India · Theme guide
Lakes & Waterfalls in India
Waterfalls in India are at their strongest in and just after the monsoon, roughly July to October, and can dwindle to a trickle by May. Each guide gives the best months for that site.
Quick answer
The best lakes and waterfalls in India are the Lake Pichola, Pangong Tso, the City Palace Udaipur, Dudhsagar Falls and Jag Mandir. Rajasthan has the most (10 of 30). Visit between October and March, and go at sunset for the light on the water.
Updated · Compiled by Traveliac, AI-assisted · Ranked on our published criteria
30
lakes and waterfalls
12
states & territories
19
free to enter
Oct–Mar
best months
Top 10 lakes and waterfalls in India
Ranked by our editors on the same criteria as every Traveliac guide: what you see for your time and money, how well it’s kept, and how easy it is to visit.
- 1
Lake PicholaLake · Udaipur, RajasthanUdaipur’s lake of palaces and ghatsFree1.5 hrs - 2
Pangong TsoLake · Leh, LadakhHigh-altitude lake that shifts from blue to greenFree5 hrs - 3
City Palace UdaipurPalace · Udaipur, RajasthanPalace terraces over Lake Pichola₹300 Indian2.5 hrs - 4
Dudhsagar FallsWaterfall · Panaji, GoaFour-tiered waterfall, fullest after the monsoon₹400 Indian4 hrs - 5
Jag MandirTemple · Udaipur, RajasthanIsland palace on Lake Pichola₹200 Indian1 hr - 6
Gadisar LakeLake · Jaisalmer, RajasthanStone ghats and chhatris near Jaisalmer FortFree1.5 hrs - 7
Fateh Sagar LakeLake · Udaipur, RajasthanUdaipur’s second lake, with an island gardenFree1.5 hrs - 8
Jal Mahal (Water Palace)Palace · Jaipur, RajasthanPalace in the middle of Man Sagar LakeFree45 min - 9
Ambrai GhatNature · Udaipur, RajasthanLakeside ghat facing the City PalaceFree45 min - 10
Kaylana LakeLake · Jodhpur, RajasthanReservoir west of Jodhpur, best at sunsetFree1.5 hrs
All 30 lakes and waterfalls by state
Showing all 30 lakes and waterfalls.
Rajasthan10 places
- RajasthanFree entry
Lake Pichola
Lake · Udaipur
Free1.5 hrs
- Rajasthan
City Palace Udaipur
Palace · Udaipur
₹300 Indian2.5 hrs
- Rajasthan
Jag Mandir
Temple · Udaipur
₹200 Indian1 hr
- RajasthanFree entry
Gadisar Lake
Lake · Jaisalmer
Free1.5 hrs
- RajasthanFree entry
Fateh Sagar Lake
Lake · Udaipur
Free1.5 hrs
- RajasthanFree entry
Jal Mahal (Water Palace)
Palace · Jaipur
Free45 min
- RajasthanFree entry
Ambrai Ghat
Nature · Udaipur
Free45 min
- RajasthanFree entry
Kaylana Lake
Lake · Jodhpur
Free1.5 hrs
RajasthanFree entryPushkar Lake
Lake · Pushkar
Free1.5 hrs
RajasthanBagore Ki Haveli
Palace · Udaipur
₹60 Indian2 hrs
Kerala4 places
Other statesLadakh, Goa, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, Gujarat · 16 places
- LadakhFree entry
Pangong Tso
Lake · Leh
Free5 hrs
- Goa
Dudhsagar Falls
Waterfall · Panaji
₹400 Indian4 hrs
Jammu & KashmirFree entryDal Lake & Shikara Rides
Lake · Srinagar
Free2 hrs
UttarakhandFree entryKempty Falls
Waterfall · Mussoorie
Free2 hrs
UttarakhandFree entryNaini Lake
Lake · Nainital
Free1.5 hrs
SikkimFree entryTsomgo Lake
Lake · Gangtok
Free1.5 hrs
Himachal PradeshFree entryJogini Waterfall
Waterfall · Manali
Free2.5 hrs
Tamil NaduOoty Lake
Lake · Ooty
₹20 Indian1.5 hrs
KarnatakaFree entryKukkarahalli Lake
Lake · Mysuru
Free1 hr
UttarakhandMussoorie Lake
Lake · Mussoorie
₹15 Indian1 hr
Tamil NaduFree entryPykara Falls & Lake
Waterfall · Ooty
Free2 hrs
SikkimBanjhakri Falls & Energy Park
Waterfall · Gangtok
₹30 Indian1.5 hrs
Jammu & KashmirFree entryNagin Lake
Lake · Srinagar
Free1.5 hrs
TelanganaHussain Sagar Lake & Buddha Statue
Lake · Hyderabad
₹55 Indian1.5 hrs
GujaratKankaria Lake
Lake · Ahmedabad
₹10 Indian2 hrs
Tamil NaduFree entryPazhamudircholai
Waterfall · Madurai
Free1.5 hrs
Lakes & Waterfalls compared
| Place | State | Type | Indian fee | Time needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Pichola | Rajasthan | Lake | Free | 1.5 hrs |
