Koshi Tappu Birding Tour, 5 Days from Kathmandu

From US$13355 DaysUpdated Oct 9, 2026

At a glance: cost

A fully guided Koshi Tappu Birding Tour, 5 Days from Kathmandu with The Everest Holiday costs $1,335 (Budget), $1,545 (Standard), or $2,500 (Premium) per person for the 5-Days trip. Budget about $20/day for personal expenses; travel insurance is arranged separately.

Koshi Tappu Birding Tour, 5 Days from Kathmandu price by tier
TierPrice (per person)
Budget$1,335
Standard$1,545
Premium$2,500

Book with a 10% deposit; balance payable in Kathmandu. Full inclusions and group-discount tiers are below.

Quick Overview
Duration5 Days
Trip GradeEasy
CountryNepal
Maximum AltitudeBelow 300 m / 985 ft
Group Size1-20
StartsKathmandu
EndsKathmandu
ActivitiesBirdwatching, boat trips, photography and short walks
Best TimeOct to Mar

Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve lies on the Sapta Koshi river in the eastern Terai, and it is a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance. Its grasslands, mudflats and water channels are a stop for tens of thousands of migrating birds on the Central Asian Flyway, and the reserve protects Nepal's last wild water buffalo. This five-day tour is for people who come for the birds: four nights in a lodge near the reserve, with dawn walks, boat trips through the river channels, and time to watch and photograph.

You fly from Kathmandu to Biratnagar on day 1 and back on day 5, so no days are lost on the road. The best months are October to March, when the winter migrants are in. We watch from a respectful distance, we never bait or feed wildlife or play recorded calls, and we offer no rides on any animal. The Everest Holiday is a family company founded in 2016, from three generations of guiding in the Himalayas.

Why Book This Trek With The Everest Holiday

Three Generations of Family Guides

Family-run since 2016 with three generations of guiding heritage. Not an agency — the family that runs the company leads your trek personally.

Private Group — No Strangers

Every trek we run is private. Your group only. We never combine bookings or add strangers to your party. If you book solo, you walk with a guide; if you book as four friends, your group stays four.

Nagarjun Learning Center Giveback

A fixed share of every booking funds the Nagarjun Learning Center — 70 children, 7 community centres, 3 full-time teachers, 600+ medical interventions, 275+ women supported. You see the impact at the centre on day 1.

Government Registered, TAAN Member

Govt Regd. No. 147653/072/073. Trekking Agency Licence 2090/072, Travel Agency Licence 2838/072. TAAN Member #1586. Over 300 reviews on TripAdvisor, Google and Trustpilot. We are a real, audited Nepal company — not a booking-platform middleman.

Itinerary

Day 01: Fly from Kathmandu to Biratnagar and drive to the lodge
Max Altitude: Below 300 m / 985 ft
Day 02: Dawn birding walk, then a boat on the river channels
Max Altitude: Below 300 m / 985 ft
Day 03: A full day in the grassland, mudflats and channels
Max Altitude: Below 300 m / 985 ft
Day 04: Another boat trip and a village walk
Max Altitude: Below 300 m / 985 ft
Day 05: A last dawn walk, then the drive to Biratnagar and the flight to Kathmandu
Max Altitude: Kathmandu 1,400 m / 4,590 ft
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Pricing & What's Included

  • Most Popular
Book your own private small group trip
No. of travellers
Price per person
1 pax
US$1980
2 - 4 pax
US$1335
5 - 8 pax
US$955
9 - 12 pax
US$855
13 - 20 pax
US$835

Discounts are determined exclusively by the size of your group. We do not add additional members to your group.

