Chitwan National Park is the place in Nepal to go on safari. There is so much wildlife to see on a Chitwan safari, and for such a reasonable price, it’s almost criminal not to go whilst you are in Nepal. We loved our Chitwan safari experience. Nepal is home to more than just the highest mountain in the world. It also boasts a huge variety of wildlife including the one-horned rhino that can only be found in India and Nepal. We’ll be honest, we didn’t know you could go on safari in Nepal until we had researched into it, and wow were we excited. 

In fact, Nepal is one of the best countries we visited on our Asia trip. There was so much variety and fun to have here. To think we were hiking in the Himalayas one day, and on safari seeing wild rhinos, the next is crazy. This amazing country is a must-visit in our opinion. It’s somewhere you will want to keep coming back to for another unique adventure. You don’t even need to be a mountaineering expert.

Here’s our guide on our own Chitwan safari experience. We have included an insight into the prices that were offered to us, as well as a detailed rundown of how our Chitwan safari looked – spoiler, it was incredible. 

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Contents

• How to get to Chitwan
• Where to stay in Chitwan
• Chitwan Safari Options
• What to Wear on Safari
• Our Chitwan safari experience
• What else is there to do in Chitwan?

Essential Travel Tools
Flights: Skyscanner
Transport: 12GoAsia
Accommodation: Booking.com
Tours: Viator/Klook
Car hire: Discover Cars

How to get to Chitwan National Park

Chitwan National Park is located in southern Nepal. The only international airport in Nepal is in Kathmandu so the likelihood is you will be flying here. We booked our flights to Nepal through Skyscanner to get the best prices.

From Kathmandu: To get to Chitwan it is a 7-hour bus from Kathmandu. Ours cost Rs.1,500pp (£9.40) but this was definitely overpriced. The journey is beautiful as you pass many rivers and mountains. There will be a few rest stops on the way: a couple of short toilet breaks and a longer lunch break.

From Pokhara: Alternatively, you could get a 7-hour bus from Pokhara. This should cost around Rs 1,000pp (£6.30) and will also include rest stops and incredible scenery.

You will actually arrive at is Sauraha, the town on the edge of Chitwan National Park. There is no accommodation inside the park as it is illegal to stay overnight. 

Where to stay near Chitwan National Park

We stayed at Hotel National Park. Here you can arrange the safari tours as well as onward travel. We also loved that a sunset walk to the river was a free welcome activity. Our host took us to the river and was able to point out the different wildlife, even showing us our first wild rhino. 

There is also a Rhino that tends to roam the streets near the hotel, we mustered up enough courage to snap a photo of him grazing before running back to the safety of our room.

This was genuinely one of our favourite places we have ever stayed purely based on our hosts’ hospitality. He really went above and beyond to make sure we were happy and even messaged us once we had arrived in Pokhara to make sure we had got there safely. 

Chitwan National Park safari options

The Chitwan National Park permit is only valid for one day and costs Rs. 2,000 per person (£12.55). If you want to enter the park on multiple days, you will need a new permit each day. 

Here are the options presented to us by our host (prices include permit):

Full-day walking

Price: 7,258 rupees ($55/£45)

Start the day with a guided sunrise canoe tour on the Rapiti River. Lasting around 45 minutes.

After the canoe, you will spend the rest of the day on the walking safari. You will cross the river to enter the national park where your guides will lead you on a 10-mile trek.

You will return to the hotel around 5pm and have lunch on a lookout post in the park.  

Half-day walking, half-day jeep (Our pick)

Price: 7,918 rupees ($60/£50)

Similar to the full-day walking program we started the day with the river cruise, followed by a shorter walking safari that would last the remainder of the morning.

We returned to the hotel for lunch around 12pm before being whisked away for our jeep tour at 1pm.

The jeep tour covers a large area of the park giving you a greater chance of spotting wildlife. The safari finished around 5pm.

One day walking, half day jeep 

Price: 11,877 rupees ($90/£74)

This is the most expensive option due to the fact that you are paying for the park permit for two days instead of one.

However, this does mean you get the highest chance of spotting wildlife as you have longer in the park.

This option is a combination of the other two. On day one you will do the full-day walking safari itinerary and on day two you will only do the half-day jeep safari.

What to Wear on Safari

Nepal is hot. Chitwan was the hottest part of the country we went to. We were hot and sweaty and we visited in November. Being “in the bush” you really want to cover up. There are mosquitoes and leeches everywhere. Therefore, we recommend you wear comfortable footwear, baggy trousers, long socks, a long-sleeved top and a hat to protect yourself from the sun. One girl in our group was in shorts and a crop top and she was the target of sunburn, ant bites, leeches – all sorts. Don’t be like her and make sure you cover up. You will enjoy your experience much more if you wear the right gear.

It’s also important to take plenty of water. We love our Grayl Geopress bottle as we can filter water from any source, limiting our use of plastic bottles.

Our Chitwan National Park Safari Experience

Sunrise Canoe Ride

We woke up around 06:00, got ready and had our hotel breakfast that we had ordered the night before. A jeep then took us to the river for our 45-minute canoe ride. The canoe was a magical, relaxing experience watching the sunrise as we drifted along the Rapiti River. The mist was rising from the water adding to the fantastic atmosphere. Honestly, it was the ultimate ASMR with the sound of the paddle gently pushing us through the water, birds chirping and the occasional rustle of leaves. 

