Things to do in Chitwan National Park at a glance
Things to do in Chitwan National Park start with a jeep safari, a Rapti canoe ride and a guided jungle walk, followed by rhino and bird watching, Tharu culture around Sauraha and a sunset at Golghat.
The 12 ideas below are grouped by place. Entries 1 to 4 are in the park itself, entries 5 to 8 are around Sauraha and Tharu culture, entries 9 and 10 are about birds and the river, and entries 11 and 12 help you choose a base and a season. Park entry for foreign adults outside the SAARC group is 2,000 NPR, about 13.29 USD at the central bank rate of 14 November 2026, and children under 10 enter free.
In the park: safari, river and wildlife (1 to 4)
Chitwan National Park offers jeep drives, canoe rides and guided walks as its main activities.
1. Take a jeep safari
The park charges a jungle drive permit of 5,000 NPR, about 33.22 USD, per jeep, plus the entry permit of every passenger. Core-area jeep drives were suspended from 1 July 2026 and resumed on 9 October 2026, so the season shapes your plan.
Jeep safari options →2. Paddle a canoe on the Rapti
The Nepal Tourism Board lists traditional canoe rides on the Rapti and Narayani rivers. An operator describes dugout canoes drifting downstream with a nature guide and a paddler.
Canoe and jungle walk guide →3. Walk the jungle with a guide
The tourism board lists jungle walks as a local activity at Chitwan. It fits anyone who prefers a slow pace to a drive.
4. Look for rhinos, tigers and gharials
The park lists the Bengal tiger, one-horned rhinoceros, leopard, sloth bear, gaur, deer and monkeys, plus gharial and marsh crocodile. The 2021 census counted 694 rhinos in Chitwan, and a press report of 29 July 2026 gave 145 tigers for Chitwan and its surroundings. Counts are not sighting odds, and no outing can promise an animal.
Wildlife guide →Our picks: things to do in Chitwan
Our take: The shared one-day safari combines canoe, walk and jeep. For more time, the packages add hotel nights and meals, and the bus ticket covers the way on to Pokhara.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of November 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Nepal itinerary with Chitwan safari
- Private air-conditioned vehicle with driver
- Chitwan National Park entry fees
- 7 nights accommodation
This eight-day itinerary includes Chitwan activities and other Nepal stops, with domestic flights from Kathmandu to Bhairahawa and from Pokhara to Kathmandu.
Check availability →
Three-day Chitwan safari from Kathmandu
- National park fees
- 2 nights in a 3-star hotel
The tourist bus runs from Kathmandu to Chitwan and back to Kathmandu or Pokhara. A guide leads the activities in the itinerary, and hotel pickup and drop-off in Chitwan are included.
Check availability →
Safari package with two hotel nights
- National Park fees
- 4-hour Jeep Safari
- 2 breakfasts, lunches and dinners
Travel between Chitwan and Kathmandu or Pokhara by tourist bus or private car, depending on the option. A guide is included.
Check availability →
One-night Chitwan safari
- Jeep safari and jungle activity
- Park entrance fees
- Resort stay
Two days with one night in a resort. An English-speaking nature guide leads the activities, and shuttles run in a private vehicle.
Check availability →
Canoe, jungle walk and jeep safari
- National Park Entrance Permit Fee
- Guides for activities
This outing combines all three activities.
Check availability →
Tourist bus from Chitwan to Pokhara
- Air-conditioned luxury sofa seater bus
- Bottled water
A seat on a luxury sofa bus from Chitwan towards Pokhara, with bottled water on board.
Check availability →Safari days, packages and bus tickets for Chitwan
A shared one-day safari, multi-day packages with hotel nights and a bus ticket to Pokhara, with live prices and availability.
Sauraha, elephants and Tharu culture (5 to 8)
Sauraha is the main visitor village on the edge of Chitwan National Park, with a wildlife and conservation information centre.
5. Stroll through Sauraha
Sauraha has hotels, community homestays, resorts, cafes and restaurants near the Rapti. Many day activities start with a pickup from a hotel in the Sauraha area, so the village makes a practical first stop.
