By Uncover Nepal Team · Checked by our Kathmandu travel team · Last checked 8 October 2026
At half past six in the morning, Sorhakhutte, just north of Thamel, is a row of tourist buses parked along the roadside, engines running and conductors calling out "Chitwan, Pokhara". By about seven the first one pulls away, and soon you are out of the valley and following the grey-green Trishuli River west. The jungle is still most of a day away.
The short answer. Kathmandu to Chitwan is about 150 to 170 km by road to Sauraha via Mugling, usually five to seven hours by tourist bus or car, longer with traffic, roadworks or landslides. The faster option is a 20 to 25 minute flight to Bharatpur, then a short drive to your lodge.
This guide covers each option, its transport cost and this year's road conditions. For the park itself, see our Chitwan National Park guide.
Key facts
- Road distance
- About 150 to 170 km to Sauraha via Mugling; 146 km to Bharatpur (NTB; Film Development Board; 8 Oct 2026)
- Drive time
- About five to seven hours, longer with traffic, roadworks or landslides (Film Development Board; route guides; 8 Oct 2026)
- Tourist bus
- Sorhakhutte, near Thamel, about 7 am; roughly NPR 800 to 1,500 (Operator and guide sources; 8 Oct 2026)
- Private car
- Roughly NPR 10,000 to 16,000 one way (BriefNepal; 8 Oct 2026)
- Flight
- 20 to 25 minutes to Bharatpur; Buddha Air flies daily (NTB; schedule data; 8 Oct 2026)
- Airport to Sauraha
- About 15 to 18 km, 20 to 45 minutes (Film Development Board; Wikivoyage; 8 Oct 2026)
- Park entry fee
- Foreigners NPR 2,000, SAARC NPR 1,000, Nepali NPR 150; under 10 free (NTB park-entry fees; 8 Oct 2026)
- Road status
- Traffic moving normally on 1 Oct 2026 (Department of Roads via Kathmandu Post; 8 Oct 2026)
How far is Chitwan from Kathmandu?
Chitwan is about 150 to 170 km from Kathmandu by road, measured to Sauraha, the village most visitors use as their base. The Nepal Tourism Board gives 146 km from Kathmandu to Bharatpur, the city next to the park. Figures vary with where you start.
The usual route runs like this:
- Kathmandu west to Naubise, as you leave the valley.
- Along the Trishuli River on the Prithvi Highway to Mugling. The Naubise to Mugling section alone is about 95 km.
- South at Mugling, down the gorge on the Narayangadh-Mugling road to Narayangadh and Bharatpur.
- East to Tadi, also called Ratnanagar, then the side road to Sauraha.
If you are staying near Kasara, the park headquarters, it is about 21 km by road from Bharatpur.
Takeaway: plan around "most of a day by road", not around a kilometre figure.
How long does Kathmandu to Chitwan take by road?
Plan on five to seven hours by road from Kathmandu to Chitwan. A government destination page gives five hours by bus and four and a half by car; recent travel guides give six to seven hours by tourist bus and about five by private car. Traffic, roadworks and landslides can stretch the day well beyond that.
About 15,000 vehicles a day use the Nagdhunga-Mugling road, and that was expected to more than triple in the festival season. One traveller's advice: hope for six hours, but prepare for nine.
Takeaway: don't book anything time-critical for the afternoon you arrive. A late lunch and a walk to the river is the right first-day plan.
Kathmandu to Chitwan by tourist bus
The tourist bus is the cheapest comfortable way to Chitwan. Buses leave Sorhakhutte, near Thamel, at about 7 am and reach the Sauraha tourist bus park in the early afternoon, road permitting. Local fares are roughly NPR 800 to 1,500 one way; seats booked through an agency are often quoted at about USD 10 to 14.
- Book a day ahead through your hotel or a Thamel agency. Deluxe and air-conditioned buses cost more.
- Be at Sorhakhutte by about 6:30 am. It is a roadside line-up, not a station, so ask which bus is yours.
- Expect a meal stop on the way.
- Arrive at the Sauraha tourist bus park, about 15 minutes' walk from the lodges. Many lodges meet the bus, sometimes for a fee.
- Going back, buses leave Sauraha in the early morning.
