Kanasar Lake Trek
Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand
Opens without signal on this phone, with the map file and checklist. Saved for offline →
4,600 mhighest point- Max altitude
- 4,600 m
- Days
- 12 days
- Distance
- 90 km
- Difficulty
- Difficult
A long, remote 10-day walk of about 90 km that spends five nights above 3,600 m, with days of 6-14 km over high meadows and lake basins and the lake itself at about 4,400-4,600 m; snow and ice can linger into June.
The route
Day by day
Day 1
Dehradun → Khanyasni
640 m → 1,878 m
Day 2
Khanyasni → Sarutal (via Bitri village)
1,878 m → 2,000 m
Day 3
Sarutal → Badang meadow
2,000 m → 2,600 m
Day 4
Badang meadow → Dhaldhar (via Vijay Top)
2,600 m → 3,750 m → 3,200 m
Day 5
Dhaldhar → Devbasa
3,200 m → 3,650 m
Day 6
Devbasa → Baraadsar Lake
3,650 m → 4,300 m
Day 7
Baraadsar Lake → Kukurkandi meadow
4,300 m → 4,445 m
Day 8
Kukurkandi meadow → Manjiban
4,445 m → 4,512 m
Day 9 · highest point
Manjiban → Vishkhopri (via Kanasar Lake)
4,512 m → 4,600 m → 3,566 m
Day 10
Vishkhopri → Liwari village
3,566 m → 2,500 m
Day 11
Liwari village → Sankri (trek to Baincha road head, then drive)
2,500 m → 1,920 m
Day 12
Sankri → Dehradun
1,920 m → 640 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 · Khanyasni
at 1,878 mLoading forecast…
High point · Kanasar Lake (approximate position)
at 4,600 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
- Khanyasni (nearest town: Mori)
- Nearest railway
- Dehradun
- Nearest airport
- Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun
- By road
- Dehradun (operators quote about 235 km, 9-10 hours by taxi, to Khanyasni near Mori); Sankri back to Dehradun (about 210 km, 8-9 hours)
- Drive
- About 9.5 h from Dehradun
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
₹20,000–35,000
With an operator
₹25,000–35,000
Per person, ex-Dehradun. Guided prices published October 2026: Himalayan Daredevils from ₹29,999 (₹34,499 struck through); Himalayan Hikers ₹25,000 + 5% GST + ₹480 insurance, but its page copies Himalayan Daredevils, so only one operator is independently confirmed. Self-guided is an estimate: taxi to Khanyasni and back from Sankri, a local guide and porters or mules for ten trekking days, tents, food and sanctuary fees; this remote route is not advisable without a local guide.
Gear
Top picks for this trek
The gear that matters most on this route, chosen from its altitude, season and risks.
Ad · affiliate link
Ad · affiliate link
Ad · affiliate link
Ad · affiliate link
Ad · affiliate link
Ad · affiliate link
Ad · affiliate link
Ad · affiliate link
Store buttons open a search on that store, not a product we picked. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Photos show the kind of item, not a specific product. Affiliate disclosure
Packing checklist
Matched to this trek: altitude, season, days and the risks on the route.
Packed 0 of 33
Nights near 4,600 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
- Not confirmed by our sources; expect no mobile signal on the trail beyond the roadhead villages.
- Last ATM
- Not confirmed; Purola and Mori on the Dehradun road are the nearest towns, so carry cash.
- Nearest hospital
- Not confirmed; Mori and Purola for first care, Dehradun for serious cases.
- Water
- Streams and lakes along the route (Saru Tal, Baraadsar, Kanasar); boil or treat all water.
Highlights
- Kanasar, a little-known high lake about a kilometre long, named for its eye-like shape with small islands
- Two high lakes on one route: Baraadsar Lake and Kanasar Lake
- High meadows at Badang, Dhaldhar, Devbasa and Kukurkandi above the Supin valley
- Ends through remote villages to Sankri, the base of Har Ki Dun and Rupin Pass
Risks
- Very remote: about ten trekking days with no road access and several nights above 4,000 m; altitude sickness is a real risk.
- In mid-June a trekker found the lake still mostly under a thin layer of ice and the surrounding slopes under snow, so early-season snow is likely.
- Few published sources describe this route and the only operator itinerary has typos (one day's distance printed as 108 km); confirm the route and distances with your operator before you go.
Know before you go
Questions
Where is Kanasar Lake?
In western Garhwal, Uttarakhand, in the high country between the Supin and Nalgan valleys, inside Govind Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park according to the operator. Its exact position is not mapped in OpenStreetMap; the point on our map is approximate.
How long is the Kanasar Lake trek?
Himalayan Daredevils sells it as 12 days from Dehradun, about 90 km of walking from Khanyasni to Sankri via Baraadsar Lake. A 2014 Outlook Traveller trip report took about 10 days on a different route, from Sangla in Kinnaur over Nalgan pass and through the Panchodar valley.
When is the best time to visit Kanasar Lake?
The operator lists May, June, September and October. In mid-June the lake can still be mostly frozen with snow around it.
How high is Kanasar Lake?
The operator lists 4,600 m. The Outlook Traveller writer first saw it from a ridge at about 4,400-4,450 m with the lake a little lower, so it is probably between 4,400 and 4,600 m.
Do I need a permit?
The route lies in Govind Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park, so forest entry fees apply; guided packages include them. We could not confirm the current official fee, so check at the forest office in Sankri or Mori.
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: UttarkashiUttarakhand
- Nearest hospital
- Not confirmed; Mori and Purola for first care, Dehradun for serious cases.
- Last ATM
- Not confirmed; Purola and Mori on the Dehradun road are the nearest towns, so carry cash.
- Phone network
- Not confirmed by our sources; expect no mobile signal on the trail beyond the roadhead villages.
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 Kanasar Lake
No questions yet. Ask something and trekkers who have done it can answer.
Share your trek photo with #TreksAndTrails
I trekked this
Did Kanasar Lake look different from this page? Tell us what changed and we will check it.
Where this comes from
Sources
Last reviewed:
- Kanasar Lake Trek — Himalayan Daredevils
- Top spot (Kanasar lake trip report, Maninder Kohli) — Outlook Traveller
- Kanasar Lake Trek (copies Himalayan Daredevils; not independent) — Himalayan Hikers
Photos: Anshul24Sharma, CC BY-SA 4.0
