Bhairav Kunda
A sacred high-altitude lake below the Jugal Himal in Sindhupalchok, reached on a quiet teahouse trek northeast of Kathmandu.
- Altitude
- 4,300 m
- Coordinates
- 27.967°, 85.883°
Current Weather
Bhairav Kunda is a sacred glacial lake set at about 4,300 metres in northern Sindhupalchok, close to the Nepal–Tibet border below the Jugal Himal. It is dedicated to Bhairav, the fierce form of Shiva, and draws Hindu pilgrims — especially at Janai Purnima — who come to bathe in its cold waters.
(Note: a smaller pool of the same name also lies within the Gosaikunda basin; this entry is the standalone lake and trek in Sindhupalchok.)
The Bhairav Kunda trek is one of the quieter routes within easy reach of Kathmandu. It usually begins near Chautara or Larcha and climbs through villages, terraced fields, and rhododendron and oak forest before breaking out onto open high pasture and the lake itself. The reward is a panorama of the Jugal and Langtang ranges with very few other trekkers about — a 4–5 day trip that offers high-altitude lake scenery without the crowds of the better-known circuits.
Facilities are basic with a mix of simple lodges and camping. The lake freezes in winter; spring and autumn are the trekking seasons.
Location & What's Inside
Planning this trip? Local operators publishing trips here can arrange it.
Elsewhere in this region
Help us get it right
Know Bhairav Kunda better than we do?
We write from research and reporting, and the ground changes faster than we can keep up. If something here is out of date, or you have been and would tell it differently, we would rather hear it.