Budi Gandaki, a tributary of the Gandaki River in Nepal is a snow-melted river from the base of Mt. Manaslu, the 8th highest mountain. Budi Gandaki River is a popular off-the-beaten rafting destination in the Gorkha district of Nepal.

As water flows from the Himalayas, this makes Budi Gandaki a chilling rafting destination until it meets with Marshyandi and Trishuli. Due to its current flow and challenges, very few companies dare to operate rafting in the Budi Gandaki River.

Budi Gandaki River rafting destination is a half drive between Kathmandu and Pokhara. You will take a scenic drive in a tourist bus to reach Arughat Bazaar. Then, after some preparation, you will be guided by a rafting guide for 3 hours to enjoy the first day of your trip on the wild and amazing river of Budi Gandaki.

This Budi Gandaki River Rafting can be customized according to your desired timeframe. Starting from 1Night-2Days to 2Night-3Days and finally, 3Nights-4Days to meet at the final destination at Similar. Accomplishing the entire three popular rivers of Nepal, Budi Gandaki, Trishuli, and Marshyangdi.

This makes the Budi Gandaki River Rafting Package one of the finest of its type in the history of Nepal’s rafting destination. A combo 3 to 1 river package will take you to experience the wild river snow melted river the hilly-based river.

Starting with the majestic view of the Himalayas, rural villages, wildlife, and vegetation, finally take you to the lowland hills and villages of Nepal.

With UPSET and SURPRISE frequently the peaceful flow of water into fast flow is all you will be experiencing in Budi Gandaki River Rafting. Apart from these, the packages here include all tented camp stays on the bank of the river.

If you are desperate about rafting in Nepal, just give it a try to experience rafting into the river from the Himalayas.

NOTE: We organize Budi Gandaki River Rafting Packages on a customized basis and currently we don’t operate fixed departure dates. So, to conduct this trip at the price mentioned below, we need at least 4 people. As the lesser the number the price is subject to changes. However, for Best Deal and Group Joining, please feel free to contact us.

Please, provide us details earlier to join a group in advance if you want to do rafting at the price mentioned below or if you have your joining group just let us know. We will arrange it accordingly.

1- Night 2-Days Budi Gandaki and Trishuli River Rafting Package

Starting Point: Arughat Bazaar

Ending Point: Charaudi

Day To Day Itinerary

Day 1: Start your day with a scenic drive with a magnificent view of the Hills and Himalayas. This will be in a tourist bus with frequent stops for a short break before the final destination.

Upon reaching Arughat, you will have lunch and then your Rafting begins for around 3 Hours to reach Aakhu Khola. This will be a guided rafting. Upon reaching Aakhu Dovan you will be staying in a Tent on the bank of the river.

Day 2: After breakfast, your rafting continues for around 5 Hours to reach Charaudi, and then have your lunch and take a drive to Kathmandu.

Price: USD 180 Per Person, this includes a full Package during the Rafting and Two-Way transportation from/to Kathmandu or Pokhara.

2-Night 3-Days Budi Gandaki and Trishuli Rafting Package

Starting Point: Arughat Bazaar

Ending Point: Kurinighat

Day To Day Itinerary

Day 1: Today, you will take a long 5-hour scenic drive from Kathmandu to Arughat Bazaar. This will be in a tourist bus with a frequent stop for short breaks. The afternoon will reach your destination point.

After some refreshment and exploring the old Arughat Bazaar located on the bank of the Budi Gandaki River, you will take a guided Budi Gandaki rafting through the wild for some 3 hours. Overnight will be in a tented camp on the bank of the riverside at Aakhu Dovan.

Day 2: This will be your first morning but the second day of rafting in the Budi Gandaki River. After breakfast will get prepared for your departure, and local staff will assist you with this. You will raft for 4 hours before the lunch stop.

For 4-hours you will follow the same Budi Gandaki River, and then after lunch will join the connecting river with a new name the Trishuli. This will be an exciting raft with two rivers joining together to make the Trishuli River.

Evening you will reach Charaudi your campsite on the bank of the Trishuli River. Overnight at Tent camp.

Day 3: This is your final day of rafting in the Trishuli River. After breakfast, you will prepare for final departure and join the Trishuli River for 3-4 hours of rafting. As the river here is fast-moving, every step will be surprising with the movement until you stop for your lunch at Siddhartha Resort located on the bank of the Trishuli River at Kuringhat.