During this cruise, our expert guides were able to point out many birds such as kingfishers, lappings, and a couple of eagles. We also saw a few crocodiles just meters from our, suddenly flimsy feeling canoe – some fish-eaters and some “everything eaters”. On the banks, we passed a herd of deer grazing in the bush. 

Walking Safari Tour

After the canoeing, it was straight to our 3-hour walking safari. We walked through the forest and grasslands in a guide sandwich – one at the front and one at the back, both carrying their bamboo sticks for protection. 

The route mostly followed the banks of the river as all animals need to drink. Although it was 3 hours, it didn’t feel like we were walking for ages and it was only towards the end of the tour that the temperature was making us sticky. Our very knowledgeable guides were able to show us the different insects such as the Red Cotton Bug, plants such as the Namaste Plant that recoils when touched, and more species of birds. 

As we walked through the forest a group of monkeys started playing in the trees overhead. It was at this point our guide told us to stay here whilst he checked ahead. When he returned, we then had to stay low and creep through the bushes where he pointed out the massive rhino straight ahead.

We quickly tried to snap pictures as we were ushered behind a bush at a safe distance. This was the time our guide told us that this rhino is a “mankiller” who had killed a local last month – great. 

After our first rhino sighting, we saw more deer before heading into the grassland for our second rhino sighting, this time just its rear-end as it strolled into the thicker grass. Overall, we were pretty impressed with our morning’s adventure.

Jeep Safari Tour

After a quick lunch break back at the hotel, we began our 4-hour jeep safari. This time we were in a larger group, seven in total accompanied by one guide and a driver.  As the drivers don’t use radios to communicate animal sightings, each Jeep has its own adventure.

Sitting in the bumpy, noisy jeep, we started to doubt that we would see anything. But eventually, we saw another rhino in the distance grazing on the grass. We only really got a glimpse but it boosted our enthusiasm for the jeep tour.  

We saw more deer, monkeys, crocodiles and birds as we drove along the dirt tracks. Then we passed a wild boar enjoying a leafy lunch whilst her piglets played around her before stopping at a crocodile breeding centre for a break. The sanctuary will cost Rs.100pp and aims to boost the population of the endangered crocs before releasing those old enough into the wild. 

Back on the jeep, we bounced our way back to the starting point. The sun was setting in the sky and it was really cool to see the landscape changing from thick forests to grasslands. As we turned a corner, we all suddenly gasped. Right in front of us, in the middle of the road was a rhino in plain sight.

This was the best sighting we had all day, it was definitely the best saved until last. It stood staring at us for a couple of minutes before crossing into the bushes. It was magical and an absolute highlight of our day’s safari. 

Things To Do Near Chitwan National Park?

If you have a few days here and don’t want to spend them all on safari, here are a few suggestions for things to do in the area:

Stand Up 4 Elephants

The amazing organisation, Stand Up 4 Elephants has been set up in Chitwan to rescue elephants that have been used in the tourist trade. There are many elephants in the area that are being used in elephant safaris and as tourist attractions. These fantastic animals suffer a lot of abuse. If you do want to have an experience with an elephant, we highly recommend visiting and supporting their cause. 

Here you are given a very informative talk by Michael and the team about the background of the organisation and how they came to have Eva and Lhamo, their two elephants. Each day the elephants are taken into the jungle where they can roam freely. At 3 pm they then return to the centre where guests can witness the special relationships the elephants and staff have. 

You see the training sessions which use positive reinforcement techniques. The elephants are trained so that they can receive medical care such as foot examinations, nail trimming, ear examinations and taking blood. If the elephants don’t participate in the training, that is OK. But they usually do join in to get some tasty treats. 

We really loved this activity and cannot recommend this place enough. They don’t even push you to give a donation although we strongly feel you should donate and help them continue to love and care for the elephants. 

You can even help out this remarkable organisation by eating in their restaurant in town. Shantiko Kitchen serves delicious food, the staff are lovely and the prices are budget-friendly. Make sure you order the freshly baked chocolate chip cookies for dessert, you won’t regret it. 

Explore Sauraha’s cafes and restaurants 

Sauraha has a few highly rated cafes to sit and pass some time people, or sometimes wildlife, watching. Grab a deck chair at a restaurant by the riverside or head further into town for the Art Cafe and Friends Cafe.

Visit 20,000 Lake

Bish Hazari Tal, or 20,000 Lake, is well-known in the area for excellent bird watching. Rent a bicycle or jump in a tuk-tuk to get there. Be careful though, crocodiles lurk in the waters and other wildlife comes to visit.

Tharu Cultural Show at the Sauraha Tharu Culture House

Visit the Tharu Culture House to witness one of the incredible shows put on for tourists. Enjoy dances such as the Stick Dance, Fire Dance and Peacock Dance before brushing off your own dancing shoes and joining in.

Conclusion

Finally, we didn’t come to Chitwan expecting to see tigers. Only about 1% of safaris actually do so we weren’t disappointed by not seeing them. In total, we saw 5 rhinos as well as a lot of deer, monkeys and crocodiles. All of them are wild, in their natural habitat. It really was an amazing experience and we highly recommend coming to Chitwan and part-taking in a safari. 

Thank you for reading our post on the Chitwan National Park safari. We hope we have provided you with useful information on what safari packages are available as well as other things to see in the area.

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