Chitwan refers both to Chitwan National Park and its main gateway town of Sauraha, set in Nepal's subtropical Terai lowlands and among the country's most important protected areas, a UNESCO World Heritage Site recognised for its role in the conservation of the greater one-horned rhinoceros, Bengal tiger, and a wide range of other lowland wildlife. Established in 1973 as Nepal's first national park, Chitwan has become the standard introduction to wildlife tourism for most visitors to the country, offering an experience entirely different in character from the mountain trekking Nepal is more famous for.

The park protects a mosaic of sal forest, riverine grassland, and wetland habitat along the Rapti and Narayani river systems, and its rhinoceros population, once critically endangered, has recovered significantly thanks to decades of dedicated conservation work, making sightings on jeep safaris a realistic expectation for most visitors rather than a rare stroke of luck. Bengal tigers are present in healthy numbers too, though as with any wild tiger habitat, sightings remain a matter of chance rather than certainty.

Sauraha, the main tourist base for visiting the park, has developed a well-established network of jungle lodges and resorts within the park's buffer zone, offering jeep safaris, canoe trips along the rivers, guided walking safaris, and cultural programmes highlighting the traditions of the indigenous Tharu community that has lived alongside this landscape for generations. For most visitors, Chitwan provides an essential counterpoint to a mountain-focused Nepal itinerary, a warm, wildlife-rich lowland experience that rounds out a fuller picture of the country's remarkable ecological range.

Evening cultural programmes featuring traditional Tharu stick dances are commonly offered by lodges in Sauraha, rounding out the wildlife-focused days with a further layer of local cultural exposure.

Dawn safaris are generally considered the best time for wildlife activity, when animals are most active before the heat of the day sets in.