Complete Travel Guide For Ranthambore National Park

steve mark
8 min readOct 15, 2020

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Ranthambore National Park is located about 13.5 kilometers from the city of Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan. Located at the junction of the Aravali and Vindhya hill ranges, this is one of the finest places to view wild animals, especially as they are used to being stared at here. The park covers an area of approximately 400 sq km, and if combined with the area of Sawai Man Singh Sanctuary area, is around 500 sq km.

Ranthambore National Park is dotted with structures that remind you of bygone eras. There are numerous water bodies scattered all across the park, which provide ` perfect relief to the wild animals during the scorching hot days in summers. A huge fort, after which the park is named, towers over the park atop a hill. There are many ruins of bygone eras scattered all over the jungle, which give it a unique, wonderful and mixed flavour of nature, history and wildlife. Tigers at Ranthambore National park have been known to even hunt in full view of human visitors.

History of Ranthambore Tiger Reserve:

Ranthambore National Park was established initially as Sawai Madhopur Game Sanctuary in 1955 by the Government of India. In 1973, it was declared as one of the Project Tiger reserves in India. It was on 1st November, 1980 that Ranthambore was declared a national park, while the forests located beside it were named Sawai Man Singh Sanctuary & Keladevi Sanctuary.

TOP THINGS TO DO At Ranthambore:

The enthralling exploration of Ranthambore National Park is an experience to remember forever. Sighting the tigers in this popular national park of India is without any doubt is the top activity. Amongst other things to do in Ranthambore National Park are jeep safari and canter safari that promise the best wildlife sighting experience.

Hiking up to the 10th Century UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ranthambore Fort is a unique experience to have in the wildlife reserve. While, birding along the lakes of Ranthambore is yet another enjoyable activity to indulge in. Photography is another top activity in Ranthambore that boasts great opportunities for tiger photography, bird photography and landscape photography.

Wild Animals

There is a huge variety of wild animals in Ranthambore National Park, including mammals, birds & reptiles.

Birds Watching

Ranthambore National Park is home to a rich variety of birds, thanks to its diverse terrain & numerous water bodies.

Gypsy Safari

A Jeep Safari in Ranthambore is conducted on a 6 seater vehicle, both for morning & evening safaris.

Ranthambore Safari Booking online

Canter Safari

Canter Safari in Ranthambore National Park is conducted in a 20 seater open bus which operates in some of the safari zones.

Other Popular Tourist `Attractions in Ranthambore

Ranthambore Fort:

Ranthambore is nestled deep inside the Ranthambore National Park. The National Park consists of an area which used to be hunting grounds of the erstwhile kings of Jaipur. Standing atop a hill of 700 ft, the fort is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site under “Hill Forts of Rajasthan”. Among the most popular attractions in Ranthambore, the intimidating fort has been pivotal in the history of the state of Rajasthan.

Ranthambore Fort is believed to have been constructed by the Chauhan’s in the 10th century owing to safety measures. Eventually in the 13th century, the Delhi Sultanate captured the fort. Visitors will find here elements from Rajasthani architecture: towering gates, domes, stone pathways, thick walls, water tanks, and temples. Visitors will enter via one of the seven gates, namely, Ganesh Pol, Andheri Pol, Navlakha Pol, Hathi Pol, Satpol, Suraj Pol and Delhi Pol. Mahadeo Chhatri, Toran Dwar, and Sametonki Haveli are other attractions not to be missed. The on-site Ganesha Temple is widely known among devotees and draws crowds in large numbers.

The panoramic views of the National Park alone make this a worthy visit. The fort is free for all, and opens from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Visitors should try to catch the sunset here. The best time to visit the Ranthambore Fort is from April to October.

The Trinetra Ganesh Temple:

is situated inside the Ranthambore Fort, and is famous as one of the oldest temples in Rajasthan. It is the only temple in the entire world which houses the entire family of Lord Ganesha while his statue consists of three eyes.

History of Trinetra Ganesh Temple

This famous temple traces its history back to 1299, when a war was being fought between King Hameer & Ala-ud-din Khilji inside Ranthambore Fort. King Hameer was an ardent devotee of Lord Ganesha, and never forgot to offer his prayers to Lord Ganesha even during the battle.

One day, Lord Ganesha appeared in King Hameer’s dreams, and told him that he would be free of all troubles that faced him by the morning. In the morning, surprisingly, a symbol of Lord Ganesh appeared on one of the walls of the fort. What was even more surprising was that the war ended all of a sudden on its own.

The Rajiv Gandhi Regional Museum of Natural History:

The Rajiv Gandhi Regional Museum of Natural History is the fourth regional museum (after Bhubaneswar, Mysore, and Bhopal) of natural history in India. The museum showcases the history of natural resources in Rajasthan.

