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There's no walk-up entry ticket to Ranthambore — the only way in is a safari permit from the Rajasthan Forest Department, bundled with vehicle and guide, with shared canter seats starting around INR 1,500 for Indian nationals. The park runs two 3.5-hour game drives a day from 1 October to 30 June, and shuts its core zones completely during the monsoon.
Ranthambore runs safaris from 1 October to 30 June, with two 3.5-hour game drives every day — one at dawn, one in the afternoon. Gate times shift with the seasons. The core park shuts completely from 1 July to 30 September for the monsoon.
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| Day | Hours | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 06:30–10:00 & 14:30–18:00 | Two 3.5-hour drives daily. Times above apply 1–31 Oct and 1 Feb–31 Mar; 1 Nov–31 Jan it's 07:00–10:30 & 14:00–17:30; 1 Apr–15 May 06:00–09:30 & 15:00–18:30; 16 May–30 Jun 06:00–09:30 & 15:30–19:00. Arrive at the gate 30–45 minutes early for ID checks and boarding passes. |
| Tuesday | 06:30–10:00 & 14:30–18:00 | Zones 6–10 closed. Zones 1–5 run as normal. |
| Wednesday | 06:30–10:00 & 14:30–18:00 | Zones 1–5 closed. Zones 6–10 run as normal. |
| Thursday | 06:30–10:00 & 14:30–18:00 | All zones open. Zones are allotted at check-in, so you can't request a specific one without paying a premium-zone surcharge. |
| Friday | 06:30–10:00 & 14:30–18:00 | All zones open. |
| Saturday | 06:30–10:00 & 14:30–18:00 | All zones open. Weekends sell out first — book well ahead. |
| Sunday | 06:30–10:00 & 14:30–18:00 | All zones open. |
There are no religious or national holiday closures — the shutdown that matters is the monsoon. From 1 July to 30 September the core park (zones 1–5) closes completely for the breeding season and road repairs, and the last core safaris run on 30 June; zones 6–10 sometimes operate at the Forest Department's discretion, weather permitting, so check before assuming monsoon safaris are running. October permits typically open in early July, and they go fast.
There's no walk-in entry ticket to Ranthambore — park entry comes only bundled with a safari, sold as a seat in a forest-registered jeep or canter. A shared 6-seat Gypsy runs about INR 2,200–2,500 per seat for Indian nationals and INR 4,500–5,500 for foreigners, while the 20-seat open canter is the budget option at roughly INR 1,500 (Indian) and INR 3,800–4,550 (foreigner). Each ticket bundles the park permit, vehicle and mandatory guide; permits are non-refundable and sold only through the Rajasthan Forest Department's booking portal.
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| Category | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Shared Gypsy seat (Indian national) | INR 2,200–2,500 | 6-seat open jeep; includes park permit, vehicle and guide. Booked online in advance — no walk-in sales. |
| Shared Gypsy seat (foreign national) | INR 4,500–5,500 | Passport details required at booking; carry the same original ID to collect your boarding pass. |
| Shared canter seat (Indian national) | About INR 1,500 | 20-seat open vehicle; cheapest way in, but you can't move around to follow a sighting. |
| Shared canter seat (foreign national) | INR 3,800–4,550 | Passport details required at booking. |
| Child under 5 | Free | Rides on an adult's lap, up to two per Gypsy. |
| Exclusive half-day / full-day jeep (Indian national) | Formerly INR 46,000–57,000 per jeep | Reports say half- and full-day private safaris have been discontinued — confirm on the official portal before planning around them. |
| Exclusive half-day / full-day jeep (foreign national) | Formerly INR 56,000–72,000 per jeep | Same caveat: reported discontinued. |
| Premium zone / spot quota surcharge | Extra charge (varies) | Zones are allotted randomly at check-in unless you pay this surcharge — worth it if you have your heart set on Zone 3. |
No regular free entry days — every visitor needs a safari permit, and the core park closes entirely from 1 July to 30 September for the monsoon.
Planning your visit to Ranthambore National Park? Find tours with free cancellation and skip-the-line options.
View All ToursThe best time to visit Ranthambore is April to June, when 40°C-plus heat drains the water holes and tigers queue with their prey at Padam Talao and Rajbagh Lake — sighting rates peak and dry grass opens up the view. October and November are the comfortable alternative: fresh post-monsoon greenery, active cats and thinner crowds than the December–February peak, when winter birds draw the biggest safari bookings.
