How to reach Chitwan and get around once you’re there

Distances and travel times to Chitwan at a glance

Chitwan lies in the Terai lowlands of south-central Nepal, roughly halfway between Kathmandu and the Indian border. Nearly everyone stays in or around Sauraha, so the times below are all to Sauraha. Every figure is approximate, as road conditions vary a lot with the season.

From Kathmandu: bus, car or flight

This is the most popular way to travel to Chitwan. Tourist buses leave around 7:00 a.m. and arrive in Sauraha in the early afternoon; a private car is quicker and more flexible; and flights to Bharatpur take about 20–25 minutes. Our Kathmandu to Chitwan guide compares all three and walks you through the road via Mugling step by step.

From Pokhara: road only

From Pokhara it’s about 150 km and usually 4.5–6 hours by road, with tourist buses leaving around 7:00–7:30 a.m. There’s no direct flight that makes sense. You’ll find details of the route, the Bandipur detour and the trip back on the Pokhara to Chitwan page.

From Lumbini and India

Lumbini, Gautam Buddha International Airport at Bhairahawa and the Sunauli/Belahiya border crossing are all close together, and from any of them it’s around 4–5 hours by car to Sauraha via Butwal and the East-West Highway. Travelers coming from Varanasi or Gorakhpur often cross here and spend a night in Lumbini on the way.

Other border crossings further east, such as Raxaul/Birgunj, are used as well, but transport there isn’t as well set up for travelers. The Lumbini to Chitwan guide covers the western route and border tips in detail.

Flying into Bharatpur Airport

Bharatpur Airport (BHR) is a small domestic airport about 15 km from Sauraha, served mainly by flights from Kathmandu. From the airport, it’s about 30 minutes by road to Sauraha. Most lodges will arrange a pickup if you send them your flight details, and taxis also wait for arrivals.

The flights are short, but schedules can shift with the weather. Winter fog in the Terai and monsoon cloud are the usual reasons for delays, so a morning flight and a little slack in your plans really help.

Reaching lodges outside Sauraha

Some lodges are in other buffer-zone villages, including Meghauli, Amaltari, Barauli, Bagmara and the Kasara/Patihani side. You reach these by road from Narayangarh or Bharatpur rather than via Tandi, and the lodges usually arrange your transfers. Our guide to where to stay in Chitwan compares the different areas.

How to reach Chitwan National Park from Sauraha

Sauraha sits on the north bank of the Rapti River, and the park starts on the other side. On most safaris from Sauraha, you walk down to the riverbank, cross the Rapti by boat or canoe with your guide, and begin the jeep drive, walk or canoe trip from there.

You can’t just wander into the park, though. Activities inside need a licensed nature guide, and foreign visitors pay a park entry fee of approx. NPR 2,000 per person per day plus VAT (check current rates). Your guide or lodge normally buys the permit for you. You can read more about the park itself on our Chitwan National Park page, and the jeep safari guide explains how a typical drive works.

Choosing the right option for your trip

The best way to travel to Chitwan mostly depends on how much time you have. On a trip of two nights or more, the road is fine: you lose half a day each way, but you still get a full day of safaris in the middle. On a one-night visit, flying to Bharatpur at least one way frees up time for an extra activity.

Group size matters too. For one or two people, the tourist bus is hard to beat on cost. But for a family or a group of four, a private car often costs not much more per person, and it’s far more comfortable. If you haven’t settled on how long to stay, our guide to how many days to spend in Chitwan helps you weigh travel time against time in the park.

Getting around Sauraha

Sauraha is compact, and most of what you need is within walking distance. For anything further away, there are a few simple ways to get around.

For more on the village itself, have a look at our Sauraha guide. If you’d like your transport, lodge and safari arranged together, ask us for a quote, and see the Chitwan safari cost guide for what to budget.