Markhu and Kulekhani, Nepal: Travel Guide (2026)

It’s a popular place for locals to visit for the weekend. I heard that Markhu gets crowded on the weekends, but I was still surprised by how busy it was. Most people stay on one side of the lake, but you can take a boat across to the other side which is quieter.

Markhu and Kulekhani are known for the Indrosarowar Lake. It is a man-made reservoir that was built to provide hydropower but has turned into a popular tourist spot. You can go boating, hike to the Mohini waterfall, visit the sheep farm or even hike to Chitlang.

Information for Visiting

Best Time to Visit

Markhu and Kulekhani can be visited all year around, but the best time is between October and May. During this time, the weather is good and there is less chance of rain.

It can be tricky to reach Markhu and Kulekhani during monsoon (June-September). The roads leading to Marku/Kulekhani go in a zig zag through the hills and can be easily blocked by landslides if it rains a lot. Due to this, I would not plan on visiting during monsoon.

We visited Markhu at the end of April, and there was already some rainfall that made the roads wet and slippery. There was not that much rain yet to trigger a landslide for the road leading to Markhu, but I could see that in case it rained more, the road could be easily blocked.

Markhu and Kulekhani gets very busy on the weekends, so if you want to avoid the crowds and can take holidays during the week, then it is best to visit during the weekdays.

How Many Days to Spend in Markhu, Kulekhani

There is a lot to do in Markhu and Kulekhani, and you could spend at least two full days here. So, I recommend at least a one night/two day stay or even staying for two nights/three days.

We spent two days here and we came back mostly due to time constraints. Otherwise, we could have stayed for one more day and explore a few more places we didn’t have time for.

If you only have two days, I recommend leaving for Markhu early morning, so you have two full days there. We left late morning to Markhu and arrived in the afternoon only, so we didn’t have that much time on the first day to explore places.

Brief History of Kulekhani

Kulekhani and Markhu are known for the Kulekhani Dam, a man-made reservoir built for hydroelectric power generation, constructed between 1977-1982. The Kulekhani Dam is also known as the Indrosarowar Lake. Markhu village is right by the Indrosarowar Lake, and it is where most hotels are located.

Although it was built as hydropower station, it has become a popular place to visit due to its scenic beauty, boating and hiking routes. It is mostly visited by domestic tourists on the weekends. During our trip, I didn’t see any other foreign tourists, but it is very popular for locals.

Things to Do in Markhu & Kulekhani

Go Boating on the Indrasarowar Lake

Going boating on the Indrosarowar Lake is one of the most popular things to do in Markhu, and at first, I didn’t realize how big the lake actually is. I could see that the lake is pretty big, but the boats can take you on hidden side trips on the lake and stop at a small island too.

There are two different types of boats on the lake, paddle boat and motorboat. The motorboat can go bigger distances, so you can see more of the lake. The paddle boats don’t go too far from the original starting point.

We only went by a paddle boat to cross the lake and didn’t have the chance to go for a longer boat ride. On the first day that we arrived, we only took a short boat ride and had plans to take a longer boat trip the next day.

On our first day in Kulekhani, there was an argument between the locals, and they stopped the operation of the boats the next day. The Kulekhani Village Resort ran its own private motorboats, but it was only available for their guests.

So, my recommendation is, if you are short on time in Kulekhani, and the boats are operating, then it’s better not to delay any boat trips, just take the boat ride whenever they are available. If the weather turns rainy, they also stop the boat tours as they don’t operate in bad weather due to safety.

Overall, the boat ride on the lake is really nice. It looks a bit scary in the beginning but once you get used to it, it’s a lot of fun.

Hike to the Mohini Jharana (Waterfall)

The Mohini Jharana is a waterfall close to Markhu, Kulekhani, and it was one of my favourite places during our trip. You can get there by hiking from Markhu or by taking a motorboat close to the waterfall and then hike up.

We decided to hike on the way to the waterfall, and it took almost two hours to get there. The view along the lake is really beautiful! We took lots of photos and videos, so if you don’t stop so often, you could hike it faster.

