Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary (Mayong)
Densest rhino grassland on earth beside Mayong, Assam's village of black magic
Best time to visit Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary (Mayong)
- Jan, peak season
- Feb, peak season
- Mar, peak season
- Apr, shoulder season
- May, best avoided
- Jun, best avoided
- Jul, best avoided
- Aug, best avoided
- Sep, best avoided
- Oct, shoulder season
- Nov, peak season
- Dec, peak season
peak shoulder off-season avoid
- Go: November to March
- Shoulder: April and October, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
- Skip: May to September
Planning a specific month? JanuaryFebruaryMarchNovemberDecember
Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary (Mayong) season by season
Winter December to February Prime time
Dec-Feb the 38 sq km of grass and beels hold 100 plus rhinos, so a dawn elephant ride or jeep almost never misses; fog until 8 am, book beds for weekends
Summer March to May Prime time
Mar-Apr the grass is burnt short and rhinos and wild buffalo stand in plain view in 30 C heat; the sanctuary closes for the rains from May
Monsoon June to September Do not go
Jun-Sep the gates are closed: the Brahmaputra floods the wetland and the rhinos shift to the Burha Mayong hills, so this is not the time
Autumn October to November Prime time
The sanctuary reopens in the last week of October as the water drops; November brings the first migratory ducks and the tallest grass of the year
What Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary (Mayong) is actually like
Guwahati weekend families and a few birders; lodges and homestays sit at the gate, evenings are a village road and the magic museum
Getting to Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary (Mayong)
From Guwahati 45 km by road, 1.5 h by taxi or a Morigaon bus to the Pobitora gate; airport and railhead both in Guwahati
Practical ways in: flighttrainroad
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 2 days
- Budget
- Mid-range
- How busy
- Steady at its peak
- Solo travel
- Fine solo
- Altitude
- 56 m
- State
- Assam
- Coordinates
- 26.2411, 92.0583
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary (Mayong)?
November to March is peak season in Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary (Mayong). April and October is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid May to September. The sanctuary reopens in the last week of October as the water drops; November brings the first migratory ducks and the tallest grass of the year.
How many days do you need in Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary (Mayong)?
2 days is the usual stay. Guwahati weekend families and a few birders; lodges and homestays sit at the gate, evenings are a village road and the magic museum.
How do you get to Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary (Mayong)?
From Guwahati 45 km by road, 1.5 h by taxi or a Morigaon bus to the Pobitora gate; airport and railhead both in Guwahati. Practical ways in: flight, train and road.
Is Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary (Mayong) expensive, and does it get crowded?
Mid-range by Indian travel standards, and it runs steady at the busiest time of year. Fine solo.
Nearby, and where to go next
-
Guwahati
Assam
Northeast's gateway city: Kamakhya Temple, river cruises
40 km from Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary (Mayong), roughly under an hour by road
-
Orang National Park (Silbori)
Assam
Mini Kaziranga on the north bank: rhino grassland, tigers and empty jeep tracks
60 km from Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary (Mayong), roughly about 1 h by road
-
Nongkhyllem Sanctuary (Lailad)
Meghalaya
Elephant and hornbill forest on the Umtrew, off the Guwahati road
60 km from Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary (Mayong), roughly about 1 h by road
-
Hajo & Sualkuchi
Assam
Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim shrines, and a town that weaves muga silk
70 km from Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary (Mayong), roughly about 1 h by road
-
Bhairabkunda
Assam
Where the Jampani leaves Bhutan and meets the Bhairabi under Arunachal's first ridge
100 km from Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary (Mayong), roughly about 2 h by road
-
Chandubi Lake
Assam
Earthquake-born forest lake in Rabha country near Guwahati
100 km from Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary (Mayong), roughly about 2 h by road
-
Shillong
Meghalaya
Northeast's hill capital: cafes, lakes, live music
110 km from Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary (Mayong), roughly about 3 h by road
-
Tezpur
Assam
Gupta-era stone carving on a bluff over the Brahmaputra
110 km from Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary (Mayong), roughly about 2 h by road
More places to visit in Assam
- Bhairabkunda Assam
- Chandubi Lake Assam
- Dehing Patkai National Park (Jeypore) Assam
- Dibru-Saikhowa National Park (Guijan Ghat) Assam
- Guwahati Assam
- Haflong Assam
- Hajo & Sualkuchi Assam
- Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary (Jorhat) Assam
- Kaziranga National Park Assam
- Majuli Island Assam
- Manas National Park Assam
- Nameri National Park Assam
- Orang National Park (Silbori) Assam
- Sivasagar Assam
- Son Beel (Karimganj) Assam
- Tezpur Assam
- Umrangso (Kopili Reservoir) Assam