Village · Nako, Spiti & Lahaul
Evening walk around Nako lake
Circle the small lake at the heart of Nako, past willows, prayer wheels and stone houses, as families bring livestock home and the light turns gold on the hills.
Photo: Prof Ranga Sai · CC BY-SA 4.0 · CommonsNako's lake is small, a few minutes' walk around, but it is the centre of village life. Willows and poplars line the shore, prayer flags stretch between trees, and paths lead off into lanes of stone and mud houses.
Walk in the evening, when the day traffic from the highway has gone and families return from the fields. Turn the prayer wheels clockwise as you pass, greet people with julley, and ask before taking portraits.
Keep the lake clean: no washing, no littering, no swimming. In deep winter it freezes hard and children skate on it, but in summer it is a quiet, reflective pool.
Good for
Also in Nako
More days here
Photo: Sumita Roy Dutta · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Nako's 11th-century temple halls
Step into the dim halls of Nako's temple complex, founded in 1025 CE and named for the translator Rinchen Zangpo, to se…
Photo: Sumita Roy Dutta · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Sunset on Reo Purgyil from above Nako
Climb a short way above the village to watch the evening light on Reo Purgyil, at 6,816 m the highest mountain in Himac…
Trips through Nako
Do this on a trip
Each of these trips stops in Nako. Tell us and we keep a slot for this day.
Photo: Sumita Roy Dutta · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Comfort
Spiti circuit: Kinnaur in, Kunzum La out
Private SUV with driver
Photo: Sumita Roy Dutta · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Saver
Spiti by HRTC bus, the slow Kinnaur way in
HRTC and local buses, with one shared taxi loop from Kaza
Photo: Sumita Roy Dutta · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Saver
Spiti village homestays: Dhankar to Langza
Shared car to Kaza, then local buses and short taxi transfers
Photo: Sumita Roy Dutta · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Signature
Gompas of Spiti, in and out by Kinnaur
Private SUV with driver, private guide
Questions
Before you book
Can I boat on Nako lake?
Small boating has been offered in some summers, but it is not reliable. Ask locally; the walk is the main experience.
Does the lake freeze?
Yes, in deep winter. Local children skate on it.
Is the walk easy?
Yes, flat and short, though at 3,625 m. Go slowly.