A paradise for nature lovers, bird watchers and vacationers alike, Chitwan National Park is a treasure trove of exotic wildlife and natural beauty. If you wish to make the most of your vacation at the heart of the jungle, here are 13 things to do in Chitwan National Park that will help you to get the best experience.
For more information, read our guide on Chitwan National Park to learn more about the park, its wildlife, best time to visit, its sustainability efforts and more.
Table of Contents
1. Go on a Jungle Safari
The first thing you should do after reaching Chitwan National Park is, without a doubt, to go on a jungle safari. Chitwan is home to over 70 mammal species, 500 bird species, 55 reptiles and amphibians and over 700 types of plants in a span of 953 square kilometers.
The most famous animals to spot in the jungle are the One-horned Rhinoceros, Bengal tiger, Asian wild elephant and Gharial.
There are multiple ways to opt for a safari in Chitwan National Park. You can take a two-hour jeep safari which mostly covers the outskirts of the forest for a more immersive experience, choose the full day or a half day tour that includes a longer route which combs through the jungle. Your chances of spotting wildlife increases with the time you spend inside the jungle.
If you book a hotel in Chitwan National Park with Barahi Jungle Lodge, you can request a jungle safari with our rangers. We also offer breakfast in the forest or a full day tour complete with meals.
2. Go Canoeing in a Rapti River
The Rapti river which flows through the national park is home to one of the park’s most unique wildlife, the Gharial crocodile. Get on a boat made from a hollowed tree trunk and leisurely move down the lazy river. A boating session usually takes about 45 minutes.
During this time, you can also spot other aquatic life such as the Mugger crocodile, Ruddy shelduck, Asian openbill and the Grey Heron.
3. Go Bird Watching
As mentioned before, Chitwan National Park is home to over 500 bird species. This is the perfect paradise for bird watchers and wildlife photographers. Some of the notable bird species include Lesser-adjutant Stork, Black-crested Bulbul, Asian-openbill Stork, Bar-headed Goose, Red-vented Bulbul, Little-ringed Plover, Grey-headed Fish Eagle, Red-breasted Parakeet, Peacocks, Common Kingfisher, and Saras Crane.
In fact, our privately owned land at Barahi Jungle Lodge receives many feathered visitors mentioned on the list above. You can enjoy the chirping of the birds and spot them from the comfort of your accommodation itself.
Rise up early in the morning to watch the birds heading out with the sunrise or relax in the evening to watch the birds settling in for the night. Either way, you are guaranteed to spot several dozen species in just one location.
4. Enjoy a Scrumptious Breakfast in the Jungle
You can enjoy your breakfast surrounded by nature when you opt for a jungle safari with breakfast. Start the day with an exciting experience of dining under the open sky. Early morning safaris start at 6 am. It is an ideal time to go on a safari as the peak time crowds won’t start yet and the jungle will be relatively quiet compared to the busy afternoon.
With the early morning safari, you can request breakfast in the jungle where you will be served a warm buffet breakfast on site at an ideal opening inside the park.
5. Visit the Gharial Breeding Center
The Gharial Breeding Center was established in an effort to protect the highly endangered species of crocodile. The Gharial is a unique animal with a long, slender snout and sharp teeth which contrasts to other crocodiles with broad mouths. Gharials mostly hunt fish and small aquatic animals, however, due to encroachment, overfishing, and loss of habitat, these animals were at the brink of extinction.
The Gharial Breeding Center incubates eggs and provides a safe environment in captivity until the hatchlings reach maturity when they are ready to be released into the wild. Here, you can find gharials of all sizes from small ones that are just a few inches to ones that are almost 20 feet long.
Learn about this exotic animal and the conservation efforts at the center.
6. Walk Through the Jungle
One of the most intimate ways to experience Chitwan National Park is on foot when you take a walk through the jungle. The jungle walking tour offers you a hands-on experience of treading through the trails that the animals must have come across.
Your nature guide can lead you through the jungle to show you the different traces left by animals that have passed through. You might even be able to find tiger paw prints or fallen antlers of a deer.
While walking in the jungle, make sure to wear light, breathable clothes that can camouflage easily. And always make sure to listen to your guide and stick close to the group.
