Move Over Africa! 14 Must-Do Experiences in Chitwan, Nepal’s Ultimate Safari Destination
Are you looking for a Nepal experience beyond trekking in the Himalayas? Chitwan (UNESCO World Heritage Site) is a popular destination where you can get up close and personal with some of the most exotic and endangered animals on the planet.
Imagine going on a safari to see a Royal Bengal tiger, sloth bears, one-horned rhinos, wild elephants, and more in their natural habitat. Or take a canoe ride down the river (safely) while spotting crocodiles sunning themselves on the banks.
Located in south-central Nepal, the Chitwan district is a protected area, home to dense forests, wildlife, and unique cultural experiences that can’t be found anywhere else in the country. Although seeing wildlife may be the highlight, many beautiful places exist in and around Chitwan National Park; these are some of our top things to do in Chitwan.
Overview of Chitwan
Chitwan National Park, initially a hunting reserve, was eventually founded in 1973 as Nepal’s first national park. “Chit” means heart, and “wan” means jungle, so the park’s name translates to “Heart of the Jungle.”
The park covers 5 provinces and is located on an island wrapped by 4 rivers. 56 types of mammals live in the park, including rhinos, wild cows, and Bengal tigers.
The park is in south-central Nepal, with the village of Sauraha being the most common gateway to the park at the northern boundary.
Best Things To Do in Chitwan
As there are so many different places to visit in Chitwan, I will categorize the following list into things to do in Chitwan National Park and what to do in the surrounding area.
Things to Do in Chitwan National Park
Best Tours in Chitwan National Park
👉 1 Night 2 Days Chitwan Jungle Safari Tour
👉 2 Nights 3 Days Chitwan Jungle Safari Tour
👉 3 Nights 4 Days Chitwan Safari Tour
Tips Before You Go to Chitwan National Park
- Don’t wear unnatural colors like white, red, and yellow. This can cause the wildlife to become aggressive, like matadors with bulls.
- Leeches! Lots and lots of them. This was the worst part of Chitwan, as you can’t even feel them sucking your blood until you find out and freak out a bit. This problem is especially severe during the rainy season, but during the shoulders seasons, they still persist.
- Please bring plenty of water and reapply sunscreen as it gets incredibly hot.
- To enter Chitwan National Park, a small canoe will take you across crocodile-infested waters. During high season, waiting for the short boat crossing can take quite some time.
- As with all natural habitat places, there is no guarantee of spotting anything cool. You have to be lucky.
Chitwan National Park Entrance Fee
The daily entrance into Chitwan National Park for foreigners costs 2000 NPR, while SAARC citizenship members only have to pay 1000 NPR. If you’re Nepali, the fee is a mere 150 NPR. Check here for the most up-to-date permit fee rate
Note: that if you’d like to explore the park for more than one day, you’ll need to pay the daily entrance fee each day of your stay.
1. Hike Through Animal Trails on a Jungle Safari Walk
The safari walk is the way to go compared to the shared jeep option. You hike off the main path through brush and animal trails, which means you can see wildlife that may not be seen otherwise. In addition, you get to experience the beauty of the park firsthand and learn about the local flora and fauna from your knowledgeable guide.
👉 Book Your Safari Walking Nature Tour Here
These walks start early in the morning and last anywhere from four hours to three to ten days, depending on how much time you have. You’ll always have at least two guides with you for protection.
Before you start, the guides will inform you how to act in case you encounter one of the five aggressive mammals. My guide said he had once come face-to-face 20 feet away from a tiger, and the tourists promptly wanted to end their safari hike after.
Tip! To maximize the chances of seeing animals, stay quiet during the walking safari.
2. Join a Jeep Safari Deep into the National Park
After walking, jeep safaris are the second-best way to see wild animals in Chitwan National Park. I say second, as you don’t interact much with the local guides or nature; you mostly sit on the jeep while it bumps down a path through the woods with 10 people.
The shared jeep safaris last anywhere from two hours, half day (4 hours) to a full day. I recommend selecting the 4-hour option so that you can get more inland. This way, your chance of seeing animals is higher.
It is important to remember that you should always stay in the jeep. The animals in the park are wild and can be dangerous.