After the raft and lunch, our local staff will assist in arranging vehicular touristic transportation from Kurinighat to Kathmandu.

Price: 250 USD per person (this includes a full package including two-way transportation from and to Kathmandu)

3-Nights 4-Days Budi Gandaki, Trishuli and Marshyangdi River Rafting

Starting Point: Arughat Bazaar

Ending Point: Simaltar

Day To Day Itinerary

Day 1: Today, you will take a long 7-hour scenic drive from Kathmandu to Arughat Bazaar. This will be in a tourist bus with frequent stops for short breaks and lunch. The afternoon will reach your destination point.

The evening will reach Charaudi your campsite on the bank of the Trishuli river. Overnight at Tent camp.

Day 3: This is your final day of rafting in the Trishuli River and will be your first day in the Marshyangdi River. After breakfast, will prepare for your final departure and join the Trishuli River for 3-4 hours of rafting. As the river here is fast-moving, so every step we will be surprised by the movement until you stop for your lunch on the way.

Further, you will continue rafting in the Trishuli River until you reach River Fun Beach Resort located on the bank of the Trishuli River in a peaceful and tranquil environment. Overnight in a tented camp at Kuringhta.

Day 4: This will be your final day and exciting as well. Your guide will take you on a village tour to explore the rural life of Nepal. Their daily activities will be interesting to explore.

You will descend back to the resort for breakfast and will start your rafting through the Trishuli River for an hour to meet the Marshyangdi River. This is a river combined from Budi Gandaki and Trishuli to form the Marshyangdi River.

Rafting in Marshyangdirive is always fun, you will then stop for your lunch on the way. Rafting for almost 4 hours in the Marshyangdi River, will stop in Simaltar your final ending point.

After the raft and lunch, your local staff will assist in arranging vehicular touristic transportation from Simaltarto Kathmandu.

Price: 325 USD Per Person (this includes a full package including two-way transportation from and to Kathmandu)

Note: If you want to continue rafting further down to the Narayani River of Chitwan or Gandaki River in Pokhara. Please let us know, we can further extend the itinerary accordingly or select any particular reiver according to your interest.

The above-mentioned itinerary can be customized according to travelers’ interests and time frames.

Trip Reviews

Write a Review

5based on 51 reviews

If you want to experience true, kind Nepali hospitality and a great trek, don’t look for another agency.

I had the incredible opportunity to complete 4 different treks with Discover Altitude: Three Passes, ABC, Annapurna Circuit and Langtang. Each time, the experience exceeded my expectations! The owners, Kumar and Santosh, along with their guides are exceptionally professional, knowledgeable and attentive to every detail. Everything was very well planned for all treks, and I felt safe even at the highest altitudes, thanks to their friendly and supportive guides.

There are many agencies to choose from, and I visited many, but when I met Kumar and Santosh the quality of their personalities quickly became evident. They treated me as a friend they genuinely wanted to support, not just a client, caring only about the money. Even if I hadn’t signed up, they would have treated me the same, not as potential or lost business. This authenticity is why I chose them! This was the only agency where I had that gut feeling, which turned out to be correct. They always went the extra mile. Before each trek, they spent a lot of time going through all the details with me to ensure I had everything I needed and was ready to go. They also checked up on me along the way. During all these times, they truly became my friends!

If you want to experience true, kind Nepali hospitality and a great trek, don’t look for another agency. They are also very competitively priced for both solo and group trips! I cannot recommend them highly enough!

Mustang - Kagbeni, Muktinath 6-day tour

We chose a 6-day course that tours Kagbeni and Muktinath, the gateway to Mustang from Kathmandu. It takes 3 days to actually walk, so it's a safe course even for beginners.

Fly from Kathmandu to Pokhara. Fly from Pokhara to Jomsom (30-minute flight), then hike 3 hours to Kagbeni. Hike 5-6 hours to Muktinath. Return to Jomsom via a different route. Take a lunch break at Rupna on the way. Fly to Pokhara. Fly back to Kathmandu.

It was late May before the rainy season, but we were blessed with clear skies and were able to see the beautiful mountain ranges of Nilgiri and Annapurna. The desolate landscape of Mustang was very beautiful, and it was a very interesting experience to get a glimpse of the life of the villagers in Kagbeni.

