Sattal, the seven lakes
Sattal, a group of seven freshwater lakes at about 1,370 m among oak and pine, known for birds and a forest setting, 21 km and 49 minutes from Nainital.
Uttarakhand⛰ 2,000 m2 itineraries
Nainital
Nainital at about 2,000 m around its eye-shaped lake: the Naina Devi Temple, Kainchi Dham, Bhimtal and Sattal, with measured drive times from the town.
Itineraries you can copy
All 2 →
Day plan · First visitleisure
One day in Nainital — the lake, the Naina Devi Temple and Kainchi Dham
A one-day Nainital plan: the lake and its boats, the Naina Devi Temple on the north shore, then the Kainchi Dham ashram on the Almora road. Free to copy.
Best Mar–Jun · Oct–Nov
See the plan →
1 night · 2 days · First visitleisure
Two days in Nainital — the lakes, Kainchi Dham and Sattal
A two-day Nainital plan: the lake, the Naina Devi Temple and Kainchi Dham on day one, then Bhimtal Lake and the seven lakes of Sattal on day two. Free to copy.
Best Mar–Jun · Oct–Nov
See the plan →Nainital is a hill town in Kumaon, built around an eye-shaped lake in a bowl of hills, and the summer seat of the United Provinces in colonial days. Today it is the judicial capital of Uttarakhand. From Delhi it is about 280 km by road on our routing, where free-flow routing says 5 hours and traffic and hill roads usually add several more. The nearest railway station is Kathgodam, 80 minutes below the town.
The town is the lake. Nainital Lake is ringed by the Mall Road, boat stands and the Naina Devi Temple on its north shore, a shrine tied to the legend of the goddess Sati's eye. Out of town, Kainchi Dham, the ashram of Neem Karoli Baba, is 43 minutes along the Almora road, and Bhimtal Lake and the seven lakes of Sattal are about 47 and 49 minutes east.
A day covers the lake, the temple and Kainchi Dham; two days add Bhimtal and Sattal. See the one-day plan, the two-day plan, things to do in Nainital, when to visit and how to reach Nainital.
Photos: Slyronit (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photographer Praveen Singh Bisht (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Subhrajyoti07 (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
Places worth the drive
Nainital Lake
Nainital Lake, a crescent of water about 1.4 km long that the town is built around: its Shakti legend, the 1880 landslip, the boats and the Mall Road.
Naina Devi Temple, Nainital
The Naina Devi Temple on the north shore of Nainital Lake, a Shakti shrine rebuilt after the 1880 landslip and the focus of the town's lake legend.
Kainchi Dham, Nainital
Kainchi Dham, the Hanuman temple and ashram of Neem Karoli Baba on the Almora road, 18 km from Nainital, founded in 1964 and busiest at the June fair.
Bhimtal Lake
Bhimtal Lake at about 1,370 m, the largest lake in Kumaon by area, with a ferry island, a Bhima legend and an old dam, 20 km and 47 minutes from Nainital.
On the map
Open the Nainital map →The places a Nainital day reaches, with the road time from town. Each opens on the map with its plans and pages beside it.
Before you go
All articles →Things to do in Nainital — 5 stops, and which need a car
Five things to do around Nainital, from the lake and the Naina Devi Temple to Kainchi Dham, Bhimtal and the seven lakes of Sattal, with drive times.
How to reach Nainital — distances and drive times
How to reach Nainital from Delhi, Kathgodam, Haldwani, Pantnagar and Almora by road, with measured distances and times and the nearest railway and airport.
Best time to visit Nainital — month by month
When to go to Nainital: the cold winter from mid-November, warm spring, the monsoon from mid-May with July at 725 mm, and the clear weeks after the rains.
Questions people ask
What is Nainital known for?
An eye-shaped lake in a bowl of hills in Kumaon, the Mall Road around it, boats, and the Naina Devi Temple on its north shore. In colonial days it was the summer seat of the United Provinces, and it is now the judicial capital of Uttarakhand. Day trips go to Kainchi Dham, Bhimtal and the seven lakes of Sattal.
How many days do you need in Nainital?
One day covers the lake, the Naina Devi Temple and Kainchi Dham, which is 43 minutes out. A second day adds Bhimtal and Sattal, about 47 and 49 minutes east. From Delhi it is about 280 km, 5 hours free-flow, so most visitors stay at least a night to avoid a long day on the road.
What is the nearest railway station to Nainital?
Kathgodam, about 36 km and 80 minutes below the town by road on our routing, with Pantnagar airport 74 km and 119 minutes away. Wikipedia names Kathgodam as the nearest big station and says the airport is about 71 km away. Agree a taxi fare before you set off, since we have no verified fares.
Photographs by Wikimedia Commons contributors (CC0, CC BY, CC BY-SA), resized; each picture is credited on its own page.