Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve Cost & Budget (2024)
Are you looking for information about the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve cost and budget?
You’re at the right place! When I visited Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, I could not find much information beforehand about the costs for accommodation or guide. So here is how you can prepare.
The Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve is located in the south-east of Nepal close to the border with India. It is about 340 km from Kathmandu and takes up to 15 hours to get there by bus.
Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve is the only wildlife reserve in Nepal and is famous for its habitat of arna (wild water buffalo) and winter migratory birds. If you would like to go bird watching and see wildlife in Nepal in one of the least touristy environment, Koshi Tappu is right for you!
But the question is, how to plan the budget? The only information available online about the costs for Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve is limited to tour and travel agencies.
I mostly travel solo, without the use of tour companies. I went on a short trip to Koshi Tappu for a 2 nights/ 1 day trip and based on that, here is how you can plan your budget for visiting the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve without a tour company.
Here is everything you need to know about the costs for accommodation, food, wildlife safari and costs for guide at the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve.
Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve Cost and Budget
1. Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve Ticket Price
- Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve Ticket Price: Rs. 1,500 (foreigners), Rs. 750 (SAARC), and Rs. 100 (Nepali)
It is only a day ticket and if you’d like to enter for multiple days, you will have to buy a new ticket for each day.
There is also a fee for vehicles (tuktuk or motorbikes) to enter the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, the price for a vehicle ticket is Rs. 300.
2. Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve Cost for Guide
It is not mandatory to have a guide in the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve but you can learn much more about wildlife in Koshi Tappu is you go with a guide.
The price of a guide is around Rs. 4,000-4,500/day, although you may be able to negotiate a lower price. In addition, if you go in a group, you can split the costs.
There are only a few tourists in Koshi Tappu at any given time, so if you travel solo, you will probably not be able to join other travellers on the spot. It is much less visited than Chitwan or even Bardia National Park.
3. Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve Cost for Tuktuk+Driver (no guide)
Price: Approximately Rs. 2,000 for tuktuk with a driver for a day
Hiring just a tuktuk with a driver can be a good option for those that come to Koshi Tappu in a group and if you are happy to just go around Koshi Tappu without a guide to give you in-depth information about the wildlife reserve.
The tuktuk drivers will probably not be able to speak English but they can take you to all the important view points.
Once you arrive in Koshi Tappu, ask about it at your accommodation and they will be able to offer some options for a tuktuk with driver.
Will the sound of the tuktuk scare away the wildlife?
In my experience, the sound of the motorbike or tuktuk does not scare away the wildlife much.
Koshi Tappu is not like Chitwan where you have jeep after jeep on the path in the jungle.
I was in Koshi Tappu during winter which is considered as the high season in Koshi Tappu due to the winter migratory birds.
However, I was the only tourist in the reserve for the whole morning part of my tour. Even in the afternoon, there was only one other group that I met. Apart from them, there were only locals in the reserve collecting grass for their cows and buffalos.
I went with a driver on a motorbike and even with its noise, I saw a lot of deer wandering right next to the path just a few metres away – something that I did not experience in Chitwan.
Then, from the main path, there are lots of viewpoints that you can only access by walk. The paths lead to view towers from where you can see wildlife in a quiet, peaceful environment.
4. Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve Cost for Accommodation & Food
- Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve Cost for Accommodation: Rs. 2,500-3,000/day (if you are travelling in a group, you will be able to split the costs)
- Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve Cost for Food: If you book a homestay, 3 meals/day are included in the price. The price of homestay is around Rs. 2,500/night.
In general, the options for accommodation is limited in Koshi Tappu. There are a good number of hotels/homestay in the area, however, they have to be contacted by phone or on social media. The hotels in the area are not on Booking.com or Agoda.
There is not really a budget backpackers accommodation but you may be able to negotiate for some discounts.
Some of the options with lower price include Aqua Birds Eco Resort or Sudip Homestay. The prices are between Rs. 2,500-3,000/night.
Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve Total Cost
| Type of Expenditure | Cost |
| Accommodation and Food | Rs. 2,500-4,000/person/day (if you are travelling in a group, you will be able to split the accommodation costs) |
| Wildlife Reserve Entry Fee | Rs. 1,500 (foreigners) Rs. 750 (SAARC) Rs. 100 (Nepali) (+ Rs. 300 for vehicle entry to the park) |
| Tuktuk+Driver | Rs. 2,000/day (can be split in a group) |
| Guide | Rs. 4,500/guide/day (can be shared in a group) |
| Total cost | Approximately Rs. 11,300/person for solo travellers (1 night/2 days) |
The total Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve cost for solo travellers for a 1 night/2 days stay is about Rs. 11,300. This includes 2 nights stay in a homestay with 3 meals per day (Rs. 2,500×2), guide cost for a day (Rs. 4,500) and entry fees (Rs. 1,500 + 300).
If you are in a group, it will be cheaper as you can split the costs for accommodation, guide and tuktuk.
If you are travelling solo, it will be a bit more expensive as most likely you will not be able to join another group on the spot. This is due to that Koshi Tappu is not visited by many tourists.
Unlike in Chitwan, where you can meet other travellers and form a group, in Koshi Tappu you might be the only tourist there at the time. If you go on a weekend or public holiday, you may be able to join in with a group of Nepali tourists.
The main tourist season in Koshi Tappu is from October to March, so if you go outside of these dates in low season, you may be able to negotiate a lower price.
If you are generally good at bargaining, you could be able to bargain down the prices even during the main season.
Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve Budget: Money Saving Tips
If you want to save money on your Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve budget, the only way to cut down on the cost is to just hire a tuktuk with a driver for the day (and go without a guide).
Unlike for example in Chitwan, having a guide is not mandatory in the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve. If you come to discover Koshi Tappu and plan to spend only one day in the reserve, then it can be visited without a guide.
However, if you would like to go deeper in the reserve, going by boat from island to island, then you will have to go with a guide.
It is worth hiring a guide if you want to go bird watching, learn about the wildlife reserve, or go on a walking safari for multiple days.
If you just want to spend one day in the wildlife reserve, then hiring a tuktuk with a driver can be fine.
Check these Viewpoints for Wildlife (if you just hire a tuktuk + driver)
Most of the hotels are on the eastern side of Koshi Tappu and this is from where you will enter the wildlife reserve.
After passing the checkpoint for your ticket, there is a partially concrete path along the eastern side of the reserve. This path is about 17 km long.
There are many walking paths off this “road” that lead to view towers and specific view points.
As the main “road” is 17 km long, it is good to have some type of transport (tuktuk, scooter or bicycle) to get you around.
It would take a lot of time to explore the area and the viewpoints if you went on foot.
Arna Viewpoint
- Arna Viewpoint Location: on google maps here
- Best time to see arna: all year round
The Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve is the only place in Nepal where you can find arna (wild water buffalo). They have been focusing on preserving and increasing the population of arna in Koshi Tappu.
The view tower overlooks a massive field and in the distance you will spot the arna. If the arna is very far, you can go down a little bit closer for better views. Still make sure to stay far away enough so that they don’t charge at you.
How to Locate the Arna Viewpoint
The sign for the Arna Viewpoint is only in Nepali but if you have a driver with tuktuk for the day, they will know where to stop.
Crocodile Viewpoint
- Crocodile Viewpoint Location: on google maps here
- Best time to see crocodiles: when the water levels are high (around monsoon season)
The crocodile viewpoint is a view tower overlooking a small pond. The crocodiles usually come to this pond when the water levels are high in the pond. If the water levels are too low, the crocodiles stay further in the reserve, in the Koshi River.
Interestingly, the main season to visit Koshi Tappu is from October to March, and this time is off the monsoon season. So it is not likely that the water levels would be high during this time. Thus, less chance of spotting crocodiles.
How to Locate the Crocodile Viewpoint
Same as with the sign for the Arna Viewpoint, the sign for the Crocodile Viewpoint is only in Nepali.
If you have a driver with tuktuk for the day, ask them to stop here. You will see the following sign for the crocodile viewpoint:
Dolphin Viewpoint
- Dolphin Viewpoint Location: Koshi Barrage
- Best time to see the dolphins: on a sunny day
- Type of dolphin: Gangetic Dolphin
The dolphins come to the surface of the water generally when it is sunny. During December-January, it will be a bit more difficult to see dolphins as the southern part of Nepal is generally covered in thick fog and gets little sunshine.
Nevertheless, there is always a little bit of sunshine during the day, so you could still spot some.
How to Locate the Dolphin Viewpoint
The Dolphin Viewpoint is by the Koshi Barrage, so technically, it is not within the wildlife reserve. This means that you can visit it without even buying a ticket into the reserve.
You can get a tuktuk to take you to the Koshi Barrage. Alternatively, if you walk to the main road (Koshi Tappu Gate), you can catch a local bus going towards the Koshi Barrage.
Other Viewpoints
There are several other viewpoints along the main path on the eastern side of the wildlife reserve. From each view tower it really just depends on the timing on which type of animal you may see.
You are most likely to spot arna, deer, wild elephants, wild boars and lots of different types of birds flying around.
BONUS: Best Places to See Wildlife in Nepal
If you are not sure if Koshi Tappu is right for you, there are other places in Nepal that are very popular for wildlife spotting.
Two of the most popular places to see wildlife in Nepal are the Chitwan and Bardia National Park. Bardia is the best place to spot tigers, while Chitwan is best for spotting rhinos.
Check out my travel guides to help you decide where to spot wildlife in Nepal:
FAQs: Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve Cost and Budget
How much is the entrance fee to the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve?
The entrance fee to the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve is Rs. 1,500 (foreigners), Rs. 750 (SAARC), and Rs. 100 (Nepali).
If you want to enter the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve for multiple days, you will have to buy a new ticket for each day.
The costs for a guide comes on top of this, with the price for a guide costs around Rs. 4,000-4,500/day for Koshi Tappu.
What animals are there in the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve?
The Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve is famous for its habitat of arna (wild water buffalo) and migratory birds. In addition, you can find wild elephants, Gangetic dolphins, crocodiles, deer, jackals and wild boar among others.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a 2 nights stay+ 1 day safari with a guide costs approximately Rs. 11,300/person for solo travellers visiting the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve.
The costs for accommodation in Koshi Tappu ranges from Rs. 2,500-3,000/night. If you book a homestay, then the price will also include 3 meals per day.
The Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve ticket price is Rs. 1,500/person for foreigners and Rs. 100 for Nepali nationals. Plus, the guide costs around Rs. 4,000-4,500 but if you are in a group, you can split the guide cost.
If you want to go without a guide, it is also possible to just a hire a driver with a tuktuk for a day, who can drive you around the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve and take you to the wildlife viewpoints. The cost for a tuktuk and driver is Rs. 2,000/day and can be split in a group.
