01
Phewa Lake, Pokhara
822 MKASKI
Pokhara's centrepiece lake, with the Annapurna range reflected on clear mornings and the small Tal Barahi temple set on an island near the shore.
02
Rara Lake
2,990 MMUGU
Nepal's largest lake, deep blue and ringed by pine forest inside Rara National Park — remote, still lightly visited, and reached by trekking or a short flight plus walk.
03
Begnas Lake
650 MKASKI
A quieter counterpart to Phewa Lake near Pokhara, popular for canoeing and lakeside walks away from the main tourist strip.
04
Tilicho Lake
4,919 MMANANG
One of the highest lakes in the world, a side trip from the Annapurna Circuit reached via a narrow, landslide-prone trail above the Marsyangdi valley.
05
Shey Phoksundo Lake
3,611 MDOLPA
A turquoise lake inside Shey Phoksundo National Park in remote Dolpa, ringed by cliffs and considered one of the most striking bodies of water in Nepal.
06
Rupa Lake
600 MKASKI
The third of Pokhara's valley lakes, smaller and less developed, good for birdwatching and community-run boat trips.
07
Ghodaghodi Lake
205 MKAILALI
A Ramsar-listed wetland in the far-western Terai, important for migratory birds and surrounded by dense sal forest.
08
Taudaha Lake
1,300 MKATHMANDU
A small lake on the edge of Kathmandu Valley, associated in legend with the valley's origin story and a stop for migratory waterfowl in winter.
09
Panch Pokhari
4,100 MSINDHUPALCHOK
A cluster of five sacred alpine lakes reached by a multi-day trek northeast of Kathmandu, important for Hindu pilgrimage during Janai Purnima.
10
Gokyo Lakes
4,700 MKHUMBU REGION
A chain of turquoise glacial lakes in the Everest region, with Gokyo Ri offering one of the widest Himalayan panoramas of any trekking viewpoint in Nepal.