpa Standard

Every SherpaHolidays trip is fully supported. Here is what that means on this one.

Accommodation and Meals

• Kathmandu and Nepalgunj: Hotels on a twin-sharing, bed and breakfast basis.
• Expedition Camping: 10 nights of full-service camping, with two-person tents, a dining tent, and a toilet tent at every camp.
• Full Board on Trek: Three fresh meals a day throughout the trek, cooked by a professional expedition kitchen team.

Leadership and Logistics

• Lead Guide: A dedicated Sherpa trekking guide for the full 16 days who knows the Karnali region well.
• City Guide: Specialist guide for the Kathmandu sightseeing days.
• Sherpa Support Team: A full team of local porters and assistants for all luggage, camp management, and technical logistics.
• Safety Protocol: Thorough pre-trek briefings, and insurance for all local staff.

Transport and Logistics

• Internal Flights: All four domestic sectors: Kathmandu to Nepalgunj, Nepalgunj to Jumla, Jumla to Nepalgunj, Nepalgunj to Kathmandu, for guests and staff.
• Private Transfers: All airport pickups, drops, and overland transfers in private vehicles.
• Permits and Fees: Rara National Park entry fees, special trekking permits for the restricted area, and all monument fees.

What Is Not Included

• International airfare to and from Kathmandu
• Nepal entry visa fees
• Lunch and dinner while in Kathmandu
• Specialized trekking clothing, sleeping bags, and personal medications
• Comprehensive travel insurance, which is a condition of every booking. Your policy must cover emergency medical treatment, emergency evacuation, trip cancellation and interruption, and repatriation. We can recommend providers.
• Tips for guides and porters
• Single supplement (for those taking a private room)

Five Highlights

Rara Lake

Nepal's largest lake sits at 2,990 meters in the country's smallest national park: deep turquoise water surrounded by intact conifer and oak forest, with the Dolpo mountains and the Tibet border peaks above the northern shore. The park sees very few visitors, and the water, the forest, and the quiet around it are much as they were before the park was gazetted in 1976.

The Malla Kingdom of Sinja

The Malla dynasty ruled the western Himalaya from the Sinja Valley from the 12th to the 15th century, and at its height controlled a kingdom that stretched from Tibet to the Terai. Stones along the trail in the valley carry inscriptions from that reign: boundary markers, religious dedications, and administrative records. The village today is small and quiet, but Sinja is one of the few places in Nepal where you can walk among the remains of a kingdom most of the world has never heard of.

Chuchemara Danda at 4,087 Meters

The highest point of the trek and the best viewpoint in Rara National Park. From the top, the lake lies below you, mountain ranges fill every horizon, and you can see wild country in every direction, with no road, settlement, or other sign of people beyond the park boundary. The Dolpo mountains to the east and the peaks of the Tibet border to the north frame the water. It is a long way from anywhere, and it is beautiful.

The Red Panda Forest

Red pandas live in the oak and bamboo forest on the lower slopes of Rara National Park, foraging in the early morning and at dusk. They are among the most endangered mammals in Asia and among the hardest to see in the wild. The Rara forest is one of the few places in Nepal where a patient observer, moving quietly through the right habitat at the right time of day, has a real chance of seeing one. No sighting is guaranteed, but the forest is worth the walk either way.

Remote Country

The far northwest of Nepal is far more remote than the standard trekking regions. Two flights and a multi-day trek separate Kathmandu from Rara Lake, and there are no teahouse menus in four languages, no gear shops, and no lines at the viewpoint. What you get instead is the quiet and solitude the more popular routes have lost. Many guests tell us this is the Nepal they had hoped to find.