The district is bordered to the north by the districts of Almora and Champawat, to the south by the district of Udham Singh Nagar, and to the west by the districts of Pauri Garhwal and Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh.

The Kumaon Himalaya region contains the district of Nainital. The district is partially bounded to the south by the Bhabar tract, and to the north by the Sivalik highlands. The Lesser Himalayas, which have a maximum elevation of 2600 meters, are to the north of here. The Kosi River, which flows through the district and partially marks the boundary between the districts of Almora and Nainital, is the principal river in the area. After there, it flows to the Ramganga via the Nainital district.