Best wildlife destinations in India
150 curated wildlife destinations across 30 states, each with the months it is worth going and the months it is not.
Best of wildlife India
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Chandubi Lake
Assam
Earthquake-born forest lake in Rabha country near Guwahati
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Agasthyakoodam (Athirumala)
Kerala
Kerala's permit-only peak, two days up through Agasthyavanam forest
Peak: Jan to Feb
-
Bhigwan (Kumbhargaon)
Maharashtra
Dawn boats among flamingos on the Ujani backwaters
Peak: Dec to Feb
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Bharatpur (Keoladeo National Park)
Rajasthan
India's top bird sanctuary, best seen by bicycle
Peak: Dec to Feb
-
Bandipur National Park
Karnataka
Deccan teak and elephant country on the Mysuru-Ooty road
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Shivpuri (Madhav National Park)
Madhya Pradesh
Scindia marble chhatris beside a crocodile lake and dry forest
Peak: Nov to Feb
-
Masinagudi (Mudumalai)
Tamil Nadu
Sigur plateau elephant country below Ooty's 36 hairpin bends
Peak: Dec to Apr
-
Mangalajodi (Chilika Wetlands)
Odisha
Ex-poacher guides row you into Chilika's winter clouds of waterbirds
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary (Unnao)
Uttar Pradesh
Shallow migratory-bird lake halfway between Lucknow and Kanpur
Peak: Dec to Feb
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Nal Sarovar
Gujarat
Shallow 120 sq km Ramsar lake of flamingos and punt boats
Peak: Nov to Feb
-
Kibber (Spiti)
Himachal Pradesh
Whitewashed village at 4,270 m, India's best chance of seeing a snow leopard
Peak: Feb to Mar and Jun to Oct
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Atapaka (Kolleru Lake)
Andhra Pradesh
Pelican and painted stork colony on India's biggest freshwater lake
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Asan Conservation Reserve (Dakpathar)
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand's Ramsar wetland where the Asan meets the Yamuna
Peak: Dec to Feb
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Bakkhali & Henry Island
West Bengal
Quiet mudflat beach and a mangrove watchtower island
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Sultanpur National Park (Bird Sanctuary)
Haryana
Ramsar jheel where Siberian migrants land an hour from Delhi
Peak: Dec to Feb
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Betla National Park
Jharkhand
Elephants and sal forest around two forgotten Palamu forts
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Rumbak (Hemis National Park)
Ladakh
Snow leopard homestay village inside Hemis National Park
Peak: Jan to Mar and Jul to Aug
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Baghmara (Balpakram gateway)
Meghalaya
Someshwari river town under the Balpakram plateau
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Diglipur (Ross & Smith Islands)
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Remote North Andaman turtle beaches and twin-island sandbar
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary (Lama Camp & Bompu)
Arunachal Pradesh
Birders' tented camps on a forest track up to 2,800 m, home of the Bugun liocichla
Peak: Mar to Apr and Nov to Dec
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Achanakmar Tiger Reserve (Maikal Hills)
Chhattisgarh
Hilly sal forest and Baiga hamlets on the road to Amarkantak
Peak: Nov to Mar
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Tamdil Lake (Saitual)
Mizoram
Forest-rimmed lake at 780 m near Saitual, with a lakeside lodge and kayaks
Peak: Oct to Mar
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Harike Wetland (Harike Pattan)
Punjab
Beas meets Sutlej at north India's biggest man-made wetland
Peak: Dec to Feb
