Nepalgunj: The Flight Hub for Bardia, Rara and Dolpo

Last updated 10 October 2026.

Nepalgunj is a hot Terai border town at 150 m, close to the Indian border in the far west of Nepal. Nobody comes to Nepal to see it. We use it as an airport. It is where the flight from Kathmandu lands before you drive to Bardia National Park, and it is also where you change aircraft for Rara Lake and Lower Dolpo. On our Bardia National Park Wildlife Tour, 4 days by flight, you arrive here on the morning of day 1 and leave on day 4.

Short answer: Nepalgunj is at 150 m (492 ft). The flight from Kathmandu takes about an hour. From the airport it is a drive of 2 to 3 hours west to the lodge at Bardia. Winter fog can delay flights between December and January, so do not book an onward international flight for the same evening.

Nepalgunj at a glance

Where does Nepalgunj sit on our trips?

• Bardia National Park Wildlife Tour, 4 days by flight: day 1 you fly in and drive to Bardia. On day 4 you drive back to Nepalgunj and fly to Kathmandu.
• Rara Lake Trek, 9 days: day 1 is the morning flight to Nepalgunj and a second, smaller aircraft on to Jumla.
• Lower Dolpo Circuit Trek, 15 days: you fly Kathmandu to Nepalgunj on day 1, then to Juphal on day 2, and return the same way.

Most people who visit Nepalgunj pass through it in a morning. Bardia is the reason to come this far west, and you can read why in my Bardia guide.

Why fly to Nepalgunj and not take the road?

Because the flight turns a long day into a short one. The road from Kathmandu to the west is a full day of driving, and the four-day programme flies you in so that you do not lose two days on the road. You land in the morning, drive to the lodge, have lunch, and walk down to the Karnali riverbank and through the nearest Tharu village in the late afternoon, when the light is soft and the birds are active. If you have more time and want to compare, Chitwan versus Bardia sets out the two parks.

What do you do on a Bardia tour from Nepalgunj?

Day 2 is a full-day jeep safari in an open jeep with a naturalist guide, starting early because most animals are active in the cool of the morning and evening. The park is sal forest, open grassland and the Karnali river. You may see deer, wild boar, monkeys and many birds. Tigers and one-horned rhinos live here, and we look for them, but they are rarely seen and no guide can promise a sighting. Day 3 is a jungle walk on a marked trail with the naturalist and an armed park guide, then a dugout canoe on the Karnali, where with luck you see a Gangetic dolphin, and in the evening a Tharu cultural programme in a village near the lodge. We run the jeep, the walks and the canoe only. There are no animal rides and no captive-animal visits.

What is Nepalgunj like to wait in?

Hot and busy. On the Rara and Dolpo trips you spend the night here before the mountain flight, and the hotel is on the Rapti riverbank, around twenty minutes from the airport. It is a border town with a lively bazaar, humid air and, in the warm months, temperatures that push past 35 degrees. Use the afternoon to repack and recheck your documents. The mountain flights leave early, so the evening is for dinner and bed.

What can go wrong with the flights?

The airline sets the flight times, and winter fog can delay flights between December and January. The Bardia programme ends with an early birdwatching walk if the flight time allows, then breakfast and the drive to Nepalgunj airport. Do not book an onward international flight for the same evening, and keep a spare day if you can. On the mountain flights to Jumla and Juphal the weather decides, and your guide will tell you the plan at dinner.

When is the best time to come through Nepalgunj?

For the Bardia tour in 2027, October to March is the main window, and it is the same as Chitwan. October to December gives warm days, cool nights and dry trails. The monsoon, June to September, floods the parks. April and May are hot. Rara Lake and Lower Dolpo have their own seasons, and I give those on the trip pages. Read my Bardia safari cost guide for the planning side.

What are the lodges like?

At Bardia you stay in a lodge close to the park and the Karnali. The itinerary lists lunch and dinner on day 1, all meals on days 2 and 3, and breakfast on day 4. In Nepalgunj on the mountain trips, the hotel is a plain base for one night.

Questions people ask

How high is Nepalgunj? About 150 m, which is 492 ft. It is a lowland town.

How long is the flight from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj? About an hour. The airline sets the times.

How far is Bardia from Nepalgunj? A drive of 2 to 3 hours through villages and farmland.

Do I need to stay a night in Nepalgunj for Bardia? No. On the 4-day tour you drive straight on to the lodge.

Can fog stop the flights? Winter fog can delay flights between December and January. Do not book an onward international flight for the same evening.

Will I see a tiger at Bardia? Tigers live in the park but are rarely seen, and no guide can promise a sighting.

Do you offer elephant rides at Bardia? No. We offer the jeep, the walks and the canoe only.

How are the terms for these trips?

Group size is 2 to 20, and you can also trek solo. The deposit is 10 per cent and it is non-refundable, with no refund if you cancel. You can reschedule free of charge with at least 72 hours notice to any date within one year. The balance is paid on arrival in Kathmandu in USD or EUR, cash or by card. Card carries 3.5 per cent and cash in Kathmandu carries none. We do not take Nepali rupees from foreign clients.

The Lower Dolpo trek is a restricted area, so for that trip the rescheduling notice is 7 days.

How do you plan this with us?

Message me on WhatsApp on +977 9810351300 with your dates, how many of you there are and the month you have in mind and whether you want Bardia or one of the far-west treks. I will tell you which tier and which route I would choose, and send you the exact quote.

Written by Shreejan Simkhada, CEO of The Everest Holiday, from a family of three generations of family guides. TAAN Member #1586. WhatsApp +977 9810351300.