Overview
Trishuli rafting is the easiest way to get on white water from Kathmandu, a single day on Nepal's most popular beginner river. You drive west along the Prithvi Highway for a couple of hours to the put-in near Charaudi, where a river guide runs through paddling and safety before you launch. The Trishuli's rapids are mostly grade 3, fun and splashy with calmer stretches in between, so it is exciting without being frightening, and the river runs through a green valley of hills and villages. After a few hours on the water and lunch by the river, you drive back to the city the same evening. It needs no experience, suits ages from about ten upwards, and is a great first taste of rafting.
The itinerary
- Morning pickup and scenic drive west on the Prithvi Highway to the put-in near Charaudi, about 2 to 3 hours
- Safety and paddle briefing with your river guide, then kit up with a life jacket and helmet
- Raft the Trishuli's grade-3 rapids, with fun white water and calmer stretches through a green river valley, around 3 to 4 hours on the water
- Lunch by the river after the run
- Drive back to your hotel in Kathmandu
Things to carry
- Quick-drying clothes and a swimsuit for the river
- Secure trainers or river sandals with a firm strap
- A towel and a full change of clothes for the drive back
- Sun protection, a hat and a light layer
- A small dry bag for phone, valuables and anything that must stay dry
Good to know
Complete guide
If you have never rafted before and want to start somewhere fun rather than frightening, the Trishuli is the river. It runs alongside the main highway west of Kathmandu, so you can be on the water in a morning and home by evening, and its rapids are lively without being serious. This is Nepal's classic day on the river. Here is how it works and what to expect.
What Trishuli rafting involves
The day is simple: a scenic drive out on the Prithvi Highway, a safety and paddle briefing on the bank, a few hours of white water, lunch by the river, and the drive home. The Trishuli's rapids are mostly grade 3, which is enough to soak you and get everyone paddling and laughing, with calmer stretches to catch your breath. It is guided for beginners, so no experience is needed. For a bigger multi-day version that adds bungee and canyoning to the rafting, the Nepal super adventure tour is the step up.
The drive and the river valley
Much of the trip's charm is the setting. The Prithvi Highway follows the Trishuli through a green valley of terraced hills and roadside villages, and the river itself winds between forested banks and sandy stretches. The put-in is a couple of hours from the city near Charaudi, and the run finishes downstream at a riverside spot for lunch, so there is plenty of scenery either side of the white water.
On the water and staying safe
Before you launch, the guide briefs the whole group on paddling, commands and what to do if you go in, and everyone wears a life jacket and helmet. On the river you paddle as a team through the rapids and drift through the calm sections, with the guide steering from the back. It is a physical, splashy few hours, but a controlled one, which is why the Trishuli is where most people in Nepal learn to raft.
Who this trip suits and when to go
This is for anyone who wants a fun, easy day on white water: families with children from about ten, couples, and groups of friends after a lively day out of the city. September to June gives the best weather and river levels, while the monsoon is avoided. If you would rather pair your rafting with wildlife and a jungle stay further south, the Chitwan safari adventure combines a national park with more adventure sport.