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Secure Payment by Himalayan Bank.
Cost Includes

Accommodation

  • 4 nights in a simple lodge near the reserve, twin share (a single room if you travel alone)

Meals

  • Breakfast each morning

Guide, flights and transport

  • English-speaking licensed guide for all 5 days
  • Flights from Kathmandu to Biratnagar and back, for you and for your guide
  • Airport pick-up and drop-off in Kathmandu
  • Private car or van sized to your group for every transfer and reserve day
  • Transfers between Biratnagar airport and the lodge

Reserve and activities

  • Reserve entrance fee
  • Private boat trips on the river channels with your guide
  • Dawn and dusk birding walks

Government taxes and our service charge

  • Government taxes and our service charge

Complimentary

  • First aid kit with pulse oximeter
  • Bottled water in the vehicle
Cost Excludes

Not included

  • Lunch and dinner, drinks
  • International flights
  • Nepal visa
  • Travel insurance (buy at home)
  • Tips for the guide and driver
  • Personal expenses, drinks and laundry
  • Binoculars and camera equipment (bring your own)
  • Kathmandu hotel nights before or after the programme
Add-Ons and Trip Extension

One extra night in a Kathmandu hotel matching your tier, twin-sharing, for example before the programme or after it. Choose the number of person-nights: two guests for one night is 2. A solo traveller pays for a single room, so choose 2 for one night.

One extra vehicle transfer in Kathmandu or Pokhara, for example a late arrival or a change of hotel. Choose the number of transfers.

Dates & Booking

Your trek, your choice, your price

Choose the style that suits you. Book a private departure on any date with just your party, or join a fixed group departure and trek with fellow adventurers from around the world. Same routes, same guides, same quality — 3 comfort tiers on both options. Per-person price follows our group-discount tiers based on YOUR party size (a couple pays less per pax than a solo trekker, 5+ pays less again) — the same tiers apply on both booking types.

Private Departure

  • Any date you choose
  • Just your party + dedicated guide
  • 3 comfort tiers (Budget, Standard, Luxury)
  • Per-pax price tier set by YOUR party size

Fixed Group Departure

  • Scheduled dates (see below)
  • Join other trekkers from around the world
  • 3 comfort tiers (Budget, Standard, Luxury)
  • Per-pax price tier set by YOUR party size (same tier as Private)
Book Private DepartureView Group Departures ↓

Prefer email? Send a question and we will reply within a few hours.

Peak season (Sep–Nov) — our guides book up fast. Get in touch 6–8 weeks ahead to secure your preferred dates.

Fixed Group Departures

Join one of our scheduled fixed departures and share the trail with other trekkers on the same dates. Choose your preferred tier (Budget, Standard, or Luxury) when booking. Per-person price follows our group-discount tiers based on YOUR party size — a couple pays less per person than a solo trekker, and a party of 5+ pays less again. The same tiers apply on private departures too.

Need a different date? Extra departure dates are available on request. Contact us or message Shreejan on WhatsApp.

Start DateEnd DateSeasonStatusBook a Tier
16 Oct 202620 Oct 2026Autumn 2026Open
BudgetStandardLuxury
26 Oct 202630 Oct 2026Autumn 2026Open
BudgetStandardLuxury
5 Nov 20269 Nov 2026Autumn 2026Open
BudgetStandardLuxury
15 Nov 202619 Nov 2026Autumn 2026Open
BudgetStandardLuxury
25 Nov 202629 Nov 2026Autumn 2026Open
BudgetStandardLuxury
1 Mar 20275 Mar 2027Spring 2027Open
BudgetStandardLuxury
11 Mar 202715 Mar 2027Spring 2027Open
BudgetStandardLuxury
21 Mar 202725 Mar 2027Spring 2027Open
BudgetStandardLuxury
31 Mar 20274 Apr 2027Spring 2027Open
BudgetStandardLuxury
10 Apr 202714 Apr 2027Spring 2027Open
BudgetStandardLuxury
20 Apr 202724 Apr 2027Spring 2027Open
BudgetStandardLuxury
30 Apr 20274 May 2027Spring 2027Open
BudgetStandardLuxury
10 May 202714 May 2027Spring 2027Open
BudgetStandardLuxury
20 May 202724 May 2027Spring 2027Open
BudgetStandardLuxury
30 May 20273 Jun 2027Spring 2027Open
BudgetStandardLuxury
1 Sept 20275 Sept 2027Autumn 2027Open
BudgetStandardLuxury
11 Sept 202715 Sept 2027Autumn 2027Open
BudgetStandardLuxury
21 Sept 202725 Sept 2027Autumn 2027Open
BudgetStandardLuxury
1 Oct 20275 Oct 2027Autumn 2027Open
BudgetStandardLuxury
11 Oct 202715 Oct 2027Autumn 2027Open
BudgetStandardLuxury
21 Oct 202725 Oct 2027Autumn 2027Open
BudgetStandardLuxury
31 Oct 20274 Nov 2027Autumn 2027Open
BudgetStandardLuxury
10 Nov 202714 Nov 2027Autumn 2027Open
BudgetStandardLuxury
20 Nov 202724 Nov 2027Autumn 2027Open
BudgetStandardLuxury
30 Nov 20274 Dec 2027Autumn 2027Open
BudgetStandardLuxury

