When taking a long weekend break from your mundane life schedule, planning a memorable vacation at Ranthambore National Park would be better. It is a famous tourist attraction in Rajasthan’s Sawai Madhopur district, known for being a natural habitat for royal Bengal tigers, & many other endangered animal & bird species. When visiting this national park, any traveller would be curious to know how it got its name.
Ranthambore Fort, a century-old fort constructed in 944 AD, has witnessed many battles & sieges, including the most famous one in 1301 between Rao Hamir & Allaudin Khilji, Sultan of Delhi. The national park is named after it. When visiting this fort, you will find that it features massive gates, giant walls, temples, & tanks. Besides this, many other attractions will draw your attention. So join us in this blog as we will briefly list the significant attractions of Ranthambore.
Famous tourist attractions in Ranthambore
Ranthambore is a perfect blend of natural attractions, wildlife & history. Below is the list of top places to visit in Ranthambore that are worth visiting when spending a great time in this exotic travel destination of Rajasthan. These include places of worship, adventure fun, wildlife sanctuaries, historical sites, lakes, artistic centres, etc.
- Ranthambore Tiger Reserve
- Ranthambore Fort
- Surwal Lake
- Trinetra Ganesh Temple
- Padam Lake
- Kachida Valley
- Jogi Mahal
- Wild Dragon Adventure Park
- Raj Bagh Ruins
- Khandar Fort
- Dastkar Ranthambore
- Malik Talao
- Gupt ganga
- Someshwar Mahadev Temple
- Rajiv Gandhi Regional Museum Of Natural History
- Lakarda And Anantpura
- Akaula Region
- Ranthambore School of Art
- Village of Women Craft
- National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary
Exciting activities to do in Ranthambore
Besides wilderness, there are activities to do in Ranthambore. And this is not limited to merely exploring the wildlife through safari rides, but other fascinating & thrilling activities as well. So, make your journey more interesting by adding these to your Ranthambore itinerary bucket list.
- Enjoying jeep safari in Ranthambore National Park
- Hiking up to the century-old Ranthambore Fort
- Experiencing canter safari ride
- Spotting sloth bears & panthers at Lakarda & Anantapura
- Watching the fantastic artwork at Ranthambore Schools of Art
- Seeking peace at Trinetra Ganesh Temple
- Beholding the captivating sight of sunrise at Surwal Lake
- Shopping for handicraft items made by village women in Ranthambore
- Sitting & strolling across Padam Lake
- Exploring Kachida Valley
- Enjoying fun activities at Wild Dragon Adventure Park
- Experience cloudy air rides with hot air ballooning
Safari zones to explore in Ranthambore National Park
With ten safari zones in Ranthambore National Park, tourists can fulfil their wish of watching tigers cuddling their little ones or imparting hunting lessons to them. In every zone you visit, you will notice the names of tigers with numbers. This is helpful for wildlife authorities in keeping a clear record of the big cats (both male & female).
Safari zones from 1 to 5 are the major ones, as you will see the maximum number of tigers here. The entrance is done from the front side to visit these zones. Whereas, the entry gates for zones 6 to 10 occur from the backside of the park.
- Zone 1: Sultana-T107 and cubs (F), T01 (M), Noori T105 & cubs(F)
- Zone 2: T 120(M) Noori-T105 & cubs(F), T 60 (F), T 101 (M), Arrowhead T84 (F) and cubs, T123 (M)
- Zone 3: Riddhi-T124(F) and cubs, T120 (M)
- Zone 4: Riddhi-T124 (F) and cubs, T120 (M), T21 (M), Shakti-T111 & cubs, T 86 (M), T112(M) T 41 (F)
- Zone 5: T124 (F), T 125(F), T41(F), and T 103 (F), T121 (M), T86 (M), T112 (M), T111 (F) and cubs
- Zone 6: T8 (F), T39 Noor (F), T58 (M), T127 F
- Zone 7: T58 (M), T61 (F)
- Zone 8: T58 (M), T61 (F)
- Zone 9: T62 (M), T99 (F). T108 (M)
- Zone 10: T58 (M), T34 (M), T114 & cubs (F), T 99 & cubs (F)
Popular Wildlife in Ranthambore National Park
The wildlife of Ranthambore National Park is very famous among tourists, as they get to see numerous animal & bird species. The royal Bengal tigers are, of course, the main attractions here. Still, besides these majestic beasts, you can also spot other animals like leopards, grey langurs, jackals, wild boars, cobras, chitals, gharials, tortoises, crocodiles, five striped palm squirrels, sambars, sloth bears, & more.
The other animals to expect here are snub-nosed marsh crocodiles, desert monitor lizards, banded Kraits, cobras, common kraits, Ganges soft-shelled turtles, Indian pythons, north Indian flap-shelled turtles, rat snakes, Russell’s vipers, saw-scaled vipers & the Indian chameleon.
For birdwatchers, the national park has a variety of bird species, including serpent eagles, parakeets, owls, waterfowl, vultures, peacocks, nightjars, egrets, herons, cuckoos, kingfishers, etc.
Appropriate Time to Visit Ranthambore National Park
Planning a Ranthambore family trip is a great decision to make. But if you are making any hasty move, then hold on. Before embarking on this beautiful wildlife retreat, you should know the best time to visit Ranthambore National Park. It will help in avoiding any unpleasant experience on your trip.
- Summer (April to June): Even though the climate is very humid in Ranthambore, it is still the best time to visit the national park, as it is not thronged with tourist crowds. Hence, it is the best chance for you to spot tigers near waterholes.
- Monsoon (July to September): Monsoon is not a favourable time to visit the national park as zones 1 to 5 are closed due to heavy rainfall. So you have to manage with buffer zones from 6 to 10.