Chitwan and Pokhara Tour

Overview

Jungle and mountains in five days. This 5-day Chitwan and Pokhara tour starts and ends in Kathmandu, and takes in the two places most visitors want to see besides the capital. You start in Chitwan National Park: a jeep safari to look for one-horned rhinos, a canoe ride down the Rapti River and a visit to a Tharu village. All meals in Chitwan are included.

Then you drive up to Pokhara, Nepal's lake city. Watch the sun rise over the Annapurna range from Sarangkot, take a boat on Phewa Lake, and see the caves, the waterfall and the mountain museum.

Choose from three packages, from good-value hotels with a tourist coach to Meghauli Serai and Temple Tree with a private car. Our team at Himalayan Social Journey (HSJ) plans the whole trip, from Kathmandu and back.

How much driving is there?

This is a road trip, so the hours are worth knowing before you book. Kathmandu to Chitwan is 5–6 hours, Chitwan to Pokhara another 5–6, and Pokhara back to Kathmandu 6–7. That is three days with a long drive in them, and we stop for tea and lunch along the way. The roads run beside rivers and through green hills, and most guests are happy to watch it go past. If you would rather not, Kathmandu to Bharatpur and Pokhara to Kathmandu are both 25-minute flights and we can book them for an extra cost.

What will you see in Chitwan?

Rhinos are the reason most people come, and they are seen on most jeep safaris, often in the tall grass or standing in a river. You also have a good chance of spotted deer and wild boar, and of crocodiles and kingfishers from the canoe. Tigers live here but are shy and rarely seen, so treat one as a bonus rather than a plan. The park has more than 500 kinds of birds, which is why the early bird walk is worth getting up for. You visit the elephant breeding centre, but we do not offer elephant rides: jeep safaris, canoes and walks are kinder to the animals and show you more of the park.

Is five days enough?

It is enough for Chitwan and Pokhara, which is what this tour is. What it does not include is Kathmandu: your hotel and meals in the city are not in the price, and there is no sightseeing day in the valley. If you want the temples as well, the 8-day Kathmandu, Chitwan and Pokhara tour adds them, or you can keep this tour and add our Kathmandu UNESCO heritage sites day tour at either end. If it is only the jungle you want, our 3-day Chitwan National Park trip skips Pokhara.

When is the best time to go?

October to April gives clear mountain views from Sarangkot and good wildlife watching in Chitwan, so it suits both halves of the trip. February to May is better still for animals, because the tall grass in the park is cut and they are easier to see. June to September is the monsoon: rain, green hills and cloud over the mountains. The tour runs on any date you choose. With a few more days from Pokhara you could add the Ghorepani Poon Hill trek, which starts and finishes there.