UNESCO national parkPark
Oct – MarBest season
Rhino & tigerKnown for
A UNESCO-listed national park of sal forest and grassland, home to the one-horned rhino, Bengal tiger and wild elephant — explored by canoe, jeep and on foot with expert naturalists.
Highlights
Beyond the sights
The feel of the place
Chitwan works on jungle time. Mist on the Rapti at six, a rhino's grey bulk materialising out of elephant grass at eight, the long hot stillness of noon, and then the grasslands waking again as the light goes amber.
This is one of Asia's great conservation recoveries — rhino numbers have climbed for decades — and the people who share its edge, the Tharu, are as much a part of the visit as the wildlife.
Taste it
Eat & drink
Dhikri
Tharu steamed rice cakes, eaten with fierce chutneys.
River fish curry
Fresh from the Rapti, cooked village-style with mustard.
Ghonghi
Tharu snail curry — for the genuinely curious, and worth being curious.
From our guides
Know before you go
WearMuted greens and khakis — no white, no red, the animals notice.
Best visibilityJanuary–February, after the tall grasses are cut.
Always guidedNaturalists lead every activity — distances are kept, for everyone's sake.
Tailor-made
On request