Fixed departures are dates we have already committed to run. Your party still treks as its own private group with its own guide; we never merge bookings or add strangers, and solo trekkers are welcome on any date. Private departures on any other date you choose are also available. On both, the per-person price is set by the size of your own party.

Questions about this trek?

Chat directly with Shreejan — our founder replies personally within minutes

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Essential Information

Before you go

  • Best months: October to March, when the migratory birds are in. Wildlife is wild, so no bird, dolphin or animal can be promised.
  • How we watch: we keep a respectful distance, never bait or feed wildlife, never play recorded calls, and never flush a bird for a photograph. Your guide decides how close a boat or a walker goes. We offer no rides on any animal.
  • What to bring: binoculars and a camera with a long lens are not provided, so bring your own. Bring neutral-coloured clothes, a hat, sun cream and insect repellent.
  • Pace: the walks are short and slow. No special fitness is needed, but you spend long periods standing or sitting still.
  • Flights: the Biratnagar flights can be delayed. Keep a spare day before any onward international flight.
  • Documents: bring your passport.

FAQs

Koshi Tappu is a stop for tens of thousands of migrating birds on the Central Asian Flyway, so expect ducks, waders and birds of prey on the water and the mudflats. What you see depends on the month and the weather, and we cannot promise a species. October to March is the best time.
You may see Gangetic dolphins in the channels and the wild water buffalo that the reserve protects. Both are wild and the dolphin is shy, so we cannot promise either.
No. It suits beginners, keen amateurs and photographers. The walks are short and slow, and your guide helps you find and identify what you see.
You fly from Kathmandu to Biratnagar, and our driver takes you from the airport to the lodge, a drive of about an hour and a half. The same route brings you back on day 5. Flights can be delayed, so keep a spare day before any onward international flight.
No. We do not offer rides on any animal. We watch wildlife on foot and from boats, from a respectful distance.
We never bait or feed animals, never play recorded calls, and never flush a bird for a photograph. Your guide decides how close a boat or a walker goes, and the animal comes first.
Yes. Binoculars and camera equipment are not included, so bring your own.
Yes. The official entrance fees for foreign visitors are set by the Nepal Tourism Board and are paid for you.
Yes. Your guide and vehicle are for your party only. We never add strangers to a private booking.
The programme is the same on all three. Budget gives you a simple lodge room, breakfast and the activities. Standard gives you a private room, all meals and a guide in your language where we have one. Luxury gives you the best available lodge room or safari tent to yourselves, all meals with non-alcoholic drinks, a senior guide and a more spacious vehicle.
No. A child pays the same as an adult, because permits, hotels, a seat in the vehicle and taxes cost us the same for a child. Tell us the age of each child when you book so we can plan the days around them.
A licensed guide leads every day. We tell you your guide's name once your booking is confirmed.
If we cannot run your trip, we refund what you have paid, less taxes, bank or card charges and any money already spent on your behalf, or move you to another date. If you cancel yourself, the deposit is not refundable, but you can reschedule free to any date within one year with at least 72 hours' notice.
Yes. Buy travel insurance at home, before you travel, and check that it covers medical care, domestic flights and the dates of your trip. We do not recommend insurance bought in Nepal.
You pay a 10% deposit to book and the balance before the trip. We take US dollars or euros, in cash or by card. Card payments carry a 3.5% bank charge.