A weekend Ranthambore itinerary

A Ranthambore Weekend Itinerary | Everything you need to know to do it yourself 

About

There are very few parks in India that can promise a sighting of the elusive tiger—India’s regal national animal—and Ranthambore is one of them. Once a private game reserve of the royal House of Jaipur, Ranthambore National Park is located at the junction of the mountain ranges of Aravallis and Vindhyas in Rajasthan, India. It boasts an area of 1700 sq km and is home to 74 tigers. Only about 400 sq km of the forest is open for tourism. Recently, there have been concerns about overpopulation and a skewed gender, which have led to territorial fights and tigers leaving the park.

Best Season to Visit

Based on our experience, the best season for a safari seems to be summer (April–June), when the animals come out to drink water and the grasslands are sparse, allowing sightings, although the punishing heat can make tourists uncomfortable. Visit during November–March for cooler temperatures and a thicker forest, leading to a more pleasant overall experience. During monsoons (July–September), Zones 1–5 are closed, while Zones 6–10 stay open.


Where to Stay

There are numerous good hotels surrounding Ranthambore National Park, giving you plenty of options. I lodged at Tiger Machan, one of the hotels closest to the main gate for zones 1–5. Ananta Bagh is nearby and a great option too. My stay at Machan was calm, nestled in nature, and homely. Enjoy beautiful rooms, wholesome food, and a lovely garden area without breaking the bank. I wholeheartedly recommend it.

The Fern and Taj were also considered, but they were too expensive for our budget. To be fancy, look at The Oberoi Vanyavilas.


How to Reach

Sawai Madhopur (13 km and 30 min away) is the closest town that can be reached by train. Jaipur is the nearest airport (150 km, 3 hours, and 30 minutes away), and a taxi from Jaipur to any of the hotels costs around INR 4000–5000 one-way. We used GoZo cabs one way. For the onward journey, we took an auto to Jaipur junction (INR 250, 20-minute trip), caught the 8:20 train (AC 3-tier ) to Sawai Madhopur station (2-hour journey), and took an auto to our hotel (INR 350, 20-minute trip)

 

The Safari Experience

The official website to book online is here.

weekend itinerary to Ranthambore | The official booking page
The official booking page

The Zones

There are 74 tigers in Ranthambore. Ranthambore is divided into zones, unlike Gir National Park. It has 10 zones with entry gates several kilometres apart from each other. Zones 1–5 have the highest population of tigers, with a high chance of sightings. Zones 6–10 are the buffer zones. The first five zones have the same entry gate, which is also the entry gate for the fort. The zones split after that. One zone allows 4 canters and 6 gipsies at a time, although we witnessed canters changing zones often to chase tigers. Some special-category gipsies are booked for half or full days.

At the time of writing this, 2, 3, 4, and 10 were the best zones with the most sightings.

Jeeps and Canters

Two types of vehicles are used for Jungle Safari: an open-top Maruti Gipsy Jeep and an open-top 22-seater bus, i.e., a canter. Canters ply in all safari zones except zones 7 and 8. It is mandatory to pay for six people to book a private jeep. The safari time of the year varies depending on the sunrise and sunset. Both the morning safari and the afternoon safari last for about three and a half hours.

A 2 day Ranthambore itinerary | Gypsy
A Gypsy at Zone 3
A 2 day Ranthambore itinerary | Canter
A canter entering the main gate for zones 1–5

Bookings for that day and the next day open up at regular non-tatkal rates, so keep an eye out. Spot bookings also happen if gipsies or canter seats are available. Identity proof is required before entry into the park, although ours was not checked once.

The Experience

The Picking-Up Process

A canter and a gipsy at Ranthambore have multiple occupants. They go around picking people up from the hotels. This is a painful process that often delays the start time of the safari, but at present, there’s no way around it. To avoid waking up early to go to the booking counter and registering yourself, then riding along in an empty canter picking up people (or waiting at the counter until the canter comes back full), you can have an agent show up at the counter to register for you. Locally, this is called ‘releasing a ticket’ and costs about INR 100 per head. Your hotel can help you find such an agent.

If you stay close to the zone, as we did, you’ll be picked up last (around 6:30 a.m. for the morning safari and 3:30 p.m. for the afternoon safari in summer). While this is beneficial, you will also likely get the worst seats in the canter.

