Tamur River Expedition – 13 Days

We will fly to Biratnagar (80 m) from Tribhuvan International Airport or Basantapur. If you choose to fly, it will take about 45 minutes to reach Biratnagar. Then, from Biratnagar, we will take you to Basantapur by bus. 

Please note: If you prefer to fly, mention this to our office personnel when booking the Expedition. Biratnagar is the second biggest city in Nepal and is located near the south-eastern border with India.

Our Expedition will begin with a trek from Basantapur to Chauki, which takes around 4 to 5 hours. The trail is quite challenging, and we will employ porters to carry your personal gear bags. The guides will show you the way. By the time we reach Chauki, we will be exhausted. In Chauki, we will stay in a local tea house, where we will enjoy our dinner.

After breakfast, we will resume our trek. After about 4 to 5 hours, we will reach Gupha Pokhari, a lake at 2,900 meters in the Sankhuwasabha district. The trail to Gupha Pokhari is equally fascinating; you will witness beautiful landscapes and diverse cultures.

If you take this trip during the March to June season, you will experience different varieties of rhododendrons in full bloom. From your trail, you will also enjoy the views of Mt. Kanchanjunga (the world’s third-highest mountain, at 8,586 m) and Mt. Everest (the world’s highest mountain, at 8,848 m). We will spend our night at Gupha Pokhari in our Camp.

After a hearty breakfast, we will continue our trek from Gupha Pokhari to Gorja. You will be amazed by the variety of flora and fauna you will see on the way. You will also be able to observe some of the most remote rural settlements in Nepal and perhaps the world. We will stay in our Camp for the night at Gorja.

This is the final day of trekking. We will start from Gorja and reach Dovan in about 3 hours, where we will set up our Camp. We will spend the day resting and preparing to run on Tamur the next day.

By now, we will have trekked for 4 days; today, the much-anticipated part of the Expedition – rafting starts. We will get to Kabeli Khola (the River is called Khola in Nepali) from Dovan. We will prepare all the necessary gear, and the professional rafters will brief you on the safety measures. On this day, we will encounter some challenging white water rapids like House Rock (Class IV), Pariah Dog (Class IV+), Hodson’s Sandwich (Class IV+), and Hodson’s Last Rite (Class IV+) while paddling for about 25 kilometers in Kabeli Khola. We will camp at a beach by the banks of Kabeli for that day.

We will raft to Hinwa Khola from Kabeli. The rapids become more challenging right from the beginning, but the rapids decrease in frequency once we cross the Limbu Bridge. While rafting, we will see white sandy beaches, blue water, and sparsely populated areas. We might be seeing more monkeys than people. As we raft downwards, we will see lower mountain regions. This region is near the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve (75 m – 81 m). Hence, you get to see various varieties of birds. Koshi Tappu is home to around 500 bird species. We will stop by the sandy beaches and set up our Camp.

After breakfast, we will start rafting from Hinwa Khola to Limbhu Khola. At first, the river is flat, so we can loosen ourselves a bit and enjoy the landscape. Interested Kayakers may kayak in this region. On our way, we will encounter a few Class II or III rapids. Over the river, we will occasionally see suspension bridges. We will spend that night in the Camp by the side of Limbhu Khola.

By this day, we will have rafted on some of the most exciting and vigorous rapids for four days, so we will get a chance to relax. As we raft, we will pass only a few small rapids. In around four hours, we will reach Mulghat from Limbhu Khola. We will spend the night at Mulghat.

The next day, we will paddle on the Tamur River to reach Tribeni (Tribeni means confluence of three rivers in Nepali). On our way, we will pass through 30 exciting, continuous rapids; the most notable ones are Ashram (Class IV+), Hell Hole (Class IV), and Bat Below (Class IV). We will set up our Camp for that day at Tribeni, by the side of the Sun Koshi.

After breakfast, we will raft until we reach the famous Hindu temple of Baraha. We will spend some time sightseeing and then paddle to Chatara – our final put-out point. We will have our lunch at a local restaurant. From Chatara, we will take a private bus and drive to Kathmandu for about 14 to 15 hours. We will stop our bus for dinner at a Nepali restaurant. You can choose to stop at Chitwan National Park to enjoy the wildlife.

There is one more option; you may go to Biratnagar from Chatara and then fly to Kathmandu. For arrangements, please talk to the Nepal River Runner representative. You must mention that you will take a flight at the time of booking.

By morning, we will have reached Kathmandu. You will have time to rest and get fresh in your hotel. After resting, you can go for last-minute souvenir shopping. Again, if you require, our guides will recommend the best places to buy souvenirs. In the evening, you will have a farewell dinner with our office representatives (along with guides) in a typical Nepali restaurant. We will drop you off at your hotel.

Finally, after a fun-filled 13-day trip, our journey will end. We hope that you will have enjoyed your trip thoroughly and well. But by then, the time will come for us to bid you goodbye. We will take you to Tribhuvan International Airport, and our office representative will see you off. If you have time and want to extend your stay in Nepal, you may join our other tours; we are happy to offer our recommendations.