Treks

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

Khaptad National Park trek from Silgadhi in Doti: operator stages and altitudes, Sahasra Linga, the best months, park entry fee and 2026 trek prices.

Roads to Rara editors · Checked 20 October 2026 against 5 sources

In short

The Khaptad trek starts at Silgadhi, the Doti district headquarters, and climbs to a grassland plateau at around 3,000 m inside the national park1. Swotah Travel's 12-day route peaks at Sahasra Linga, about 3,200 m1. Spring and autumn are the main seasons1,2. In October 2026 the Nepal Tourism Board listed park entry at NPR 3,000 for foreigners3.

Trailhead
Silgadhi, Doti district headquarters1
Highest point
Sahasra Linga, about 3,200 m (Swotah Travel)1
Itineraries
12 days (Swotah Travel), 9 days (Nepal Alternative Treks)1,2
Season
March to May and September to November1
Grade
Moderate1
Park entry
NPR 3,000 for foreigners per entry, seen October 20263
Contents
  1. Route and days
  2. Highest point
  3. Season
  4. Permits
  5. Costs
  6. Getting to the trailhead
Open meadow with forest at the edge in Khaptad National Park
Meadow in Khaptad National Park

Khaptad is a walk up through oak and rhododendron forest to a plateau of open grassland, a 225 km2 park that spans Bajhang, Bajura, Achham and Doti4. 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, and returns the same way1. Its stages:

Day Stage Altitude Time
2 Fly Kathmandu to Nepalgunj, drive to Buditol about 150 m 1-hour flight, 4-hour drive1
3 Drive to Silgadhi 1,350 m 4 to 5 hours1
4 Silgadhi to Jhigrana about 2,100 m 7 hours, gaining around 750 m1
5 Jhigrana to Bukipani about 2,700 m 6 to 7 hours, gaining another 600 m1
6 Bukipani to the park plateau about 3,000 m 2-hour climb1
7 Explore the park, Sahasra Linga about 3,200 m full day1
8 Return to Jhigrana about 2,100 m 6 to 7 hours, losing around 900 m1
9 Jhigrana to Silgadhi 1,350 m 5 hours1
10 Drive Silgadhi to Dhangadhi about 150 m 4 to 5 hours1
11 Fly Dhangadhi to Kathmandu 1,400 m 1.5-hour flight1

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:

Day Stage Altitude Time
1 Fly Kathmandu to Dhangadhi 109 m about 30 minutes flying2
2 Drive to Silgadhi 762 m 190 km, 9 hours2
3 Silgadhi to Bichpani, camp 2,743 m 14 km, 5 hours2
4 Trek to Upper Doti, camp 2,743 m 14 km, 5 hours2
5 Trek to Khaptad Lake, homestay 3,414 m 15 km, 5 hours2
6 Trek to Saunthala, camp 2,987 m 16 km, 6 hours2
7 Trek to Jhigrana, homestay 2,530 m 14 km, 5 hours2
8 Trek to Silgadhi, lodge 1,310 m 15 km, 5 hours2

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.

This page uses 3,200 m for the high point, the figure Swotah Travel gives and the Nepal Alternative Treks FAQ repeats1,2, and 3,414 m for the 9-day route’s day 5 stage. Swotah Travel notes there is no glacial pass to cross1.

Season

Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) are the two main windows1,2. 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.

Permits

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

Visitor Park entry Seen
Nepali NPR 100 per person per entry October 20263
SAARC national NPR 1,500 per person per entry October 20263
Foreigner NPR 3,000 per person per entry October 20263

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 its 26 October to 3 November 2026 departure2.

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.

Getting to the trailhead

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 was set up in Dipayal Silgadhi Municipality to ensure the safety of visitors to Khaptad and nearby tourist areas5.

District guides

Doti: Dipayal Silgadhi, the Seti Highway and the road to Khaptad

Doti district guide: Dipayal Silgadhi headquarters, the Seti Highway from Amargadhi, Doti Airport, Khaptad park fees and the Doti Kingdom's history.

Permits and fees

Khaptad National Park: entry fee, how to reach it and when to go

Khaptad National Park guide: the entry fee for Nepalis, SAARC nationals and foreigners, Silgadhi access, the Triveni and Sahasra Linga sites, season and safety.

Getting there

Nepalgunj: the airport hub for flights into west Nepal

Nepalgunj guide for west Nepal: Ranjha Airport, flights from Kathmandu, onward flights to Jumla, Simikot, Dolpa and Mugu, climate and the new terminal.

Questions travellers ask

How long is the Khaptad trek?

Swotah Travel runs it as 12 days from Kathmandu, with 10 trekking days1. Nepal Alternative Treks runs a 9-day version with walking from day 3 to day 82. Both start the walk at Silgadhi1,2.

How hard is the Khaptad trek?

Swotah Travel grades it moderate, with a 4 out of 10 effort rating, 6 to 7 hour stages and a high point of about 3,200 m1. It describes the long drives and flights as the main challenge, not altitude1.

When is the best time for the Khaptad trek?

Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) are the two main windows1,2. April is the peak spring month, and October and early November are the clearest1. The monsoon runs June to August1.

How much does the Khaptad trek cost?

In October 2026 Swotah Travel listed USD 2,600 per person for a 9 to 20 November 2026 departure and USD 2,650 for 14 to 25 November1. Nepal Alternative Treks listed USD 980 per person for a 26 October to 3 November 2026 departure2.

Sources

  1. Khaptad National Park Trek - 12 Days (itinerary) · Swotah Travel · swotahtravel.com · checked 19 October 2026
  2. Khaptad National Park Trek – 9 Days · Nepal Alternative Treks · nepalalternativetreks.com · checked 19 October 2026
  3. Park Entry Fees in Nepal · Nepal Tourism Board · ntb.gov.np · checked 19 October 2026
  4. Khaptad National Park (Wikipedia) · Wikipedia · en.wikipedia.org · checked 19 October 2026
  5. Tourist police post set up in Doti, April 2025 · The Kathmandu Post · kathmandupost.com · checked 19 October 2026
Image credits (1)
  • Anil Bhatta / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Fees, fares and road conditions change: each note shows the date it was checked. How we check facts · Report an error.