Bhimtal is 31 km and about 55 minutes from Haldwani on NH 109. This day-trip guide to Kumaon's working lake town has the 2026 cab fares, the bus that most guides leave out, and a realistic plan for being back in Haldwani by 7 PM.
The short answer: Bhimtal is 31 km from Haldwani on NH 109, through Kathgodam and Ranibagh to the fork at the Bhowali junction, which makes it a 55-minute drive in clear traffic. A non-AC sedan for the day costs ₹1,800–₹2,200 round trip, including 4 hours of waiting. Most people come for the boat ride to the island temple (45 minutes, ₹200–₹400), and there is also a Folk Culture Museum next to the boat point and a few lakeside cafes whose prices have not yet been raised for Mumbai tourists. The best time to go is October to mid-March, when day temperatures are 14–22 °C. A comfortable day runs from 8:30 AM to 7 PM and leaves time to add Naukuchiatal or Sat Tal on the way back if you want to.
By Nandini Upreti, Contributor, Almora. About the author ↓
You can drive from Haldwani to Bhimtal by two routes. Most people take the direct one without knowing there is another, but if you are visiting for the first time, going via Nainital is sometimes worth the extra hour.
Route 1: direct on NH 109, the one we recommend for a day trip. It runs from Haldwani to Kathgodam and Ranibagh, takes the right fork at the Bhowali junction and reaches Bhimtal: 31 km, around 55 minutes in clear traffic. Every Haldwani cab driver knows it, and it is the route Google Maps offers first. The road has two lanes and a good surface, with a gentle climb after Ranibagh. The only place you have to choose is the Bhowali junction, where you keep right for Bhimtal and left for Nainital. Kainchi Dham is 16 km further on from Bhimtal, and our list of places to visit near Kainchi Dham shows how the lake and the temple fit into one day.
Route 2: via Nainital and Bhowali, longer but prettier. This one goes from Haldwani through Kathgodam and Ranibagh up to Nainital, then on to Bhowali and Bhimtal: 47 km, around 1 hr 35 min. The road gains height to 2,084 m at Nainital before dropping back to 1,370 m at Bhimtal. It is worth it only if you have not seen Nainital and want a coffee on Mall Road on the way; otherwise it adds 40 minutes for little extra scenery. Most cab drivers will not suggest it unless you ask.
In the monsoon (July to September), landslides after heavy rain can briefly close either route near Ranibagh or Bhowali. The local highway helpline (5945-247-101) posts closures during the season, and your cab driver will usually be in a WhatsApp group with live updates. If a closure is reported, put the trip off to the next morning rather than going round through Kaladhungi, which adds 90 minutes.
We checked these fares in May 2026 with the Haldwani prepaid stand and three local operators. Expect to pay 15–20 percent more in the peak seasons of May–June and Christmas–New Year.
| Mode | One-way drop | Day-trip RT (4 hr wait) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-AC sedan (Dzire / Etios) | ₹900–₹1,100 | ₹1,800–₹2,200 | Default city stand option, fine for 2 adults |
| AC sedan (Dzire / Aura) | ₹1,100–₹1,300 | ₹2,200–₹2,600 | Worth the upgrade May–June peak heat |
| Innova / Crysta | ₹1,300–₹1,500 | ₹2,800–₹3,400 | For 4–6 passengers, comfortable hill drive |
| Uttarakhand Roadways bus | ₹50–₹90 / person | N/A (return separately) | Every 30–45 min from Tikonia / Mukhani |
| Shared sumo / mini-van | ₹80–₹120 / seat | N/A | Local option from Kathgodam Junction, waits till full |
Booking the cab. The prepaid taxi stand at Kathgodam Junction works from fixed rate cards, and for a day trip its rate is usually 10 to 15 percent below what a hotel desk will quote. Three local operators are worth knowing: Kumaon Cab Service, the most dependable, with sedans and SUVs; Bhowali Taxi Union, mid-priced, whose drivers know the road well; and Haldwani Travel House, which has Innovas for groups. All three take UPI, and cash is fine too.
App cabs such as Uber and Ola work within Haldwani for the first 10 km, but drivers usually turn down Bhimtal because they will not get a fare back. Book a cab from a city stand instead.
Is the bus worth it? For budget travellers who do not mind 30 to 40 minutes more each way, yes. Buses leave the Tikonia stand between 6:30 AM and 7:30 PM, take 70 to 90 minutes with 6 to 8 stops, and drop you in the main Bhimtal market, 400 m from the lake. The drawback is the return: buses thin out after 6 PM, and the last one back to Haldwani that you can rely on leaves around 7:15 PM. With small children or any luggage, a cab is the better choice.