To get on the hiking trail, cross the Markhu Suspension Bridge, and walk towards the Hotel the Cross River. After you pass the hotel, keep walking in the direction of the waterfall.

The hiking trail is well-built and follows along the lake. The hike is easy, there are not many ups and downs in the beginning. For about an hour, you just walk on a flat trail.

After about an hour of walking along the lake, you reach a suspension bridge, and after crossing the bridge, you start hiking uphill. Once you get to the top of the hill, you are almost at the waterfall. (Note: on the hike, you also pass by another suspension bridge while you are still on the path next to the lake, but don’t cross it, as it takes you to the wrong side of the lake).

There are only a few signs along the trail showing the way to the waterfall and the trail is not well-marked on map apps, like maps.me. Keep on the main trail all the time and only change the direction if you see a sign for the waterfall.

We didn’t meet many people on the hiking trail because it seemed that most people take the motorboat close to the waterfall. Taking the motorboat is an easier option, and once it drops you close to the waterfall, then it’s maximum one hour to hike up the stairs to the waterfall.

If you decide to hike to the waterfall, it may be difficult to find a boat to take you back to Markhu. After visiting the waterfall, we had lunch at one of the restaurants near the waterfall, and we managed to get the owner to drop us back in Markhu on a motorbike. We felt tired and wanted to save some time, so the motorbike ride back was a good option.

Visit the Sheep Farm (Bheda Farm)

The Bheda Farm (“bheda” means “sheep” in Nepali) is a sheep farm close to Markhu. You can walk here in about 30 minutes from Markhu or go in your own vehicle (car, motorbike) as the road leading to the sheep farm is in good condition (well, it’s a dirt road but good enough to get there by car or motorbike).

Most of the farm itself is closed off from visitors, but there is a small hill where you can walk up and get the views of nearby hills and paddy fields. The view is supposed to be the best when it rains, as the rainfall makes the hills all green and lush.

If you come in the winter, then due to the dry weather, the fields all look dry and barren. We were here during pre-monsoon, so due to some rainfall, the fields have started to turn a little greenish.

I am not sure what it’s like visiting the farm during monsoon. The roads leading to Markhu could be closed due to landslides, and there could be leeches at the sheep farm if it rains a lot.

There were not many sheep there during our visit. We could spot a flock of sheep far away, but none were close to the area that’s allowed for visitors to access.

Even though we couldn’t spot lots of sheep and the fields were not lush green, I still like liked visiting the farm as the views of the hills were still good.

Try Dishes with Fish

Markhu is a good place to try fish as the lake is known for its fish. The best options are fried fish or dal bhat with fish curry. The restaurants by the lake (the place where the boats leave from) are very busy and it felt too crowded to eat there.

There is a restaurant across the lake, the Hotel the Cross River, and we decided to go over there for lunch. They operate a free boat shuttle for people who want to eat or stay there. It’s a hotel & restaurant, and even if you just go there for food, the free boat shuttle applies.

The food here was pretty good and this side of the lake is much more peaceful. When I imagined Kulekhani, I imagined a peaceful, quiet getaway. Since the lake gets very busy with visitors on the weekend, I preferred the quieter side of the lake.

Chill by the Lake

If you don’t want to go hiking and just looking for a peaceful getaway, the lake is a good place to hang out, and have some food and drinks.

The “busy side” of the lake is pretty crowded with people on Saturdays, but it starts to get quieter in late afternoon when some of the visitors go home. Still, even if you don’t cross the lake, if you walk around a bit, you can find less busy spots by the lake that are great to relax.

Go Ziplining

There is also a zipline in Kulekhani close to the Kulekhani Village Resort. We didn’t have time to go, but it seems fun. I heard that they have packages that includes ziplining and boating on the lake for around Rs. 2,000 (USD 13), and next time I return, I’d definitely try it.

Visit Chitlang

Chitlang is around 9 km from Markhu, and it’s a good spot to visit if you are already in the area. It’s on the way between Kathmandu and Markhu/Kulekhani, so if you take this road on the way to or from Markhu, then you can make a quick stop in Chitlang.