Local buses also run from the New Bus Park at Gongabu or from Kalanki; Birgunj-bound ones drop you at Tadi, where you take local transport to Sauraha. They are slower and more crowded.
Takeaway: the tourist bus suits solo travellers and couples who don't mind a long day.
Kathmandu to Chitwan by private car or jeep
A private car is the most flexible way to Chitwan: you choose when to leave and get dropped at your lodge. A car one way is roughly NPR 10,000 to 16,000; agency quotes in US dollars are often higher, especially for a jeep or van. Road time is about the same as the bus, often a little less.
A car makes sense if:
- you are a family or a group of three or more, so the cost per person falls;
- you are going on to Pokhara and want one driver for both legs;
- anyone in the group gets carsick and needs to stop often.
Takeaway: for groups, compare the car price per person with the bus. The gap is often smaller than you expect.
Is there a flight from Kathmandu to Chitwan?
Yes. Flights go from Kathmandu to Bharatpur Airport, the nearest airport to Chitwan National Park, and take 20 to 25 minutes. Buddha Air flies the route several times a day; other airlines have served it at times, so check when you book. From Bharatpur it is about 20 to 45 minutes by taxi or lodge jeep to Sauraha.
- Fares: roughly USD 90 to 130 one way for foreign visitors. Nepali and, usually, Indian passengers pay a lower rupee fare of roughly NPR 4,000 to 6,500; check when you book.
- Airport: Bharatpur sits low in the plains, at 183 m (600 ft), about 15 to 18 km from Sauraha. Many lodges arrange a pick-up, sometimes for a fee.
- Weather: domestic flights can be delayed by cloud or rain, so don't fly in on the same day as a fixed onward connection.
Takeaway: with only two nights in Chitwan, the flight leaves you more time in the park and less on the road.
Bus, car or flight: which suits you?
| Option | Time | Transport cost, one way | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist bus | About five to seven hours | Roughly NPR 800 to 1,500; agency seats about USD 10 to 14 | Budget, solo and couples |
| Private car or jeep | About five to seven hours | Roughly NPR 10,000 to 16,000 per car | Families, groups, onward to Pokhara |
| Flight to Bharatpur | 20 to 25 minutes in the air, plus 20 to 45 minutes to Sauraha | Roughly USD 90 to 130 for foreign visitors | Short trips, people who hate long drives |
Road conditions in 2026 and the monsoon
The road to Chitwan had a hard monsoon in 2026. The Narayangadh-Mugling stretch had several landslides in July and late September, each usually cleared within hours, and the Prithvi Highway was cut for 18 days at Krishnabhir from 30 August. Heavy rain in late September closed the highway again for a short time. Traffic was moving normally again by 1 October.
At Krishnabhir, in Dhading, the Trishuli ate away the road's base. Two-way traffic restarted on 17 September on a new 270-metre gravel track above the collapse. The head of the Department of Roads was plain about it:
"The new track is based on experts' advice, but it is not a long-term solution."
Bijaya Jaishi, director general, Department of Roads, in The Kathmandu Post, 17 September 2026
By the start of October, the Department of Roads said:
"There are no problems at the moment, and vehicles are moving normally."
Shuvaraj Neupane, Department of Roads, in The Kathmandu Post, 1 October 2026
Traffic at Krishnabhir had been held during heavy rain, and on 1 October three sections of the Nagdhunga-Mugling road were still one-way. Nepal's monsoon normally runs from mid-June to early October; in 2026 it pulled out of the western regions on 4 October, with the rest of the country expected to follow within days. Route guides suggest flying in July and August, when the gorge is most prone to slides.
Check before you travel. In or near the monsoon:
- Check the road the evening before with your hotel, driver or the news.
- Leave early. Landslides here are often cleared within hours, and an early start gives you time to wait one out.
- Carry water, snacks and a charged phone.
- Keep a spare day before any international flight home, and ask about flying to Bharatpur if the road is shut.
Takeaway: in the dry season the road is long but usually routine. In the monsoon, build in a buffer day.
