Kajin Sara Trek: An adventure to Nepal's highest Lake

Overview

The Kajin Sara Trek is an exhilarating and challenging adventure through the breathtaking landscapes in the Manang district of Nepal. Starting from Pokhara, the journey kicks off with a scenic 4-hour bus ride to Beshishar, followed by a 7-hour jeep ride to Chame on the first day. The drive offers mesmerizing views of the Marsyangdi River, cliffs with waterfalls, and the Marsyandi River's hydropower. In Chame, trekkers can enjoy the beauty of the Marsyangdi River up close and even hike to Chame Viewpoint for panoramic views. The second day involves trekking to Lamjung Himal Base Camp, passing through lush pine forests, and encountering challenging terrain. The route presents both old and new paths, with the new paths being easier but longer. Yaks and local shepherds add to the unique experience and can help obtain more insights into the region. Trekkers spend the night in a shelter at Lamjung Himal Base Camp.

On the third day of the Kajin Sara Trek, hikers start trekking on a more challenging section with no clean drinking water sources. The trail is rocky and all the way ascending, leading to Dharamshala (Shelter). The trek continues with breathtaking cliff views and eventually reaches Love Lake, known for its heart-shaped formation. Trekkers overnight at the shelter near Love Lake inside the Dharmasala camping. The fourth day is the highlight of the journey, with a trek to Kajin Sara Lake, Nepal's highest lake at 5002 meters. The lake offers a mesmerizing sight surrounded by rocks and snowy peaks, making it feel like a different world altogether. After exploring Kajin Sara Lake, the trekkers retrace their steps to Love Lake and Lamjung Himal Base Camp. The final day includes a 3-hour trek to Chame and a drive back to Pokhara, concluding this unforgettable adventure filled with natural beauty and challenging terrain.

Why Choose the Kajin Sara Trek?

The Kajin Sara Trek stands out as a remarkable choice for those seeking an adventure that combines awe-inspiring natural beauty with a sense of exploration. Unlike some of the more popular trekking routes in Nepal, like Annapurna Base Camp Trek, Annapurna Circuit Trek, and Everest Base Camp Trek this trek offers a quieter, more remote experience, allowing you to truly connect with the untouched landscapes and nature. The journey takes you through enchanting forests, alongside rushing rivers, and up challenging terrains, all leading to the crown jewel of the trek: Kajin Sara Lake, Nepal's highest lake. Surrounded by imposing rocks and pristine snow-covered peaks, this hidden gem feels like a world apart. Whether you're an experienced trekker looking for a new challenge or a nature enthusiast craving untouched vistas, the Kajin Sara Trek promises a unique and unforgettable adventure.

Kajin Sara Trek Itinerary

1. day 1

   Arrival at Kathmandu Airport:

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   When you land at Kathmandu's airport, one of our team member will be there to welcome you. He/She'll take you to your hotel. You can either start exploring Kathmandu or take it easy to recover from your flight. In the evening, we'll get together for a brief session about the trek we're going on.

   • • Overnight stay at 3 star Hotel at Kathmandu
2. day 2

   Drive from Pokhara/Kathmandu to Besisahar and Besisahar to Chame

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   Driving Hours	4 hrs & 7 hrs
   Highest Altitude	2650 m | 8695 ft

   From Pokhara:
   After breakfast, we start our 1st day of the Kajin Sara Lake trek early and drive to Prithiv Chowk Bus Park from Lakeside at 6:45. There are only 1 or 2 buses for Beshisahar and they are available in the morning. After 15 minutes of driving, we will reach Prithvi Chowk Bus Park. We take our bus toward Beshisahar, a scenic bus ride from PrithivChowk to Beshisahar takes about 4 hours.

   From Kathmandu:
   We take an early bus to Besisahar from Balaju bus park at 7: 00 am. The drive is filled with scenic mountain views and the Trishuli River. The scenic drive takes about 5 hr 30 min covering a total distance of 180 km via Prithvi Highway.

   After reaching Beshishar we have our Lunch and take a Jeep toward Chame Village. The scenic view of the Marsyangdi River, the cliffs with waterfalls along with a drive-through tunnel, and the hydropower of Marsyandi River make this drive more memorable. The drive from Beshishar to Chame takes about 6:30 - 7 hours, as the drive is off-road and bumpy. 
   We will reach Chame at about 4-5 pm, so after reaching Chame, we enjoy the view of Marsyangdi River up close and the greenery that surrounds Chame. We can hike to Chame Viewpoint which takes about 20 - 25 mins if you walk at your normal pace. Overnight stay at Chame. 

   • • Overnight stay in a lodge.
3. day 3

   Chame to Lamjung Himal Base Camp

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   Trek Duration	5 - 6 hrs / 7 - 8 hrs

   After our breakfast at Chame, we trek towards Lamjung Himal Base Camp. The very starting point of the trek is a short motor route. The motor route ends as soon as we step on the trail to the Lamjung Himal Base Camp. The second day of the Kajin Sara Lake trek takes you along the forest path filled with pine trees. The path is straight at first and then ascending all the way up to Lamjung Himal Base Camp. There are many sections of two different paths that lead to the same point during this section of the trek, the new path and the old path. Most of the old path is replaced because it is too difficult while some were lost during landslides, and some are lost as the trails are less traveled. Additionally, the new paths are the easier ones, and one could get lost during this section of the trek without the assistance of the guide.

