A day at Begnas and Rupa, the quiet lakes east of Pokhara
Twenty-five minutes east of Lakeside you'll find two more lakes with a wooded ridge between them, and hardly any visitors.
By the Lakeshore team · 5 min read · Updated 5 October 2026
Phewa gets the photographs, the boats and the restaurants. Twenty-five minutes east there are two more lakes with a fraction of the traffic, and on a free day this is where people from Pokhara go themselves.
Begnas is the bigger and busier of the pair, which still means quiet. Rupa sits over the ridge, smaller, shallower and greener, and you can spend an afternoon on its shore without seeing another foreign visitor. All it costs is a taxi fare, and for the effort involved it's the best day out from Lakeside.
How the day runs
Take a taxi or the local bus to Begnas Bazaar and get out on the lake first thing, while the water is still flat. Rowing boats cost less here than on Phewa, and the boatmen are in less of a hurry.
By mid-morning, walk up onto the ridge between the two lakes. The path is gentle and wooded, with Begnas on one side, Rupa on the other and, on a clear day, the Annapurnas lined up along the northern horizon.
Drop down toward Rupa, follow the shore for a while through the farmland, and loop back round. At an easy pace that's five to six hours, and there's no serious climbing anywhere on it.
Then lunch. The fish comes out of the lake you're sitting beside, and it's why a lot of Nepali families make this trip.
Why it stays quiet
There's no tourist infrastructure to speak of. You get a handful of guesthouses and some local restaurants, and that's all. Nobody has built another Lakeside out here, and the area is better for it.
It also doesn't make as dramatic a picture as Phewa with the Peace Pagoda behind it, so it stays off the itineraries that get put together from photos.
If you've spent two days in Lakeside and found it a bit much, come out here for a day. It's the antidote, and it's very close.
Adding a longer walk
The ridge above Begnas carries on up to Kalikasthan at around 1,370 m, a solid half-day climb with a wide view from the top. That's also day one of our Royal Trek, so it works as a taste of the route if you're weighing up the full walk.
Sundari Danda and the smaller hills around the lakes are there if you want an hour of climbing instead of four. Birders should make a special trip. The marshy edges of Rupa and the farmland between the lakes hold species you won't see around Phewa, and in winter the migrating waterfowl arrive.
Getting there and other practical bits
Agree a return taxi fare from Lakeside with the driver waiting, or take a taxi one way and the local bus back. Buses run often and cost almost nothing.
Bring cash in small notes, because this isn't a card economy and there's no ATM worth relying on.
You can swim here, and the water is cleaner than at the Lakeside end of Phewa. The locals swim too.
If you want to stay, there are simple guesthouses. A night at Begnas is restful before or after a trek, and our Royal Trek finishes on its shore.
Walk it with us
Private departures on your dates, guided by the people who wrote this page.
Questions we get asked
Is it worth going if I've already seen Phewa?
Even more so. You get the same landscape without the tourist trade.
Do I need a guide?
No. The ridge path between the lakes is easy to follow, and there are people around. A guide adds the farming and fishing background, which is worth having if you're interested, so just ask us.
How much walking is there?
As much or as little as you like, from a boat ride and lunch up to a five-hour loop over the ridge. None of it is steep unless you carry on up to Kalikasthan.
What's the best time of day?
Go early for flat water and mountain views, or late afternoon for the light on the lakes. Midday is hot and hazy, and better spent over lunch.
Still deciding?
Tell us your dates and how much walking you've done, and we'll tell you whether Panchase Hill Overnight Hike is right for you. If it isn't, we'll say so.
Nothing to pay online. We confirm your dates first.
Or call the office +977 61-457830