Corbett or Ranthambore national park

[rottenmag]

Hi

Currently I am traveling in India and I am thinking of visiting some national park where I can see tigers and other wild animals. I have 2 names in my mind - Jim Corbett national park and Ranthambore national park, any suggestions which one is better? Anyone been there recently? Tiger sightings are easy or it totally depends on your luck?

Any advice or information would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Admin]

Jim Corbett national park is more scenic and beautiful as compared to Ranthambore and chances of seeing a tiger at either mostly depends on luck. I was able to see one at Ranthambore but never saw any at Corbett but other people I know have at both. I would suggest going to both They are both very different in landscape and also people that live around there are entirely different cultures. March is a good month for seeing tigers generally speaking.

 

[DhongiBaba]

I have always had better sightings at Corbett as compared to Ranthambore. The last time I went to Ranthambore was 4 years ago and then I stopped because it started getting too crowded in there. Corbett is a much better option in my opinion.

 

[Aadi]

I have been to Corbett several times but never got lucky to see any tiger, there are many elephants, monkeys, snakes and birds but I am not sure about tigers, on the other hand I can not remember even once when I didn't see tiger in Ranthambore.

 

[Gori Bride]

Ranthambore is the place if you want to see tigers. I was able to see them on my third day when I first went there. It was a long time ago so cannot say what the situation is these days. Just find out where they come to drink water and wait. Having a guide is a great help to see what you want to. I have posted a thread about my trip to Ranthambore.

 

[Prits]

Both parks are different in their own way. Corbett is a bigger park than Ranthambore so there is a larger variety of animals to see. If it is possible I would suggest that you see both the parks, the first priority being Corbett.

 

[Deven]

I would suggest you go to Corbett Park as there is a larger variety of animals which can be seen, where as in Ranthambore chances of seeing a tiger are less and as well other types of animals.

 

[Shitish]

You also need to know that Corbett Park is in Uttarakhand and Ranthambore is in Rajasthan (around 5-6 hours away of Jaipur). Both parks are good, but as you are on a holiday it would be better if you go Corbett park as you would get to see more animals.

 

[Tamboa]

March is a good month for seeing tigers generally speaking

The comment "March is a good month for seeing tigers" is too intriguing to ignore. What happens in March? Prey migration? Mating season? What are those tigers doing?

 

[Admin]

I would say both March and April not just March. Upto February visibility remains a bit of a problem due to fog and March brings a bit of warmth and some times even gets pretty hot so visibility gets a lot better besides the fact that weather gets pleasant aswell.

 

[Tamboa]

That's the one thing I didn't think of - visibility! Thank you for answering my question. It would be very interesting and beautiful to have tigers walking through the fog, but they certainly would be hard to see!

 

[Chahal]

Ranthambore VS Corbett is not a good comparison as those people like me who have been to both Corbett national park and Ranthambore national park will tell you that they are very different from each other. If spotting a tiger is your main concern then it really does not matter which park you go to because the single most important factor in deciding whether you would spot a tiger or not is the skill of your guide and driver.

Proximity to Delhi makes Corbett the first choice for people living in Delhi NCR and plenty of people go there just to spend a weekend in greener environment and are not even looking for a tiger to give you an idea of what local tourists do there. Ranthambore, on the other hand, gets very determined visitors who are there just to see the wildlife and spot a tiger. You won't see the loud Delhi crowd sipping away their beer around a fire at Ranthambore as you would at Corbett.

Another deciding factor for your visit to either of the national parks is their opening months. Below are the times when Corbett and Ranthambore are open for public:

Corbett National park opening times : Opens on 15th November up until 30th June. Corbett is closed for public between July the 1st and 14th of November due to monsoon as heavy rains take a toll on roads inside the park and it becomes impossible to drive on dirt tracks due to the mud.

Ranthambore National park opening times : Ranthambore remains open between 1st of October through to 30th of June and remains closed in the months of July to September.

As you can see there is a difference of opening dates for Corbett and Ranthambore so if you are planning a visit between 1st of October to 15th of November then your only option is Ranthambore as Corbett remains closed for general public during those days.


I hope this gives you a better perspective and helps you in choosing the right national park of your liking. If you ask me which one you should go to, I would say both.

 

[rz3300]

That is really one area where I missed out on a lot when I was in India was the parks and the scenery. I was mostly in the more urban areas, which were beautiful in their own right, but I kept hearing from everyone else about the beautiful countrysides and I think I missed out a little bit.

 

[briannagodess]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

So let us first differentiate the two national parks:

1. Ranthambore National Park

• Location: Sawai Madhopur District of Rajasthan.

• Area: 392 square kilometres.

• Date established: 1980.

• Number of tigers: 62.

• Other animals found: Leopard, sambar, wild boar, hyena, chital and rhesus macaque.

• Reptiles: Tortoise, crocodile, cobra and rat snakes.