**Updated on November 2023: Reportedly, tourists seeking to indulge in the Ranthambore wildlife safari will no longer be offered hotel pick-up and drop-off services. Instead, they will now be required to independently reach the specified boarding point designated by the forest department or the entry point of the forest. Source: Times of India**

The Safari Experience

We got a canter for the three safaris and saw a tiger each time. The terrain and driving are rough, and your guide may or may not be motivated. It was a mixed experience. All the canters we went in were occupied by large families and usually noisy children. If they’d been available, we would have preferred to book a gipsy.

Here are the zones we covered and the sightings.

Zone 2: We saw one tigress (Indu T-60, 10 years old), sloth bear, leopard, nilgai, sambhar, spotted deer, peacock, and the Ranthambore Fort ruins. It was a lovely, thick forest with stony terrain, impressive glimpses of the fort, and plenty of animals. This was my first ever tiger sighting!

A weekend Ranthambore a 2 day itinerary | Tiger in zone 2
A sleeping Indu at Zone 2

Zone 4: We saw one tiger (unnamed male cub), crocodiles in the water, jackals, a sunbathing tortoise, boars, a mongoose, nilgai, sambhar deer, spotted deer, peacocks, a vulture, a paradise flycatcher, and a water snake. It was a dry deciduous forest with plenty of game animals around small water bodies. It was a very bumpy ride. Currently, apparently, its tigers are being sighted in Zone 10.

A weekend Ranthambore a 2 day itinerary | Zone 4 tiger
An unnamed male tiger at Zone 4

Zone 3: We sat in the last seat and had a very disgruntled guide. We glimpsed a tiger retreating (the legendary Arrowhead) and a massive sunbathing crocodile, but not much more. Zone 3 has a beautiful view of the Ranthambore Fort around the lake, but we didn’t see as many animals as in the other zones we visited. Zone 3, which is known to have a lot of sightings, wasn’t so at the time of writing this post. One of its main tigers, Riddhi, had given birth, so she was missing in action. I expect her three cubs to bring the party back to the zone after three months. We missed the third tiger, Ganesh, by a whisker. Zone 3 is also home to three lakes—Padam Lake, Rajbagh Lake, and Malik Lake—making it an ideal area for tigers to inhabit.

A weekend Ranthambore a 2 day itinerary | Zone 3 vista
The beautiful Zone 3

Optional Visits

The Ranthambore Fort

Perched atop a hill, the 10-century fort offers a commanding view of the surrounding landscape, including Ranthambore National Park. It is the second-biggest fort in Rajasthan. The fort is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and can be reached part-way by taxi, followed by 300 stairs, and then a walk of about a kilometre to reach the fort and an adjoining Ganesh temple (with a Trinetra (three-eyed) idol—a unique thing). The climb to the top is accompanied by pesky monkeys, so keep your food and handbags out of reach.

A weekend Ranthambore a 2 day itinerary | Entry to the fort
Entry to the Ranthambore Fort

If you are doing a safari in zones 1–5, the canters start and end next to the fort. Although in summer it’s searingly hot, you can go to the fort afterwards and have a car pick you up after you’re done.

Chambal Boat Safari

The Palighat Village of Sawai Madhopur is home to the National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary, situated alongside the banks of the Chambal River. Once infamous for its association with dacoits, the Chambal region has now transformed into a sanctuary for various remarkable species. The point is approximately 45 kilometres away from Ranthambore and can be reached in an hour by taxi. In the Chambal River safari, you can see the Gharial (a species of crocodile), as well as the Gangetic Dolphin (the national aquatic animal), along with an array of bird species. Open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; it can get hot during the summer! Various local operators run tours.

Other nearby cities to visit from Ranthambore are Baran, Jaipur, and Kota.

Or, take an exciting lion safari in Gir. Or head to another vibrant city in Rajasthan, Jodhpur

My Recommended Travel Sites
This is how I plan all my trips quickly, efficiently, and economically. Below are my go-to recommended travel planning sites.
  • First, I go to TripAdvisor and check out top things to do, top places, and experiences. I use this to make a rough itinerary.
  • From TripAdvisor I often go to Viator to book day tours. I love their user friendly platform and flexible cancellation policies. Compare their offers with GetYourGuide, which is great too.
  • I book my accommodations in Booking because of their flexibility and that the bookings are easily cancellable. The mobile app is great and the genius discounts are on point.
  • I recommend getting the Priority Pass. It gives you access to airport lounges and has helped me through many long waits. It’s definitely well worth the money.
  • And I am literally always on Skyscanner. I get to see the best airfares, and the airline / third party providers offering them. Try the “From: origin city” to “To: Everywhere” option to ignite your imagination on where to travel to next.

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