Ranthambore tiger safari booking · Sawai Madhopur

Ranthambore safari booking

A Bengal tiger walking straight towards the camera on a dirt track

Ranthambore safari booking online: Gypsy (jeep) and Canter permits for all ten zones, arranged by a local desk in Sawai Madhopur.

Plan my safari
Season 2026–27 open Zones 1–5 shut Wednesdays Zones 6–10 shut Tuesdays

Stop 01 of 06

Pick your ride

Two kinds of vehicle enter Ranthambore National Park: the Gypsy, an open jeep, and the Canter. Both drive a fixed route inside the zone on your permit, with a forest-department guide on board.

Open Gypsy jeep on a Ranthambore tiger safari track

Gypsy

Most booked

Open-top 4×4 with six seats. Smaller and quieter, and quicker to move when a tiger is reported. The pick for photographers.

Seats
6
Drive
2 h 30 m
Zones
1–10
20-seat open Canter on a Ranthambore safari

Canter

Groups

A 20-seat open bus on the same tracks, with a higher view over the grass. Good for families and larger groups.

Seats
20
Drive
2 h 30 m
Zones
As allotted
Boat safari on the Chambal river

Chambal boat

Half day

A boat ride on the Chambal at Palighat, about 45 km from the park. Gharial, mugger crocodiles, river dolphins and winter birds.

Boat
1 h 30 m
From park
45 km
Season
Oct–Jun

Also booked here:Fort & Trinetra Ganesh cabJaipur airport transfersHotel stays, budget to luxuryPickup at your hotel

Stop 02 of 06

Ten zones, one roster

The forest department allots zones through its own roster. Tell us the zone you prefer and we will ask for it wherever the official system allows a choice.

Illustrative map · not to scale
3 Core zoneZone 3
Landmarks
Padam Talao, Rajbagh Talao, Mandook
What it's like
The lake country below the fort. Machali's old territory and the best-known drive in the park.
Weekly closure
Wednesday

Stop 03 of 06

The lake queens

Four generations of tigresses have held the lakes below Ranthambore Fort, each taking the territory from her mother.

Zones 3 & 4Representative photo

Generation 1 of 4

Machali

T-16 · 1997–2016

Held the lakes below the fort for more than a decade and was filmed fighting a 14-foot mugger crocodile at Rajbagh Talao. Often called the most photographed tiger in the world.

Machali→Krishna→Arrowhead→Riddhi

Stop 04 of 06

Know your shift

Each safari lasts about two and a half hours. Gate times move with the sun, so pick the month you are travelling.

Sunrise 06:20
Sunset 17:55
Morning06:30 – 10:00
Evening14:30 – 18:00
05:0008:0011:0014:0017:0020:00
SeasonMorningEvening
Weekly closureZones 1–5 on Wednesday, Zones 6–10 on Tuesday

Plan two shifts across different days if you want both halves of the park.

MonsoonCore zones close 1 July – 30 September

Buffer zones may stay open. Ask us before you plan a monsoon trip.

From the field journal

What the drivers saw

Where our drivers most often find tigers, leopards and sloth bears. Ask us on WhatsApp for this week's sightings before you choose a date.

Where to look

  1. Zone 3 · Rajbagh — Riddhi (T-124) and her cubs work the lake edges below the fort
  2. Zone 4 · Malik Talao — Tigers come to the water here in the hot months
  3. Zone 2 · Jogi Mahal — Leopards use the fort walls and the rocky slopes
  4. Zone 6 · Kundal — Sloth bears in the open dry forest, mostly early morning
  5. Any zone — Fresh pugmarks on the track: the driver stops and waits
Ranthambore Fort
Ranthambore Fort
Birdlife
Birdlife
Chambal
Chambal

Send us your dates, shift and zone on WhatsApp. We check permit availability and reply with the options that are actually open.

Safari desk, Sawai Madhopur

The evening before your safari we confirm the shift, zone and pickup time, so there is no running around at the gate.

Safari desk, Sawai Madhopur

Short notice? Ask us about current (Tatkal) seats. We will tell you honestly if a Gypsy or Canter is still possible.

Safari desk, Sawai Madhopur

Stop 05 of 06

The fort, by cab

Ranthambore Fort and the Trinetra Ganesh temple sit inside the park, on the hill above the lakes. Our cab picks you up at your hotel, waits while you climb, and brings you back.

  1. Hotel pickup

    Anywhere in Sawai Madhopur or along Ranthambore Road.

  2. Fort gate

    The cab drives the park road to the foot of the fort walls.

  3. Climb to Trinetra Ganesh

    Walk up through the old gateways to the temple, the ramparts and the view over Padam Talao.