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Kanwar Lake (Kabar Taal)
Bihar
Asia's largest oxbow lake, a Ramsar wetland of winter ducks near Begusarai
Peak: Dec to Feb
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Dudhsagar Falls (Mollem)
Goa
310 m milk-sea falls under the Castle Rock railway line
Peak: Oct to Jan
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Manasbal Lake
Jammu and Kashmir
Lotus-choked lake under Nur Jahan's Jarokha Bagh terrace
Peak: Jun to Sep
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Mannanur (Amrabad Tiger Reserve)
Telangana
Nallamala plateau gate into India's second largest tiger reserve
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Loktak Lake
Manipur
Floating phumdi islands, world's only floating park
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Doyang Reservoir (Pangti)
Nagaland
A million Amur falcons roost here each Oct-Nov, guarded by villagers who hunted them
Peak: Oct to Nov
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Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary (Belonia)
Tripura
Sal forest and grassland where Tripura's gaur herds graze at dawn
Peak: Dec to Mar
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Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary (Jorhat)
Assam
India's only ape, in a rainforest patch cut by a railway line
Peak: Nov to Mar
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Thattekad (Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary)
Kerala
Salim Ali's richest peninsular birding forest on the Periyar
Peak: Nov to Mar
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Bhimashankar
Maharashtra
Jyotirlinga inside a giant-squirrel forest on the Sahyadri crest
Peak: Oct to Feb
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Sambhar Lake (Phulera)
Rajasthan
India's largest inland salt lake, flamingos on a white pan
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Bhadra Tiger Reserve (Muthodi)
Karnataka
Teak and shola tiger reserve with a rest house at the gate
Peak: Oct to Mar
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Bandhavgarh National Park
Madhya Pradesh
MP's highest tiger-density reserve, best big-cat odds
Peak: Nov to Feb
Every wildlife destination in the catalogue
- Agumbe Karnataka
- Bakhira Lake (Khalilabad) Uttar Pradesh
- Barnawapara Sanctuary Chhattisgarh
- Barot Himachal Pradesh
- Bateshwar & Chambal Safari (Bah) Uttar Pradesh
- Belghar (Kandhamal) Odisha
- Bhairabkunda Assam
- Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary Haryana
- Bhitarkanika National Park Odisha
- Binsar Uttarakhand
- BR Hills (Biligiri Ranganatha) Karnataka
- Buxa Tiger Reserve (Jayanti) West Bengal
- Chandoli National Park Maharashtra
- Chikhaldara Maharashtra
- Chilika Lake (Satapada) Odisha
- Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary Andhra Pradesh
- Dajipur (Radhanagari) Maharashtra
- Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary Jharkhand
- Dampa Tiger Reserve (Teirei) Mizoram
- Dandeli Karnataka
- Debrigarh (Hirakud Reservoir) Odisha
- Dehing Patkai National Park (Jeypore) Assam
- Dibru-Saikhowa National Park (Guijan Ghat) Assam
- Dudhwa National Park Uttar Pradesh
- Gandhi Sagar (Chambal) Madhya Pradesh
- Gavi Kerala
- Gir (Sasan Gir) Gujarat
- Gorumara National Park (Lataguri) West Bengal
- Hanle Ladakh
- Hasanur (Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve) Tamil Nadu
- Iruppu Falls (Kurchi) Karnataka
- Jaisamand (Dhebar Lake) Rajasthan
- Jaldapara National Park (Madarihat) West Bengal
- Jawai Bandh (Bera) Rajasthan
- Jim Corbett (Ramnagar) Uttarakhand
- Junnar (Shivneri) Maharashtra
- Kabini Karnataka
- Kalakkad-Mundanthurai (Mundanthurai) Tamil Nadu
- Kalesar National Park Haryana
- Kanha National Park Madhya Pradesh
- Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary Uttar Pradesh
- Kaziranga National Park Assam
- Keshopur Chhamb (Miani Community Reserve) Punjab
- Khichan (Demoiselle Cranes) Rajasthan
- Kiriburu (Saranda Forest) Jharkhand
- Kokkare Bellur Karnataka
- Kugti (Budhil Valley) Himachal Pradesh
- Kumarakom Kerala
- Kumbhalgarh Rajasthan
- Kuno National Park (Sesaipura) Madhya Pradesh
- Little Rann of Kutch (Dasada) Gujarat
- Mahal (Purna Sanctuary) Gujarat
- Manas National Park Assam
- Mangar Bani Haryana
- Maredumilli Andhra Pradesh
- Masroor & Pong Lake Himachal Pradesh
- Mayabunder (Karmatang Beach) Andaman & Nicobar Islands
- Meghamalai (High Wavy Mountains) Tamil Nadu
- Nagzira (Pitezari Gate) Maharashtra
- Namdapha National Park (Miao & Deban) Arunachal Pradesh
- Nameri National Park Assam
- Nangal (Sutlej Lake) Punjab
- Narara (Marine National Park) Gujarat
- Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary Andhra Pradesh
- Netravali (Neturlim) Goa
- Nilambur Kerala
- Nongkhyllem Sanctuary (Lailad) Meghalaya
- Orang National Park (Silbori) Assam
- Pakhal Lake Telangana
- Palak Dil (Phura) Mizoram
- Panna National Park Madhya Pradesh
- Papikondalu (Godavari Gorge) Andhra Pradesh
- Parambikulam Tiger Reserve Kerala
- Pench National Park (Turia) Madhya Pradesh
- Pench Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra) Maharashtra
- Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (Chuka) Uttar Pradesh
- Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary (Mayong) Assam
- Point Calimere (Kodiakkarai) Tamil Nadu
- Pulicat (Pazhaverkadu) Tamil Nadu
- Rajdari & Devdari Falls (Chandraprabha) Uttar Pradesh
- Rajmahal (Sahibganj) Jharkhand
- Ramanagara (Ramadevarabetta) Karnataka
- Rangat (Amkunj & Dhani Nallah) Andaman & Nicobar Islands
- Ranthambore Rajasthan
- Renuka Lake (Renuka Ji) Himachal Pradesh
- Sariska Tiger Reserve Rajasthan
- Satkosia Gorge (Tikarpada) Odisha
- Satpura National Park (Madhai) Madhya Pradesh
- Sattal Uttarakhand
- Siju (Dobakkol Caves) Meghalaya
- Silent Valley National Park (Mukkali) Kerala
- Simlipal National Park (Baripada) Odisha
- Sitamata Sanctuary (Dhariawad) Rajasthan
- Son Beel (Karimganj) Assam
- Sundarbans West Bengal
- Tadoba Maharashtra
- Tal Chhapar Rajasthan
- Thekkady (Periyar) Kerala
- Thirunelli (Brahmagiri) Kerala
- Tirathgarh Falls (Kanger Valley) Chhattisgarh
- Tirthan Valley (Gushaini) Himachal Pradesh
- Tso Kar Ladakh
- Tso Moriri Ladakh
- Tura (Garo Hills) Meghalaya
- Umrangso (Kopili Reservoir) Assam
- Valley of Flowers Uttarakhand
- Valmiki Nagar (Valmiki Tiger Reserve) Bihar
- Valparai Tamil Nadu
- Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary Tamil Nadu
- Velas (Turtle Village) Maharashtra
- Velavadar (Blackbuck National Park) Gujarat
- Wakro (Parshuram Kund & Glao Lake) Arunachal Pradesh
- Wayanad Kerala
- Wular Lake (Watlab) Jammu and Kashmir
When to go
January, February and December are the months with the most wildlife places in peak season.
By state
Assam (12)Kerala (10)Rajasthan (10)Maharashtra (10)Karnataka (9)Madhya Pradesh (8)Tamil Nadu (8)Uttar Pradesh (7)Odisha (7)Himachal Pradesh (6)
Common questions
How many wildlife destinations are there in India?
This catalogue lists 150 tagged wildlife, across 30 states and union territories. It is a curated list, not an exhaustive one: places earn a spot on the strength of the landscape or the heritage.
When is the best time for a wildlife trip in India?
January, February and December put the most of them in peak season. Each place carries its own window, though, so check the one you are aiming at.
Which states have the most wildlife destinations?
Assam (12), Kerala (10), Rajasthan (10), Maharashtra (10) and Karnataka (9).
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