Game Drives (Jeep safaris)

A jeep safari into Jim Corbett National Park is one of the best ways to experience the Terai landscape - sal forests, riverbeds, grasslands, and the constant possibility of a wildlife encounter. Whether you’re hoping for a tiger sighting, keen on birdlife, or simply want to be out in wild country at the best hours of the day, a Corbett game drive is well worth making time for.

1) Morning and Afternoon Jeep Safaris

These are the usual jeep safaris - you stay at Tanhau (or another property in the wider Corbett region) and head out for a morning and/or afternoon drive.

  • Duration: 4 hours

  • Timings: change seasonally (fixed forest department slots)

  • Booking: limited permits; must be booked in advance

  • Zones: All zones other than Dhikala, where jeep safaris are available only for tourists staying inside

Safari permits are limited and can sell out quickly, especially in peak season, on weekends and for popular zones. If you’d like to include a safari in your trip, we recommend checking availability while planning your stay so you don’t miss out. Bookings typically open around 45 days in advance.

A note on logistics: Tanhau is located at a distance from some of Corbett’s safari gates, so if you are planning multiple safaris across different zones, our location may not be the most convenient base for repeated early starts. We often recommend, if you have the time, to split your days between Tanhau and a property closer to the safari gates if you wish to do multiple safaris.

2) Night Stay Inside the National Park (Forest Rest Houses)with Jeep Safaris - Highly Recommended

A group of elephants walking along the side of a road in a natural habitat, with trees and bushes in the background.

Two Safari Experiences You Can Choose From

  • Zones: Dhikala, BIjrani, Jhirna, Dhela, Durgadevi, Halduparao

  • Availability: extremely limited, high demand’ maximum 3 nights consecutively can be booked in a zone

  • Dhikala is particularly difficult to secure, followed by Jhrina, Bijrani, Dhela

  • Booking window: typically opens ~45–50 days in advance

  • Sell-out speed: within 2-3 minutes

  • Safaris: included automatically with the night-stay booking

If you want a night stay inside the park, it helps to decide at least two months in advance so we can help you plan around the booking window and maximise your chances.

To round out the experience, many guests pair 2-3 nights inside the park with slower days back at Tanhau - riverside time, forest hikes, and a picnic in the woods.

Please note: For foreign tourists, two rooms in Dhikala are reserved and the booking window for them typically opens 75-80 days in advance. This is often the best opportunity to get a booking.

Choosing the right option

We can help you decide which zone/rest house makes sense based on your priorities:

  • classic landscapes and iconic Corbett feel

  • better chances of tiger/elephant movement depending on season

  • quieter settings if you prefer solitude and soundscape over crowds

Group of five tiger cubs walking along a dirt path in a jungle

If there is one safari-related experience that feels truly rare and special, it is this.

Corbett is among the very few well-known national parks in India that offers the opportunity to stay inside the forest overnight. Spending one or two nights at a Forest Rest House (FRH) within the park is not just an “add-on”, it is an entirely different way of experiencing Corbett.

When you stay inside, the forest doesn’t feel like a place you visit for four hours. It becomes the world around you. The evenings are quieter, the darkness feels deeper, and the sense of being in true wilderness is far more immersive. You fall asleep to the sounds of the jungle, and wake up already inside it while the forest is at its most alive. Even without dramatic sightings, this is the kind of experience that stays with you long after the trip.

The Forest Rest Houses are basic in infrastructure, but reasonably clean and comfortable. The real luxury is the location.