   Moreover, there are no water taps, lodges, or hotels during this section of the trek so you need to carry water yourself. 

   After about 2 - 2:30 hours of trekking, we can see a signboard of Lamjung Himal Base Camp, and again there are two ways that take you to the Lamjung Himal Base Camp. The easier but longer trail takes 2 hrs:30 min, and the path is straight and ascending to the Lamjung Himal Base Camp but is comparatively easier to the shortcut route.

   The shortcut route takes about 1hrs:30 min, but the trek is all the way ascending up to the Lamjung Himal Base Camp. Furthermore, the last section of this route is the most challenging part of the Kajin Sara Lake trek as the trail is not completely made and we walk on the steep uphill path with no footholds. The steep uphill ascents and slippery trail along with rocky steps make this section really challenging.

   We will be taking porters with us to carry our luggage and food as there are no lodges after Chame during the overall Kajin Sara Lake Trek. We can see Yaks after this section and there is a shelter here for trekkers which can be used for free of cost even for foreign trekkers. There are some Yak sheds just above the Shelter and we can also meet the local Shepards during this trail. After we have our dinner, Overnight stay at a shelter in Lamjung Himal Base Camp.

   • • Overnight stay in a Camp.
   • • Includes Breakfast
4. day 4

   Trek from Lamjung Himal Base Camp to Love Lake:

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   Trek Duration	6 - 7 hrs

   We start the third day of the Kajin Sara Lake a bit early as we have to cover a longer distance today. There are no clean drinking water sources during this section, a river is there so you must carry a water bag and purification tablets. After 15 to 20 mins of trekking on the straight path, we reach the end of the easy trail and there are two ways, one of them takes you to love the lake and another takes you to the Shed for Yaks and shelter for Shepards.

   This section of the trek is also confusing, as the trail towards Lamjung Himal takes you to the shed and shelter, however, the path that goes the opposite of Lamjung Himal leads you to Love Lake. The section ascends all the way up with rocky trails and huge rocks along the way. After 3 hours of hiking, we will reach Dharamshala (Shelter). 

   We can meet some shepherds along the way, and we trek some straight paths and then downwards, to the river where we will prepare for our Lunch. The trail is rocky and after we have our lunch here we trek towards huge cliffs. There are no clear trails during this section so many get lost and return during this section, so you need an experienced local guide.

   We ascend at first and descend and go around the cliffs and then ascend to the top of the cliffs. The 360 views from here are truly mesmerizing. You can see the Lamjung and Koto Peak playing with the clouds, really up close. We trek along the rocky trail all the way to Love Lake. The lake is named so due to its shape like a heart, and we head towards the shelter after exploring the lake. We have our dinner and Overnight stay at the shelter. 

   • • Overnight stay in tent.
   • • Includes Breakfast
5. day 5

   Love Lake to Kajin Sara Lake and back to Lamjung Himal Base Camp

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   Trek Duration	4 - 5 hrs

   The Kajin Sara Lake at an altitude of 5002 m, was discovered in 2019 and is currently Nepal’s highest lake, replacing Tilicho Lake as the highest lake in Nepal. The trail from Love Lake to Kajin Sara is through rocky paths and snows during the seasons of Winter and Spring. After the descending and roundabout path on the rocky trails, we reach Kajin Sara Lake after 1:30 hrs of trekking.
   The Kajin Sara Lake is surrounded by rocks on the side of trekkers and a snowy paradise on the other. It feels like we arrive at a different world as soon we reach here.

   The backdrop view of Lamjung and Koto Peak, and the pristine waters of Kajin Sara will surely mesmerize you, placing a special memory on your heart and mind. After exploring the Kajin Sara Lake, we return to Love Lake and have our lunch at the shelter.Now we follow the same trail we took during the previous days of the Kajin Sara Lake Trek. We reach the Lamjung Himal Base Camp after 4-5 hours of trekking.

   Overnight stay at Lamjung Himal Base Camp after dinner.

   • • Overnight stay in tent.
   • • Breakfast Lunch and Dinner
6. day 6

   Lamjung Himal Base Camp to Chame, Chame to Beshisahar and drive to Pokhara:

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   Driving Hours	4 hrs & 7 hrs
   Trek Duration	3 - 4 hrs

   The fifth and last day of the Kajin Sara Lake Trek starts after having our breakfast, we trek towards Chame. Trekking along the forests covered with Pine trees takes 3 hours for us to reach Chame as the descending and straight paths don’t take much time. We have our lunch and rest at Chame and then drive towards Beshisahar. 
   We then take a Jeep and drive back to Pokhara, with enough memories and trekking experience till the next time.

   • • Includes Breakfast

• Camping meals, during the trek. ( Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner ) 
• Tent for overnight stay.
• Pokhara to Besisahar by local bus.
• Besisahar-Chame at start of Trek by Jeep and at the end of the trek Chame-Besisahar by Jeep.
• Besisahar to Pokhara by Local bus.
• Professional English-speaking, Eco Trained trekking guide his food, accommodation, salary, insurance, equipment, medicine, transportation, etc.
• All the necessary paper works and conservation entry permit (Trekking permit / TIMS card etc.)
• Sleeping Bag and Trekking poles (to be returned after trip completion).
• First Aid Medical Kit Box.
• Government taxes and VAT.
• Besisahar to Pokhara/Kathmandu in local bus/Jeep (depends on the size of group).