It was quite hot during the daytime walks in late May. Short sleeves are fine. If you don't want to get sunburned, wear thin long sleeves. Since it gets cold in the mornings and evenings in Muktinath, I wore a light down jacket, but if you layer up a warm long sleeve jacket, you can wear a hiking jacket instead of a down jacket.

Our trekking guide, Amar, was very kind and not only guided us on hiking but also carefully explained the history and people's lives. (In English) He always took care to make the trek comfortable, and the walking pace was adjusted to suit our physical strength, so we were able to enjoy it without any strain.

Kumar handled advance reservations and questions, and he responded to emails very quickly. After arriving in Kathmandu, I visited the office and Kumar gave me a brief explanation of the schedule. In Kathmandu, Santosh handled my communications and accompanied me to the transfer between the hotel and the airport. Both of them were cheerful and kind.
During the tour, I asked to change my plan to stay in Pokhara for two nights after the trek (of course, the additional hotel fee was at my own expense), and I am grateful that he quickly and readily responded to my request, such as changing my flight on the return trip.

A short walk from Jomsom to Muktinath.

We had great dealings with Kumar and the team at Discover Altitude. Kumar was our initial contact, and Santosh was our day to day contact on-the-ground. Their communication was great, and everything went smoothly.

Before departing for Nepal, we emailed Kumar about what we had in mind, and he presented us with different options. We settled on a short trip from Jomsom to Muktinath - flying from Kathmandu to Pokhara and on to Jomsom the next day to commence our hike. (We took the same air-route in reverse on our way back.) In total, the trip was six or seven days, with three days hiking. (This worked out well due to our schedule, but next time we might spend a few more days walking.)

Our guide on the trip was Amar Magar. We really recommend him. (Ask for him by name!) He was thoughtful, organised, and provided clear information on what we were doing each day. His patience and pleasant manner made the trip really enjoyable.

The hike itself was good. The area from Jomsom to Kagbeni (where we stopped for the first night) was primarily along the road and the riverbed, and the scenery was primarily the dry and desolate scenery one might expect of the Mustang area. Kagbeni was a nice village to rest. (There are a number of tea houses, and an interesting temple where one of the monks showed us around.) The walk up to Muktinath the next day was a little bit tough - being a climb of about 1,000 meters. (Not 'technically' tough; more of a challenge due to low fitness levels!) After resting, we visited the Hindu pilgrimage site, which was quite an interesting experience as it attracts a lot of visitors. We stayed the night at a tea house in Muktinath, and then walked back to Jomsom via a different route, stopping at a village called Lupna on the way back. The route from Muktinath to Lupna was probably the highlight of our trip, with much more diverse terrain, including great alpine scenery, fantastic rocky cliffs and forests, and the picturesque village of Lupna itself, with a very old temple and some caves used for solitary retreats.

If you have limited time, then I would recommend the approach we took. It provides a glimpse of the Mustang region (without getting in to the Upper Mustang region, which requires more time and an expensive permit), and a taste of walking in the region. On our walk, we met a number of people who had walked the Annapurna Circuit, taking around two weeks. We might plan better and aim to do that next time!

In terms of practical considerations, noting it was mid-May, we found that we were able to walk in t-shirts and long pants. We carried a lot of warm clothing with us, but didn't need really it. (We were a bit cold briefly after arriving at Muktinath, but generally we didn't use our warm clothing. It would be smart to take something - but no need to take too much.) The bedding provided in the rooms was more than adequate, and we didn't need our own sleeping bags. (Taking a sleeping bag liner might suffice from a cleanliness perspective if this is a concern.)

A Once-in-a-lifetime EBC Trekking Trip

What a once-in-a-lifetime trek to EBC! Waking up at midnight to dogs barking or in the morning to birds chirping and singing and the sound of rushing river, looking out the window and seeing the mountain so close as if within reach, roaming around Namche Bazaar and checking out the local markets, setting off in the sound of school children's morning drill, crossing rivers and valleys over the suspension bridges, passing the mani stones in the villages and the stupas on the trail, watching porters with oversized load strapped on their heads stepping to the lively beat of loud Nepali songs, navigating rocks uphill inside the dark clouds and white-out snow, trekking on the winding trail through dusty forests, misty mountain passes, wide open scrub land, and rugged and rocky barren land, with the famous and mysterious mountain peaks seemingly around every corner or suddenly elusive behind the wandering clouds, and flying down in helicopter provided every moment to admire the mountainous landscape and appreciate local life in this harsh environment. It’s been almost two weeks since I came back yet the sceneries and sounds on the trail still linger.