Other routes: Hetauda, the BP Highway and the Fast Track
Via Hetauda. There is a longer-used alternative via Hetauda, mainly when the Mugling road is shut. One government page gives 152 km and five hours that way, but when the Prithvi Highway was cut in 2026, traffic built up on the Hetauda roads and journeys there took much longer. We don't recommend the Kanti Lokpath, the narrow mountain road to Hetauda, to visitors; at the end of June 2026, during heavy rain, the local administration asked people not to travel on it at night.
The BP Highway is not a route to Chitwan, so ignore any app that suggests it.
The Kathmandu-Terai Fast Track is still under construction and not open to traffic. It ends at Nijgadh in Bara, not in Chitwan, so it will not replace the Mugling road for Chitwan.
Combining Kathmandu, Chitwan and Pokhara
Chitwan fits well on a loop with Pokhara. The Kathmandu-Pokhara and Pokhara-Chitwan roads both meet at the Mugling junction, so a Kathmandu, Pokhara, Chitwan, Kathmandu loop repeats the Mugling-Kathmandu stretch only once.
Kathmandu to Pokhara is most of a day by road, often six to nine hours with traffic and roadworks, or about 30 minutes by air. Pokhara to Sauraha by tourist bus is usually five hours or more, leaving Pokhara in the early morning, mostly from the Pokhara Tourist Bus Park. For that leg on its own, see our Kathmandu to Pokhara guide.
Takeaway: if you are doing all three, fly one leg. Two long road days in a row are tiring.
When you arrive in Sauraha
Most visitors stay in Sauraha and go into the park on day trips, with a park-certified guide your lodge can arrange.
- Park entry: foreigners pay NPR 2,000 (about USD 13), SAARC nationals NPR 1,000 and Nepali citizens NPR 150, per person per entry; children under 10 enter free.
- One permit a day: you need one entry permit for each day you go into the park.
- Gates: the park has nine entrance gates; the Sauraha gate is reached via Tadi.
For what to do there, see places to visit in Chitwan; for the animals, our Chitwan rhinos and wildlife guide; and for the village itself, our Sauraha guide.
October to March is the most comfortable time, at about 15 to 26 °C. Our best time to visit Nepal guide covers the seasons month by month.
Read next: Nepal tourist places, Sauraha village and Chitwan to Lumbini by road.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Chitwan from Kathmandu?
Chitwan is about 150 to 170 km from Kathmandu by road, measured to Sauraha via Mugling. The Nepal Tourism Board gives 146 km to Bharatpur, the city beside the park. In practice, plan for most of a day on the road.
How long does the bus from Kathmandu to Chitwan take?
The tourist bus usually takes five to seven hours from Kathmandu to Sauraha, including a meal stop. It leaves Sorhakhutte, near Thamel, at about 7 am, so you normally arrive in the early afternoon. Traffic, roadworks and monsoon landslides can make it much longer.
Is there a flight from Kathmandu to Chitwan?
Yes. You fly from Kathmandu to Bharatpur, the nearest airport to Chitwan National Park, in 20 to 25 minutes. Buddha Air runs several flights a day, and other airlines have served the route at times, so check when you book. From Bharatpur, a taxi or lodge jeep takes about 20 to 45 minutes to Sauraha.
Can you visit Chitwan as a day trip from Kathmandu?
Not really. By road it is five to seven hours each way, so you would spend the day in a vehicle and see almost nothing of the park. Stay at least one or two nights, so you have time for an early morning safari or canoe trip.
Is a private car better than the tourist bus to Chitwan?
A private car is better for families, groups and anyone going on to Pokhara, because you leave when you like and get dropped at your lodge. The tourist bus is better value for solo travellers and couples. Both take about five to seven hours, and for three or more people the car's cost per person often comes close.
Is the Kathmandu to Chitwan road safe in the monsoon?
The road is open most days, but the Mugling-Narayangadh stretch is prone to landslides in heavy rain, and in 2026 several closed it for a few hours. Travel early, check the road the evening before, and keep a spare day before any international flight. In July and August, route guides suggest flying to Bharatpur instead.
Plan your trip
If you would rather not sort out buses, cars and flights yourself, look at our jungle safari and wildlife tours, or send us your dates on WhatsApp or through our enquiry form. Tell us your nights and whether Pokhara is on the plan, and we will suggest the simplest way there. For everything else about the park, go back to our Chitwan National Park guide.
