How to reach Nako Lake from Delhi – 2023 Updated

Nako Lake is a high altitude small lake situated in an extreme corner in Himachal Pradesh. This blog will share complete knowledge of how to reach Nako Lake from Delhi through different modes.  

Where is Nako Lake located?

Nako Lake is a small lake situated in Nako Village of Kinnaur district. Nako village is  around 110 Km ahead of Reckong Peo towards Spiti.

Name of the Place	Nako Lake ( नाको झील )
State	Himachal Pradesh
District	Kinnaur
Elevation	3650  m, 12000 ft
Accessibility	By road
Best time to visit	April – June, September – October
Travel Distance by road	690 Km
Travel Time by road	18 Hrs  (approximately)

How to reach Nako Lake from Delhi

Nako Lake is connected by road and accessible majorly during summers.  The distance between Nako Lake from Delhi is around 690 Km. There are different modes by which one can reach Nako Lake.

How to reach Nako Lake from Delhi by Road

There are different options to reach Nako Lake by road.

 You can refer to the below table to plan your journey to Nako Lake.

Sr. No.	Location	Distance (Km)	Elevation (ft)	Elevation (m)	Time  (Hr)
1	New Delhi	0	700	225	00:00
2	Zirakpur	250	1000	320	05:00
3	Solan	316	5100	1550	07:00
4	Shimla	364	7200	2200	08:30
5	Kufri	380	8500	2600	09:15
6	Narkanda	425	8900	2700	10:45
7	Rampur	485	3300	1000	12:30
8	Bhaba Nagar	535	5100	1550	14:15
9	Tapri	555	5600	1700	14:45
10	Karcham	565	5900	1800	15:00
11	Reckong Peo	580	7900	2400	15:30
12	Khab	655	8500	2600	17:15
13	Nako	690	12000	3650	17:55

How to reach Nako Lake from Delhi on a Bus

If you want to travel to Himachal with a limited budget then traveling by Bus would be the best option. Unlike other hilly states, the bus network in Himachal is very good and night service is also available.

Himachal Pradesh State Owned Buses are called HRTC buses ( Himachal Road Transport Corporation buses). They are usually green/blue in color.   

There is no direct bus from Delhi to Nako Lake, you need to take a bus from Reckong Peo.

 There are multiple options to reach Nako Lake by bus. Before moving to the options we need to understand the route map. 

Option – 1 Delhi – Reckong Peo by bus and then to Nako Lake  Below are the bus details you can choose 

From Delhi to Nako Lake.

SR. No.	SERVICE NO.	DELHI ISBT KASHMIRI GATE	RECONGPEO	DURATION	DEPOT	TYPE	ORIGIN	DESTINATION	ONLINE BOOKING
1	556	8:10 PM	3:00 PM	18:50 Hrs	REC PEO	ORDINARY	DELHI ISBT KASHMIRI GATE	RECONGPEO	YES

From   Reckong Peo Nako Lake.

You can take bus for Nako Lake, Nako Lake is around half an hour from Nako Lake

SR. No.	SERVICE NO.	RECONGPEO	Nako Lake	DURATION	DEPOT	TYPE	ORIGIN	DESTINATION	ONLINE BOOKING
1	RPO-KZA-01	5:30 AM	9:30 AM	4:00 Hrs	REC PEO	ORDINARY	RECONGPEO	KAZA	NO
2	RPO-KZA-02	7:30 AM	11:30 AM	4:00 Hrs	REC PEO	ORDINARY	RECONGPEO	KAZA	NO

Option – 2 Delhi to Chandigarh, then to Nako Lake.

 If you want comfortable travel then this option is the best one.

From Delhi to Chandigarh:

There are many buses between Delhi and Chandigarh. You can easily get an ordinary/deluxe / Volvo bus very frequently.

From Chandigarh to Nako Lake Travel you can read this blog with complete details of Buses. 

Option – 3 Delhi to Shimla, then to  Nako Lake.

Similar to Chandigarh, bus service from Delhi to Shimla is much more frequent. You can easily reach Shimla based on the connecting bus from Shimla.

From Shimla to Nako Lake Travel you can read this blog with complete details of Buses. .

For online booking of buses on the HRTC website kindly Click here

Note: If you are planning to take an offline HRTC bus, kindly confirm the timings from the HRTC Depot office before finalization. Click here to know the phone numbers. 

How to reach Nako Lake from Delhi on your own Vehicle

If you have good exposure to driving on mountainous roads and your vehicle is an SUV then this is a perfect option to travel to Nako Lake. Below are Key things to be considered while traveling to Nako Lake on your own driving.

