Best time to visit Chitwan National Park

Most trips to Chitwan National Park run from late September to May, to avoid the monsoon rains that fall between mid June and mid September – 80 percent of Nepal’s rain falls in this period. October to early March is the best time to visit Chitwan for pleasant 25°C temperatures, but if you can stand the heat, come in April and May, the end of the dry season when wildlife gathers at waterholes – expect meltingly hot temperatures in the mid 40°Cs. January is the coldest month, skimming freezing at night. There’s high humidity from late November until the monsoon, but November, December and January offer good visibility and clear views of the Himalayas. At other times, haze and pollution from traffic, industry, brick kilns and waste burning can obscure the view.

Don’t go on an elephant safari. While there’s no question that these rides provide useful conservation revenue for the park, at Responsible Travel we do not promote riding elephants anywhere. Today, the wild capture of elephants presents one of the biggest threats to remaining populations of endangered Asian elephants. In addition, elephants have to be broken in, a horrific process which involves ‘crushing their spirit’, using bullhooks and chaining them up. Jeep safaris, walking safaris, boat and canoe trips are more ethical ways to enjoy Chitwan.

Don’t come purely for the tigers. Sightings are pretty infrequent in Chitwan National Park as, despite their fearsome reputation, tigers prefer to hide in the long grass than parade around in plain sight, so it’s not easy to see them. If you’re really determined to spot one, join a dedicated wildlife watching holiday that explores Chitwan for a week or more – the more time you spend, the greater your chance of a sighting.

Nepal isn’t short of highlights, so don’t limit your time here to Chitwan – make your air miles matter, stay longer and see more. Most tailor made and small group Nepal holidays that take in Chitwan include exploring the capital Kathmandu, travelling to Pokhara in the foothills of the Annapurnas for some trekking and Himalaya gazing, with perhaps a visit to the ancient city of Bhaktapur, too.

Come to Chitwan and you’ll see tourists riding elephants into the park on safari. It may look fun – authentic even – but riding elephants comes at a huge price. Elephants are not domesticated animals, like cats or dogs. In order to be ridden, they must first be trained, a horrifying process that involves breaking the animal’s spirit, chaining it up for hours and using a bullhook. In addition, young elephants are taken from the wild to be put to work, further endangering the already at-risk populations of wild Asian elephants that remain. Obviously, some of the tourism revenue generated by offering elephants safaris is pumped back into the conservation work that Chitwan National Park does, but at Responsible Travel, we have decided that, on balance, we can no longer promote or support elephant riding of any kind, including elephant safaris. You can read more about our stance in our elephant conservation guide.

Rest assured that elephant safaris are not the only way to support the conservation work of Chitwan National Park. Your park entry fees also contribute to it, while jeep and walking safaris provide a career and livelihood for the local guides that accompany you. In addition, shopping and eating in buffer zone villages or attending a Tharu dance performance will spread money into the wider community, and ensure their ongoing backing of the national park. Local people who live on the edges of a national park such as Chitwan are often its eyes and ears, aware of poaching activity and able to report it – provided they feel and understand the benefit of the park’s existence.

“The risk from tigers is extremely low. The risk from rhinos is far higher, but even that is negated by the fantastic experience and expertise of the local guides we hire. Tigers pose no real threat in the park; they do everything they can to avoid ever coming into contact with people. The biggest safety aspect when walking in the park is that the local guides are very well trained and are experienced in coming into close contact with the dangerous animals in the park. They give a safety briefing to all clients before entering the park and in general stick to paths and roads which give a good overview for sighting potentially dangerous wildlife in the distance. Large and heavy sticks are also carried, which are remarkably affective against rhinos and bears (which are the two potentially most dangerous animals in the park). We also send at least two guides with all of our clients, so one at the front and one at the back for extra safety.”

“I love to visit in the dry season (April-May), when the weather is hot and dry and animals become a little more predictable in their habits, congregating around dwindling waterholes, but other seasons offer good things, too.”

“We achieve a sighting on around three quarters of our trips as we include many full day jeep safaris and go deep into the park. On the generic tours and without the full day jeep safaris the chances are far lower. To have a proper chance of seeing everything you need many days, to be honest.”