Jim Corbett National Park Trip Planning with all Details

Jim Corbett national park is situated in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand, India. The nearest city is Ramnagar, you can book hotels/resorts/safari here.

This is the first national park in India. Initially, the name of this park was Hailey national park during the British time. In 1956, it remained Corbett National Park after the hunter Jim Corbett, who had played a leading role in the establishment and died the year before. Also, he saved the nearby villagers from a man-eating tiger by hunting him. Read more

Best way to reach Jim Corbett National Park?

People from across India and other countries come here. For most people, the common route is from Delhi to Jim Corbett National Park by road.
So, let’s talk about the road option first.

Road route of Jim Corbett National park:

Corbett National park is approx. 240 km from Delhi, depending on which route do you follow. Here are the available routes and let’s figure out which is best for you.

1. Google Maps may show you this route via Dhanaura, Noorpur. It will be approx. 240 km, check the map below
2. Another option is via Meerut and Dhampur, which is a few km long
3. You can also choose to go via Moradabad bypass, Kashipur, which will be approx 276 km

If you are travelling in day time and don’t have any problem with road conditions or deserted roads then, pick the shortest route. Which will be 240 km #1 option OR just follow Google map.

If you want to travel on a happening route then, you can consider #3. Because Moradabad, Kashipur are the big hubs and roads are good/happening. Though you will have to drive some extra km.

Note – I have shared some suggestions on how to choose best route to avoid deserted at the end of the blog, pls read full blog.

Delhi to Jim Corbett National Park Train:

Ramnagar railway station is the nearest one, you can check if there are any direct trains from your place. If you are travelling from Delhi to Corbett national park by train then, you can get booking on Ranikhet Express. This train starts from Delhi at 10:50 pm and reaches Ramnagar early next day approx 4:30 am.

Delhi to Jim Corbett National Park by Flight:

Pantnagar is the nearest airport, it’s approx 81km drive(approx 2 hours) from Ramnagar. Though flights from Delhi to Pantnagar are limited, you will have to cross-check the availability.

Where you should stay in Corbett National park?

There are a bunch of hotels/resorts/guest houses available in Ramnagar city, you can explore and read reviews online before booking. Also, you can book from corbettonline.uk.gov.in
But 2 important things to know for stay:

1. Stay inside the national park: You can book a forest guest house from the above link.
2. Stay at Ramnagar/nearby

Both options have their own pros and cons. #1 is good if you only want to stay near Jungle/Animals/Birds but, it may be boring for some people.

On the other hand, if you chose #2 then you have an opportunity to explore Ramnagar city. Leaving this decision on you, let me know in the comment box what did you decide.

Apart from Jungle Safari, top 6 things to do in Ramnagar.

Being a local and an explorer, I’ve explored a few places in Ramnagar. After your safari, you can have a great time over here. Below are the places which you can visit in Ramnagar:

1. Kosi Beraj(Sibarin birds come here)
2. Nearest entry gate Bijrani(Happening place to chill out)
3. Tandoori Tea place
4. Suspension Bridge for hangout
5. Garjiya Devi temple
6. Sita Bani Temple(temple of Sita Maa)

Best zone for your jungle safari in Jim Corbett National Park?

Corbett National Park includes a 520.8 km2 (201.1 sq mi) area of hills, riverine belts, marshy valleys, grasslands and a large lake. So, there are different zones and gates for Jungle safari. Below is the list of zones in popularity order:

1. Dhikala Ecotourism Zone: This is a popular zone to encounter tigers, it’s approx 18.1km away from Ramnagar city. Read more
2. Garjia Zone: Garjia Tourist Zone is a good competition for Dhikala Zone in popularity. Read more
3. Bijrani Zone: The gate of this zone is near Ramnagar city, it’s approx 1 km only. Read more
4. Jhirna Zone: This zone approx 16km from Ramnagar city. Read more
5. Dhela Zone: It’s the sixth eco-tourism zone of Corbett National Park that was brought on the India tourism map in 2014. It’s approx 20km from Ramnagar city. Read more
6. Durga Devi Zone: It’s approx 35km from Ramnagar city, particularly famous for sighting wild elephants and Otters at Domunda Bridge. If you get lucky you can spot famous Mahsheer fish in the river water. Read more
7. Pakhro Zone: Near Kotdwar. Read more
8. Sonanadi Zone: Near Kotdwar. Read more
9. Sitabani Buffer Zone: Buffer zone gets allotted when all other zones get packed, it’s good for nature lovers.

Best & cheap way to book Jungle Safari for Corbett National Park?

You can book it online from corbettonline.uk.gov.in and book safari through your agent. Here is the breakup of the booking.

1. Gate Pass: If you get your gate pass by yourself from the above link it may cost you approx. Rs. 1,000
2. Guide fee: While getting the gate pass you will have to pay Rs. 700 for guide fee.
3. Jeep/Canter Safari: You will get the jeep safari information while getting your pass, you need to contact them and pay Jeep booking fee.
   • The fee can vary from Rs. 3,000 – 4,600(latest rate), you can request for some discount. You have to pay this even if you are going solo.
   • If you have a group of 6 people or less you can divide the cost.
   • Canter Safari is only available for Dhikala zone as of now, the cost is 1500/seat, a good deal for a solo traveller.

If you are booking through your agent then, you don’t need to worry about anything just cross-check the cost and, carry your Govt. ids. Another option is to explore local agents/tour companies. (Prior Registration is Mandatory for Booking)

I have shared some local agents numbers on my video below if you book through them and give my reference then, you can get a discount.

How you can get an idea if roads are not deserted or bad on a route?

I would suggest always checking road conditions and routes before your travel. You can ask people(check with your friends/family, check with your hotel manager/tour agent).
You can also consider doing your research on the internet, checking reviews and blogs. BTW if you feel it’s helpful consider sharing this blog post/bookmarking it for your future trip.

The second option is to check the surroundings of the road on google map. When you search any route on Gmap you get to see some stores/places/temples/petrol pumps on the map and, If you hover on it you may see some details, images and all.

If a road has big cities in between OR too many stores/places/temples/petrol pumps then, you may consider selecting that route. This is what I do when I explore offbeat places.

I hope I’ve covered most of the points, if I missed anything pls feel free to add in the comment box below. If you like the information consider sharing it and bookmark it for your future trip.

Here is the entire playlist of my entire journey playlist of this trip.

Consider watching some more series:

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