Sun Koshi
Also known as: Sun Kosi / Sunkoshi / River of Gold
Remote canyons, side waterfalls (Jungle Corridor), terraced villages, white sand beaches and tributary confluences
Is there water?
Whether there is a river here on your dates, and what kind of water it is.
Snow and monsoon fed big volume; very high and dangerous in and just after monsoon, moderate in autumn dropping through winter
Roughly Oct to early Dec and Mar-May
Autumn (Oct-Nov) and spring (Mar-May); post-monsoon September high and risky
Cool to mild; colder Nov-Dec, warmer in spring
Post-monsoon high flows, flash floods and GLOF risk in the upper Koshi basin. Confirm.
Grade & who can come
A river changes grade with its level. These grades describe a normal flow - in flood the same run is harder, and often a different run entirely. Check the gauge before you commit.
Grade 3-4, up to Grade 5 (Harkapur 1)
Raft, kayak
Standard 8-9 day full run; some operators offer 7-day variants or earlier road exits on the lower river
Suitable for fit first-timers with guides on most rapids but committing due to remoteness and self-support. Confirm.
The run
Harkapur (1 Grade 5 / 2 Grade 4), Jaws, Rhino Rock, Meat Grinder, Dead Mans Eddy, High Anxiety, Black Hole
Few mandatory portages at normal flow; hazards are big holes, boils and whirlpools at high water
Dolalghat to Chatara
Low to moderate; remote with few other groups mid-river
Access & shuttle
NARA river permit arranged via a registered operator; no national-park fee on the main run. Confirm.
Permits and operators change - confirm before booking.
Put-in Dolalghat ~3 hr drive east of Kathmandu; take-out Chatara near Dharan and Itahari
Road drive Kathmandu to Dolalghat; long vehicle or bus return from Chatara/Dharan or flight from Biratnagar
Wild white-sand beach camps along the river; no fixed huts, all camping gear carried
Full expedition gear, dry bags and water treatment; little or no mobile signal in the canyons
Kathmandu operators; Dolalghat and Dharan hubs
Hazards & exits
Remoteness, big water and whirlpools at high flow, long self-support commitment
Limited road access mid-river; evacuation slow, mostly by trail to the nearest road. Confirm.
Licensed guide, safety kayakers and full raft crew required; self-support multiday logistics
This profile is desk research, compiled from public sources - not a first-hand river run report. Coordinates are approximate.