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Uttar Pradesh

Bakhira Lake (Khalilabad)

Eastern UP's largest natural lake, a Ramsar site of lotus and ducks

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Best time to visit Bakhira Lake (Khalilabad)

peak shoulder off-season avoid

  • Go: December to February
  • Shoulder: March and November, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
  • Skip: May to June

Planning a specific month? JanuaryFebruaryDecember

Bakhira Lake (Khalilabad) season by season

Winter December to February Prime time

Dec to Feb is the whole point: bar headed geese, pintail rafts and 6C dawns; take a fisherman's boat out before the mist lifts

Summer March to May Shoulder

March still holds stragglers on the water, April dries the margins, and May and June sit at 43C with the lake shrunk and glaring

Monsoon June to September Mixed, read the detail

Jul to Sep the lake swells past its banks and the fishermen work it hard, but the migrants are gone and the bunds turn to slush

Autumn October to November Shoulder

October is green and quiet with jacanas walking the lotus; the first winter arrivals drop in through November and boats are easy

What Bakhira Lake (Khalilabad) is actually like

No rooms at the water, so you sleep in Khalilabad or Gorakhpur and come out at dawn to fishermen, herons and one forest hut

Getting to Bakhira Lake (Khalilabad)

Khalilabad railhead is 20 km and Gorakhpur airport 50 km; autos run to Bakhira village and boatmen wait at the bund

Practical ways in: flighttrainroad

Trip facts

How long to stay
2 days
Budget
Shoestring
How busy
Quiet at its peak
Solo travel
Doable solo with some planning
Altitude
75 m
State
Uttar Pradesh
Coordinates
26.9050, 83.1379

Common questions

When is the best time to visit Bakhira Lake (Khalilabad)?

December to February is peak season in Bakhira Lake (Khalilabad). March and November is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid May to June. Dec to Feb is the whole point: bar headed geese, pintail rafts and 6C dawns; take a fisherman's boat out before the mist lifts.

How many days do you need in Bakhira Lake (Khalilabad)?

2 days is the usual stay. No rooms at the water, so you sleep in Khalilabad or Gorakhpur and come out at dawn to fishermen, herons and one forest hut.

How do you get to Bakhira Lake (Khalilabad)?

Khalilabad railhead is 20 km and Gorakhpur airport 50 km; autos run to Bakhira village and boatmen wait at the bund. Practical ways in: flight, train and road.

Is Bakhira Lake (Khalilabad) expensive, and does it get crowded?

Shoestring by Indian travel standards, and it runs quiet at the busiest time of year. Doable solo with some planning.

Nearby, and where to go next

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