Rara Lake and Bardiya Safari – A Scenic 10-Day Adventure in Nepal

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Get to Kathmandu (1,400 m)

Kathmandu, Nepal's lively main city, is where your trip starts. When you get to Tribhuvan International Airport, there will be someone at the gate with your name on a sign to greet you. You will be driven to your hotel in the lively district of Thamel, where there are an abundance of restaurants, cafes, shops, and outdoor gear.

You will be given some downtime to recover after flying. Afterward, there is a brief meeting regarding your journey, where you will find out what you need to bring and have any questions you have answered.

Insider Tip: Consider arriving a day in advance to experience the squares and rooftop cafes of old Kathmandu.

Day 2: Heritage tour of Kathmandu Valley and beautiful flight to Nepalgunj

Go on a culture tour with a guide to some of Kathmandu's UNESCO World Heritage Sites after breakfast. You will see Nepal's spiritual and physical diversity through its old temples, holy stupas, and busy courtyards.

The best parts of the morning Heritage Tour:

• The Buddhist Swayambhunath Stupa, or "Monkey Temple," is perched on a hill with valley vistas and prayer flags flying.
• The Pashupatinath Temple is a holy place for Hindus to visit. It is on the sacred Bagmati River and is where you can see holy sages and rites for cremation.
• There are Tibetan temples and shops selling prayer wheels, incense, and thangka art all around the Boudhanath Stupa, which is one of the biggest stupas in the world.

Later that day, you can take a one-hour domestic trip to Nepalgunj, a subtropical town close to the border with India. This is the main place where people go to get to western Nepal. You'll enjoy a pleasant evening and stay at a nice hotel.

Packing: Remember to bring your passport and photos from a national park with you—you'll need them for permits.

Day 3: A Long Drive to Manma (Kalikot) Through Beautiful Hills and Outlying Villages

The road trip from Nepalgunj to Manma, the district capital of Kalikot, will take all day and have lots of beautiful views. Start your trip on the flat Terai plains and slowly make your way up into the mid-hills of western Nepal. Along the way, you'll see lush green woods and terraced farms.

Before you get to the remote mountain area, you'll go through the important trade towns of Kohalpur and Surkhet. You can get a taste of the wild areas that make up the Rara region by seeing how quickly the land changes.

Manma is a small town in the hills that is set high up on a ridge with a view of deep river bottoms below. The place to stay is a neighborhood guesthouse with basic facilities.

Note: This trip off the beaten road may be rough, but the views and chance to learn about other cultures make it worth it.

Day 4: Make your way to Rara Lake, at 2,990 meters high

Today, continue your off-road trip through thick forests, high meadows, and deep gorges until you reach the beautiful Rara Lake, which is Nepal's biggest freshwater lake.

Traditional Magar and Thakuri towns with stone homes that cling to the sides of hills will be on your way. You will be driving through Sinja Valley, which is an important historical area that was once the capital of the Khas Malla Kingdom. People think that the Nepali language and customs came from this area.

When cars get to Talcha Airport, they can't go anywhere else. A short 30- to 40-minute walk through the trees takes you to the lake. The emerald-blue waters of Rara Lake can be seen as you get closer. In the distance, you can see high Himalayan peaks.

You will stay in a simple lodge by the lake that has limited Wi-Fi but is surrounded by nature and is very quiet.

Day 5: Hike up to Murma Top (3,600 m) and spend the day at Raara Lake

As you wake up, you can hear the birds singing and see the morning light dancing on the lake. After breakfast, start your walk to Murma Top, a hill from which you can see the lake. The path goes up through azalea, pine, and spruce forests. Based on how fast you go, it takes about 2.5 to 3 hours to get to the top.

As you stand on the top of Murma, you can see Rara Lake, the Jumla range, and Api-Saipal Himal off in the distance. When the sky is clear, the blue lake looks like a mirror image of the sky.

Get back to the lake by noon. Relax or go on an adventure in the afternoon:

• Wildflowers can be seen as you walk along the shore.
• Meet the people who live in Rara town and see how they live their traditional life.

Note about wildlife: Red pandas, Himalayan black bears, and musk deer live in Rara, but they are rarely seen. Himalayan Monals and Kalij pheasants are birds that people can look for.

