Gypsy
Most bookedOpen-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
Panthera tigris tigris · Bengal tiger
Ranthambore
Gypsy and Canter safari permits for all ten zones of Ranthambore, arranged by a local desk in Sawai Madhopur.
↓Plan my safariStop 01 of 06
Pick your ride
Two kinds of vehicle enter the park. Both drive a fixed route inside the zone on your permit, with a forest-department guide on board.
Canter
GroupsA 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
Chambal boat
Half dayA 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
Draft zone notes
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
| Season | Morning | Evening |
|---|
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
Our drivers log every shift. This is where guests see the latest sightings before they choose a date.
Sample entries
Sighting log
- 16 Oct · AM · Z3 — Riddhi (T-124) and two cubs at Rajbagh, 6:52
- 15 Oct · PM · Z4 — Male crossing near Malik Talao, sambar calling
- 15 Oct · AM · Z2 — Leopard on the fort wall, Jogi Mahal side
- 14 Oct · PM · Z6 — Sloth bear with cub, Kundal
- 14 Oct · AM · Z3 — Pugmarks only. Fresh, heading to Padam Talao
Booked six weeks out for Zone 3. The driver cut the engine at Rajbagh and waited. Twenty minutes later a tigress walked past the Gypsy.
They checked our IDs the night before and the Gypsy was at the hotel at 6:05. No running around at the gate.
We came on a Tatkal permit with one day's notice. They sorted Canter seats and the fort cab the same evening.
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.
- Hotel pickup
Anywhere in Sawai Madhopur or along Ranthambore Road.
- Fort gate
The cab drives the park road to the foot of the fort walls.
- 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 - Back to your hotel
Or on to the station, the Chambal or your next stop.
Other routes:Jaipur airport & railway stationSawai Madhopur station pickupPalighat for the Chambal boatHotel to hotel transfers
Stop 06 of 06
Book your safari
Gypsy or Canter, morning or evening. Send us your dates and we check availability on the official portal, then call you back with options.
Through the lens
From the jungle
01 / 08
On Instagram
Fresh from the park
Photos from our drivers and guests, straight from our Instagram. New posts show up here on their own.
Follow on Instagram
Safari notes
From the blog
Guides, seasons and tiger stories from our desk in Sawai Madhopur.
All articles →Before you book
Questions we get every 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.
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.
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.
Gypsy or Canter?
A Gypsy 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.
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.
Are you the forest department?
No. Ranthambore Safari Bookings is a private agency. We book permits through the official system and add planning, pickup and help on the ground.