1. Minimum of two days is required to reach Nako Lake from Delhi.
2. Roads till Solan are good ( separate lanes for up and down traffic).   
3. Highway up to Karcham after that single-lane road.
4. Road near Nako Lake is not so okay, so having a high-ground clearance vehicle would be a good option.
5. You don’t require a 4X4 vehicle there as the normal vehicle can reach there.
6. The road from Rampur to Nako Lake is considered among the most dangerous roads so driving should be done carefully.
7. There would be many landslide-prone areas that are treacherous during the rainy season.
8. In winter there would be high snowfall above Shimla till Narkanda and then in the Kinnaur district so weather updates to be taken before the start of the journey.
9. There are limited petrol pumps the way after Rampur.

How to reach Nako Lake from Delhi on a bike

Nowadays traveling into the Himalayas on Bike is becoming a trend. Lots of bikers every year travel to remote areas and enjoy the beauty. Reaching Nako Lake on the bike would be the dream for every adventure lover. Kindly consider the below points before planning a trip to Nako Lake on a bike.

1. Minimum of two days are required to reach Nako Lake from Delhi on a bike.
2. Every bike can reach Nako Lake but prefer a bike with > 150 cc engine if you are with a pillion rider. 
3. You will feel the major variation in the temperature while traveling on a bike as there is a gain and drop of altitude. Shimla to Narkanda at a higher altitude than Rampur at a lower altitude.
4. Ride carefully as the road from Rampur to Nako Lake is considered a dangerous road so driving should be done carefully.
5. Carry rain covers along as there might be rainy uphill while there is a clear sky on the plains.
6. There would be many landslide-prone areas that are treacherous during the rainy season.
7. During winters Bike riding is not advisable as there will be snowfall / black ice on roads and bike riding is extremely dangerous..
8. There are limited petrol pumps the way after Rampur so please plan and fill the tank based upon the fuel consumption of your bike. 

How to reach Nako Lake from Delhi on a Taxi

Taxis can easily be hired for Nako Lake and there are many options available on the online platforms. Following key things to be considered while taxing taxis to Nako Lake.

1. Drivers should be experienced in traveling in these areas.
2. Vehicle to be comfortable since travel time would be more than 16 hrs.
3. Ground clearance of the Vehicle to be good.
4. Negotiate well before finalization.

How to reach Nako Lake from Delhi by Train

The nearest railway station en route to Nako Lake is the Shimla railway station. But this station is on the narrow gauge. You need to change trains from Kalka railway station. The Kalka railway station is for both broad gauge and narrow gauge.

• Pros
  • This route is a UNESCO world heritage site.
  • Best train route to see beautiful Himalayan mountains.
• Cons
  • Travel time is much high since the maximum speed of this train is around 30 km/hr
  • The frequency of the trains between Kalka and  Shimla is quite low.

The major train station en route to Nako Lake is Chandigarh railway station.

• Pros
  • There are many regular trains between Delhi and Chandigarh.
  • Taxi service, as well as bus service, is available for further journeys.
• Cons
  • Since Chandigarh is only 250 km from Delhi, the rest of the journey will be covered on road so better travel the whole journey by road.

How to reach Nako Lake from Delhi by air

Since Nako Lake is located deep  in the Himalayas, there is no major airport nearby.

1. The nearest airport en route to Nako Lake is Shimla airport.
   • Pros
     • More than half the distance can be covered.
     • Nako Lake can be covered in a day if started early from Delhi.
   • Cons
     • The frequency of the flights between Delhi and  Shimla is quite low. 
     • Total travel costs will be much higher.
     • Total distance is not covered.
2. Another airport en route to Nako Lake is Chandigarh airport.
   • Pros
     • There are many regular flights between Delhi and Chandigarh.
   • Cons
     • There is not much time saving on flights from Delhi to Chandigarh.
     • It will be difficult to cover Nako Lake in a day.
     • Total distance is not covered.

Summary – “How to reach Nako Lake from Delhi”

Let’s summarize what we have understood in this blog  “How to reach Nako Lake from Delhi ”

• Nako Lake is a wonderful travel destination located in the Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh at around 690 KM from Delhi.
• You can reach Nako Lake in 2 days  hrs from Delhi
• Nako Lake can be reached throughout the year but the best time is from April – June and then from September – October.
• Nako Lake can be reached by self-driven car, bike, taxi, and by Bus.
• Nearest railway station is  Shimla which is narrow gauge. The major railway station is Chandigarh railway station.
• Nearest airport is Shimla airport.
• Cheapest way to reach Nako Lake is by the HRTC bus.

We hope you have got a good understanding of “How to reach Nako Lake from Delhi ”. If you want to give suggestions on this blog ” please comment.

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions: