Rafting in Nepal: Everything You Need to Know

Nepal is the best place for adventure activities and you’ll find rafting in Nepal detailed information here. Due to the high rainfall and hilly terrain, Nepal is known as one of the best destinations in the world for freshwater recreation. Rafting trip in the rivers crashing down from the immense peaks through the foothills with the waves of the river. Particularly, during the monsoon, the rafting becomes more challenging because of strong rapids and whirlpools. There are several rivers suitable for white water rafting ranging from the tranquil to the extreme. The rumbling rivers falling from the glaciers of the mighty Himalayas provide a memorable experience for rafters.

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Nepal has many rivers for you to explore such as Trishuli River Rafting, Seti River rafting, Bhote Koshi River rafting, Kali Gandaki River rafting, Marsyangdi River rafting, Sun Koshi River rafting, Arun River rafting, Karnali River rafting and Tamur River rafting. The Trisuli offers the best introduction to rafting and one can take a trip for one to three days. The Sunkosi, river of gold is a true white water river for the enthusiast, taking 10 days to negotiate. The Tamakosi, River of Copper, and The Kaligandaki are beautiful rivers, offering 5 to 8 days of some of the best white water rafting in Nepal. The Arun, The Marshyangdi, and The Seti Rivers are perfect for family expeditions of 2 to 3 days duration. The Bheri and The Karnali Rivers are fast-flowing and deep with sparkling clear water and strong rapids, untouched and unspoiled. Rafting trips take 1 day to a few days.

Trisuli River Rafting in Nepal

The Trisuli is Nepal’s most popular rafting river, with impressive gorges, exciting rapids, and rafting this river is the most renowned one which includes small gorges. On the way there you can get sight of the cable car that takes you to the famous Hindu Temple Manakamana (wish-fulfilling goddess). This trip is exciting, fun, and safe for all age groups and is easily accessible from Kathmandu and Pokhara. The Trisuli rafting trip can be easily combined with a trek out of Pokhara and a visit to Chitwan National Park. Rafting in Trishuli River is an excellent experience for those looking for a short river trip, without having difficulties of huge whirlpools, but rather with exhilarating rapids, beautiful scenery, and a relatively peaceful environment.

Trishuli rafting full details

Bhotekoshi River Rafting

Also, rafting in Bhote Koshi/Upper Sun Kosi (during high water) river is considered as one of the best short white water rafting trips in the world. It is the steepest river that is rafted in Nepal which offers a stunning setting, breathtaking drops, gorges, limestone formations, and a technical river requiring an active crew. The river flows through a narrow valley covered in lush green vegetation and from the rocks flow down crystal clear waterfalls.

Bhotekoshi rafting full details

Marsyangdi River Rafting

The “raging river”, drains the northern slopes of the Annapurna mountains. Opened to rafting in 1996 it yields some of the most exciting class IV-V white water in Nepal. This river demands 100% commitment from both crew and guide. It is not for the faint-hearted! Located on the eastern side of the Annapurna circuit, the Marsyangdi River has long been famous for its beautiful views and world-class white water. With each twist and turn the steep-sided gorge walls frame a new mountain backdrop.

Marsyangdi Rafting full details

Karnali River Rafting

The Karnali is the longest river in Nepal and it covers the lowland trek with some of the most beautiful natural scenery of the western part of Nepal. It is a very remote area and the drive from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj takes about 12 hours and it takes about five hours to drive to the trek starting point. The trek lasts for two days from Surkhet through the forest. The Rafting gives you plenty of time to explore the river, canyons, waterfall, and aquatic life. You will be able to see river crocodiles, gharial and maybe the rare river dolphins.

Karnali River Rafting

Bheri River Rafting

A remote and easy river, blue water, white beaches, and fine campsites. This must be one of your premier rafting trips in Nepal. It has some of the best fishing in Nepal, together with beautiful and diverse scenery, lots of wildlife, and unspoiled villages. Two large tributaries, the Thuli (large) and the Sani (small) join at Ramnagar to form the main Bheri river.

Seti River Rafting

River Rafting, Bhote Koshi, Trishuli, Marsyang, Karnali, Seti, Bheri, Kali GandakiA unique river passing through two beautiful and contrasting scenic areas. Relatively small volume, blue water, and also warm water. We recommence this as a ‘warm-up’ river for intermediate kayakers. The trip starts from Damauli.

Sunkoshi River Rafting

The SaptaKosi river system drains the entire eastern Nepal Himalaya from Gosainkund to the north of Kathmandu, the Khumbu (Everest) Himal, Makalu, and further east as far as the southwestern flanks of Kangchenjunga. Thus, forming the largest drainage system in Nepal.

One of the most exciting ways to see the eastern middle hills of Nepal is to take the 10-day whitewater raft trip down the Sunkoshi River. Starting from Dolalghat about 3 hours drive from Kathmandu on the Arniko Highway, the raft trip will take adventures on a fascinating journey, encountering some of the most exciting whitewater rapids. The rafters will go through many technical sections, raging rapids as well as calm, stretches in their ten days adventure.

Floating downstream we will have a chance to stop at beautiful Newari villages untouched by modernity. As we get further downstream many tributaries such as the Tamba Koshi, Likhu khola Dudh Koshi (coming from the Everest region), the Arun, and the Tamur merge with the SunKoshi making the river wider and wider. Many different terrains and vegetation types are encountered on this trip. On day seven, we enter narrow gorges that are covered on either side by tropical trees, ferns, Broad leaf frees, ferns bamboo festooned with orchids, creepers, and mosses canopy the river banks. There is also a wide variety of bird life for bird lovers. River birds, dippers, flycatchers, wallcreepers, bulbul, forktails, ibisbill the list goes on for over 400 species.

Every campsite by the river has its attractions but all share the beauty of the Nepali countryside, the unspoiled beaches. After ten days of this exhilarating experience, we will end the river trip at Chattra Ghat as the Koshi flows into the Terai lowlands. From here we will drive to Dharan and then fly or drive to Kathmandu.

Kaligandaki White Water

With the recent completion of the new Pokhara-Baglung road, this river is destined to become one of the world’s classic multiple-day river expeditions. Views of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri mountains as you run some moderate to difficult rapids make this river unique. Rich in culture, we start from Pokhara and visit villages, Temples, and an old haunted palace. The trip can be combined with any trek in the Annapurna region.

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