The EBC trek was also grueling - the long distance, the high elevation, the thin air at times mixed with dust or animal smell, the coldness at night, the completely unpredictable weather that could change by the minute – and every little inconvenience could pile on the exhaustion from a long day of trekking, but the thoughtful services by my guide Krishna made all these bearable. Every day after arriving at the tea house he made sure food was ordered and I had a spot to sit next to the stove to warm up. Every morning before we leave the tea house, he made sure bill was paid and everything was packed and ready. On the trail he was patient, watchful, and protective when the yaks and horses approaching. My tour company Discover Altitude was very flexible and allowed me to change my trekking schedule on the fly, including booking tea houses during peak season and securing single room occupancy. In fact, the three unplanned tea houses in Jorsalle, Phungi Thenga, and Dughla, allowed me to enjoy the real serenity near nature and away from crowds. The company also booked a helicopter, outside of my original plan, to fly me out back in Kathmandu in time. Their flexibility was crucial for me to have a successful and enjoyable EBC trekking trip.

Thank you Krishna for your kind-hearted service.

And thank you Santosh for showing me the street food, the hidden temples, and the vibrant life around the old town of Kathmadu.

Truly best tour of the seven UNESCO sites in Kathmandu

I had an amazing time with Kumar. Who is extremely knowledgeable and quite spiritual himself. He gave me great insights into the history of Nepal and the social cultural religious aspect of how things work today. I felt light and insipired. Very connected to the city. I highly recommend this tour with Kumar.

EBC with Amar, the best guide!!

I did the Everest Base Camp trek (8 days to reach EBC, Day 9 was to Kala Patthar). Started at the end of April and finished in May. We had great weather that time of year. The early days in the trek were warm enough for leggings and a lightweight shirt. A few people were in shorts. Day 7 was the first day I needed to wear down clothing items, gloves or a warm hat. Other days could be done with a baseball cap and a few layers - started the day with a windwall jacket and would switch to a vest or just my long sleeve dry fit top while trekking. The cardio keeps you pretty warm. Taking altitude sickness medication is key. Start taking it a day before you leave. We had no issue with altitude sickness but several people at the tea houses were not as lucky.

Kumar, the owner of Discover Altitude, organized everything for us and it was planned perfectly. He booked the best tea houses for us and everything was so well-organized that all we had to think about was making it to the top. Amar was our AMAZING guide. His brother Shukla was the porter. They were the nicest, most professional duo. Amar took very good care of us and it was obvious that he was one of the most well-respected guides on the trail. He knew everyone and was so experienced that we had a lot of tips and guidance that I don’t feel everyone else had on the mountain. Definitely request amar as your guide. We quickly realized how important the planning is and who your guide is for success on this trek.

Great experience and recommend doing Kala Patthar early the next morning for sunrise views of Everest!

Discover Altitude is the best!

Discover Altitude is the best trekking guide / tour operator in Nepal. Two days ago my friend and I reached Everest Base Camp on May 4th (trekking day 8).

On day 9, helicopter picked us up at Gorakshep - last tea house before EBC. Helicopter transported us back to Kathmandu via Lukla — 2.5 hour stop for refueling and other logistics. Hiking back down 3 extra days is not for everyone.

Reaching EBC was a small miracle for me. I was the biggest person (XXL) trekking. I trained for over a year… lost significant amount of weight to even attempt EBC. Everything had to go perfectly and it did. Planning was key. Some days were incredibly challenging and required very-very slow / steady pace.

At every step my guide was right there to support as needed. On some hills my guide was 12 inches behind me in case I lost balance from exhaustion.

We were blessed to have Amar as our guide and his younger brother, Shukla, as porter. They did everything for us … from finding bathrooms, ordering meals, dealing with hotels, first aid, and fun to talk with too. Multiple times during the trek other guides whispered to us that Amar is one of the best guides in the region.

