Dhankar Lake
High altitude desert Oasis
Difficulty
Easy
Duration
1 days
Max Altitude
13580 ft
Starting Point
Dhankar village
End Point
Dhankar village
Distance
2 KM
Best Time to Visit
June to September
Camping sites
A high altitude lake
The Dhankar lake or Tso as is called in the local lingo is a high altitude lake that is fed by the seasonal snowfall and the meltwater from neighboring mountain faces flowing to it. The Dhankar Lake is located at a height of 13580 feet. It is among the very few lakes in the Spiti Valley and provides spectacular views of the mountain ranges near it which remain covered by snow for the most part of the year.
Vast blues of Dhankar lake . Picture credits : Lakshay Pawa
Phenomenal views of distant mountain ranges
The turquoise waters of the Dhankar lake has very calming effect. Overnight camping near the lake is one of a kind experience and will leave you with good memories. The lake also has a spiritual aspect to it, as there is a Buddhist Chorten near the lake where the locals would often come to offer their prayers.
THe turquoise waters of the Dhankar Lake. Picture credits : Jeewan
Short Itinerary
Brief Itinerary
Day 1 : Dhankar village to Dhankar Lake ; 2 hour Trek
Day 1 : Dhankar village to Dhankar Lake ; 2 hour Trek
Hikesdaddy Itinerary
Trek from:
Dhankar village to Dhankar lake
Water Sources:
No water source till the lake. Carry water from Dhankar village.
Dhankar Tso is a lake situated at a height of 13580 feet and is a freshwater lake in the high altitude desert od Spiti. The trail to Dhankar Tso lies North East to the Dhankar village. You will find the trail going up from the part of the Dhankar village which lies on the opposite side of the Dhankar Monastery, overlooking it.
Just a little before the village ends you will find a trail going up on the mountain side from the Dhankar Schling Road at around 12700 ft . This is the trail to the Dhankar Tso. It criss-crosses it’s way up and at 13180 ft you will find that the trail diverges into two. Don’t worry. Both of them will take you to the Dhankar Lake. The one to your right will be the easier of the two. It will take you over the ridgeline and then ascend to the lake. The one to your left runs on the same mountain face and will take you to a vantage point. From this point onwards you will be able to get a holistic view of the Dhankar Lake and then you might descend to the Lake after taking a few pictures. It is advised that you start your journey to the Dhankar lake in the morning hours as the waters are very calm and you will get great reflection shots at the lake. The area around the lake is picturesque. The lake area makes for a great camping spot and a day spent here will be one you’ll remember as always, If you do decide to camp here and spend the night remember to Camp at least a 100 meters away from the shore of the lake. This is a way of ensuring the sanctity of the lake remains.
To get a hawk’s eye view of what to do and where to stay in the Dhankar Village you can plugin to our Guide for Dhankar Village. Similar, but smaller lakes can be found on the way to Kanamo Peak from Kibber Village. It is yet another exciting trek in the Spiti region that takes you to a height little less than 6000 meter and is also the highest trekkable summit in the Spiti Valley.
Blue waters of Dhankar Lake.
Trek Operators
Hikes. Fun. Friends