Discover Chitwan National Park 2026

Nepal's first national park and a UNESCO World Heritage site is home to one of the largest populations of the endangered greater one-horned rhino, as well as rare Bengal tigers, leopards and over 500 bird species amid dense jungle and grassland along the Rapti River.

While jeep safaris can penetrate deeper into the dense jungle and cover more ground, riding on the back of domesticated elephants allows for a particularly quiet approach to shy animals like rhinos, without any disruptive engine noise.

The indigenous Tharu people have lived on the edge of the jungle for centuries and can be experienced firsthand through visits to traditional mud-house villages and folkloric stick dances in the evening, an authentic glimpse beyond the safaris.

A quiet ride in a traditional canoe on the Rapti River offers good chances of spotting crocodiles on the banks and numerous waterbirds, while rhinos and deer are often seen drinking on the opposite shore.

From Kathmandu, the park is reached by tourist bus in about five to six hours or by a short flight to Bharatpur in just 20 minutes, from where lodges organize a transfer.

Nepal's first national park and a UNESCO World Heritage site is home to one of the largest populations of the endangered greater one-horned rhino, as well as rare Bengal tigers, leopards and over 500 bird species amid dense jungle and grassland along the Rapti River.

While jeep safaris can penetrate deeper into the dense jungle and cover more ground, riding on the back of domesticated elephants allows for a particularly quiet approach to shy animals like rhinos, without any disruptive engine noise.

The indigenous Tharu people have lived on the edge of the jungle for centuries and can be experienced firsthand through visits to traditional mud-house villages and folkloric stick dances in the evening, an authentic glimpse beyond the safaris.