We opted for the luxury tour with nicer hotels + helicopter ride to Lukla to start + helicopter return from the top. Paying extra for luxury tour is worth every penny. We met some hikers not having a good experience. Painfully obvious they chose the wrong guide / tour operator.

If you are in perfect shape and you’ve trekked Nepal many times before- maybe having the best guide isn’t as critical. But for us we relied on our guides for every decision … even down to what to eat and drink at different altitudes.

TIPS:

1- take diamox right from the start (1 day before starting the trek)

2- take helicopter to/from Lukla. If you don’t take helicopter, be prepared to sit around for days waiting on weather to clear for airplane flight. People stuck at the airport waiting multiple days to get out aren’t having a good time.

3- go vegetarian. You’ll love ra-ra noodle vegetable soup

4- bring tons of electrolyte packets and drink 5 liters/day

5- pack for very cold days at the end (EBC). Both outer-wear gear and warm jackets for nights at the hotel. Be prepared for extremely dry air at night. Bring nasal spray to help breath through your nose.

6- get plenty NPR cash in Lukla or Kathmandu. In a pinch, tea house hotels can run your CC to give you NPR cash… will cost 10% extra charge.

7- tip your guides as generously as you can

8- don’t bring huge camera unless you are ok lugging the extra weight. Newer iPhone or Android do fantastic job.

9- go slow. Don’t skip rest (acclimatizing) days.

10- Book your trip with Discover Altitude. Kumar will email you immediately with details to help you customize your trip. He will work through every question / idea with patience. We had at least a dozen unusual requests including special activities in Kathmandu after the trek. Kumar and our guides made them all happen. Remember to request booking at nicer hotels.

11- go with friend or family you really enjoy being with for two weeks. Having someone to motivate you and just hang out together makes the trip so much better.

12- day 2 to Namche might be your hardest day, particularly after Hillary Bridge… 1-2 hours straight uphill at the end. Don’t give up. Go slow and ask for help (horse available if can’t make it up that hill).

Awesome 10 day EBC trekking experience

I’m towards the tail end of my 10 day EBC trek arranged by Discover Altitude. Overall, I’ve been very happy with the trip so far. Santosh did his best to make sure my trip went according to plan. He was also extremely accommodating to my request for alterations to itinerary during the trip. Always ready to help, no questions asked.

I also wanted to take this opportunity to thank my guide, Sandip Lama. He is an energetic and hardworking young man that went above and beyond to make me trip as comfortable as possible. He’s also flexible in accommodating my last minute change request. For example, when I saw Ama Dablam for the first time, I was blown by its beauty and came up with the idea of doing a side trip to its base camp. It’s require at least half a days time. Sandip agreed without any hesitation and helped with the trip planning. In the end, the side trip didn’t happen simply because I ran out of steam. As a guide, Sandip’s main responsibility is leading me with the trip. But he also offered to carry my bag when I got very tired. This is what I call above and beyond. Again, thank you Sandip and I hope we’ll embark on my adventures in the future!

Budi Gandaki River Rafting

1- Night 2-Days Budi Gandaki and Trishuli River Rafting Package

Day To Day Itinerary

2-Night 3-Days Budi Gandaki and Trishuli Rafting Package

Day To Day Itinerary

3-Nights 4-Days Budi Gandaki, Trishuli and Marshyangdi River Rafting

Gallery

Itinerary

Day 1:Kathmandu to Arughat by drive

Day 2:Rafting and Activities and Return to Kathmandu

Not happy with this regular itinerary?

Cost Details

Included

Excluded

Useful Info

Important Information to Note:

Trip Reviews

If you want to experience true, kind Nepali hospitality and a great trek, don’t look for another agency.

Eva B, Hungary

Mustang - Kagbeni, Muktinath 6-day tour

Hito, Japan

A short walk from Jomsom to Muktinath.

Nick O'Connell, New Zealand

A Once-in-a-lifetime EBC Trekking Trip

Jackie Z, United States

Truly best tour of the seven UNESCO sites in Kathmandu

Cedric A, United States

EBC with Amar, the best guide!!

Stephanie S, United States

Discover Altitude is the best!

James T, United States

Awesome 10 day EBC trekking experience

Hongtao Chen, United States

Similar Trips

Send an Inquiry