| Pangong Tso | Ladakh | Lake | Free | 5 hrs |
| City Palace Udaipur | Rajasthan | Palace | ₹300 Indian | 2.5 hrs |
| Dudhsagar Falls | Goa | Waterfall | ₹400 Indian | 4 hrs |
| Jag Mandir | Rajasthan | Temple | ₹200 Indian | 1 hr |
| Gadisar Lake | Rajasthan | Lake | Free | 1.5 hrs |
| Fateh Sagar Lake | Rajasthan | Lake | Free | 1.5 hrs |
| Jal Mahal (Water Palace) | Rajasthan | Palace | Free | 45 min |
| Ambrai Ghat | Rajasthan | Nature | Free | 45 min |
| Kaylana Lake | Rajasthan | Lake | Free | 1.5 hrs |
| Dal Lake & Shikara Rides | Jammu & Kashmir | Lake | Free | 2 hrs |
| Kempty Falls | Uttarakhand | Waterfall | Free | 2 hrs |
| Naini Lake | Uttarakhand | Lake | Free | 1.5 hrs |
| Pushkar Lake | Rajasthan | Lake | Free | 1.5 hrs |
| Tsomgo Lake | Sikkim | Lake | Free | 1.5 hrs |
| Mattupetty Dam | Kerala | Nature | ₹10 Indian | 1 hr |
| Jogini Waterfall | Himachal Pradesh | Waterfall | Free | 2.5 hrs |
| Ooty Lake | Tamil Nadu | Lake | ₹20 Indian | 1.5 hrs |
| Bagore Ki Haveli | Rajasthan | Palace | ₹60 Indian | 2 hrs |
| Kukkarahalli Lake | Karnataka | Lake | Free | 1 hr |
| Mussoorie Lake | Uttarakhand | Lake | ₹15 Indian | 1 hr |
| Pykara Falls & Lake | Tamil Nadu | Waterfall | Free | 2 hrs |
| Banjhakri Falls & Energy Park | Sikkim | Waterfall | ₹30 Indian | 1.5 hrs |
| Echo Point | Kerala | Nature | ₹20 Indian | 30 min |
| Nagin Lake | Jammu & Kashmir | Lake | Free | 1.5 hrs |
| Hussain Sagar Lake & Buddha Statue | Telangana | Lake | ₹55 Indian | 1.5 hrs |
| Kundala Lake | Kerala | Lake | Free | 1 hr |
| Kankaria Lake | Gujarat | Lake | ₹10 Indian | 2 hrs |
| Pazhamudircholai | Tamil Nadu | Waterfall | Free | 1.5 hrs |
| Attukad Waterfalls | Kerala | Waterfall | Free | 30 min |
Fees are the Indian-visitor ticket; foreign-visitor and camera fees are on each place’s guide.
Lakes, lake palaces and falls
City lakes
Ghats and sunsets
Rajasthan’s lakes were built as reservoirs; their ghats are the best places to watch the evening.
Lake palaces
Palaces on the water
Seen from a boat or the shore; some interiors are closed to visitors.
Mountain & monsoon
Wild water
A high-altitude lake in Ladakh and a monsoon-fed waterfall in the Western Ghats.
Map of lakes & waterfalls in India
Numbers match the ranking; the top 10 are orange. Tap a pin for its guide. 4 places have no map position yet.
Tips for visiting lakes and waterfalls in India
Waterfalls peak after the monsoon
Roughly July to October; many dwindle to a trickle by May.
Check access in the monsoon
The jeep route to Dudhsagar usually closes in the rains, and lake boat rides stop when water is low.
Book sunset boats early
Sunset boat rides on Lake Pichola sell out in peak season.
Pack warm for Pangong
At over 4,000 m it is cold even in summer, and nights drop below freezing.
Lakes & Waterfalls FAQs
Which lakes and waterfalls in India are free to visit?
On our list, Lake Pichola in Udaipur, Pangong Tso in Leh, Gadisar Lake in Jaisalmer, Fateh Sagar Lake in Udaipur, Jal Mahal in Jaipur, Ambrai Ghat in Udaipur, Kaylana Lake in Jodhpur and Dal Lake in Srinagar have no entry fee, along with 11 more.
Do foreign visitors pay more at Indian lakes and waterfalls?
Often, yes. The City Palace Udaipur, for example, costs ₹300 for Indian visitors and ₹700 for foreign visitors. 5 of the 30 places on this list charge foreigners more; each guide lists both prices.
What is the best time of year to visit lakes and waterfalls in India?
October to March suits most of them. Each guide gives the best months for that place.
How much time do you need at Lake Pichola?
Allow about 1.5 hours. Arrive at opening time for the smallest crowds.
Compiled with AI assistance from official sources and public records; see How we write these guides. Last updated . How we rank and check places · All themes