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Bhimtal Lake under a blue sky with houses on the slope beside it
1 night · 2 daysFirst visitleisurerelaxed

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.
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Photo: Subhrajyoti07 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Two days: the town and the ashram on the first, the eastern lakes on the second. The first day is the one-day plan unchanged. The second drives east to Bhimtal Lake and the seven lakes of Sattal.

Timing is in when to visit Nainital, and the stops are in things to do in Nainital.

Photos: Subhrajyoti07 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikinivii (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Nickk Bisht (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.

Who this is for

Visitors with a night to spare who want the quieter lakes as well as the town.

Day by day

Day 1

The town and the ashram

The same relaxed first day as the one-day plan.

  1. 09:00
    Nainital Lake
    lake · 10 min from Nainital · about 1 h 30 min there
    The Mall Road and the boats while the water is calm.
  2. ↓ a short walk
    11:30
    Naina Devi Temple
    temple · 10 min from Nainital · about 45 min there
    The Shakti shrine at the north end of the lake.
  3. ↓ 45 min by road · 20 km
    14:30
    Kainchi Dham
    temple · 43 min from Nainital · about 1 h there
    The ashram and Hanuman temple on the Almora road.
Day 2

The eastern lakes

Two lakes on one drive east of the town.

  1. 10:00
    Bhimtal Lake
    lake · 47 min from Nainital · about 1 h 30 min there
    The largest lake in Kumaon by area, with its island and the Bhimeshwar Mahadev shrine on the shore.
  2. ↓ 18 min by road · 8 km
    13:00
    Sattal
    lake · 49 min from Nainital · about 1 h 30 min there
    The seven lakes in oak and pine forest; keep to the paths and take your litter away.

Getting there

Nainital is about 280 km from Delhi on our routing, 5 hours free-flow. See how to reach Nainital.

Where to stay

Stay in Nainital for the night; the second day's drive starts and ends there, or you can end the trip at Kathgodam.

Know before you go

  • Hire a taxi for the second day with an agreed waiting time; we have no verified bus timings to Bhimtal or Sattal.
  • We have no verified boat or kayak prices; agree them on the shore.
  • Take a layer and rain gear; the monsoon runs from about mid-May to mid-October.

Places on this route

Naina Devi Temple, Nainital
Naina Devi Temple, Nainital
temple · 10 min from Nainital
Bhimtal Lake
Bhimtal Lake
lake · 47 min from Nainital
Nainital Lake
Nainital Lake
lake · 10 min from Nainital
Sattal, the seven lakes
Sattal, the seven lakes
lake · 49 min from Nainital
Kainchi Dham, Nainital
Kainchi Dham, Nainital
temple · 43 min from Nainital

Other ways to do it

All Nainital itineraries →
One day in Nainital — the lake, the Naina Devi Temple and Kainchi Dham
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 →

Questions people ask

Is two days in Nainital too long?

Not if you want the quieter lakes. The first day covers the lake, the Naina Devi Temple and Kainchi Dham, and the second needs a taxi east, with Bhimtal Lake 47 minutes away and Sattal 49 minutes away on our routing. If you only want the town and the ashram, the one-day plan is enough.

Where should you stay for the night?

In Nainital, which has the most rooms, around the lake and the Mall Road. Bhimtal also has lake-edge stays, but day one ends in town, so Nainital saves time. We have no verified room rates, so ask when you book, and confirm road conditions in the rains.

Can you do the second day without a car?

It is harder. Both lakes are east of the town and we have no verified bus timings, so a taxi for the morning to Bhimtal and the afternoon to Sattal is the practical way. Agree the fare and the waiting time before you set off, and start early to be back before dark.