    Driver waits 3–4 hours
  4. Back to your hotel

    Or on to the station, the Chambal or your next stop.

Innova Crysta

Toyota Innova Crysta

  • Up to 6 guests
  • 4 bags
  • AC · captain seats
Get a quote

Other routes:Jaipur airport & railway stationSawai Madhopur station pickupPalighat for the Chambal boatHotel to hotel transfers

Stop 06 of 06

Book your safari

Ranthambore safari booking without the running around. Jeep or Canter, morning or evening: send us your dates and we check availability on the official forest department portal, then call you back with options.

We reply on call or WhatsApp

Ranthambore safari booking

Your tiger safari, booked locally

Jeep (Gypsy) and Canter safari booking for Ranthambore National Park, from a desk at the park gate in Sawai Madhopur.

Ranthambore Safari Bookings is a private safari booking desk in Sawai Madhopur, the town at the gate of Ranthambore National Park. We handle Ranthambore safari booking online for Indian and foreign guests: Ranthambore jeep safari (Gypsy) and Canter safari permits for all ten zones, morning and evening shifts, and Tatkal seats when your dates are close.

Every permit is issued on the Rajasthan Forest Department’s official portal in each guest’s name. We check availability for your date, book the permit with your ID details, confirm your zone and pickup time, and send the vehicle to your hotel. You get one WhatsApp number for the whole trip, from the first question to the end of your last safari.

Plan your Ranthambore tiger safari

Ready to go? Send your dates or call and WhatsApp us on +91 90246 96120.

Season
1 October – 30 June
Shifts
Morning and evening, about 2 h 30 m
Vehicles
Gypsy jeep, 6 seats · Canter, 20 seats
Zones
1–5 core · 6–10 buffer
Booking
Online, on WhatsApp or by phone
Desk
Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan 322001

Ranthambore safari booking FAQ

Questions we get every day

How does Ranthambore safari booking work?

Send us your date, shift (morning or evening), vehicle (jeep/Gypsy or Canter) and number of guests. We check availability on the Rajasthan Forest Department’s official portal, book the permit with each guest’s ID details, confirm your zone and pickup time, and the vehicle collects you from your hotel. See how booking works.

Can I book a Ranthambore safari online?

Yes. Use the booking form on this page or message us on WhatsApp. Permits are issued online on the forest department’s system, so you never need to visit the booking office yourself. Read the online booking guide.

Is this the official Ranthambore safari booking website?

No. Ranthambore Safari Bookings is a private agency in Sawai Madhopur, not the Rajasthan Forest Department. Every permit is booked on the official government portal in your name; we add planning, the vehicle, hotel pickup and help on the day.

How early should I book?

Permits for October to March weekends and holidays sell out first. Book 60 to 90 days ahead for those dates. For other dates two to three weeks is usually enough. Tatkal permits are available closer to the day: see last-minute booking.

What are the Ranthambore safari timings?

There are two shifts a day, morning and evening, each about two and a half hours. Gate times change with the season. See the month-by-month safari timings.

Is Ranthambore safari open now?

The season runs from 1 October to 30 June. Core zones 1 to 5 close for the monsoon from 1 July to 30 September; some buffer zones may open in the monsoon. Zones 1 to 5 also close on Wednesdays and zones 6 to 10 on Tuesdays.

Jeep (Gypsy) or Canter?

A Gypsy is an open jeep that seats six and moves faster, so it suits photographers and small groups. A Canter seats twenty and gives a higher view. Both drive the same tracks in the zone you are given. Compare them in Gypsy or Canter.

Can I choose my zone?

Zones are allotted by the forest department. Where the official system allows a choice we book your preferred zone. Otherwise we tell you which zone you got as soon as the permit is issued. See the zone map.

What ID do I need?

Indian guests can use Aadhaar, passport, voter ID or driving licence. Foreign guests need their passport. Carry the same ID you booked with, because it is checked at the gate.

What is the Ranthambore safari price?

Permit fees are fixed by the Rajasthan Forest Department and differ for Indian and foreign guests, Gypsy and Canter, and regular and Tatkal permits. Send us your date and group on WhatsApp and we will share the current total for your trip.

Will I see a tiger?

No one can promise a sighting. Ranthambore has one of the best sighting records in India, and our drivers follow fresh pugmarks and alarm calls, but the forest decides. Booking two or three shifts helps: sighting tips.

Where is Ranthambore National Park?

In Sawai Madhopur district, Rajasthan, about 160 km from Jaipur. Sawai Madhopur railway station is on the Delhi–Mumbai line, around 10 km from the park gate. See how to reach Ranthambore.

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