Lumbini to Chitwan by road

How far Chitwan is from Lumbini

Sauraha is roughly 150–170 km from Lumbini, and the drive takes around 4–5 hours by car. Unlike the routes from Kathmandu and Pokhara, nearly all of it runs across the flat Terai plains, with just one short hilly section east of Butwal.

If you leave Lumbini after an early visit to the Maya Devi Temple area, you can be in Sauraha by mid-afternoon, in time for sunset at the Rapti River. Leave after breakfast and drive straight through, and you’ll usually arrive for a late lunch.

Bus journeys take longer than the car times above, because buses stop often and you may need to change at Narayangarh or Tandi. If you travel that way, allow most of a day.

Private car, bus or flying in

The road from Lumbini to Sauraha

1. Lumbini to BhairahawaA short drive east from the Lumbini monastic zone to Bhairahawa (Siddharthanagar), the area’s main town, past the airport and close to the Indian border.
2. Bhairahawa to ButwalThen north to Butwal, a busy commercial city at the foot of the hills. This is where you join the East-West Highway, Nepal’s main road across the plains.
3. Butwal to Narayangarh on the East-West HighwayThe longest stretch. The highway heads east, climbs briefly over the Daunne hills, then crosses the farmland of Nawalparasi and the Narayani River bridge into Narayangarh, which is joined to Bharatpur.
4. Narayangarh to SaurahaCarry on east along the highway to Tandi, then turn south onto the short road to Sauraha, which ends at the Rapti River opposite the national park.

Crossing from India at Sunauli to Chitwan

The Sunauli (India) and Belahiya (Nepal) crossing is just south of Bhairahawa, and it’s one of the busiest land borders for travelers coming from Varanasi, Gorakhpur and the rest of northern India. From the border, the drive to Chitwan follows the same route as from Lumbini and takes roughly the same time.

Lots of travelers stop in Lumbini first, as it’s so close to the border, and then continue to Chitwan the next day. Allow time at the border for immigration on both sides. Indian citizens don’t need a visa for Nepal, and many other nationalities can get a Nepal visa on arrival at Belahiya. Rules do change, though, so check before you travel.

There are other crossings further east too, including Raxaul/Birgunj. Our overview of how to reach Chitwan covers all the arrival points.

Travel tips and road conditions

• The Terai is hot from April to June, so travel early and carry plenty of water.
• Winter mornings (December–January) can bring thick fog to the plains, which slows driving until it lifts.
• Sections of the East-West Highway are being widened, and road works can add time.
• Monsoon rain (June–September) now and then floods low sections or causes small landslides in the Daunne hills.
• If you need cash before Sauraha, ATMs are easy to find in Bhairahawa, Butwal and Narayangarh.

Chitwan to Lumbini: traveling west

Chitwan to Lumbini is the same drive, just in reverse. If you leave Sauraha after a morning activity, you’ll usually reach Lumbini by mid- to late afternoon. That leaves time for an evening stroll around the monastic zone, with the main sights the next morning while it’s cooler.

If you’re carrying on into India, staying a night in Lumbini or Bhairahawa before crossing at Belahiya is often easier than doing Chitwan to the border in one long day.

Combining Lumbini and Chitwan in one trip

A Lumbini Chitwan tour pairs two very different places: a quiet pilgrimage site and a wildlife park. Most travelers spend one night in Lumbini and one or two nights in Sauraha. A program along the lines of our 1 night 2 days safari gives you one evening activity and one morning safari, which is the minimum; two nights is much more relaxed.