Set in Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan, where the Aravalli and Vindhya ranges meet, Ranthambore was once a Maharaja’s hunting ground before becoming a sanctuary in 1955 and joining Project Tiger in 1973. It is renowned for daytime tiger sightings across dry deciduous forest and lakes, all watched over by the tenth-century Ranthambore Fort, a UNESCO site rising dramatically above the park.
The park is open from October to June. The core zones, numbered 1 to 5, close from July to September, while the buffer zones 6 to 10 stay open year-round. October to February brings pleasant, scenic conditions; March to May is hotter but delivers the strongest tiger sightings as animals gather at the waterholes.
The park is split into ten zones. Zones 1 to 5 have historically been the strongest for tigers, with zone 3 — taking in Padam Talab lake and views of the fort — the most iconic of all. Your zone is assigned at the time of booking.
Jaipur airport is around 180 km away, while the railhead at Sawai Madhopur sits just 11 km from the park, with a short road transfer onward.
New shared safaris coming soon.
Alongside the Bengal tiger the park shelters leopard, sloth bear, caracal, hyena, jackal and marsh crocodile, plus sambar and chital, and its birdlife is rich and varied.
Safaris run in six-seat Gypsy jeeps and twenty-seat Canters, morning and afternoon, each lasting about three to three and a half hours. Booking well in advance is essential.