Bhimtal, Naukuchiatal and Sattal lakes loop
Nainital · 7 hrs · Cab included · Pickup from your stay
From ₹2990 for the whole vehicle, up to 8 people. The price is per car, not per person.
Vehicles
- Swift Dzire: Sedan. Best for a couple or a small family. ₹2990 for the vehicle.
- Tata Sumo: Rugged 8-seater. The most room for the money. ₹3490 for the vehicle.
- Innova or Ertiga: The comfortable one on a long hill day. ₹4990 for the vehicle.
The lake district that is not in Nainital
Most people who come to Nainital see one lake, the one in the middle of town. The lake district proper is twenty-odd kilometres away over the Bhowali saddle: Bhimtal, Naukuchiatal and Sattal, each in its own valley and each with a different character, the big busy one, the deep quiet one, and the forest one.
They are close on a map and awkward on the ground. The roads between them are narrow, they all route back through Bhowali, and local taxis price each lake as its own trip. Doing them as one loop in one car, out through Bhowali and back the same way, is the only arrangement that makes sense.
This day starts at nine because the lakes do not need an early start, and finishes mid-afternoon so you are back in Nainital before the evening traffic on the Bhowali road. You book the vehicle for your group at one flat price, the parking at each lake is in it, and the only counters you meet are the boat stands.
Your day, stop by stop
1. Bhimtal
The largest of the lakes, about 22 km from Nainital by way of Bhowali, with an island in the middle you reach by boat and a stone dam at one end. Busier than it looks from the road, and calmer once you are out on the water.
Boating at the lakeside counter, and the island by boat
2. Naukuchiatal
A few kilometres past Bhimtal, a deep lake said to have nine corners, with rowing and pedal boats and, in season, paragliding off the hill above it. The quietest water of the day.
Boating, and paragliding if it is flying, paid to the operators there
3. Sattal
A cluster of small connected lakes deep in oak and pine forest, reached by a narrow road down from the Bhimtal side. Birders come for it in the early morning; everyone else comes for the boats and the shade.
Boating and any activities, paid at the lakeside
4. Bhowali
The junction town all three valleys drain through, with a roadside fruit market that is worth a stop in season for plums, peaches and apricots from the orchards above it.
In your price
- Private vehicle with driver for the day
- Pickup and drop at your stay in Nainital
- Fuel, tolls, driver allowance and parking at every lake
- All three lakes in one loop, without doubling back
- GoExplorer support number for the day
Not included
- Boating at the lakes
- Paragliding and other activities
- Meals
- Anything personal
What you pay on the day
- Boating at Bhimtal, Naukuchiatal and Sattal
- Paragliding or other activities, if you want them
- Lunch and anything personal
Who this suits
Everyone, including grandparents and small children. Every lakeside is a short walk from the car. The sedan seats four, the Sumo eight and the Innova six, each at one flat price for the car.
What to bring
A light layer for the water, sun protection, and cash for the boat counters, which do not all take cards.
Rain on the lakes
Boating stops in heavy rain and strong wind, which is the boat operators' call, not ours. The drive runs in normal rain. If landslides close the roads before pickup, you get a full refund or a free reschedule.
Cancellation
- More than 24 hrs before: Full refund
- Within 24 hrs: 50% refund, or reschedule free once
- No show: No refund
Safety and the operator
Run by a licensed local ground operator, one driver per vehicle, commercially registered and insured. Wear the life jacket on every boat, whatever the boatman says. Paragliding is run by separate operators; check them yourself before you fly.
Questions
Is the price per person?
No. It is one price for the whole vehicle for the day. Six of you in the Innova pay ₹4,990 between you, not each.
Is boating included?
No. Boats are run by separate counters at each lake and paid there, by the boat. Your driver will point you to the official counter rather than the touts in the car park.
Can we add Kainchi Dham?
Not on this day. Kainchi has its own parking and shuttle rules and is best reached early, so it sits on our Kainchi Dham and Mukteshwar day instead.
Can you pick us up in Bhimtal?
Yes, if you are staying around Bhimtal or Naukuchiatal, tell us at checkout and the loop starts from your hotel instead.