Wildlife guide
This wildlife travel guide is meant to be like a trailer for the new Attenborough series. Because we also have individual travel guides for more specific wildlife holidays, such as our safaris, bear watching and whale watching.
Tiger safari advice
Taking time for tigers
Taking time for tigers
Belinda Wright, OBE, Executive Director, Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI):
"India is about the only place in the world where you are likely to see tigers in the wild, and only in a few tiger reserves where these secretive big cats are now fairly used to tourists in vehicles. Some of the tigers have become surprisingly bold and these reserves are now popular destinations for huge numbers of tourists both from within India and abroad. Despite this, you must always remember that these are wild predators and that it is an extraordinary privilege to see these glorious and extremely rare big cats in the wild. Allow at least three or four days to increase your chances."
Our Tiger safari Holidays
Wildlife holiday in Central India
Best of Indian wildlife with tiger, leopard and sloth bear
From
Rupee248000
12 days
ex flights
Tiger tour in India, land of the Tiger tour
Wildlife tour through India
From
£3849 to £4449
17 days
inc UK flights
Tiger watching holiday in India
A chance to see the majestic tiger in the wild
From
£1200 to £1550
9 days
ex flights
Tiger & wildlife tour in Central India
A tour for those who wish to see tigers and other wildlife
From
Rupee156000 to Rupee170000
10 days
ex flights
Rajasthan cycling holiday with Taj & tigers
Enjoy cycling tour in Royal Rajasthan with Taj and Tiger.
From
US $2240 to US $2380
16 days
ex flights
Tadoba National park tiger safari, India
Tadoba the best tiger reserve of India
From
£1200 to £1850
8 days
ex flights
Managing expectations
Managing expectations
Guy Marks, co-director at award-winning responsible tourism supplier, Tribes Travel gives advice for tiger safaris:
“Don’t expect this to be like an African safari experience. The way the parks are run, the quality of guiding and the seeming lack of a need to be silent, all have a very unique Indian style”.
Keep your eye on the tiger
Keep your eye on the tiger
Paul Goldstein , top tiger safari guide and expert at one of our leading suppliers, Exodus:
“Much like mountain gorillas, you have to be aware that this is a desperately endangered species, so please try and look beyond your camera. I have led countless tiger safaris in India, but probably only have half a dozen really good photos. So, particularly when you see your first one, put the camera away because, firstly, you might not see another one and also, it is a deeply emotive moment. The photo will probably be rubbish anyway as you will be sobbing or shaking, as you should be.“
Looking beyond the tiger
Looking beyond the tiger
Sophie Hartman, owner of our supplier Chinkara Journeys, specialising in central India:
“I think that name ‘tiger watching’ should be banned. Don’t go with tigers as your sole focus, there is so much to see in India’s national parks and spending the whole of your safari charging around the park on a hunt for a tiger is such a wasted opportunity. Ask your guide and driver to stop for ten minutes by a lake or stream, listen to the sounds of the jungle, watch the birds, enjoy the beauty of the light coming through the forest. SO much more fun than just thumping along in a jeep.”
Health & safety on tiger safaris
HEALTH
SAFETY
Our top Tiger safari Holiday
Wildlife holiday in Central India
Best of Indian wildlife with tiger, leopard and sloth bear
From
Rupee248000
12 days
ex flights
Small group travel:
2022: 22 Dec
2023: 16 Feb, 3 Apr
2022: 22 Dec
2023: 16 Feb, 3 Apr
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Tiger safari or need help finding a holiday to suit you we're very happy to help.
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Holiday reviews from our travellers
At Responsible Travel, we think the best people to advise our travellers are often... other travellers. They always return from our tours with packing tips, weather reports, ideas about what to do - and opinions about what not to.
We have selected some of the most useful tiger safari travel tips that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your holiday - and the space inside your suitcase.