👉 Book a Two Day Tour that Includes all the Highlights of Chitwan and Sauraha
3. See Croc’s Life Cycle at the Crocodile Breeding Center
If you sign up for the 4+ hour jeep tour, one of the stops will be at the crocodile breeding center. These critically endangered crocs are famous for being only fish-eaters and having bizarre-shaped noses.
In the conservation area, hundreds of Gharial crocodiles are sorted by age, from hatchlings to juveniles to crazy giant adults. The oldest I’d seen was born in 1973.
The entrance fee is not included in the price of your jeep tour, but it was minimal, like 200 NPR…or you can ask to use the bathroom and take a quick peek.
4. Canoe Ride Amongst Crocodiles
The final transportation option to discovering Chitwan National Park is by canoeing a portion of the Rapti river by dugout canoe.
Usually starting early in the morning as the first activity, it’s the perfect peaceful place to view animals, birds, and crocodiles as the sun rises above the horizon.
Canoe tour options range from 1-3 hours.
5. Bird Watching in the Jungle
Chitwan National Park is home to over 500 different species of birds. The bird-watching tour will take you on a walk through the jungle, stopping along the river or one of the many lakes in the park.
You can choose between shorter 4-hour options or longer 8-hour trips. If you’re a huge aviary fan, nothing is stopping you from going on a multi-day tour guided hike.
6. Ride or Wash an Elephant
Although not the most ethical, you can choose an elephant safari tour that will take you through the community buffer zone, which borders the national park. On these tours, you can also opt to help bathe the elephants.
👉 Book a Nature Walk with an Elephant During the Sunrise Here
Note: If you’re going to do an elephant ride or bath, ensure that the elephants are well looked after. Unfortunately, many tourists don’t realize that some of the ‘sanctuaries’ here actually mistreat the elephants.
Top Places to Visit Around Chitwan
7. Bike Ride to the Scenic 20,000 Lake (Bishazari Lake)
One of the best things I did in Chitwan was biking to 20,000 Lake, a popular picnic spot for tourists and locals.
To get there from Sauraha, you can take a tuk-tuk or rent a bicycle for ~$3/half day.
I recommend going early in the morning to avoid the heat, as there is little to no shade along the path. But it is very flat even though it is about 10 miles one way.
A separate entrance fee for the community buffer zone costs 200 NPR for foreigners.
8. Tharu Culture Programs
In the evening, two performance venues in Sauraha put on a Tharu cultural program. This includes a few traditional Tharu dances and a narrator introducing their way of life and culture.
The programs are around 1 hour long and cost only 200 NPR to attend. One facility (the original) starts daily at 7pm, and the newer one starts at 6:30pm daily. Since the seats fill up fast, I would save a good spot at least 15 minutes before.
9. Visit an Ethnic Tharu Village
The Tharu people are the indigenous people of the Terai region of Nepal and make up a decent percentage of the population around Chitwan.
Visiting a Tharu village is a great way to learn about their culture and how they live. During your visit, you will learn about the village from a guide explaining the different aspects of their life, such as their homes, food, and clothing.
10. Wildlife Museum
The Wildlife Museum contains preserved specimens of many different animals found in Chitwan, as well as information about their ecology and behavior.
The best part, however, is if you stroll around the small museum’s property–you might be lucky enough to meet some young rhinos meandering about mowing the grass. They’re wild and mostly friendly, but still don’t get too close!
11. Visit the Elephant Breeding Centre
The elephant breeding center is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Chitwan National Park. Here, you can learn all about the Asiatic elephant and see baby elephants up close for only 100 NPR, which is supposedly given back to the elephants.
As far as ethics go, chains, fences, and manual labor are involved, but they also explain that most are precautions to protect them. It may be up to you to decide if you would like to contribute to this cause.
Other Fun Things to Do in Chitwan
12. Watch the Famous Sunset from the Riverwalk
One of the most popular things in Sauraha is watching the sunset from the riverwalk, a long, raised platform that runs along the river bank. Relax as the sun sets into the canopy while enjoying a cold beverage from one of the many restaurants and bars along the way.
On clear days, you may even be able to see the glowing pink of the Himalayans.
