Nainital and the Kumaon Lakes on a Budget: 3-Day Trip Cost From Delhi

Nainital is the default Kumaon trip from Delhi, and on a busy weekend it is also the most crowded one. The lake is lovely; the Mall Road in May is a traffic jam with a view. The way to make it a good trip, and a cheaper one, is to treat Nainital as one stop among several: a day around Naini Lake, a day on the quieter lakes nearby, and, if you have the time, a day up at Mukteshwar.

This guide assumes three days and two nights from Delhi. It can be squeezed into a weekend if you travel overnight both ways, but you will spend a lot of it in transit.

Getting there: Kathgodam is the gateway

Nainital is roughly 300-320 km from Delhi, usually seven to nine hours by road. The railhead is Kathgodam, about 35 km below Nainital - an hour to an hour and a half up the hill by taxi or bus.

• Train to Kathgodam. The best option for most people. There are day trains with chair cars and overnight trains from Delhi; an overnight train in each direction gives you two full days in the hills. Shared and private taxis wait outside the station, and buses run up from nearby Haldwani.
• Bus. Buses run from Delhi's Anand Vihar side to Haldwani and Nainital throughout the day and overnight. Cheaper than the train, less comfortable.
• Self-drive or a hired cab. Useful if you want to cover all the lakes and Mukteshwar at your own pace. Be prepared for the parking situation in Nainital itself.

Day one: Naini Lake and the town

Start with a walk along the lake. Mall Road runs along one side between Mallital at the north end and Tallital at the south, and the quieter road runs along the other. Boating on the lake is the classic thing to do - rowing boats, pedal boats and sailing boats are available, with rates fixed by the local authority and displayed at the boat stands.

• Naina Devi temple at the Mallital end of the lake is the town's main temple.
• Snow View point is reachable by a cable car from the Mall or a steep walk, with a view of the high Himalaya on clear mornings.
• Tiffin Top is a short hike or pony ride above the town with a broad view over the lake and the hills.
• In the evening, the Mall is at its best after dark, when the lights come on around the lake.

Day two: Bhimtal, Sattal and Naukuchiatal

The other lakes are what make the district worth a three-day trip. They sit roughly 20-25 km from Nainital, are lower and quieter, and are generally cheaper to stay at. A taxi for the day split between the group is the easiest way to see all three.

• Bhimtal is the largest, with a small island in the middle and a more relaxed town around it. Boating is available here too.
• Sattal is a cluster of small connected lakes in thick oak and pine forest - the quietest and most beautiful of the three, and good for birdwatching and short walks.
• Naukuchiatal, a few kilometres beyond Bhimtal, is known for its many-cornered shape and is the calmest place on the circuit to spend an afternoon by the water.

If you would rather not sleep in Nainital at all, Bhimtal makes a good base for the whole trip: closer to Kathgodam, easier to park in, and a day trip from everything else.

Day three option: Mukteshwar

Mukteshwar is about 50 km from Nainital - two hours or so on narrow hill roads - and at a higher altitude, roughly 2,200-2,300 m. It is known for its old Shiva temple, the cliff-edge rocks at Chauli ki Jali beside it, orchards, and on a clear morning a long view of the snow peaks. It is much quieter than Nainital.

Done as a day trip on the last day, it is a long one if you also have to catch a train back. A better version is to spend the second night in Mukteshwar and come down to Kathgodam on day three. If you only have a weekend, skip it rather than rush it.

When to go

• March to June - pleasant and the busiest time, especially May and June with school holidays. Book ahead and expect peak prices.
• July to mid-September - monsoon. Landslides affect hill roads, views are often clouded out, and travel times stretch. Keep plans flexible.
• Late September to November - clear skies, good mountain views and lower prices. The best window for this trip.
• December to February - cold, occasionally with snow at Nainital and more often at Mukteshwar. Roads can be slippery; drive with care.

Budget: low, mid and high

These figures are per person for three days and two nights, starting and ending in Delhi, with rooms and transport shared in a group of three or four.

Low budget

• Getting there and back: ₹1,000-1,800 - bus, or a train sleeper to Kathgodam, plus a shared taxi or bus up the hill.
• Stay: ₹1,000-2,000 for two nights - hostel beds or basic shared rooms, ideally in Bhimtal or away from the Mall.
• Food: ₹1,000-1,600 - dhabas and small eateries.
• Local transport and activities: ₹700-1,300 - shared taxis to the lakes, a boat ride and small entry fees.
• Buffer: ₹300-600.

Total: roughly ₹4,000-7,300 per person.

Mid budget

• Getting there and back: ₹1,800-3,200 - a train chair car or AC sleeper, plus a taxi from Kathgodam.
• Stay: ₹2,200-4,500 for two nights - private rooms in guesthouses or homestays.
• Food: ₹1,600-2,600 - restaurants and cafes for most meals.
• Local transport and activities: ₹1,500-3,000 - a taxi for the lakes day and the Mukteshwar trip split between the group, boating and the cable car.
• Buffer: ₹600-1,200.

Total: roughly ₹7,700-14,500 per person.

High budget

• Getting there and back: ₹3,200-5,500 - a hired cab for the whole trip, or your own car with fuel, tolls and parking split four ways.
• Stay: ₹5,000-10,000 for two nights - lake-view hotels or resorts.
• Food: ₹2,800-4,500 - sit-down meals throughout.
• Local transport and activities: ₹2,500-4,500 - the car for every day trip, paid activities and entry fees.
• Buffer: ₹1,200-2,500.

Total: roughly ₹14,700-27,000 per person.

For the wider Kumaon picture - Almora, Binsar, Kausani and Jim Corbett - see the Uttarakhand road trip guide.

Going with a group

The lakes day and the Mukteshwar day are both trips where a shared taxi turns an expensive outing into a cheap one, and a three-day trip is long enough that it pays to travel with people you get on with. On SastiTripsWale you can find a group heading there or post your own trip with your dates. Agree the plan and the cost split before the train leaves Delhi.