# Lake Manasarovar and Lake Rakshastal (玛旁雍错和拉昂错)

Ngari, Tibet Autonomous Region · Southwest, China · Guidebook rating: 4/5
Canonical: https://cnatrip.com/en/places/lake-manasarovar-and-lake-rakshastal
Language: en

## Key facts

- **Admission:** Lake Manasarovar ¥150; Lake Rakshastal ¥35
- **Opening hours:** 2026.04.20-2026.11.30 08:00-19:00
- **Time needed:** 1 day
- **Address:** 20 km southeast of Mount Kailash (Gangrinboqe Peak), Ngari Prefecture, Tibet
- **Getting there:** From the sacred mountain, catch a passing bus heading toward Burang to Jiwu. You can look for lifts at Dajin or at the Baga checkpoint. From Jiwu to Lake Manasarovar, you must cross a small ridge. Ghost Lake is nearly 10 km away; you can find local motorbikes or hitch a ride to get there.
- **Good for:** Hiking & Outdoors, Photography, Nature

## About Lake Manasarovar and Lake Rakshastal

The sacred Lake Manasarovar lies at 4,588 m, over 20 km southeast of Mount Kailash. Across the Baga–Burang road is the ‘Ghost Lake’, Lake Rakshastal. Manasarovar is a freshwater lake, while Rakshastal is saltwater: one is clear and brimming with the longing for life, the other silent and deathly still.
In terms of size, depth and altitude, Manasarovar can hardly rank among Tibet’s largest lakes. Yet Tibetan people revere it as a noble queen, and it is regarded as sacred by Bön, Tibetan Buddhism, Hinduism and other religions. Believers hold that its holy water can cleanse filth from the body and wash away poison from the heart, so everyone who makes the circuit of the lake bathes here.

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Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), p. 591. Prices, hours and transport details are as printed in the August 2024 edition and may have changed. Always confirm with the venue before you travel.
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