Rafting in Nepal

The Trishuli is Nepal’s rafting nursery. The Prithvi Highway follows it west from Kathmandu, so put-ins at Charaudi, Fishling and Kurintar are a short drive from the city, and a day trip leaves around 7am and returns in the evening. The rapids are class III, with big wave trains in autumn, and the water is warm enough in spring to swim the calm stretches. Many people tack it on to the journey to Pokhara or Chitwan: you raft in the morning and the operator drops you at the bus. Two-day trips camp on a beach with a fire, about USD 100 to 160 all in.

From Pokhara, the Upper Seti is a half-day class III run a short drive from Lakeside, good for a first taste or a rest day between treks. The Lower Seti is a gentler two-day trip through a forested valley with almost no villages, class II to III, ending near the Trishuli confluence, so you can finish on the way to Chitwan. It is the best river in Nepal for families and nervous first-timers, at about USD 100 to 150 for two days.

The Kali Gandaki, which flows south from Mustang through the deepest gorge in the Himalaya, has a classic three-day class III to IV section west of Pokhara past temples and cremation ghats. The Marsyangdi, on the Annapurna Circuit side, is a short, technical class IV to V river favoured by kayakers. Hydropower dams have shortened both, so ask your operator which sections still run.

The Karnali, Nepal’s longest river, is the trip rafters come back for. The usual plan is to fly to Nepalgunj, drive north to the put-in, spend most of a week rafting through a steep, uninhabited canyon with big class IV rapids in high water, then float out of the hills at Chisapani on the edge of Bardiya National Park. Many groups add two nights in Bardiya to look for tigers and rhinos. With travel it takes about 7 to 10 days. The Karnali is one of the last big rivers in Nepal without a major dam, and the side canyons, waterfalls and white-sand beaches make it as much a wilderness trip as a whitewater one.

The Sun Koshi, the “river of gold”, starts at Dolalghat east of Kathmandu and runs about 270 km to Chatara at the edge of the plains near Dharan. It takes 8 to 10 days, building from easy class II in the first days to heavy class IV to V rapids lower down as tributaries join, with long quiet stretches and village life on the banks in between. Expedition prices run from about USD 900 to 1,300.

Further east, the Tamur combines a trek of several days from Basantapur with a steep, continuous class IV to V descent, also finishing at Chatara. The Arun is run only rarely. Both need a specialist operator and a group that is comfortable swimming big water.

The main seasons follow trekking: October to December, when rivers are still high and powerful after the monsoon, and March to May, when water is lower, warmer and more technical. From June to September the big rivers flood and most expeditions stop, though some operators keep running the Trishuli for experienced rafters and swap the Upper Seti for smaller Pokhara rivers such as the Middle Seti. December to February is cold on the water but fine on the lower rivers in a wetsuit. Our best time to visit Nepal page has the weather month by month.

Prices usually include transport, a guide in each raft, meals, helmets, life jackets and the river permit, which licensed operators buy for each client, river and number of days. Cheap Trishuli deals sold in Thamel often bundle several operators onto one bus, so ask who actually runs the trip. Book day trips a day or two ahead; book the Karnali and Sun Koshi weeks ahead, since departures need a minimum group. Many people pair a river trip with a trek or a stay in one of the national parks.

Pick an operator with safety kayakers on the harder rivers, a trained guide in every raft and first-aid kit, and ask how much experience the guides have on that river. On the Karnali and Sun Koshi you are days from a road, so evacuation means a helicopter: check that your insurance covers rafting and remote rescue. The busy highway along the Trishuli is more dangerous than the rapids, so take care at roadside put-ins. For wider risks, see our Nepal safety guide.