The grass bowl that holds the lake and the village is the reason Khajjiar exists as a destination. It is about a kilometre across, almost perfectly flat, and ringed by a wall of dark deodar. In summer it is brilliant green; in winter it is sometimes lightly dusted with snow.
A loop path skirts the edge of the meadow under the trees and takes roughly 30–40 minutes to walk slowly. Pony men and food sellers cluster near the lake end; walk five minutes in either direction and you have the place largely to yourself. Sunset, when the day-trippers leave and the cedars throw long shadows across the grass, is the best moment.