Day 6: Take the road to Rakam through Sinja Valley, which is where Nepali language began

Leave the lake behind and go down toward the Sinja Valley. This is a secret archaeological and cultural gem that has a big part to play in Nepali history.

The road goes through woods and along the banks of rivers to get to the center of Sinja, where you can still see old temples, stone carvings, and irrigation systems that are hundreds of years old. Some historians think this is where the Nepali (Khas) language that is spoken in Nepal today got its start.

Take a short break here to look around:

• Ruins of an old house
• Script carvings from the 12th to the 14th century
• There are caves and natural streams nearby

Keep going until you reach Rakam, a small town on the Karnali River that is peaceful. There is a simple hotel here where you can spend the night. It is surrounded by beautiful nature.

Note about culture: The people who live there speak a unique language and still follow practices that go back to before Hinduism.

Day 7: Drive to Bardiya National Park

Today, the weather and scenery change in a significant manner. Enjoy a long drive through Surkhet and Nepalgunj in the morning. In western Nepal's jungle lowlands, you'll reach Bardiya, a paradise.

It goes from rough hills to flat, tropical flats. You'll be driving next to rivers and rice fields, and you might see water buffalo or banana farms. You'll stay at a nice jungle camp close to the park's edge. In the evening, take a short walk along the Karnali River to relax and then eat a traditional Tharu dinner made with food from the area.

Note on the weather: Bardiya can get hot and sticky. It's best to wear light cotton clothes and bug spray.

Day 8: Full-Day activities at Bardia National Park

Spend the whole day in one of South Asia's best-kept wildlife habitats. Endangered animals such the Bengal tiger and the one-horned rhinoceros call Bardiya National Park home. A naturalist guide will take you around the river corridors, grasslands, and dense sal forests of the park.

Possible Things to Do on Safari:

• Jeep Safari in the morning deep into tiger country.
• Going on a walking safari with a guide to do silent tracking.
• Birdwatching tour where more than 400 species can be seen.
• Go on a canoe ride to see otters, gharials, and swamp muggers.
• Visit to the center for breeding elephants

In the evening, you can see a Tharu culture dance show with traditional music and stick dances.

Tip for Wildlife: To see tigers more often, get up early, move quietly, and pay attention to what your guide says.

Day 9: Fly to Kathmandu

Drive back to Nepalgunj after breakfast. It will take about 3–4 hours. You'll take a beautiful flight to Kathmandu in the afternoon, going over the Himalayas and the huge Terai plains.

When you get back to Kathmandu, you'll be taken to your hotel. You'll have some free time to buy some last-minute souvenirs, go to some shops, or have a farewell Nepalese dinner with our team.

You can ask about adding on extra days in Bhaktapur, Patan, or a yoga vacation before your flight home if you want to.

Day 10: Departure

We'll set up your airport transfer based on when the flight is. Our staff will make sure you leave on time, with happy memories of your trip through Nepal's lakes, hills, jungles, and old towns.

We hope you come back one day to see more of Nepal's beautiful scenery and fascinating people.

Get ready for an adventure in nature!

This 10-day plan for a Rara Lake and Bardiya Safari lets you see Nepal's best-kept secrets. From the clear waters of Rara Lake to the wild woods of Bardiya, every moment is full of new discoveries and experiences that you will never forget.

Picture yourself:

• From Murma Top, you can see snow-capped hills reflected in Rara's clear water.
• Tracking tigers over Bardiya's dense forests.
• Telling stories to people who live in remote mountain towns.
• Rare animals being seen in their natural environment.

Your trip through these untouched places will change the way you think about Nepal's rich natural history. Each place has its own magic. For example, the Himalayas are peacefully beautiful, while the Terai plains are wild and undeveloped.

Are you ready to make plans? Get in touch with local tour companies that specialize in these faraway places. They will help you change this plan so that it fits your hobbies and level of comfort.

Remember that the best part of traveling is being open to the unpredictable. Let the rocks show you the way. Prepare for the wild to surprise you. Your trip through Nepal's natural beauty is about to begin.

[Start your trip right now and make experiences that will last a lifetime.]