Sauraha guide →6. Visit the elephant breeding centre at Khorsar
The centre near Sauraha shows captive elephants and calves and how they are raised. It is not a wildlife safari. A press report of 10 August 2026 said the visitor fee was waived provisionally from 20 July 2026. Animal protection groups criticise elephant entertainment, so choose your elephant activities with that debate in mind.
7. Tour a Tharu village and museum
The tourism board describes Tharu villages around Sauraha and Meghauli and the Tharu Cultural Museum and Research Centre in Bachhauli, near Sauraha. Its displays cover traditional clothing, jewellery, farm tools, fishing nets and photographs.
8. Watch a Tharu dance
Evening cultural shows around Sauraha feature Lathi Nach, the stick dance, and Jhumra. Some multi-day packages include a village visit and a cultural programme, which makes dance an easy add-on to a safari stay.
Birds and the river at Meghauli (9 and 10)
Chitwan National Park is a bird area in every season, with different species in summer and winter.
9. Go birdwatching
The tourism board names summer migrants such as the paradise flycatcher and the pitta, and winter waterfowl such as pintails and bar-headed geese. Bring binoculars, and treat the species list as a seasonal guide, not a checklist.
10. Watch the sunset at Golghat
Golghat, where the Rapti and Narayani rivers meet near Meghauli, is described as a spot for landscape and sunset views. Meghauli lies about 30 minutes by road from Bharatpur. The detour suits anyone sleeping on the western side of the park.
Choose a base and a season (11 and 12)
Chitwan National Park is easiest to enjoy when the base and the month match the activities you want.
11. Stay in Sauraha or Meghauli
Sauraha offers hotels, homestays and resorts near the Rapti. Meghauli is the western access, with resorts, Tharu homestays and local restaurants.
Where to stay →12. Time your trip for October to March
The tourism board calls October to March the preferred season, July to September the rainy season and April to June hot. In January the daily mean maximum is 22.1 °C and the minimum 8.1 °C, based on the 1991 to 2020 normals of the Rampur station in the Chitwan lowland.
Best time to visit →Plan your time in Chitwan National Park
Chitwan National Park works as a single day in Sauraha or as a package of 2 to 4 days from Kathmandu or Pokhara. With one day, take the shared one-day safari that combines canoe, jungle walk and jeep. With more time, a three-day package adds hotel nights and meals.
The tourist bus from Kathmandu to Sauraha usually takes 5 to 6 hours, with a 7:00 departure in the operator's description. Flights to Bharatpur take 25 minutes from Kathmandu and 20 minutes from Pokhara, and Kasara, the park's administrative seat, is about 21 km from Bharatpur. Foreign visitors need an entry permit and a copy of their passport. The getting there guide covers the routes in detail.
Questions about things to do in Chitwan National Park
How many days do you need in Chitwan National Park?
One day is enough for a canoe ride, a guided walk and a jeep drive, which the one-day programmes combine. Packages from Kathmandu or Pokhara run 2 to 4 days. Add time if you travel overland, because the tourist bus from Kathmandu to Sauraha takes 5 to 6 hours in the operator's description.
How much does it cost to enter Chitwan National Park?
Foreign adults outside the SAARC group pay 2,000 NPR, about 13.29 USD at the 14 November 2026 central bank rate. SAARC adults pay 1,000 NPR, and children under 10 enter free. A jeep also needs a jungle drive permit of 5,000 NPR, about 33.22 USD, per vehicle, plus each passenger's entry permit.
When is the best time to visit Chitwan National Park?
October to March is the preferred season in the tourism board's description. July to September is the rainy season and April to June is hot. In 2026 core-area jeep drives were suspended from 1 July and resumed on 9 October, so jeep days depend on the season and the trail conditions.
Is Chitwan National Park worth visiting?
Yes, if you want a lowland park with jeep drives, canoe rides, guided walks and Tharu culture in one place. The park lists the Bengal tiger, rhino, gaur and gharial among its animals, though no outing can promise a sighting.