Chitwan or Bardia National Park: Which One is Better For You? (2024)

Are you planning a jungle safari in Nepal and not sure if you should visit Chitwan or Bardia National Park?

You’re at the right place! I have visited both Chitwan and Bardia National Parks and went on walking and jeep safaris. Here is the ultimate travel guide to help you decide which place to visit.

Although, Chitwan National Park has become more commercialized in the past years and Bardia has a more remote, authentic jungle experience – each has their own uniqe qualities depending on what you are looking for.

For more detailed information on each national park, you can read my complete travel guides on:

• Bardia National Park
• Chitwan National Park 

Chitwan or Bardia National Park

Locations and How to Get There

Getting to Bardia National Park	Getting to Chitwan National Park
Bardia National Park is located about 400 km away from Kathmandu and so it takes much more time to get to Bardia than to Chitwan. The bus ride takes around 17-18 hours. There is also a possibility to take a flight to Nepalgunj, and then take a local bus which will only take 3-4 hours in total. Read here my full guide on how to get to Bardia.	Taking the bus to Chitwan is much faster compared to Bardia. To get to Chitwan, it takes about 7-8 hours by bus, it is much more comfortable than sitting on the bus for 18 hours.There are lots of bus companies departing to Chitwan every morning around 7 am from Sorhakhutte (near Thamel). Read here my full guide on how to get to Chitwan.

Park Entry Fee

Bardia National Park Entry Fee	Chitwan National Park Entry Fee
Rs. 1,500 for one day. If you want to enter for multiple days, you will have to buy a new ticket for each day.	Rs. 2,000 for one day. If you want to enter for multiple days, you will have to buy a new ticket for each day.

Weather

Both Bardia and Chitwan are located in the southern, Terai Region of Nepal, thus, the weather is more or less the same in both locations throughout the year.

It does get slightly hotter in Bardia but generally, the weather is more or less the same.

As they are located in the south, close to the border with India, both places get hotter than Kathmandu or Pokhara.

Bardia Temperature

Chitwan Temperature

Best Time to Visit

February-April

The best time to visit both places is in February-April. During this time, the grass is not too high in the national parks so you get better visibility.

The grass grows very high during the monsoon season (June-August) so it is more difficult to spot wildlife in the months after the monsoon (September-December).

Other Months

Autumn (September-November)

Visiting in October-November is the second best time to visit both Chitwan or Bardia. Although the levels of the grass inside both parks will be pretty high from all the rain and it will decrease visibility to spot wildlife, the weather is very nice during this time which makes it an enjoyable trip.

Winter (December-January)

Visiting Chitwan or Bardia in the winter season in Nepal is really not ideal. The weather in the Terai Region (where both parks are located) gets very cloudy, hazy and cold during winter.

The winter months in the Terai Region is characterized by very little sunshine and very cold weather (even colder than towns like Kathmandu or Pokhara). So for this reason, it is not the best time to visit either parks during winter.

Monsoon (June-August)

Bardia National Park during Monsoon Season	Chitwan National Park during Monsoon Season
During this time the water levels increase due to a lot of rain and may be difficult to pass some of the trails within Bardia National Park. During the walking jungle safari, you will cross through a couple of rivers and some places may be impassable during monsoon. If you visit Bardia during monsoon, it can be better to go on a jeep safari or to go rafting.	During monsoon season, the temperature is higher, which makes the rhinos in Chitwan more likely to come to the river in Sauraha to drink and bathe. So although you may not get better visibility inside the park (the grass will grow tall from all the rain), but you have more chances of spotting rhinos by river where many hotels and restaurants are located.

Wildlife Habitat and Wildlife Spotting

Bardia National Park	Chitwan National Park
Bardia National Park is considered the best place to spot tigers in Nepal. Apart from the tigers, you can spot wild elephants, rhinos, lizards, various birds and deer. It is much less visited than Chitwan so the park is not crowded by jeeps to scare the animals away.	There are more than 700 species of animals in the Chitwan National Park including tigers, elephants, rhinos, monkeys, deer, crocodiles, lizards and pythons. Because Chitwan has become very touristic, there are lots of jeep safaris going every day. Due to the noise of the jeeps, the animals stay further inside the park, thus it is more difficult to spot wildlife.

Types of Jungle Safari in Nepal

Jungle Safari in Bardia National Park

Jungle Safari in Chitwan National Park

Walking Safari: There are options for half or full day walking safaris or even to combine a half day walking safari with half day jeep safari. Costs USD 50 for full day walking safari (including park entry fee and packed lunch). Jeep Safari: options include half or full day jeep safari. The full day jeep safari costs around USD 250/jeep and can be shared between passengers if you buddy up with other travellers. Rafting: You can also go rafting in the Bardia National Park. Best to inquire for prices at the hotel where you will be staying.

Walking Safari: Walking safaris in Chitwan are considered a better way to spot wildlife. This is due to that there are way too many jeeps going into the jungle every day, thus scaring away the animals. There are also options to combine the walking safari with rafting.  Jeep Safari: There are options for half or full day jeep safaris. The half-day jeep safari costs Rs. 2,500/person and you can sign up to start at 7 am or 1 pm. The full day jeep safari costs around USD 120/day (Rs. 16,000). This cost is shared between everyone in the jeep, so if you join other people you can split the cost.  Safari Package (walking, rafting and jeep): You can also go for an option to combine various activities in a day of safari going for rafting, walking and jeep safari.