7. Visit the Elephant Breeding Center
The Elephant Breeding Center lies at the edge of the jungle as a conservation effort for the Asian Wild Elephant. Here, visitors can witness female elephants and their calf, especially new borns that are protected and cared for at the sanctuary.
The elephants usually go out in the jungle to forage for food along with their mahouts twice a day but usually they are present back at the breeding center. You can take your time watching the elephants as they graze and go about their day. Male elephants are not present in the center except for young ones that still depend on their mother. However, adult males are known to visit the center for mating.
Visiting the elephant center is a ethically better alternative than taking an elephant ride or going for an elephant bath in the river as it does not stress the elephants.
8. Spend a Night in a Watchtower
One of the fun things to do in Chitwan National Park and probably the most unique and thrilling is to spend a night in a watchtower inside the park. The nighttime in the jungle is alive with nocturnal animals that hunt and feed in the dark and this is a great way to spot rare wildlife that can hardly be seen during the day such as the leopards, sloth bears and foxes.
The tower is perched up high so you don’t need to worry about safety. It also provides a panoramic view of the jungle. While it might sound like spending a night in the tower will be rough, the facilities are often comfortable with comfortable beds, mosquito nets and clean hygiene.
The park rangers also provide safety and assurance during your stay. Spend a night in a watchtower in Chitwan National Park and see another side of the jungle.
9. Watch the Sunset Over the Jungle
Once you have experienced all the adventure things to do in Chitwan, and are looking for something more leisurely, relax by the banks of Rapti river, sip on a sundowner and watch the sun set over the jungle.
Enjoy a peaceful evening as you recline into your chair and watch the animals as they settle in for the night. Animals gather around the water bodies to drink before they head back into the jungle. At Barahi Jungle Lodge, you can add-on to your sundowner with a dinner for two under romantic candlelight by the river banks or enjoy a dip in the pool in the evening.
10. Learn About the Local Tharu Culture
Outside of the jungle premises, you can explore the nearby Tharu villages to learn more about the indigenous tribes that live around Chitwan and their culture. The Tharu people have been living in and around Chitwan National Park for hundreds of years and today, most of them depend on the national park to make a living.
Explore their local villages on a guided tour and learn about their daily activities, marvel at their traditional mud houses and discover their cuisine. You can also discover their crafts and try it yourself such as weaving baskets, pottery and Mithila art.
Our hotel also offers Cultural Tharu Dance performance in the evenings to get a glimpse of the Tharu culture.
11. Walk or Cycle Around Sauraha
Sauraha is the gateway to Chitwan National Park. Many tourists begin and end their jungle safari from this location as Sauraha is also known for its souvenir shops and the Tharu Cultural Museum.
You can walk around to do some shopping for essentials, sip coffee in a quiet cafe or look for handmade souvenirs made by women groups.
Sauraha is also a great place to go cycling thanks to its low traffic. And if you do run into bad traffic, it might be caused due to an elephant or a rhino on the road!
12. Visit Beesh Hajari Taal
One of the hidden treasures of Chitwan is the Beesh Hajari Taal, a range of interconnected oxbow lakes that make up a total area of 3200 hectares. The name translates to 20 thousand lakes and it is indeed made up of countless water bodies which promise numerous wildlife sightings.
It is a great place to take a full day tour and enjoy spotting various wildlife while taking a boat ride through the tranquil lakes. The lakes’ location makes it a far lesser visited site compared to other tourist spots, increasing the chances of spotting more rare wildlife.
13. Visit the Jatayu Vulture Restaurant
The Jatayu restaurant does not cater to people, but as the name suggests, to vultures. It is the first community managed vulture restaurant in the world and was established in an effort to save the population of vultures.
The species of vultures that visit the area include: the white-rumped vulture, slender-billed vulture, red-headed vulture, Indian vulture and Egyptian vulture along with other near threatened species.
The restaurant prepares carcasses of cattle that have died naturally due to old age and places them in an open area for the vultures to feast. It is a great place to watch the ecosystem in action and to get close encounters with these magnificent birds.
Chitwan National Park is a crown jewel of Nepal, hence many tourists visit the region, however, many fail to enjoy all these unique things to do in Chitwan National Park. Next time you book a stay at Chitwan, make sure to enjoy the activities on this list for an unforgettable holiday!
