🏔️
~90 min
from Delhi
🐾
Free
entry, open 24 hrs
📍
Aravalli
hills, Faridabad
People call it Mini Ladakh. Some call it Pangong near Delhi. Neither name is wrong. Panikot Lake sits inside the Aravalli hills near Sirohi village in Faridabad district - an abandoned granite quarry that nature quietly took back. Ochre and rust-red cliffs rise straight from the water. The terrain is rocky, barren, and dramatic in a way you do not expect 57 kilometres from Connaught Place. It is free to enter, open around the clock, and there is no official gate or ticket counter. Dogs are welcome - nobody is going to stop you at the entrance because there is no entrance.
🐾 When we visited with Apple, Captain & Kimchi
We came in April 2026, just before sunset, three dogs and one Rubicon. The light that evening was the kind that makes you stop mid-sentence. The cliffs turned deep amber, the water went still, and Captain - who usually ignores landscapes - just stood at the edge and stared. Apple explored every rock shelf she could reach. Kimchi stayed close but curious, tail up the entire time.
In a city where every open space is either fenced off, built over, or too crowded to breathe, this is the kind of place that reminds you why you travel with your dogs. No ticket counter, no guard telling you dogs aren't allowed, no leash rule. Just the Aravallis, the water, and a silence you can actually hear.
Pet access: Fully public, fully free. No restrictions on dogs. Rocky terrain - keep smaller dogs leashed near the cliff edges and water rim. Large dogs can navigate the rocks well. There are no facilities on site - bring your own water and food.
⚠️ Read before you let them off leash
The water is very deep in the middle - swimming is not recommended for dogs or people in the deeper sections. At the shores the water is shallow enough to sit at the edge with shoes off, and wading is possible - but the stones underfoot are sharp and completely covered in algae, which makes them very slippery. If your dog wades in, go slowly and keep them close. The terrain around the water's edge is uneven and rocky with cliff drop-offs - keep dogs on leash at the rim. There are no lifeguards, no safety rails, and no rescue services nearby.
What Panikot actually is
Panikot is not a natural lake in the traditional sense. It formed over decades inside a working granite quarry as groundwater and rain filled the excavated pits. When quarrying stopped, nature moved in. The walls of the quarry are now exposed cliff faces in shades of ochre, rust, grey, and deep red - the same iron-rich Aravalli rock that once went into buildings across Delhi NCR. The water is deep, still, and catches the sky in a way that makes every photograph look edited. The resemblance to Ladakh's Pangong Tso is not accidental - same barren terrain, same still water, same quality of light. The difference is that Panikot is 57 kilometres from Connaught Place.
For dogs, this place is ideal
Open terrain, interesting smells, rocks to climb, water to approach cautiously - Panikot hits every note for a curious dog. There are no paved paths, no manicured lawns, no other dogs in a confined dog park situation. Just open Aravalli terrain that large breeds especially will cover at pace. The rocky ground is good for paws. The lack of crowds compared to most Delhi NCR green spaces means your dogs can actually behave like dogs - running, sniffing, exploring - without you constantly worrying about other people's reactions. On weekdays, you may have the entire place to yourselves.
Watch our visit - 735K views
We documented this trip and it became our most-watched reel - over 735,000 views and 3,200 comments, most of them asking where this place is. Here it is.
📹 Travel With Tails - Panikot Lake with Apple, Captain & Kimchi
Best time to visit
October through February is ideal - the Aravalli air is cool, the light is long in the mornings and evenings, and the rocky terrain is comfortable to walk. Sunrise and the hour before sunset are the best windows for photographs; the cliffs go gold and the water deepens in colour. Summer (April–June) is harsh - the exposed rock holds heat and there is zero shade. Monsoon (July–September) makes the terrain slippery and the water murky, though the cliffs do turn dramatically green at the edges. If you go in summer or monsoon, arrive very early and leave before 9 AM.
Getting there
Panikot is best reached by car. The lake sits near Sirohi village off the Ballabhgarh–Sohna Highway, approximately 57 km from central Delhi and 36 km from Gurugram. From Faridabad it is roughly 20 km and 40 minutes. There is no metro access - the nearest station is HUDA City Centre, after which you would need a cab or auto for the remaining distance. Most visitors drive or ride. Parking is informal on the approach track - a 4x4 or high-clearance vehicle is helpful but not required on the main track. Search "Panikot Lake Sirohi Faridabad" on Google Maps - it is correctly pinned.
Be a responsible visitor
Panikot is in a village, not a managed park. The local community lives here and the lake has no caretaker cleaning up after visitors. Whatever you carry in, carry out - the lake already has more than its share of plastic bottles, food wrappers, and polybags left behind by previous visitors. Do not add to it. Bring your own waste bags for your dogs and for any litter you may generate. If you find something on the ground that isn't yours, carry it out anyway.
🌿 Keep it as you found it
There are no shops, cafes, or food stalls at the lake itself. The nearby village has a few small shops if you need basics, but carry everything you need before you arrive. No dustbins on site - carry a bag for your waste, including dog waste. Avoid loud music and public disturbance - this is a village setting and local residents live here. Be the kind of visitor you would want at your own neighbourhood lake.
📦 What to carry
There are no food stalls, no water points, and no toilet facilities at the lake. Bring everything you need for yourself and your dogs: water (more than you think - the terrain is warm and open), dog food and bowls, a mat or durrie to sit on (the rocks are uneven), waste bags, and a leash for the water's edge. Phone signal can be patchy. Download offline maps before you go.