Spread across 7.2 acres, the museum opened its doors in 2014, and is managed by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change. The primary objective is to create awareness among the public with regards to natural resources via illustrative exhibits and engaging educational activities.

The belief is that, by creating a space wherein dialogue is encouraged, the government will be able to educate the masses about the diversity of life on the planet. Depiction of ecological interrelationship among flora and fauna will bring focus to the importance of conservation of nature and its resources.

The three-storey museum houses three prominent galleries of wildlife exhibits. Visitors will find here the facsimile of various animals including leopard, lion, chinkara (gazelle), and tiger. A popular attraction here is the life-like representations of Rajasthan rural life and the Bishnoi community. Live pottery and painting by local artists can be enjoyed in the painting and black pottery hall on the first floor.

A well-stocked library is located near the reception area. Visitors can spend hours reading books on biodiversity and wildlife of the region. The 300-seater auditorium is used to showcase documentary features and to host educational seminars. With explanations in braille, the state-of-the-art museum is accessible to the visually challenged as well.

Bakula

Among the many places in Ranthambore National Park where you can spot the Royal Bengal Tiger & other wildlife during your Jeep Safari, one is Bakula. It is a densely forested region scattered with a number of small pools & water holes. During the summers, visitors can spot tigresses with their cubs visiting the water holes, along with other wild animals.

The thick vegetation causes the air to retain moisture, thus making Bakula a relatively cool area compared to the other places in Ranthambore National Park. Carry a pair of binoculars and spot various wild animals in this area of the park.

Kachida Valley:

Kachida Valley is located in close proximity to the outskirts of Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan. This area consists of a large population of panthers, who migrated here to avoid conflicts with the Royal Bengal Tigers. It is also home to a sizable population of sloths, who are attracted towards the bee hives & large ant hills here. You can reach Kachida Valley only via a Jeep Safari. The surroundings are also extremely beautiful & great for some photography.

Lakarda and Anantpura:

Lakarda and Anantpura are 2 regions located in the northwestern & northern regions of Ranthambore National Park. These areas are inhabited by an impressive number of sloths, who are attracted towards the ant hills that are scattered all over the landscape. Sometimes, visitors can also spot the Indian striped Hyenas, although they are very few in number.

The Raj Bagh Ruins:

The Raj Bagh Ruins are situated between Padam Talo & Raj Bagh Talo in Ranthambore National Park. These ancient ruins are stone structures standing in the form of arches, palace outhouses, domes & steps. It lends an air of mystery & history to the surroundings. However, as impressive as these ruins are, they are surrounded by dense jungle, which often serve as the hideout for Royal Bengal Tigers. You can admire these stone ruins from a distance during your wildlife jeep safari in Ranthambore National Park.

Best Time to Visit Ranthambore

Summer Season

During the summer season from April to June, the temperature can go as high as 40℃. However, during this season, the chances of spotting tigers & other animals is quite high as they visit the water holes to quench their thirst.

Monsoon Season

During the monsoon season, from July to September, several zones of the Ranthambore National Park remain closed for visitors. The core of the park with Gates 1–5 are closed, while the buffer zone, with Gates 6–10, remains open for visitors.

Winter Season

The winter season, which starts from October & lasts till March, is a great time to visit Ranthambore National Park for its pleasant weather & the numerous opportunities for spotting the animals as they bask under the sun.

Ranthambore Tour Package

Why WildTrails?

WildTrails know the best in order to save you zigging and zagging over here and there.

WildTrails has sighting information from across all the parks.

WildTrails uses its network of best tiger tracker expert associated with the particular zone of the park.

WildTrails provides an easy way of seeing all possible wildlife trips for some of the top exotic wildlife destinations across the world [Currently Supporting India, Kenya & Tanzania] with an end-to-end trip right from your flights, to wildlife resorts to wildlife safaris to pickup/drops from local airports to even local experiences & that you probably don’t want to miss including 16-hr support via direct chat with our world-class support staff via our App or WhatsApp (in the event of any delays or last-minute issues to any general queries about your plan or destination).

WildTrails uses the network of best tiger tracker experts associated with the particular zone of the park.

WildTrails is the world’s first and only company to bring Sightings Data, analytics into planning Wildlife holidays. WidTrails have all the sightings info (4 years data) to create a predictive metric called the sighting index. The WildTrails app uses Artificial Intelligence to make sure that the tourist will come back with the best Tiger Sightings.

Trails Across India

  • Kabini
  • Nagarahole national park
  • Bandipur National park
  • Kaziranga National Park
  • Ranthambore National park
  • Tadoba Andhari tiger reserve
  • Gir Forest National park
  • Jim-Corbett National park
  • Pench Wildlife Sanctuary
  • Kanha National Park & Many more

Trails Across Africa

  • Masai Mara National Reserve
  • Naivasha National Park
  • Serengeti National Park & Others

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