Where to Stay

Bardia National Park	Chitwan National Park
Budget Hotels (USD 4-6/night): Wild Planet Eco Resort: booking.com Bardia Eco Friendly Homestay: booking.com Mid-Range Hotels (USD 45/night): Bardia Forest Resort: booking.com High-End Hotels (USD 370/night): Tiger Tops Karnali Resort: booking.com	Budget Hotels (USD 5-15/night): Bamby Chilling House: booking.com Hotel National Park Sauraha: booking.com Mid-Range Hotels (USD 20-25/night): Jungle Wildlife Camp: booking.com Chitwan Village Resort: booking.com Hotel Rhino Land: booking.com High-End Hotels (USD 50-100/night): Green Mansions Jungle Resort: booking.com River View Jungle Camp: booking.com

Restaurants

Bardia National Park

Chitwan National Park

There are not really any western type of restaurant in Bardia and travellers usually eat in the guesthouse where they have booked their accommodation in. There are still western type of food on the menu at the lodges but you will not find cozy little restaurants like in Sauraha, Chitwan.

Sauraha, the main tourist hub of Chitwan, is full of nice restaurants and bars. There are also some restaurants by the sunset viewpoint by the river. It is a really chill place to end the day, eat, drink and watch the sun go down. Check out these great restaurants in Sauraha, Chitwan: Shantiko Kitchen, Friends Cafe, Greasy Spoon Restaurant, KC’s Restaurant and Bar. For more information, check out my complete guide on the best restaurants in Sauraha, Chitwan.

Overall Experience: Chitwan or Bardia National Park

Bardia National Park

Chitwan National Park

Bardia National Park is much more remote than Chitwan, thus, it provides a more authentic and unique jungle experience. Although Bardia is gaining popularity, it has less tourists than Chitwan. The town of Thakurdwara (starting point for jungle safari) is still represents traditional Tharu culture and is not westernized like Chitwan.  Still, depending on what you prefer, each Bardia and Chitwan can be a great place to see wildlife. Pro: – Less tourists, less jeeps – More authentic jungle experience – Easier to spot tigers, elephants and rhinos in the jungle Con: – Further away from Kathmandu, takes longer to get there – No western type of restaurants or bars in the town (but they serve western type of food in hotels) – No travel agencies to book or bargain safari packages – people usually go with guides organised through their accommodation but if you have time, you can visit some other hotels for prices.

Although, it is often said that Chitwan is commercialized, full of tourists and that the elephants are mistreated, check it out if you are looking for a jungle safari experience closer to Kathmandu. Sauraha (the town from where the jungle safaris start and all hotels are) is a very chill little town with lots of restaurants and bars. While you can hang out in Chitwan and chill in restaurants for a couple of days, you do not have this option in Bardia.   Pro: – Great restaurants and bars in Sauraha – Closer to Kathmandu – More travel agencies where you can bargain for a better price to fit your budget – More tourists also mean that it is easier to buddy up to share the costs of guide or jeep Con: – More commercialized – Infamous for bad treatment of elephants (but you can support the rights of elephants through the NGO Stand Up 4 Elephants) – Lots of jeep tours per day, making it more difficult to spot wildlife.

FAQ: Chitwan or Bardia National Park

Which is better, Bardia or Chitwan?

It depends on what you are looking for.

Chitwan can be accessed more easily and thus, it has become more commercialized. If you visit Chitwan, the most chance of spotting wildlife is if you go on 1-3 full day jungle safaris so you can go deeper into the jungle. The town of Sauraha has also many restaurants and bars to choose from, so it is a nice place to chill.

Bardia is further away from Kathmandu and it provides a more remote jungle safari experience. Bardia is known as the best place for spotting tigers and usually you can spot tigers on a 1-day safari. Thakurdwara (the small town by the entry to the Bardia National Park), is not so touristic and there are not really restaurants or bars. Usually, people just eat at their accommodation.

Is Bardia National Park worth visiting?

Yes, Bardia National Park is definitely worth visiting. Although, it takes 17-18 hours by bus from Kathmandu to reach Bardia, it is definitely worth the long journey. It is one of the best places to spot tiger, elephants and rhinos.

Bardia provides an authentic jungle experience that is less visited by tourists. As there are not that many jeep tours (like in Chitwan), you do not have to go too deep into the jungle to spot wildlife. If you are up for an exciting walking jungle safari spotting wildlife, I recommend Bardia.

Is Chitwan National Park worth it?

Chitwan may have become too commercialized over the years, but it is still a great place to visit. There are many different safari packages that you can choose from in Chitwan and you can also combine walking, jeep or canoing.

What is nice about Chitwan is that the town of Sauraha (the tourist hub of Chitwan), has a riverside and lots of restaurants to choose from. It is a nice place to spend a few days to chill before or after going on a jungle safari.

Is Bardia National Park the largest national park in Nepal?

Bardia National Park is the largest national park in the Tarai region of Nepal.

When we look at the whole country of Nepal, then the Shey-Phoksundo National Park is the largest national park in Nepal.

Conclusion

In conclusion, both Bardia and Chitwan offer a unique experience to spot wildlife in Nepal.

While Chitwan may have become commercialized over the years, it can be accessed more easily. The town of Sauraha is also a nice place to relax, chill by the riverside and enjoy food in one of the many restaurants.

Bardia National Park is more remote and takes 17-18 hours to reach. On the other hand, it also means that it has more authentic jungle safaris. Bardia is famous for its tigers and you have the best chance of spotting them here.

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