Nagarhole National Park
Elephants and tigers on the banks of the Kabini.Nagarhole National Park, also known as Rajiv Gandhi National Park, lies in the Kodagu and Mysore districts of Karnataka and forms part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve alongside Bandipur. Its lush deciduous forests, bamboo thickets, and the vast Kabini backwaters make it one of the finest wildlife destinations in southern India. The Kabini river zone is renowned for large gatherings of Asian elephants in the dry season and for its remarkable frequency of leopard and tiger sightings, including the rare black panther that has made Nagarhole famous among photographers.
Best Time to Visit
October to May, with the dry months of March to May bringing spectacular elephant congregations along the Kabini, while the post-monsoon months are lush and excellent for birdlife.
Zones
The reserve is explored through two main areas: the Kabini (Nagarhole south) zone famous for boat and jeep safaris along the backwaters, and the Nagarhole (north) zone with its dense forest tracks.
How to Reach
The nearest airport is Mysore (about 90 km) with Bengaluru (about 230 km) as the major hub. Mysore is the closest railhead, and the Kabini zone is reached by road in around two hours from Mysore.
Shared Safaris in Nagarhole National Park
New shared safaris coming soon.
Ready to Explore Nagarhole National Park?
Wildlife
Bengal tiger, leopard and the celebrated black panther, Asian elephant, gaur, dhole, sloth bear, spotted deer, sambar, mugger crocodile, and over 250 bird species around the Kabini backwaters.
Safari Types
Jeep safaris through the forest zones and unique boat safaris on the Kabini backwaters, offered in the early morning and late afternoon.