Stunning views and sprawling snow-capped mountains have been an identity of Nepal. Along with the extravagant Himalayas, you are likely to come across the most beautiful national parks in Nepal. Yes, you will have more than just the mountains here.
The Terai plains, bordering India, are home to fantastic wildlife and steamy jungles that are preserved as national parks. There are other national parks within hilly terrains that can be accessed from Kathmandu. You don’t have to get through days of trekking in order to cherish the wildernesses. Read further to know about the top national parks in Nepal.
Top National Parks In Nepal
1. Chitwan National Park
The Chitwan National Park is one of the most popular and easily accessible national parks from Pokhara and Kathmandu. It is situated on the Indian border. It has run a successful conservation program for one-horned rhinoceros and has several zero-poaching areas. Visitors can easily spot one of them out of more than 600 rhinos living here.
You can meet other species including Gharials, elephants, and numerous birds. Royal Bengal Tigers also live here. However, it may be difficult to spot one of them. It would take you 4-5 hours of bus journey to reach Chitwan. This National Park is the best visited from November to March when the weather is cooler.
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2. Sagarmatha National Park
Sagarmatha is known to be the Nepali name for the highest, Mount Everest. The Everest sits on the Tibetian border, on the northern edge of the Sagarmatha National Park. However, more things would grab your attention in the national park.
Within the national park, there are dazzlingly blue Gokyo Lakes, the Dudh Kosi River, the Sherpa town, and various remote valleys and high mountains other than Everest.
Sagarmatha National Park is a part of the popular Everest Base Camp Trek and most of the visitors visit it that way. Trekking is said to be the only way of reaching here unless you can get yourself a private helicopter tour since here’s no access to the road.
3. Langtang National Park
Easily accessible from Kathmandu, Langtang National Park offers various amazing multi-day treks. You may reach here through a few hours of bus travel or flights (according to the weather).
The spectacular five-day Langtang Valley trek takes you along the Langtang River on the Tibetian border. You will easily get a bus or jeep to take you from Kathmandu to Syabru Besi or Dhunche.
4. Bardia National Park
Bardia National Park is the one as popular as Chitwan. However, there are fewer visitors here. You will have more chances of spotting a tiger here. The Karnali, Nepal’s, last free-flowing river makes it’s way through the national park, gushing down from Tibet. It is one of the most beautiful national parks in Nepal.
To make it even more interesting, you may take up the 10-day white-water rafting trip down the River Karnali. You will have to take up a bus ride from Kathmandu and then a short overland journey from Nepalganj in order to reach Bardia. Winters are probably the best to visit here.
5. Shivapuri-Nagarjun National Park
If you are traveling with little time in hand and want to be near Kathmandu then this is one of the top national parks in Nepal. Situated on the extreme edge of Kathmandu, this national park has two unconnected parts: Shivpuri and Nagarjun. Shivpuri National Park is the most commonly visited.
It is home to various lookout points with panoramic views, the Nagi Gumba monastery, and excellent day hiking experiences. Deep inside the forest at the summit of Mount Shivpuri, there’s Baghdwar where the holy river Bagmati starts. This part of the national park is easily accessible from Kathmandu via a bus or a taxi that will take you to Budhanilkantha.
6. Rara National Park
This is one of the most beautiful national parks in Nepal with some of the deepest and most surreal lakes. Situated 9,809 feet high this place is preferred for camping and trekking by most of the visitors.
Amid juniper and Coniferous trees, this would be a great experience. You may take up a combined trek to the nearby Phoksundo lake in the east. It is a part of the Shey Phoksundo National Park. You can easily reach the Rara National Park through flights.
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7. Makalu-Barun National Park
Makalu-Barun National Park is one of the less frequently visited places in Nepal, situated just to the east of Sagarmatha National Park. However, it offers to explore the absolute real mountain wildernesses for adventure seekers. This national park has been popular for covering a vast altitude range. The Arun Valley Trek is worth seeking experience here.
Plan your visit to one of these most beautiful national parks in Nepal for an experience of a lifetime.
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