• Birds: Woodpecker, owl, pigeon, dove, pelican and flamingo.

• Plants and trees: About 300 species. Dhok, Banyan and Am trees dominate the forests.

• Zones: Has 10 zones, 1-5 are the main zones and 6 to 10 are the buffer zones. Zones 1 to 5 have reportedly higher tiger sightings.

• Park Entry Fee: Rs. 100 for Indians and Rs. 800 for foreigners.

• Gypsy Safari Fee: Rs. 244 for Indians and Rs. 984 for foreigners. Additional Rs. 400 for vehicle fee and Rs. 38 for the guide.

• Canter Safari Fee: Rs. 129 for Indians and Rs. 869 for foreigners. Additional Rs. 350 for vehicle fee and Rs. 38 for the guide.

• Probability of Seeing Tigers: High.

2. Jim Corbett National Park

• Location: Nainital District of Uttarakhand.

• Area: 520.8 square kilometres.

• Date established: 1936.

• Number of tigers: 160.

• Other animals found: Leopard, barking deer, sambar, Himalayan black bear, chital and otter.

• Reptiles: Indian python and crocodile.

• Birds: Lesser fish eagle, great slaty woodpecker and spot-bellied eagle owl.

• Plants and trees: About 488 species. Consists mainly of Sal forests.

• Zones: Has 5 tourist zones. Bijrani Safari Zone has open grasslands for Jeep Safaris and Elephant Safaris. Jhirna Safari Zone is open for tourists all year round and is a great for a Jeep Safari. Dhela Safari Zone is also open all-year round, you can do Jeep Safaris here. Dhikala Zone has the lodging for guests, can only be accessed at night. Durga Devi Zone is a place for bird-watchers, there's also a lodge here and Elephant and Jeep Safaris can also be requested.

• Park Entry Fee: Rs. 200 for Indians and Rs. 900 for foreigners.

• Elephant Safari Fee (Whole Day): Rs. 3,000 for both Indians and foreigners.

• Elephant Safari Fee (Three Hours): Rs. 300 for Indians and Rs. 1,000 for foreigners.

• Ramganga Conducted Tour Fee: Rs. 1,000 for Indians and Rs. 2,000 for foreigners.

• Probability of Seeing Tigers: Medium.

There you go. Anyway, since Ranthambore National Park has a smaller area, there is a higher density of tigers there. For higher chances of seeing tigers, try going to the three lakes there: Padam Talao, Raj Talao and Milak Talao. They can usually be found in watering holes. The months of March and April are great for seeing tigers as the forests here are of the dry and deciduous type, so they shed their leaves in the summer. There's less camouflage for the tigers because of this.

But don't dismiss Jim Corbett National Park already. One tip: go to the Eastern side of the park, in the Birkani part where there are grasslands and small water bodies. You can find the preys of tigers there as well as the tigers themselves if you're lucky.

Tiger sightings depend on luck as well. Some people have already taken a few visits and still, they weren't able to see tigers. Others were able to see tigers in just their first visit. The months of March, April, May and June are the best months for spotting tigers.

I hope this helps!

 

[Admin]

I travelled to both Ranthambore national park and Jim Corbett national park last month and all the information posted above is still accurate. Nothing has changed. I just thought I would update this thread with latest first hand information.

 

[saumyaj]

I travelled to both Ranthambore national park and Jim Corbett national park last month and all the information posted above is still accurate. Nothing has changed. I just thought I would update this thread with latest first hand information.

I don't find the same information about opening and closing for the Jim Corbett. As most of its zones remians open throughour the year. It has become a fav spot for corporate touring, family vacations, resort stay and Jungle Safari. Latest timings and info are updated on official website of Jim Corbett.

 

[Admin]

Hello @saumyaj and welcome to the forum!

You're absolutely correct, and thank you for updating the thread. I should have been more specific about the distinction between Core Zones and Buffer Zones in my previous post.

While Jim Corbett National Park does technically remain "open" year-round, access varies significantly by zone—something that often confuses first-time visitors:

Core Zones (Closed During Monsoon): The most famous core zones like Dhikala (renowned for exceptional tiger sightings and Forest Rest House stays) and Bijrani close during the monsoon season, typically from mid-June to mid-November. This closure is due to washed-out dirt tracks and dangerous river crossings.

Buffer Zones (Open Year-Round): As you correctly mentioned, zones like Jhirna, Dhela, and Garjia remain open to tourists throughout the year, weather permitting. This is why resorts and corporate groups continue visiting during July-September.

So while visitors can certainly plan a monsoon getaway and enjoy the park's lush greenery, the classic Corbett experience of staying deep inside Dhikala is unavailable during these months.

Thanks again for the clarification, it's helpful for members to know they can still enjoy Corbett during the monsoon by visiting the Jhirna or Dhela zones!