DEVGAMAN

North India · Wildlife

Jim Corbett National Park

India's first national park, where Project Tiger began on the Ramganga

29.53° N · 78.77° E
Wild elephants crossing the Ramganga grasslands in Jim Corbett National Park

Photo: Soumyajit Nandy · CC BY-SA 3.0

Best months to be here

  • January — a best month
  • February — a best month
  • March — a best month
  • April — a best month
  • May — a best month
  • June — a best month
  • July
  • August
  • September
  • October
  • November — a best month
  • December — a best month

Best: Nov–Jun

At a glance

State
Uttarakhand
Region
North India
Kind of place
Wildlife · Modern
Ideal stay
3 days
Coordinates
29.53° N, 78.77° E

Named Hailey National Park in 1936, renamed for the hunter-turned-conservationist Jim Corbett after his death, and chosen for the launch of Project Tiger on 1 April 1973, this 1,288 sq km reserve is the original Indian jungle. The Ramganga river cuts through it from east to west, backing up behind the Kalagarh dam into a reservoir where gharials sun on the sandbanks and elephant herds cross in the evening. The heart of the park is Dhikala, a forest rest house on a bluff above the river with the chaur grassland stretching to the water, open from mid-November to mid-June only to overnight guests; a dawn drive along Sambar Road here, with mist on the grass and a tiger's alarm calls ringing through the sal, is one of India's great wildlife mornings.

Bijrani, close to Ramnagar, is dense and productive for tigers; Jhirna and Dhela stay open year-round; Durga Devi is the angler's zone for mahseer on the Ramganga; Sitabani in the buffer is where the Ramayana places Sita's exile. Elephants are the other stars, and the park is famous for large herds and for the occasional bull that decides the road is his. Corbett wrote Man-Eaters of Kumaon here, and his winter home at Kaladhungi, now a museum, is a short drive away, as is the Garjiya Devi temple on a rock in the Kosi river.

The best sightings come in April–June when the forest thins and animals come to water. Book early, go slowly, and listen.

What not to miss in Jim Corbett National Park

  1. Dhikala grasslands and the Ramganga reservoir
  2. Tiger tracking in Bijrani
  3. Elephant herds at dusk on the riverbed
  4. Gharials on the Kalagarh sandbanks
  5. Corbett Museum at Kaladhungi
  6. Garjiya Devi temple in the Kosi river

Best Nov–Jun

Best time to visit Jim Corbett National Park

November to June; Dhikala zone is open mid-November to mid-June; April to June gives the best tiger sightings; Jhirna and Dhela run year-round.

Give Jim Corbett National Park 3 days and it repays the time; with fewer you are choosing between Dhikala grasslands and the Ramganga reservoir and Tiger tracking in Bijrani. We build the hours around the weather — early starts when it is hot, long afternoons when it is not.

  • Ideal stay — 3 days
  • Season — Nov–Jun
Plan a trip here

On the ground

Things to do in Jim Corbett National Park

The days we would actually plan for you, in the order that suits the light.

  • Two-night stay at Dhikala forest rest house with dawn and dusk drives
  • Jeep safari in Bijrani or Dhela with a registered naturalist
  • Canter safari to Dhikala for day visitors
  • Birding walk along the Kosi river for ibisbill and wallcreeper in winter
  • Walk Chhoti Haldwani, the hamlet Corbett bought and walled for its farmers

At the table

What to eat in Jim Corbett National Park

  • Kumaoni thali with bhatt ki churkani
  • Aloo ke gutke and jhangora kheer
  • Bal mithai
  • Ramnagar litchis in June
  • Forest rest house dal-chawal at Dhikala

Getting there

How to reach Jim Corbett National Park

Pantnagar airport 80 km; Ramnagar railhead, served by the overnight Ranikhet Express from Delhi, is 2 km from the Amdanda gate for Bijrani and 18 km from Dhangarhi for Dhikala; Delhi 250 km by road (6 h).

Airport pickups, station transfers and the driver for the days here are all part of what we arrange — including the hour you should leave, which is usually earlier than you think.

