By air
Bharatpur (BHR), ~20 km; ~20 min from Kathmandu
Nepal & Bhutan · Nepal
Chitwan, Nepal
Rhinos and tigers in the lowland jungle
Getting there
Best time to visit
October to March — dry and mild
Don't miss
Chitwan National Park
The Rapti River
The elephant breeding centre
Bis Hajar Tal
Things to do
Jeep safaris
Canoeing the Rapti River
Birdwatching
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Vadim Tolbatov · CC BY-SA 4.0
What to pack
Neutral-coloured clothes, insect repellent
A quieter corner
A stay in a Tharu village
Questions travellers ask
When should I go on safari in Chitwan?
October to March, when it's dry and mild.
What should I wear on a Chitwan safari?
Neutral-coloured clothes, and bring insect repellent.
What can I do in Chitwan besides a jeep safari?
Canoe the Rapti River, go birdwatching, or arrange a stay in a Tharu village.
How do I get to Chitwan from Kathmandu?
Fly to Bharatpur (BHR), about 20 minutes from Kathmandu. The airport is roughly 20 km away.
About Chitwan
- Forest
- Riverside
Where it is
Chitwan is a district in the Inner Terai lowlands of south-central Nepal, a broad valley of forest and grassland along the Rapti and Narayani rivers between the Mahabharat and Siwalik hills, with Chitwan National Park stretching south towards the border with India.
History
For centuries the malarial forests of Chitwan were home mainly to the Tharu, and from the late 19th century they were a favourite winter hunting ground of Nepal's ruling class. In the mid-20th century malaria was eradicated and settlers cleared much of the valley, so to save its wildlife Chitwan became Nepal's first national park in 1973 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.
People
Chitwan's oldest communities are the Tharu, along with smaller groups such as the Bote, who lived by farming, fishing and gathering in the forest, and hill peoples from across Nepal have settled the valley since the mid-20th century. Nepali and Tharu are spoken, and the Tharu stick dance is performed mainly during Dashain.
Known for
- Greater one-horned rhinoceroses
- Jeep and walking safaris
- Canoeing on the Rapti River
- Birdwatching in the grasslands
- Tharu villages and the stick dance
Did you know?
Chitwan is home to most of Nepal's greater one-horned rhinos, a population that has recovered from fewer than a hundred animals in the 1960s.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.