Traveling from Pokhara to Chitwan

How long the trip from Pokhara takes

Sauraha is roughly 150 km from Pokhara, and the drive usually takes 4.5–6 hours. It is a slightly shorter and calmer journey than the one from Kathmandu, because you avoid the slow exit from the Kathmandu Valley.

A morning departure puts you in Sauraha around lunchtime or early afternoon. That leaves time to settle into your lodge and go out for an afternoon canoe ride, a village walk or sunset by the Rapti River. Jeep safaris are best saved for the next morning.

Pokhara to Chitwan travel time can stretch on bad days. Road works around Mugling, heavy truck traffic and monsoon landslides are the usual causes, so don’t plan anything fixed for the first few hours after you expect to arrive.

Tourist bus or private car from Pokhara

Local public buses run between Pokhara and Narayangarh too. They are slower, stop wherever passengers want and leave you to find onward transport to Sauraha. Unless you enjoy that kind of travel, the tourist bus is the better choice.

The route from Pokhara to Sauraha

The route runs east along the Prithvi Highway, the same road that links Pokhara and Kathmandu, before turning south at Mugling.

1. Pokhara to DamauliThe highway leaves the Pokhara Valley and runs through farmland and low hills. On clear mornings, especially October to March, the Annapurna range is often visible behind you for the first part of the drive.
2. Damauli to MuglingDamauli is a market town where rivers meet. Beyond it the road passes Dumre, the turn for the hill town of Bandipur, and follows the Marsyangdi River down to Mugling.
3. Mugling to NarayangarhAt Mugling you leave the Kathmandu road and head south along the Trishuli River. The valley opens and the road drops onto the flat Terai at Narayangarh, joined to the city of Bharatpur.
4. Narayangarh to SaurahaFrom Narayangarh you drive east along the East-West Highway to Tandi, then turn south for a short drive through fields and villages to Sauraha, on the bank of the Rapti River opposite the national park.

Practical tips before you leave Pokhara

• Book your tourist bus seat a day ahead in busy months (October–November and February–April).
• Confirm the boarding point with your hotel; buses usually load in the Lakeside area early in the morning.
• Keep water, snacks, sunscreen and a light layer in a small bag with you; bus air-conditioning varies.
• Expect it to get warmer as you drop to the plains. Chitwan is often several degrees hotter than Pokhara.
• Tell your Sauraha lodge your arrival plans; many lodges collect guests from the tourist bus drop-off.
• Have some cash in small notes for the meal stop.

What the road is like

Both the Pokhara–Mugling and Kathmandu–Mugling sections of the Prithvi Highway see regular repairs and widening, so conditions vary from month to month. Mugling itself can be a bottleneck, since traffic from three directions meets there.

In the monsoon months, landslides are possible on both the Prithvi Highway and the road down the Trishuli to Narayangarh. Delays are usually a few hours, but leave slack in your plans. Our guide to the best season for a Chitwan visit explains what else changes between June and September.

Chitwan to Pokhara: going back the other way

Tourist buses from Sauraha to Pokhara leave in the morning and arrive in the afternoon. A private car gives you more freedom: you can fit in an early bird walk or canoe ride and still reach Pokhara before dark.

If Pokhara is your next stop after Chitwan, rather than your starting point, the trip is the same in reverse. From Chitwan you can also head on to Kathmandu (see our Kathmandu to Chitwan route) or west to Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha, which is covered on the Lumbini route page.

Planning a Pokhara to Chitwan safari tour

A Pokhara to Chitwan tour takes care of transport, the lodge in Sauraha and the safari plan in one booking. A typical Pokhara Chitwan package covers two nights: arrive and take an afternoon activity, spend a full day on jeep, canoe or walking safaris, then travel on the third morning. The 2 nights 3 days package follows that rhythm.

Many travelers combine all three main stops in one loop. A Pokhara Chitwan Kathmandu tour usually runs Kathmandu, then Pokhara, then Chitwan, then back to Kathmandu, or the other way round. Our Kathmandu–Pokhara–Chitwan itinerary sets it out day by day.

See current options and dates on the tours page, or get in touch with your travel dates and where you’re coming from.