Chitlang is originally a Newari settlement and is known for its hiking routes and cheese factory. You can hike from Markhu to Chitlang or go by car/motorbike if you have your own vehicle.

We decided to stop in Chitlang on the way back to Kathmandu but we didn’t have much time, so we only went to the Goat Cheese Factory, and stocked up on some cheese, jam and local wine.

The Goat Cheese Factory is pretty small but there is a guy there to explain the process of making cheese. He did the presentation in Nepali, but I think he could have also explained it in English if my boyfriend had not been there to translate for me. The entry is Rs. 100 (USD 0.60) per person.

How to Get to Markhu, Kulekhani

I have heard a lot of negative experience of taking the road to Markhu, Kulekhani, and had become very curious to see the road for myself by the time I managed to visit Markhu.

Markhu/Kulekhani is around 40 km from Kathmandu and takes around 2.5 hours to get there. There are two ways to go, either through the road via Balkhu-Pharping-Fakhel-Markhu or via Thankot-Chandragiri-Chitlang-Markhu.

There are public buses that go to Markhu from Balkhu, or you can take a bus to Chadragiri and hike from Chandragiri to Chitlang, and then on to Markhu.

We went by car and on the way to Markhu, we took the road via Pharping-Fakhel. On the way back to Kathmandu, we went via Chitlang-Chandragiri.

The road via Pharping-Fakhel is mostly a concrete road, and it only become a dirt road once you reach closer to the lake. If your hotel is further up the lake, then you have to go on the narrow dirt road to get to your hotel. This dirt road can be easily blocked by landslides during monsoon. If you book a stay at the Kulekhani Village Resort, then you don’t have to drive on the dirt road much.

The road via Chitlang-Chandragiri is in a worse condition than the road via Pharping-Fakhel, and it is more difficult to drive, especially if it rains. On our way back, it was rainy and there was a heavy fog. The dirt road was slippery and it was hard to see the road due to the fog. I can’t imagine what it would be like to drive here during monsoon season.

Where to Stay in Markhu

The hotels in Markhu/Kulekhani are not listed on booking.com, so you have to check the hotels on Google Maps, and call the hotel to make a reservation.

If you are planning to visit Markhu on the weekend, I recommend making a reservation two days ahead. We called to make a reservation late night the day before our trip, and by then, the hotel where we wanted to stay was already sold out.

The Kulekhani Village Resort is one of the high-end hotels in Kulekhani, and it has an infinity pool. You get really nice views from here. They also organize boat trips to visit the Mohini Waterfall.

As our preferred hotel was already sold out, we decided to stay at the Indrasarobar Hotel. It has mixed reviews on google, and we were not sure how it would turn out. It’s not a luxury resort, but it turned out better than expected. We got a room on the top floor with great views over the lake. The breakfast was also pretty good, they had lots of different items, not just omelette and jam. A package for two people with room, breakfast and dinner is Rs. 3,500 (USD 23) per night.

If you are looking for a high-end hotel, it’s better to stay at the Kulekhani Village Resort, but if you are fine with budget accommodation, then the Indrasarobar Hotel is a good choice.

Frequently Asked Questions

My Final Tips for Visiting Markhu

Overall, I really enjoyed visiting Markhu and Kulekhani, and even though it was crowded on the weekend, it was still worth visiting. The main spot where you start the boating is crowded on Saturdays, but other areas around the lake are quieter.

If you are planning to stay in Markhu for the night, I recommend making a reservation at your preferred hotel two days ahead. The most popular hotels could get sold out, so it’s good to call and book it in advance.

I loved the hike to the Mohini Waterfall, but if you are short on time, taking a boat close to the waterfall is a good option. The motorboat drops you close to the waterfall, but you still have to hike uphill from there to the waterfall which takes more than 30 minutes.

For other places nearby Kathmandu, check out my travel guides to Chandragiri, Nagarkot, Dhulikhel and Panauti.