Khaptad trek: route, days, season and costs from Silgadhi

Khaptad is a 225 km2 park of moorland, steep slopes and streams with 567 floral species, spanning Bajhang, Bajura, Achham and Doti⁴. The Key Biodiversity Areas factsheet calls it an isolated massif with its highest point at 3,300 m, south of the Himalayan range in far western Nepal⁷. Two operators publish itineraries that differ in length and route, so this page gives both. The treks hub lists the other far-west routes, and Khaptad National Park covers the park itself.

Route and days

Swotah Travel’s 12-day itinerary drives from Nepalgunj to Silgadhi, climbs through Jhigrana and Bukipani to the plateau, walks out by the same trail and drives on to Dhangadhi for the flight home¹. Its stages:

On day 7 the walk across the grassland passes Khaptad Lake, Kedardhunga and Maithan, all within reach of the park headquarters¹.

Nepal Alternative Treks runs a 9-day version that flies Kathmandu to Dhangadhi, drives to Silgadhi and walks in and out from there²:

Highest point

Sources give several figures. Swotah Travel puts the plateau at around 3,000 m and the high point, Sahasra Linga, at about 3,200 m¹. Nepal Alternative Treks lists a 3,414 m maximum altitude in its header and 3,414 m at Khaptad Lake on day 5, while its FAQ gives around 3,200 m at Khaptad Daha². Wikipedia gives the park’s elevation range as 1,400 to 3,300 m⁴, and the Key Biodiversity Areas factsheet gives the massif’s highest point as 3,300 m⁷.

This page uses 3,200 m for the high point, the figure Swotah Travel gives and the Nepal Alternative Treks FAQ repeats^1,2, and 3,414 m for the 9-day route’s day 5 stage. There is no glacial pass to cross on the 12-day route¹.

Season

Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) are the two main windows^1,2. April is the peak spring month, and October and early November are the clearest months¹. Nepal Alternative Treks lists the same months².

The monsoon, June to August, is possible but brings heavy rain and muddy tracks, and in winter, December to February, the plateau is cold and upper trails can be snow-covered¹. The same page’s FAQ lists February, June and December among the best months, which conflicts with its season text¹.

Permits

The park charges entry per person per entry. In October 2026 the Nepal Tourism Board park entry-fee table listed Khaptad National Park as follows, with children under 10 free³:

On the 9-day route the entrance gate is reached on day 3, where trekkers register and pay². On the 12-day route the gate is crossed on day 6¹. Park charges across Nepal are collected in national park fees.

Costs

Both operators quote per person. In October 2026 Swotah Travel listed USD 2,600 for a 9 to 20 November 2026 departure and USD 2,650 for a 14 to 25 November 2026 departure, each guaranteed from 2 trekkers¹. Its price covers a guide with porters at a 2:1 ratio¹.

In October 2026 Nepal Alternative Treks listed USD 980 per person for a group of 1 to 4 on its 26 October to 3 November 2026 departure, with USD 1,180 struck out beside it².

Nights are in teahouses and hotels with Swotah Travel¹, and in camps, homestays and lodges on the Nepal Alternative Treks route². Inside the park a small lodge and dormitory-style accommodation operates near the headquarters and ashram area¹.

How far is Khaptad from Kathmandu?

Kathmandu to the trailhead is a flight plus a road leg, never a single hop. The trek starts at Silgadhi, the headquarters of Doti district¹. Two ways in are on offer. Swotah Travel flies Kathmandu to Nepalgunj, a 1-hour flight covering 440 km, then drives via Buditol to Silgadhi in two legs of 4 hours and 4 to 5 hours¹. Nepal Alternative Treks flies to Dhangadhi in about 30 minutes and drives the 190 km to Silgadhi in 9 hours². Read Nepalgunj for the airport and Doti for the district.

The return on Swotah Travel’s route is a different road leg, 4 to 5 hours from Silgadhi to Dhangadhi, then a 1.5-hour flight to Kathmandu¹.

In April 2025 a temporary tourist police post of seven personnel was set up in Dipayal Silgadhi Municipality to ensure the safety of visitors to Khaptad and nearby tourist areas⁵.

Khaptad National Park trek: holy sites and pressures

Triveni, Khaptad Daha and Sahasralinga are holy sites for Hindu pilgrims, according to the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation⁶. The park lies at the junction of Bajhang, Bajura, Doti and Achham⁶. The 12-day route reaches Sahasra Linga on day 7¹. Khaptad Daha is also the 9-day route’s day 5 stage at 3,414 m².

The park has pressures that affect the plateau. Livestock overgrazing has silted Khaptad Daha and other wetlands, and forest fires are common⁷. Saunthala, a village on the southern side of the park, is on the 9-day route’s day 6².