Central India Tiger Safari: Kanha and Bandhavgarh
Overview
- Duration: 11 days / 10 nights
- Departures: Private, any date
- Group size: Private, from 2 travellers
- Accommodation: Comfortable 3–4★ hotels in Delhi and wildlife lodges on the edge of the parks
- Country: India
A wildlife journey from Delhi to two of central India’s best-known tiger reserves, Kanha and Bandhavgarh, with three nights in each and several jeep safaris in search of tigers, deer, birds and the rare hard-ground barasingha.
The forests of Madhya Pradesh, in the centre of India, are some of the best places in Asia to look for wild tigers. This trip pairs two very different reserves: Kanha, with its wide meadows, sal forest and the rare hard-ground barasingha, and Bandhavgarh, a smaller, hilly park around an ancient fort. You spend three nights in each, with time in Delhi at the start and end.
It suits wildlife lovers, photographers and birdwatchers, and anyone who enjoys early mornings and long, patient drives through the forest. Safaris run in open jeeps, shared or private depending on availability, with a naturalist who knows the animals and their tracks. At the parks you stay in wildlife lodges, with breakfast, lunch and dinner included, and you rest during the heat of the day.
The route is simple: a short flight from Delhi to Jabalpur, a drive to Kanha, a longer drive across to Bandhavgarh, then back to Jabalpur and Delhi. A free day in Delhi at the end gives you time to rest, shop or see more of the city, and a buffer if travel runs late.
Some honest notes. Tigers are wild animals, and no one can promise a sighting; your chances depend on luck and season. Safari zones are allocated by the park and permits sell out at busy times, so book well ahead. The parks are closed in the monsoon months, mornings in winter are cold in an open jeep, and the hot months before the monsoon are very hot indeed.
Tell us your dates and interests on our plan your trip page, and we will shape the safari around you.
Day-by-day itinerary
Your driver greets you at the airport and takes you to your hotel. Rest after the long flight, then, if you feel like it, take an evening stroll through Lodhi Garden, where fifteenth-century tombs stand among lawns and old trees. Parakeets and other birds gather here at dusk, a gentle first taste of the wildlife ahead.
Overnight: Delhi
With a local guide, explore Old Delhi: Jama Masjid, the lanes of Chandni Chowk by cycle rickshaw and the spice market at Khari Baoli. After lunch, visit Humayun’s Tomb, the Mughal garden tomb that inspired the Taj Mahal, and drive past India Gate. Return to your hotel to pack light clothes in muted colours for the parks.
Overnight: Delhi · Meals: Breakfast
Take a short flight south to Jabalpur in the heart of Madhya Pradesh. Your driver meets you and you head east through farmland and tribal villages to the edge of Kanha National Park, about four hours by road. Settle into your lodge, where meals are included, and meet the naturalist who will guide your safaris over the coming days.
Overnight: Kanha · Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Rise before dawn for a morning safari, in shared or private jeeps depending on availability, into the zone the park allocates. Kanha’s open meadows and sal forest are home to tigers, leopards, gaur and large herds of spotted deer, though sightings depend on luck and season. Return for a late breakfast and a rest, then head out again in the afternoon.
Overnight: Kanha · Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Go out on another morning safari, watching the grasslands for the barasingha, the hard-ground swamp deer that was saved from near-extinction in this park. Your naturalist also points out birds such as hornbills, racket-tailed drongos and serpent eagles. In the afternoon, choose a further safari or a walk to a nearby Gond or Baiga village with a local guide.
Overnight: Kanha · Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After a last early look at the forest edge and breakfast at the lodge, drive north to Bandhavgarh National Park, about five to six hours through the countryside of Madhya Pradesh, with a stop for lunch on the way. Arrive in the afternoon and spend the evening relaxing at your lodge, listening for alarm calls from the forest after dark.
Overnight: Bandhavgarh · Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Bandhavgarh is smaller and hillier than Kanha, with rocky ridges, bamboo thickets and grassy valleys. Head out on morning and afternoon safaris in shared or private jeeps, depending on availability, with your naturalist reading tracks and listening for the warning calls of langurs and deer. Tigers live here alongside leopards, sloth bears and jackals, but nothing is guaranteed.
Overnight: Bandhavgarh · Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Another dawn safari takes you through the forest below the ancient fort on Bandhavgarh hill, where carved figures of Vishnu lie among the trees near old water tanks. Spend the heat of the day resting at the lodge or birdwatching in its grounds. In the late afternoon, join a final safari or take a guided walk in the buffer zone.
Overnight: Bandhavgarh · Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After breakfast, leave the forest behind and drive to Jabalpur, about four to five hours. If time allows, stop at the Marble Rocks at Bhedaghat, where the Narmada river runs between white cliffs. Take a short flight back to Delhi in the afternoon or evening, and transfer to your hotel for the night.
Overnight: Delhi · Meals: Breakfast
A day to rest or see more of the capital. You might visit the Qutub Minar, the soaring tower of the Delhi Sultanate, or the lotus-shaped Bahá’í House of Worship, or shop for textiles and spices in the markets. This day also gives a buffer if travel from the parks runs late. Enjoy a farewell dinner in the evening.
Overnight: Delhi · Meals: Breakfast
Enjoy a last breakfast and some free time, depending on your flight. Your driver collects you from the hotel and takes you to the airport for your journey home, with photographs, bird lists and safari stories from the forests of central India.
Overnight: — · Meals: Breakfast
What’s included
- Ten nights’ accommodation: hotels in Delhi with breakfast, wildlife lodges at the parks with breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Private airport and hotel transfers
- Private car and driver for road journeys
- Domestic flights between Delhi and Jabalpur as named in the itinerary
- Jeep safaris in Kanha and Bandhavgarh, shared or private depending on availability, with a naturalist guide
- Park entry for the safaris (zones allocated by the park; confirmed in your quote)
- Local guide and entrance fees for sightseeing in Delhi
- 24/7 support during your trip
Not included
- International flights
- Visas
- Travel insurance
- Meals in Delhi other than breakfast
- Tips for guides, drivers and naturalists
- Camera fees and personal expenses
- Optional activities
Good to know
Sample itinerary: we adapt the route, hotels and dates to you and confirm everything in your written quote. The parks are closed in the monsoon months; best October–June, with March–May often good for tiger sightings but very hot.
You take a short flight between Delhi and Jabalpur in each direction. By road, Jabalpur to Kanha is about four hours, Kanha to Bandhavgarh about five to six hours and Bandhavgarh back to Jabalpur about four to five hours, all with your own driver. Inside the parks you travel in open safari jeeps with a park-registered driver and naturalist; safari zones and times are set by the park authorities.
Frequently asked questions
Sightings are never guaranteed. Kanha and Bandhavgarh both have healthy tiger populations, and several safaris in each park give you a fair chance, but sightings depend on luck and season. Even without a tiger, the forests, deer, birds and other animals make every drive worthwhile.
The core zones are closed in the monsoon months, roughly from summer until the autumn. October to February is cool and green, while the hot months before the monsoon often bring animals out to the waterholes. Park rules and safari timings change, so we confirm them when we book.
Safaris run in the early morning and afternoon in open jeeps, shared or private depending on availability, with a park-registered driver and a naturalist guide. Zones are allocated by the park, and permits are booked in advance, so we recommend planning early.
