Kaziranga safari guide: zones, season and lodges

The park is divided into ranges, each entered from a gate off the NH-715 highway that runs along its southern edge. Jeep circuits within each range are fixed, so the range you choose shapes what you see.

Kaziranga closes during the monsoon, from about May to September, when the Brahmaputra floods large parts of the park and animals move to higher ground, some crossing the highway into the hills. It reopens in phases. In 2025, for example, a limited circuit in the Western range opened on 26 September, ahead of Durga Puja, the Central range opened in the second week of October, and elephant rides resumed on 1 November. For 2026, reopening was expected in October, with road repairs slowed by standing water. Dates are announced each year, so check current status before you travel.

The best period is mid-November to April. From December to February, mornings are cool and misty, often around 10 °C, and days are dry and pleasant. The forest department burns patches of tall grass in winter, which opens up views and brings fresh shoots that draw animals into the open. March and April are warmer, with more storms in the afternoon, but sightings remain excellent. October can be rewarding but some ranges or circuits may still be closed and grass is tall.

Jeep safaris are the main way to see the park. A typical day has a morning slot from about 7:30 am to midday and an afternoon slot from about 1:30 pm until 3:30 to 5 pm, with each drive spending about two hours on track. Jeeps take up to six passengers with a driver and a forest guide; we book private jeeps so you can stop as long as you like. Jeep costs vary by source and nationality, from about ₹3,500 per jeep for Indian visitors and more for foreigners.

Elephant rides operate early in the morning in the Central and Western ranges, in batches of about an hour. They allow close approaches to rhinos in tall grass. Welfare standards for captive elephants are debated, and we do not include rides by default, though we can arrange one on request. Seats are limited and should be booked early. Walking inside the park is not allowed, and there is no verified official night safari.

• Entry fee: about ₹100 for Indian adults and ₹650 for foreign adults, plus a small service charge.
• Still camera: about ₹100 for Indians and ₹200 for foreigners; video and professional cameras cost more.
• Mobile phones: no fee.
• Jeep hire: from about ₹3,500 per jeep, varying by range, season and nationality.

Three nights is the right length for most travellers. It allows four or five drives across at least three ranges, with time to rest at midday and to visit a tea garden or the community orchid park near Kohora. Two nights is the minimum for a satisfying visit. One night leaves you at the mercy of weather or a closed range.

Diphlu River Lodge is the best place to stay: stilted cottages on the Diphlu river along the Central range boundary, with full board, in-house naturalists and safari logistics handled for you. It fills early for December to March. Other lodges and resorts cluster around Kohora and Bagori, ranging from comfortable to simple. Staying near Kohora makes it easy to reach the Central, Western and Eastern gates within about 30 to 40 minutes.

Rhinos are almost certain on every drive in the Central and Western ranges. Wild water buffalo, eastern swamp deer and hog deer are common, as are elephants, which often move in family groups across the tracks. Wild boar, otters and monitor lizards are frequent. Tigers are present in good numbers, but sightings are rare because of the dense cover; fresh pugmarks on sandy tracks are the usual sign.

Birdwatchers will find Kaziranga rewarding, especially from November to March. Winter brings bar-headed geese, ruddy shelducks and many ducks to the beels, and a breeding colony of spot-billed pelicans in the Eastern range. Resident specialities include the Bengal florican, swamp francolin and several fish eagles. Bring binoculars for every member of the group.

Kaziranga is the star, but Assam has several other protected areas that suit different interests and can be combined with it. Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, about 1 to 1.5 hours from Guwahati, is small and holds a dense rhino population, which makes it ideal for travellers with only a morning to spare at the start or end of a journey. Its season runs from about November to April.

Nameri National Park, about 2.5 hours from Kohora near Tezpur, is forest rather than grassland, and one of the few parks in India where you can walk with an armed guard. It is best for hornbills, the rare white-winged wood duck and quiet river floats on the Jia Bhoroli, and pairs naturally with a stay at Wild Mahseer in the tea gardens.

Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary near Jorhat is a small evergreen forest where India's only ape, the western hoolock gibbon, can be seen on a morning walk; it fits between Kaziranga and Majuli. Further west, Manas National Park on the Bhutan border is wilder and less visited, with a different range of species, and suits travellers with more time.

A few small choices make a large difference. Book the first morning slot whenever possible, and wear muted colours. Mornings in open jeeps are cold from December to February, so bring a warm layer, a scarf for dust and a hat for the sun later on. Keep voices low near animals, never ask the driver to approach closer than the guide allows, and stay in the vehicle.

If Kaziranga is part of a longer journey, pair it with the tea country around Balipara, about 2.5 hours away, or the river island of Majuli, about 2.5 hours to the ferry. Both make a slower counterpoint to the early starts of safari life.