Bhimtal is a lake town where people live and work, not a polished tourist set, and its list of sights is short. That is part of its charm.
The boat ride and the island temple. This is what most people come for: a 30 to 45-minute round trip by pedal boat or motor boat from the main boat point to the small island in the middle of the lake. On the island are a Bhimeshwar Mahadev temple and a tiny aquarium, which costs an extra ₹50 to enter. A pedal boat costs ₹200 for 30 minutes and a motor boat ₹400 for the full loop with a 10-minute stop on the island. Go in the morning, when the wind is calm and the hills are reflected in the lake.
Folk Culture Museum (Lok Sanskriti Sangrahalaya). It is a 200 m walk from the lake, entry is ₹30, and it is well worth the 30 to 45 minutes you will spend there. A retired professor put together its collection of Kumaoni objects, traditional jewellery, tools, costumes and old photographs. It is closed on Mondays.
Bhimtal Aquarium. It sits on the island, so you can only reach it by boat. It is small and well kept, with native Himalayan freshwater fish and a few imported species, and children usually enjoy it for 20 minutes. Most people see it as part of the boat ride.
Paragliding, October to March only. Two operators fly tandem from Karkotak Hill, the ridge above Bhimtal. Flights last 10 to 15 minutes and cost ₹2,500 to ₹3,500 per person, including a 4WD ride up. You must weigh between 35 and 100 kg, and children under 12 cannot fly. Book a day ahead, because flights are often called off for weather at the start and end of the season.
Lakeside cafes. Lake Restaurant is the oldest, family-run and good for a thali; Cafe Chica has espresso, sandwiches and decent Wi-Fi; and the rooftop at Hotel Lake View has the best view of the lake for chai at sunset. All three serve lunch from 12:30 PM, and a full meal costs ₹500–₹800 per person.
Adding Naukuchiatal and Sat Tal. If you still have energy after lunch, Naukuchiatal, the lake with 9 corners, is 5 km further on, and Sat Tal, a group of seven small lakes in pine forest, is 4 km off the highway. Each adds about 90 minutes. You can see all three lakes, Bhimtal, Naukuchiatal and Sat Tal, in one long day if you start by 8:30 AM and skip the museum.
The two lakes are 22 km apart, but a day at each feels quite different. Choose according to who you are travelling with.
| Criterion | Bhimtal | Nainital |
|---|---|---|
| Distance from Haldwani | 31 km / 55 min | 38 km / 1 hr 15 min |
| Elevation | 1,370 m | 2,084 m (notably cooler) |
| Lake size | 0.47 sq km (larger) | 0.46 sq km |
| Crowd level | Quieter | Busy, especially weekends |
| Headline experience | Island-temple boat ride | Naina Devi temple + Mall Road + ropeway |
| Cafes & food | Lakeside, modest pricing | Wider choice, higher pricing |
| Paragliding | Yes (Oct–Mar) | No |
| Day-trip cab RT | ₹1,800–₹2,200 | ₹2,200–₹2,800 |
| Best for | Returning visitors, quiet day, families with small kids, paragliding | First-time Kumaon visitors, evening at Mall Road, mixed-age groups |
Our Haldwani to Nainital travel guide covers Nainital in full if you want more detail before you decide.
This is the plan we use for couples and small families who arrive on the morning Ranikhet Express, which reaches Kathgodam at 5:35 AM, or who have spent the night in Haldwani.
7:00 AM: breakfast at your Haldwani hotel, finished by 8:15 AM if you can.
8:30 AM: the cab picks you up from the hotel or the Kathgodam prepaid stand, and you head up NH 109.
9:30 AM: reach the main boat point in Bhimtal and buy boat tickets while the wind is still calm.
9:45–10:30 AM: the boat ride to the island, a visit to the temple and a walk through the aquarium.
10:45 AM–12:00 PM: the Folk Culture Museum, then a short walk by the lake.
12:30–2:00 PM: lunch at Lake Restaurant or Cafe Chica.
2:30–4:30 PM: if you like, drive to Naukuchiatal (5 km) for a 60-minute walk around the 9-cornered lake, or to Sat Tal (4 km off the highway) for the forest walk past its seven lakes.
5:00 PM: chai at sunset on the rooftop of Hotel Lake View in Bhimtal.
5:30 PM: leave Bhimtal.
7:00 PM: back at your hotel in Haldwani.