13. Indulge in an Illicit Trip from Rhino Poo
For my hippie adventurers, Chitwan is known for having fresh trips from cows, elephants, and even rhino poo. Pick your poison. Just make sure you eat it fast or put it in the refrigerator, as it goes bad very quickly.
14. Try Local Wild Honey
At least taste test the local wild honey from the Sauraha storefronts. Completely natural from wild bees, it is a very different taste from the honey we all know from the supermarkets.
On the extreme end, here’s a cool documentary of how locals harvest a certain psychedelic honey from the high cliffs in Nepal.
How to Get to Chitwan National Park
Tourist Bus [Highly Recommend]
The most popular and convenient way to get to Chitwan is by tourist bus from Thamel Kathmandu. These buses are reliable, direct, and have more comfortable seats.
The journey takes about 5-6 hours from Kathmandu, and stop multiple times for bathroom and one meal break.
Most hotels and hostels in Kathmandu can help you book a seat on a tourist bus. Alternatively, you can go to any of the hundreds of travel agents.
Public Transportation to Chitwan
What I did, and I would not recommend. While there may be direct connections from Kathmandu to Sauraha, if you are starting from anywhere else, bus connections are complicated and take a lot of time.
From your starting point, you’ll need to find a bus to Bharatpur, the closest city to Sauraha. Then you can take a tuk-tuk for about 800 NPR directly or take two more bus connections first to Ratnanagar, then Sauraha.
Flights to Chitwan
You can also take a flight to Bharatpur airport and find a tuk-tuk or bus to Sauraha.
Where to Stay in Chitwan
The vast majority of accommodation in Chitwan is located in Sauraha, the main town near the park entrance.
There are all types of places to stay, from luxury resorts to basic guesthouses. I recommend finding a place with mosquito nets over the beds, as mosquitoes can be quite bothersome here.
✅ CHEAP PRIVATE ROOM WITH GREAT GARDEN – Hotel Tharu Garden
I stayed at Hotel Tharu Garden, where you get a basic room for dirt cheap prices of $6, but a great-looking garden and restaurant. It is a 10 minute walk from Sauraha’s main street, but the food in this part of town is also more affordable.
✅ HOTEL RIGHT ON THE RIVER BORDERING THE PARK – Jungle Wildlife Camp
✅ FANCIER RESORT WITH A POOL – Green Park Resort Chitwan
Best Time to Visit Chitwan
The best time to visit Chitwan is during the dry season, with the ideal climate occurring between October and February. Temperatures rise to a scorching 43C from March-June.
These hot, sticky days eventually lead into the monsoon season, which typically extends from late June until September. At this time, rivers will often overflow, and most roads become impossible to travel on.
Monsoon season is also when the leeches come out in droves.
How long should I stay in Chitwan?
If you want to experience the safari and see a few other things in Sauraha, I recommend staying at least 2 nights. Any less and you’ll likely feel rushed. Anything more than 4-5 days and you may start to feel like you’re stuck in a small town with not much to do.
What to Pack to Visit Chitwan
Chitwan National Park is a jungle, so you will want to pack accordingly. In addition to packing the standard items like sunscreen and mosquito repellent, I also recommend packing long hiking pants and closed-toed shoes.
Warning! I cannot stress enough the mosquito repellent. At the time I went, Kathmandu Valley and Chitwan were experiencing a massive influx of Dengue Fever, an illness brought upon by disease-ridden mosquitos.
Bucket List Worthy? Best Things to Do in Chitwan
If you’re not up for trekking or have finished your trek, exploring the top things to do in Chitwan is a great way to explore a very different side of Nepal. Here, you can go on safari to see one-horned rhinoceros and tigers in the wild, learn about the Chitwan Tharu village people and their culture, or just relax in a beautiful setting.
Things to Do in Chitwan Highlights:
- Observing a Rhino from 15 feet away
- Biking to 20,000 Lake
Catherine Xu is the founder and author of Nomadicated, an adventure travel blog that helps travelers cross off their bucket list. Since discovering traveling in 2015, she has lived and journeyed to 65 countries across 5 continents and vanlifed the west coast USA for 2+ years. These days, she splits her time in Southeast Asia and California while sharing her travel stories and resources based on first-hand experiences. Catherine's other works has been referenced in major publications like MSN, Self, and TripSavvy.