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Welcome! If you're reading this, you're probably wondering what a few days in Chitwan National Park actually look like, beyond the photos of rhinos. This is the page we'd hand a friend before their first visit: how you get here, how the days run and how to pick a package without overthinking it.
Getting to Chitwan
Most of our guests arrive by tourist bus. It's roughly a 6-hour drive from Kathmandu or about 5 hours from Pokhara, and the bus is included in our safari packages. If you'd rather not spend the day on the road, you can fly from Kathmandu to Bharatpur in around 25 minutes, and from there it's about a 25-minute drive to your lodge. A private car from Kathmandu is another option for up to four people. Our how to get to Chitwan guide has the details.
How the days run
Chitwan runs on an early clock, and you'll soon get used to it. A typical full day starts with breakfast at around 7.15am, then a canoe ride on the Rapti River followed by a guided jungle walk. Lunch is at midday, and the afternoon brings a jeep safari or another outing, depending on your package. Evenings are for dinner and, on your first night, a Tharu cultural programme.
Arrival days are gentler. You'll usually reach the lodge in the early afternoon, have lunch, then head out on a village visit and a trip to the elephant breeding centre. Departure mornings often begin with bird watching before breakfast, which is the best possible excuse for one last early start.
What's included
Our packages cover the jungle activities in your itinerary, national park and conservation area permits and fees, your accommodation with breakfast, lunch and dinner, an experienced safari guide, tourist-bus transport to and from Kathmandu or Pokhara, and government taxes. Drinks, tips, insurance and upgrades such as flights or a private car are extra.
You'll stay either in a comfortable lodge with an attached bathroom and insect nets, or in a permanent tented camp. Single travellers are very welcome, and you'll often find yourself joining other guests on activities.
How many nights?
- 1 day: the highlights in one busy day, if you're passing through. - 1 night / 2 days: culture on arrival and a morning safari before you leave. - 2 nights / 3 days: time for both the river and the forest without rushing. - 3 nights / 4 days: adds a jeep safari and a slower morning. - 4 nights / 5 days: the relaxed option, with two bird-watching mornings.
If in doubt, two nights is a happy middle ground. You can compare them all on our safari packages page.
A word of honesty
Wildlife doesn't keep appointments. Your guide will take you to the places with the best chances, but nobody can promise you a rhino, let alone a tiger. What we can promise is that the jungle is never dull, even on a quiet day.
For background on the park itself, from its rivers to its wildlife, read our Chitwan National Park guide. If Chitwan is one stop on a longer trip, our page on jungle safari in Nepal shows how it fits in with Kathmandu and Pokhara. If you've a question we haven't answered, the FAQs are a good next stop, or you can simply get in touch.