Natural Wonder · Sauraha, Nepal
Chitwan National Park
Nepal's first national park, a World Heritage Site in the Terai grasslands and forests. Built 1973.
Photo: Praphulla Shrestha via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Sauraha, Nepal |
|---|---|
| Type | Natural Wonder |
| Built | 1973 |
| Area | Area: 952.63 km² |
| Coordinates | 27.5000° N, 84.3333° E |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What Chitwan National Park is known for
Nepal's first national park, a World Heritage Site in the Terai grasslands and forests.
About Chitwan National Park
Chitwan National Park is the first national park of Nepal and was established in 1973 as Royal Chitwan National Park. It was granted the status of a World Heritage Site in 1984. It covers an area of 952.63 km² in the Terai region of south-central Nepal. It ranges in elevation from about 100 m in the river valleys to 815 m in the Sivalik Hills.
History
Since the end of the 19th century Chitwan used to be a favorite hunting ground for Nepal's ruling class during the cool winter seasons. By the end of the 1960s, 70 percent of Chitwan's jungles had been cleared and only 95 rhinos remained, which prompted the government to institute a rhino reconnaissance patrol. The Chitwan National Park was gazetted in December 1970 and established in 1973, initially encompassing an area of 544 km². In 1977, the park was enlarged to its present area of 952.63 km².
Planning a visit? Visit the official Chitwan National Park website — the official site has the current visiting information.
How to get there
| Nearest town | Sauraha |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | Pokhara Airport (PKR) |
| Distance from the airport | 52.6 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark's coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Pokhara International Airport (PHH) · Pokhara, Nepal · 51.1 miles away
- Gautam Buddha International Airport (BWA) · Siddharthanagar (Bhairahawa), Nepal · 56.6 miles away
- Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM) · Kathmandu, Nepal · 64.3 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in Nepal
More natural wonders
Frequently asked questions
What is Chitwan National Park?
Nepal's first national park, a World Heritage Site in the Terai grasslands and forests.
Where is Chitwan National Park located?
Chitwan National Park is in Sauraha, Nepal. Its coordinates are 27.5000° N, 84.3333° E.
How do I get to Chitwan National Park?
The nearest town is Sauraha, and the nearest airport is Pokhara Airport (PKR), about 52.6 miles away (straight line).
When was Chitwan National Park built?
Chitwan National Park was built 1973.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chitwan_National_Park — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1075023 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- https://chitwannationalpark.gov.np — Official website of the landmark / managing body.
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.