Enjoy the scenery, the wildlife and the atmosphere.![]()
- Rosy Everitt
“Take all your camping gear! Including trekking towels and loo rolls. These do not exist anywhere. Do your homework before. Good, stout foot wear and a trekking pole for gradients and loose rocks. Torchs, headlamps and candles are a very good idea. It gets cold at night and very hot during the day. There are no shops, no doctors etc... for miles around so once on the eastern side you are out on a limb. If you wish for a conventional holiday do not embark on this trip!!!” - Beatrice Claire Potter
“Manage your expectations. Tigers bears and leopards are very hard to spot and very elusive. Go into the park looking to enjoy the scenery, the wildlife and the atmosphere.” – Rosy Everitt
“We would advise that travellers ensure that they book a jeep safari at Ranthambhor and not the 20 seater canters. We were advised that we would be able to change our booking for at least one of our 12 safaris for a jeep when we got there but we were informed by the hotel/reserve that the jeeps are booked out many months in advance. The jeeps are more expensive but if you want to see a tiger they give you the best chance. Although we saw a tiger at Ranthambhor from a canter we were extremely fortunate since the canters are too noisy full of very excited local people!” - Julia Gallagher
“Manage your expectations. Tigers bears and leopards are very hard to spot and very elusive. Go into the park looking to enjoy the scenery, the wildlife and the atmosphere.” – Rosy Everitt
“We would advise that travellers ensure that they book a jeep safari at Ranthambhor and not the 20 seater canters. We were advised that we would be able to change our booking for at least one of our 12 safaris for a jeep when we got there but we were informed by the hotel/reserve that the jeeps are booked out many months in advance. The jeeps are more expensive but if you want to see a tiger they give you the best chance. Although we saw a tiger at Ranthambhor from a canter we were extremely fortunate since the canters are too noisy full of very excited local people!” - Julia Gallagher
Dust can be an issue for camera equipment especially digital SLR's![]()
- Stuart Holt
“Be prepared for early rises, cold drives to park in open vehicle, stamina is required.” - Susan Groves
“Dust can be an issue for camera equipment especially digital SLR’s so make sure you take something to cover your camera and cleaning materials.” - Stuart Holt
“Take plenty of small change. It is the custom to tip virtually everyone and it can get expensive. A universal sink plug is useful as hotels do not use them. Indian traffic doesn't seem to have any rules and the roads have cows and dogs wandering about in between rickshaws trucks, pedestrians and potholes- but all very amicable. Just a bit scary.” - Gillian Ash
“Dust can be an issue for camera equipment especially digital SLR’s so make sure you take something to cover your camera and cleaning materials.” - Stuart Holt
“Take plenty of small change. It is the custom to tip virtually everyone and it can get expensive. A universal sink plug is useful as hotels do not use them. Indian traffic doesn't seem to have any rules and the roads have cows and dogs wandering about in between rickshaws trucks, pedestrians and potholes- but all very amicable. Just a bit scary.” - Gillian Ash
More about Tiger safari
We can capture a lot of details in our tiger safaris travel guide about where to go and when to go, but we can’t capture that feeling when you finally get to see into the eye of a tiger.
There are several places in the world where this elusive and endangered creature still roams, including Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and even Siberia.
No matter what time of year you choose, it is worth remembering that it's always the tiger who calls the shots about making an appearance.
Beautiful landscapes, a growing population of tigers and the atmospheric Ranthambore Fort presiding over all make Ranthambore National Park a must-visit for wildlife lovers.
Big, wild and beautiful, Kanha National Park is home to around 100 Bengal tigers, plus an abundance of other fascinating wildlife and birdlife.
Pench National Park is not one of India’s best known parks and won’t always deliver tiger sightigs, but that has the advantage of keeping visitor numbers low.
Tiger safaris in Nepal explore Bardia and Chitwan national parks in the Terai region bordering the Himalayas.
Dig a little deeper into the detail of travelling to see tigers in the wild, and find out what tiger safaris entail, so you can plan and prepare with confidence.
People travel a long way to see tigers, and it is definitely worth the trip when you do, but it makes good sense to pick a trip that has plenty of other activities alongside the tiger safari.
Read about the issues affecting tigers today, from habitat loss to poaching and learn how responsible tourism is playing its part in conservation.
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