Dhauladhar Lakes Trek
Kangra (trailhead); Lam Dal and the upper lakes lie across Minkiani Pass in Chamba district, Himachal Pradesh
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- Max altitude
- 4,200 m
- Days
- 4 days
- Distance
- 42 km
- Difficulty
- Difficult
A climb of about 2,400 m from Kareri Village over Minkiani Pass (about 4,050 m) on boulder and scree, a day among the lakes at about 4,000-4,200 m with high AMS risk, and a 15 km return day that crosses the pass again; snow patches linger on the pass and operators advise prior Himalayan trekking experience.
Photos
On the trail
The route
Day by day
Day 1
Dharamshala (drive about 30 km to Kareri Village) → Kareri Lake
1,800 m → 2,934 m
Day 2
Kareri Lake → Nagar Dal (camp near Lam Dal) via Minkiani Pass
2,934 m → 4,050 m → 3,700 m
Day 3 · highest point
Nagar Dal → Nagar Dal (day hike via Lam Dal and Kali Kund to Chander Kup Lake)
3,700 m → 4,200 m → 3,700 m
Day 4
Nagar Dal → Kareri Village via Minkiani Pass (drive to Dharamshala)
3,700 m → 4,050 m → 1,800 m
Ups and downs
Altitude profile
Where it is
Map
Trailhead and high point only — not a recorded track. Use it with a proper map.
Weather
Next 5 days on the trail
Live forecast for the trailhead and the high point. Mountain weather changes fast — check again on the morning you start.
Trailhead · Kareri Village
at 1,800 mLoading forecast…
High point · Chander Kup (Chandrakup) Lake
at 4,200 mLoading forecast…
Each day: high / low °C · rain mm and chance · snow cm · wind km/h
Weather data: Open-Meteo.comModel forecast, not an official warning. For alerts follow IMD and the local administration.
Plan the trip
How to reach
- Trailhead
- Kareri Village (nearest town: Dharamshala)
- Nearest railway
- Pathankot (about 90 km from Dharamshala)
- Nearest airport
- Gaggal (Kangra) Airport, about 20 km from Kareri
- By road
- Dharamshala or McLeodganj (about 26-30 km to Kareri Village by taxi or shared jeep, about 1.5 hours); Delhi (about 500 km to Dharamshala, roughly 13 hours by overnight bus)
- Drive
- About 13 h from Delhi
Plan the trip
Permits and fees
We could not confirm the current permit rules and fees from an official source. Check with the local forest department or tourism office before you go.
Plan the trip
Cost
Self-guided
₹6,000–15,000
With an operator
₹35,000–39,899
Per person, ex-Kareri Village / ex-McLeodganj. Published October 2026 prices are for the longer 7-day lakes circuit: Himalaya Shelter ₹35,000 (pickup Kareri Village) and Himtrek ₹39,899 (reporting McLeodganj). Bikat Adventures and Trekup India describe the 4-day route but publish no price, so a 4-day guided trip should cost less; ask for a quote. Self-guided is an estimate: shared taxi Dharamshala-Kareri Village, a local guide-porter for the Minkiani crossing (strongly advised), tent and stove hire and food for four days.
Gear
Top picks for this trek
The gear that matters most on this route, chosen from its altitude, season and risks.
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Packing checklist
Matched to this trek: altitude, season, days and the risks on the route.
Packed 0 of 34
Nights near 4,200 m can drop close to freezing even in summer. Pack one more warm layer than you think.
Tick each item as it goes in the bag.
Know before you go
Good to know
- Mobile network
- Phone signal in Kareri Village; patchy to none on the trail beyond the village and none expected over Minkiani Pass and at the lakes.
- Last ATM
- Dharamshala; there is no ATM in Kareri Village
- Nearest hospital
- Zonal Hospital, Dharamshala for first care; Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda (Kangra) for serious cases
- Water
- Streams and the Nyund stream up to Kareri Lake, and lake and snow-melt water beyond the pass. Boil or treat all water.
Highlights
- A chain of high glacial lakes on the Chamba side of the Dhauladhar: Lam Dal, the largest, at about 3,960 m, with Nagar Dal, Kali Kund and Chander Kup at about 4,200 m
- Lam Dal is a sacred lake of Bhagwan Shiv; pilgrims of the Lam Dal yatra come in July-August, and camping above Lam Dal is not allowed out of respect for the lakes
- Crossing Minkiani Pass (about 4,050 m) with views of the Dhauladhar and Pir Panjal ranges to the north and the Punjab plains to the south
- Oak and rhododendron forest on the climb from Kareri Village to Kareri Lake
- Longer 7-day versions add Nag Dal, Dam Ghodi and Sukh lakes, some via Indrahar Pass from McLeodganj
Risks
- Kangra district has repeatedly ordered a ban on trekking above 3,000 m (December 2022, November 2024 and 6 January 2026, each 'until further notice', mainly for the autumn-winter season) and requires prior permission from the SP Kangra for the Kareri route; any IMD alert cancels permissions. We found no order lifting the January 2026 ban as of 17 October 2026. Confirm with the Kangra district administration or SP office in Dharamshala before you go.