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| Period | Crowd Level | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Early morning (06:00–07:30) | Low | Gates open between 6:00 and 7:00 depending on the season, and the first hour belongs to predators and birds — this slot suits photographers and anyone chasing leopards in Zone 4. |
| Mid-morning (07:30–09:30) | Moderate | Vehicles fan out across the allotted zones and tigers often lounge on the tracks; winter fog can linger here, so patience pays. |
| Late morning (09:30–10:30) | High | The last stretch of the morning drive, when every vehicle converges on fresh alarm calls — good for shared sightings, less so if you want the cat to yourself. |
| Afternoon (14:00–16:00) | Moderate | The post-lunch drive starts between 14:00 and 15:30; in April–June the heat pushes tigers toward the lakes to drink, so this slot suits serious tiger-seekers who can handle the sun. |
| Late afternoon (16:00–19:00) | Low | Light softens, vehicles thin out and sambar come down to drink at Padam Talao — a good pick for families, though winter drives end by 17:30 and the open canter gets cold fast. |
Plan on 2–3 days. Each game drive lasts 3 hours 30 minutes and stays inside its allotted zone, and most visitors need 3–4 drives for a realistic chance of a tiger — single-safari visitors often miss out. Add half a day for the fort's steep climb, and a fourth day if you want the Chambal river boats. One safari plus the fort squeezes into 7–9 hours if that's all you have.
Buy your safari permit through the official Rajasthan Forest Department portal (SSO login at sso.rajasthan.gov.in) the moment your dates are fixed — core zones and Gypsies sell out weeks ahead in peak season. Third-party 'official-looking' agent sites often charge double, and permits are non-refundable, so there's no undoing a bad booking. Each account is capped at six bookings per month, and registered hotels can also book on your behalf.
Zones 1-5 shut every Wednesday and zones 6-10 every Tuesday, so check the rotation before stacking back-to-back safari dates. Arrive at the gate 30-45 minutes before your slot for ID checks and boarding pass collection — late arrivals forfeit the drive, permit money included.
The core park closes completely from 1 July to 30 September, and zones 6-10 run only at the Forest Department's discretion depending on rain. If tigers are the goal, aim for April-June instead: 40-43°C afternoons are brutal, but drying water holes concentrate tigers and prey around Padam Talao and Rajbagh Lake, giving you the park's best sighting odds.
Winter mornings in an open vehicle feel near 0°C with fog — pack a fleece, cap, and gloves even for afternoon drives that end warm. In April-June you'll want breathable cottons, a wide-brim hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, and 2 litres of water per drive; a dust scarf is worth carrying year-round. Stick to khaki, beige, and olive, and skip strong perfume.
Most visitors who do 3-4 drives across two days see at least one tiger; single-safari visitors often don't. Morning drives suit predators and birds, while hot afternoons pull tigers down to the lakes to drink, so mix your slots rather than repeating one. Budget about INR 200-300 in cash tips each for the driver and guide per drive.
A shared seat in a 20-seat open canter runs about INR 1,500 for Indian nationals and INR 3,800-4,550 for foreigners, while a shared 6-seat Gypsy costs roughly INR 2,200-2,500 for Indians and INR 4,500-5,500 for foreigners. The price bundles the park permit, the vehicle, and the mandatory guide. Children under 5 ride free on an adult's lap, up to two per Gypsy.
No. Entry is only sold as part of a permitted jeep or canter safari booked with the Rajasthan Forest Department — there's no walk-in ticket. Permits are non-refundable and non-transferable, so treat your booking date as fixed once you've paid.
Book online through the Rajasthan Forest Department system using an SSO login at sso.rajasthan.gov.in (linked from forest.rajasthan.gov.in); each account is capped at six bookings per month. You'll collect your boarding pass at the gate counter, so carry the same original photo ID you used to book. Registered hotels can also book on your behalf.
The park runs two 3.5-hour game drives daily from 1 October to 30 June, with gate times shifting by season — for example, 6:30-10:00 AM and 2:30-6:00 PM in October, 6:00-9:30 AM and 3:30-7:00 PM from 16 May to 30 June. Arrive 30-45 minutes before your slot for ID checks and boarding pass collection. Late arrivals forfeit the drive.
No. The core park (zones 1-5) closes completely from 1 July to 30 September for the monsoon; zones 6-10 may open, weather permitting, but check before assuming they're running. Zones also close on rotation through the season: zones 1-5 shut every Wednesday and zones 6-10 every Tuesday.
No. Since 1 February 2026, mobile phones are banned in the core tourism zones — no calls, photos, video, or social media — and the rule applies to drivers and guides too. Phones can be confiscated and offenders removed without a refund, so leave yours at the hotel and bring a standalone camera instead.
Each drive lasts 3 hours 30 minutes, and most visitors do 2-4 safaris over a 2-3 day stay. Book at least 3-4 drives if tigers are the goal — single-safari visitors often miss out, while those doing three or four drives typically see at least one. Zones are allotted randomly at check-in unless you pay a premium-zone surcharge, so don't trust anyone promising a guaranteed tiger zone.
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