Planning a trip to Ranthambore? We are here, to help you plan your trip to Ranthambore, with detailed information on how to reach, travel, stay, food, safari, and a complete Ranthambore National Park Travel guide on a normal budget.

About Ranthambore

Ranthambore National Park is one of the most renowned and the biggest national parks in the north part of the country. Ranthambore Park is one of the most visited places in Rajasthan, due to the combination of its nature and the fascinating history of the fort inside the park, which was built in the 10th century.

According to the latest data- there are 71 tigers in Ranthambore National Park. Ranthambore is located in Rajasthan, which is 450km from Delhi and 185km from Jaipur.

Ranthambore National Park Safari

How to reach Ranthambore?

The closest airport from Ranthambore is in Jaipur, which is a 4-5 hours journey by road.

The closest railway station is Sawai Madhopur station. you can prefer the train, if traveling from Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur. 

We traveled from Jaipur via train, we took a morning 6.15 AM train and reached by 9.30 AM in the station.
From the station, it's around 6-7 KM to Ranthambore National Park.

Tip: Train is the cheapest mode to reach the place.

What is the Best time to travel to Ranthambore?

The best time to travel to Ranthambore is the winter season, between October and March because of its pleasant weather. The best time to see a tiger in Ranthambore is from April to June, but it's really hot in these months.
The Park remains open between October and June and closed during the rainy season.
We visited this place in December 2020 and the weather was fabulous. 
Most of the music festivals are in the month of December.

Tip: December is the best month to visit, and also the most crowded month of the year. So definitely pre-book everything. Ranthambore temperature in December is - max 25 degrees and reaches down till 10 degrees.

Where to stay in Ranthambore?

You will get plenty of Resorts in Ranthambore, and a lot of options to stay in Sawai Madhopur, near Ranthambore National Park. The available resorts are luxurious and in a budget stay. You can book your stay in advance because if you are going on weekends, there are chances of most of the hotels are sold out. To decide the best place to stay in Ranthambore, you can go through the reviews and book according to your budget, there are lots of resorts available from high to low range. 

We had booked our resort in Welcome Heritage Resort, which is very good in terms of hygiene and followed all COVID protocols, and most importantly it is in our budget. The service and food were great as they offer buffet dinner for around 500/- INR for veg and 600 INR for non-veg. Also, they do organize Rajasthani folk dance in the evening, which is the cherry on top.

Tip: Go through the reviews and pre-book your stay from Booking.com

Welcome Heritage Resort in Ranthambore

How to travel in Ranthambore?

You can take a direct auto-rickshaw from the Railway station to your resort. Or sharing a cab is the best option. The price is almost the same for auto and cab. 

Through our experience, the cab service was a really good and cheap option because we took the same cab (not pre-booked, we booked at the same time) for the whole day for visiting the Fort and Ganesh Temple.
The cab driver was very kind and talkative, he showed us all the important sites in Ranthambore. 

Tip: You can always bargain with the cab drivers, there is no fixed rate. :)

What are the Zones in Ranthambore National Park?

Before visiting the Park, you must know about the zones. You have to keep in mind that which zone is the best for spotting the big cat, before booking your safari. 
Ranthambore National Park has 10 zones, out of which the first 5 are the core zones and the remaining 5 are the buffer zones. Earlier there were only 5 zones, the latter was added after the growing population and the popularity.

The tiger sighting in the Buffer zone is rear than the Core zone, but it's improved these days due to the increased tiger population.

We got Zone 5 of the Core zones. And lucky to spot Arrowhead(T-84) in the middle of the road crossing from one zone's gate to another. That was a marvelous view to watch.

Arrowhead (T-84) Tigress - Granddaughter of Great Tigress Machli

Tip: Pre-book the safari and the zone.

What is the Safari timing in Ranthambore?

The Park is open from Sunrise to Sunset. The Safari runs in 2 slots: Morning and Evening. In both, the slots safari will be for 3 hours.

The timing of the Safari varies with the season:

What are the Safari Cost and Safari options in Ranthambore National Park?

There are 2 options to experience the safari one is Canter which is a 20 seater open-top vehicle, and the other is Gypsy which is 6 seater jeep.

There are 2 options to book your safari:

Option 1: Morning or evening slot in any one zone with both options Canter and Gipsy - Not much costlier

Option 2: Half-day or full-day private safari, which are not zone constricted, only Gipsy - Very costly.

Machli- The Queen of Ranthambore:

If you are visiting this place, you should definitely know the fascinating story of the Legend Tigress Queen of Ranthambore- Machli.

She got this name because of the unique mark on her face- A fish mark.
She was the pride of Ranthambore, the lady of the lake because of her courage and the stronghold of her territory. She is also called by the name crocodile killer, she killed a 14ft long crocodile.

She was born in 1997 and died in 2009. She gained extraordinary popularity and the lifetime achievement award. She was one of the World's oldest surviving tigresses.

What are other places to visit in Ranthambore?

Ranthambore Fort:

Other than Ranthambore National Park, there is one more place you must visit, Ranthambore Fort, built by the Maharajas of Ranthambore. The Fort is situated within the Forest.

The Ranthambore Fort has 3 temples dedicated to Ganesha, Shiva, and Rama constructed in the 12th and 13th centuries.

The place was really crowded when we visited in December month. 
It takes 3-4 hours to visit the whole fort.

Ranthambore Fort

Sharing Few clicks from our trip:

Ranthambore National Park: Spotted Deer

Ranthambore National Park: Sambar Deer

Ranthambore National Park: Langoor

National Bird Peacock in Ranthambore National Park

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