Travel tips from our trips

  • Safaris and Dhikala stays are booked only on the Uttarakhand forest department portal, 45 days ahead for Indians, 90 for foreigners; carry the same ID used to book
  • Each jeep allows six people plus guide; morning drives start at first light and afternoon drives end at sunset
  • Wear muted colours, keep silent near sightings and never step out of the vehicle inside the core zone
  • Dhikala has no mobile signal and basic dorm and rooms; alcohol and non-veg food are not allowed inside
  • Core zones shut through the monsoon: Bijrani reopens around 15 October and Dhikala around 15 November, so use Jhirna, Dhela or Sitabani in between

Next door

Near Jim Corbett National Park

Places that join Jim Corbett National Park without a long drive — the way a real week is built.

Naini Lake in Nainital ringed by hills and colonial-era buildingsLake
Themes:FamilyRomanceNatureHeritage

Uttarakhand

Nainital

A green lake in a bowl of hills, with Kumaon beyond

Ideal stay
3 days
Best time
March to June for boating and clear peaks; September to November for the Nanda Devi fair and autumn light; December to February for occasional snow
Pilgrims gathered at Har Ki Pauri ghat on the Ganga in HaridwarRiver
Themes:SpiritualCultureFoodPhotography

Uttarakhand

Haridwar

The gateway of the gods, where lamps float down the Ganga

Ideal stay
2 days
Best time
October to March for cool days and clear evenings; Kanwar Yatra crowds in July–August; Ardh Kumbh 2027 and Kumbh 2033
Suspension bridge over the green Ganga at Rishikesh with temples and forested hillsRiver
Themes:SpiritualWellnessAdventureFood

Uttarakhand

Rishikesh

Where the Ganga leaves the Himalaya and the world comes to breathe

Ideal stay
3 days
Best time
Late September to December and February to April; rafting runs mid-September to June; the International Yoga Festival is in the first week of March

Before you ask

Questions we are asked about Jim Corbett National Park

When is the best time to visit Jim Corbett National Park?
November to June; Dhikala zone is open mid-November to mid-June; April to June gives the best tiger sightings; Jhirna and Dhela run year-round. On the calendar that is Nov–Jun. We build Jim Corbett National Park into a journey inside that window wherever we can; when your dates are fixed outside it, we re-plan the hours of the day around the weather rather than talk you out of the trip.
How many days do you need in Jim Corbett National Park?
We plan 3 days in Jim Corbett National Park. That is enough for Dhikala grasslands and the Ramganga reservoir, Tiger tracking in Bijrani and Elephant herds at dusk on the riverbed, at a pace that still leaves room for a long lunch. Add a day if you are continuing to Nainital and Haridwar.
How do you reach Jim Corbett National Park?
Pantnagar airport 80 km; Ramnagar railhead, served by the overnight Ranikhet Express from Delhi, is 2 km from the Amdanda gate for Bijrani and 18 km from Dhangarhi for Dhikala; Delhi 250 km by road (6 h). We arrange the transfer and the driver as part of the journey, so you are met on arrival instead of negotiating a taxi at the gate, and the timings are set around when Jim Corbett National Park is at its best rather than around the clock.
What is Jim Corbett National Park famous for?
Jim Corbett National Park is a wildlife park in Uttarakhand, North India, best known for Dhikala grasslands and the Ramganga reservoir, Tiger tracking in Bijrani and Elephant herds at dusk on the riverbed. Travellers come for wildlife, nature, family and photography, and most give it 3 days.
Is Jim Corbett National Park good for families?
Yes. Jim Corbett National Park is one of the places we plan for families: 3 days is enough, the highlights sit close together, and Nov–Jun keeps the weather kind. Tell us the children's ages and we will trim the driving, start the mornings early and leave an afternoon free.

Photograph of Jim Corbett National Park: Soumyajit Nandy · CC BY-SA 3.0

All destinations

Jim Corbett National Park, planned by hand

Shall we begin?

चलिए, शुरू करते हैं

Tell us how many days you have. We will build Jim Corbett National Park into a journey that suits them.