For a couple, the sedan cab, boat, lunch and museum come to ₹3,400 to ₹4,200 in all: ₹400 for the boat, ₹60 for the museum, ₹1,200 for lunch, ₹1,800–2,200 for the cab and ₹200 to spare. Paragliding is booked separately and adds ₹5,000–₹7,000 per person.
On a budget, by bus, the day works out at roughly ₹1,160 per person: ₹180 for the bus there and back, ₹400 for the boat and museum, ₹500 for a shared lunch and ₹80 for chai. Allow 12 hours door to door rather than 10.
For a day trip, stay in Haldwani. It has city-standard hotels and the railway station, and you can add Nainital or Kainchi Dham to the same trip.
An upmarket, eco-minded boutique hotel with 16 rooms, 2.5 km from Kathgodam, with the Pots & Stones Italian cafe and free pickup from the station. Of the places to stay before Bhimtal, it has the most character.
Read the review3.5 km from Kathgodam, with an indoor heated pool open all year, a banquet hall and full ITC service standards. A dependable choice for business travellers fitting a day at Bhimtal into a work trip.
Read the reviewIf your family wants time in a hotel pool as well as a day at Bhimtal, six Haldwani hotels had pools we confirmed were working in 2026.
See the listTwelve hotels ranked from boutique and premium to mid-range and budget, each with its distance to Kathgodam Junction and NH 109.
Browse all twelveIf this is your first visit to Kumaon and you have two days in Haldwani, give one of them to Bhimtal and spend an evening in Nainital on the other. The 45-minute boat ride to the island is unlike anything else nearby, the museum is unpretentious and unhurried, and the lakeside cafes have not yet raised their prices for Mumbai tourists. At 55 minutes, the drive is short enough that the day never feels like hard work.
Bhimtal is not the place for Mall Road shopping, cafes that stay open late or the bustle of a holiday town; Nainital does all of that better. Bhimtal is the quieter of the two, and that is exactly why people go.
On a 3-day stay in Haldwani, pair it with a morning at Kainchi Dham, since the ashram is 18 km from Bhimtal and the two fit into one loop, or with an evening in Nainital.
Bhimtal is 31 km from Haldwani on the usual NH 109 route through Kathgodam and Ranibagh. The drive takes around 55 minutes in clear traffic and 70 to 80 minutes on weekend afternoons, when the Ranibagh stretch slows down. The other route, via Nainital and Bhowali, is 47 km and takes about 1 hr 35 min; it is prettier but longer.
Yes, for most people visiting Kumaon for the first time. Bhimtal is a working lake town and less commercial than Nainital. It has a 45-minute boat ride to an island temple, a Folk Culture Museum, two paragliding operators in season and lakeside cafes without tourist-trap prices. A day trip from Haldwani fits comfortably between 8:30 AM and 7 PM and costs ₹1,800–₹2,200 per couple by sedan cab.
A non-AC sedan from Haldwani to Bhimtal for the day costs ₹1,800 to ₹2,200 round trip, including 4 hours of waiting. An AC sedan costs ₹2,200–₹2,600 and an Innova or Crysta ₹2,800–₹3,400. A one-way drop costs around ₹900–₹1,100 in a sedan and ₹1,300–₹1,500 in an Innova. We checked these fares in May 2026, and they rise 15–20 percent at the May–June and Christmas–New Year peaks.
If it is your first time in Kumaon and you have one day with a group of mixed ages, Nainital is the safer choice. There is more to do, the evening is easier, you can combine the Naina Devi temple with a boat ride, and the ropeway goes up to Snow View. For a quieter trip, for families with small children, or if you already know Nainital, Bhimtal is better: the boat ride is less crowded, there is the temple on the island, and you can carry on to Naukuchiatal and Sat Tal and see three lakes in a day.
Yes. Uttarakhand Roadways and private operators run shared and direct services between Haldwani and Bhimtal roughly every 30 to 45 minutes from 6:30 AM to 7:30 PM, for ₹50–₹90 per person. Buses leave from the Tikonia and Mukhani stops in Haldwani and take 70 to 90 minutes with stops. Shared sumos from Kathgodam Junction also run to Bhimtal for ₹80–₹120 a seat.
October to mid-March is the best time, with day temperatures of 14–22 °C, clear skies over the lake and calm water for the boats. April to June is busier, with school holidays and summer crowds from the plains, and the lake gets warm. July to September is the monsoon: the road is fine, but the boat ride can be cancelled if the rain is heavy. For paragliding, October to March is the only season that works.
If you are planning 2 to 4 days around Haldwani, our Travel Journal covers Nainital, Kainchi Dham, the best months to visit and where to stay on any budget.