Booking & Payment
How do I book a Ranthambore safari?
Choose your date and vehicle on our
safari booking page, add the passenger details exactly as they appear on each person’s ID, and complete the payment. We then file the permit with the Forest Department and send you the zone, gate number and reporting time by email and WhatsApp.
Is the permit confirmed the moment I pay?
Your payment is confirmed quickly. The permit itself comes from the Forest Department, and in peak weeks that can take longer than in September. If it is taking unusually long we tell you rather than leaving you guessing, and if it cannot be issued you get the full amount back.
How do I pay?
By UPI or bank transfer. You get the payment details on your booking summary and the confirmation by email and WhatsApp. Check the amount and the payee name before you send it, and message us with the screenshot if you want it checked.
How far in advance should I book?
Seats open about 90 days ahead. For October to February, or any long weekend, book six to eight weeks in advance. Three to four weeks is usually fine for March to June. If you are flexible, a week or two can be a good way to find cheaper dates.
What happens if my safari cannot be confirmed?
If a permit cannot be issued for your date — no seats left, a technical rejection, or a booking we cannot honour — we refund the full amount you paid and tell you immediately. Our
refund policy sets out the timing.
Do I need to pay anything to ask a question first?
No. Zone advice, vehicle choice and help with dates are free, and we would rather you ask before you pay than discover a problem afterwards.
Vehicles & Prices
What is the difference between a Gypsy and a Canter?
A
Gypsy (Jeep) seats six, reaches the narrow interior tracks including zones 7 and 8, and can pull off the main circuit. A
Canter seats twenty, is higher and cheaper per head, and stays on the wider routes — it cannot enter zones 7 or 8. Both have a licensed forest guide and both see the same wildlife.
What does the price include?
The park entry permit, the vehicle, the driver, a licensed guide, and all taxes. It does not include hotel pick-up in Sawai Madhopur, or the camera fee charged at the gate, which is paid separately in cash. Nothing else gets added after you book.
Do children need a ticket?
Children under five ride free and are not counted against the vehicle capacity, so they are not included as paying passengers in the form. Everyone from five upwards counts. The Gypsy allows six passengers and two small children in one vehicle.
Can I pay for a group of more than six?
Yes — book more than one vehicle, or split into a Canter for the larger part of the group and a Gypsy for those who want the smaller vehicle. Message us and we will work out the cheapest combination.
Zones & Timings
When is Ranthambore open?
The safari season runs 1 October to 30 June. The park is closed for the monsoon from 1 July to 30 September, and no safari of any kind runs during that period.
Can I choose which zone I go to?
No, and any agent that says otherwise is guessing. The Forest Department allocates your zone when the permit is issued, based on which zones have seats free that day. Tell us your preference and we will register it as a request, but it cannot be promised.
How many zones are there, and when are they closed?
Ten zones. Zones 1 to 5 close every Wednesday and zones 6 to 10 close every Tuesday. So never plan two safaris on the same weekday — you will lose one of them.
Are all ten zones open in October?
Not always. The gates reopen on 1 October but the first weeks usually run on zones 6 to 10 while the core zones reopen across the season. If you book early October we will tell you which zones are actually running that month.
Which zone is best for tigers?
No zone can be guaranteed, and nobody can honestly promise one. The best sightings usually come from consistent effort rather than a single perfect zone: two or three drives across different days and hours. Your guide will know where the activity has been that week.
What are the daily slots?
Two slots a day, morning and afternoon, each about three and a half hours. Start times shift with the season — mornings from 6:00 to 7:00 AM, afternoons from 2:00 to 3:30 PM. The full seasonal table is on the
Gypsy page and the
Canter page.
Is morning better than afternoon?
Usually, and it is the first slot of the day that is best of all. Animals are active in the cool hours and drinking before the heat builds. Afternoon drives have their own appeal — different animals are out at different times — but for a first trip, take the morning.
Documents & Who Can Go
What ID do I need?
A valid government photo ID for every traveller, and the original on safari day — not a photograph of it on a phone. Aadhaar, passport, voter ID, driving licence or PAN are all accepted. Children need a school ID or birth certificate. The name on the booking must match the document exactly, including spelling.
I am a foreign visitor. What changes?
Foreign nationals give passport details at the time of booking and carry the original passport on safari day. Foreign visitors are charged the higher rate shown on the booking page. Tell us your nationality when you book so the permit is filed correctly.
How many safaris can one person do in a day?
One per slot. Two slots means one morning drive and one afternoon drive on the same day, which is possible but a long day in a vehicle. Most people find two days better than two drives in one day.
On The Day
What time should I reach the gate?
Thirty minutes before your slot. Vehicles leave on time and late arrivals cannot be waited for, because the gate closes behind the last vehicle. Save the gate address offline first — there is no signal inside the park.
What should I bring?
The original ID for every traveller, water, a hat, sunscreen, and a light layer for the winter mornings when it drops near zero. A long lens if you photograph. Keep phones on silent and nothing loose in the vehicle.
What if it rains or the drive is cancelled?
Weather is the Forest Department’s call, not ours. If a drive is cut short or cancelled for weather, you are not charged for the unused part of the slot and we will discuss the options with you — a rebooking on another date or a refund depending on what you would prefer.
Can I take food into the park?
Personal water and light snacks are fine. Carrying food into the forest and feeding any animal is not — it is prohibited and genuinely harmful to the wildlife.
Getting Here & Paying
How do I reach Ranthambore?
By train to Sawai Madhopur Junction, which is about 13 km from the park gate, then a short taxi. By air, Jaipur is the nearest major airport at roughly 180 km. We can arrange pickup from the station or airport — tell us when you land and we will be at the other end.
Is hotel pick-up included?
Not in the standard fare. Morning slots start very early, so we strongly recommend adding the transfer rather than sorting it yourself at 4 am. It is arranged at a small extra cost.
Can you arrange accommodation too?
Yes — lodges and guesthouses within about fifteen minutes of the gate, plus resorts further out. Tell us your budget and how close you want to be, and we will say honestly which options are worth the money.
Can you help with the rest of the trip?
Most of it. Transfers, hotels, the
Chambal boat trip, the
fort, and the regional museum are all arranged through the same number.