- Altitude: the lakes sit at about 4,000-4,200 m after a fast climb, and Himalaya Shelter rates the chance of acute mountain sickness as high; descend if symptoms worsen.
- Minkiani Pass has steep boulder and scree, narrow ridges and snow patches; the route above Kareri Lake is remote and hard to navigate without a local guide.
- Heavy monsoon rain in July-August on the Dharamshala side makes rocks slippery and streams high; weather changes fast with strong winds.
- Himalaya Shelter advises against the trek from November to May because of heavy snow, cold and snowbound trails.
Know before you go
Questions
How many days does the Dhauladhar lakes trek take?
Bikat Adventures and Trekup India run it in 4 days from Dharamshala: Kareri Lake, over Minkiani Pass to camp near Lam Dal, a day hike to five more lakes ending at Chander Kup, and back over the pass to Kareri Village (about 42 km on foot by their day figures). Himalaya Shelter and Himtrek sell longer 7-day circuits that add Nag Dal and other lakes.
What are the seven lakes of the Dhauladhar?
Groupings differ. Himalaya Shelter lists Nag Dal, Lam Dal, Kali Kund, Kareri Lake, Chanderkoop, Sukh Lake and Dam Ghodi; Himtrek lists Nag Dal, Lam Dal, Kali Kund, Chanderkup, Dham Ghodi, Nagara Dal and Kareri Lake. The 4-day route covers Kareri, Nagar Dal, Lam Dal, Kali Kund, Chander Kup and two smaller unnamed lakes.
Can you camp at Lam Dal?
Bikat Adventures and Trekup India say the lakes are held sacred by local people and camping above Lam Dal is not allowed, so groups camp at Nagar Dal and visit the higher lakes on a day hike.
When is the best time for the Dhauladhar lakes trek?
June to October once the snow on Minkiani Pass has melted; Trekup India suggests mid-June to late September. July-August brings heavy rain on the Dharamshala side, and from November to May the passes are snowbound.
Is the trek allowed now, and do I need a permit?
We found no fixed permit fee on an official site. Kangra district orders (most recently 6 January 2026) have banned trekking above 3,000 m until further notice and require SP Kangra permission for the Kareri route. We could not confirm whether that order is in force now, so check with the Kangra district administration before you go.
How difficult is the Dhauladhar lakes trek?
Operators rate it moderate to difficult or difficult. It is far harder than the Kareri Lake trek: you cross a pass of about 4,050 m twice, walk on boulders and snow, and spend nights near 3,700 m. Operators recommend previous Himalayan trekking experience.
In an emergency
Save these numbers before you lose signal. Tap to call.
- 112All emergenciesIndia’s single emergency number — works in every state
- 108Ambulance
- 1077District disaster control room
You are in
District: Kangra (trailhead); Lam Dal and the upper lakes lie across Minkiani Pass in Chamba districtHimachal Pradesh
- Nearest hospital
- Zonal Hospital, Dharamshala for first care; Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda (Kangra) for serious cases
- Last ATM
- Dharamshala; there is no ATM in Kareri Village
- Phone network
- Phone signal in Kareri Village; patchy to none on the trail beyond the village and none expected over Minkiani Pass and at the lakes.
Before you set off
- Tell someone your route and when you will be back.
- Carry a charged phone and a power bank.
- Download an offline map of the route.
- Turn back if the weather turns bad — the mountain will wait.
Questions about Dhauladhar Lakes
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Where this comes from
Sources
Last reviewed:
- Dhauladhar Hidden Lakes Trek — Bikat Adventures
- Dhauladhar Hidden Lakes Trek — Trekup India
- Dhauladhar 7 Lakes Trek — Himalaya Shelter
- 7 Lakes Trek Dharamshala — Himtrek
- Lama Dal — Wikipedia
- Himachal: Kangra administration bans trekking above 3,000 metres (PTI, 6 January 2026) — The Week (PTI)
- Trekking activities above 3000m banned in Kangra (28 November 2024) — The Tribune
Photos: Abhyuday Bhandari, CC BY-SA 4.0; Lotia57755, CC BY-SA 4.0; Ashish Gupta from Noida, India, CC BY 2.0
