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.
What does a tiger safari entail?
You might assume, from the name, that a tiger safari always includes tigers – don’t. Sightings are never guaranteed. Tigers are solitary and elusive, brilliantly camouflaged and, in some places, spread across a vast area. Spotting them is down to good luck, a good amount of time and a good guide who knows the territory, has information on recent sightings and is skilled at tracking. The more game drives you can do, the more chances you have of seeing a tiger.
It’s helpful to think of tiger safaris simply as wildlife safaris, involving game drives to enjoy animals and birds, and experience a wilderness where panthera tigris is the apex predator. There are plenty of other exciting predators to look out for, from leopards to bears, and there will always be an abundance of prey animals, with large herds of chital, sambar deer and nilgai a feature of Indian tiger safaris, plus wonderful birdlife and various monkeys. This is also a chance to be in the wilderness, soaking up its sounds and scents, watching butterflies, listening to peacocks calling or simply seeing how the sun cuts through the morning mist.
Our Tiger safari Holidays
Tiger tour in India, land of the Tiger tour
Wildlife tour through India
From
£2499 to £8899
16 days
inc UK flights
Wildlife holiday in Central India
Best of Indian wildlife with tiger, leopard and sloth bear.
From
Rupee165000 to Rupee195000
12 days
ex flights
Tiger watching holiday in India
A chance to see the majestic tiger in the wild
From
£725 to £950
9 days
ex flights
Golden Triangle with Ranthambore tour, India
Brilliant experiences including Tigers and Temples
From
£1149
11 days
ex flights
Tadoba National park tiger safari, India
Tadoba the best tiger reserve of India
From
£950 to £1250
8 days
ex flights
Central India holiday, culture and wildlife
The very best of central India's wildlife and history
From
Rupee145000 to Rupee195000
16 days
ex flights
Tiger & wildlife tour in Central India
A tour for those who wish to see tigers and other wildlife
From
Rupee135000
10 days
ex flights
Tiger and Kerala beaches tour in India
Tigers safaris in central India with backwaters of Kerala
From
Rupee182000
17 days
ex flights
India tiger watching holidays
Wildlife tour in India, plus the Taj Mahal
From
£2640
11 days
ex flights
Bandhavgarh and Kanha tiger safari in India
10 Day Tiger Safari in Bandhavgarh and Kanha National Parks
From
£1395 to £1595
10 days
ex flights
Tigers and rhinos tours in India
Go on safari & see Bengal tigers and Rhinoceros
From
£1200 to £1400
10 days
ex flights
Rural India holiday, culture & wildlife
Authentic exploration of Central Indian village life
From
£2500 to £3000
14 days
ex flights
Tigers safaris in India
Explore India's National Parks in search of elusive Tigers
From
£1630
9 days
ex flights
Wildlife photography holiday in India
Photograph superb wildlife & even the illusive tiger
From
£750 to £950
10 days
ex flights
Tiger safari in India, Bandhavgarh & Kanha
Ultimate wilderness experience in two of the best parks!
From
US $1230 to US $2250
7 days
ex flights
Golden Triangle & tigers holiday in India
Rajathan's palaces, the Taj Mahal & tigers
From
£750 to £900
9 days
ex flights
Ganges tour, Delhi to Calcutta
Explore spiritual India sailing on the Ganges
From
£2795 to £2965
16 days
ex flights
Tiger watching tours in India
Discover the wildlife and scenery in four national parks.
From
£2675 to £2815
14 days
inc UK flights
Bhutan tiger safari holiday
Follow in the footsteps of the BBC and search for tigers in Bhutan
From
£3995
14 days
ex flights
Nepal tiger safari holiday
Track tigers on foot and elephant-back in Nepal's best parks
From
£1630
11 days
ex flights
India tiger safari & Taj Mahal tour
Tiger safari in India's National Parks
From
£2633 to £4077
16 days
ex flights
Chitwan jungle safari and home stay
Other treks north, we trek south on this short culture trek!
From
£699
11 days
ex flights
India tiger safaris
Stunning Tiger and wildlife safari in India.
From
£2435 to £3015
13 days
ex flights
The Heart of Nepal trek, tailormade
Trekking, wildlife, culture and temples
From
£2500
14 days
ex flights
Siberian Tiger & Amur Leopard tours in Russia
Track Siberian Tigers in the Russian winter wonderland
From
£2995
14 days
ex flights
Southern India tailor made tour, Jungle trails
Private journey to discover the unique beauty of South India
From
£2695
14 days
ex flights
India luxury NP wildlife holidays,
The best national parks in India with abundant wild/birdlife
From
£2399
14 days
ex flights
Alternative Delhi to Kathmandu holiday
Stunning scenery & spectacular diversity from India - Nepal
From
£3895
16 days
ex flights
Chitwan accommodation, Nepal
Beautiful Lodges, along the mesmerizing river Rapti
From
US $350 to US $999
per accommodation per night
Remember, there is also lots to enjoy in the buffer zones of national parks and in some you can take guided walks or bike rides through the forest and villages. You’re unlikely to see a tiger but this is a chance to be immersed in the landscape. A good, local guide will teach you all about medicinal uses of plants, and have lots of stories about tiger sightings, customs, daily life and local events, giving you a sense of both animal and human life.
Paul Goldstein is a presenter, photographer and top tiger safari guide at one of our leading suppliers, Exodus:
“On game drives, there will be a local park ranger and driver, plus the local guide who comes on the whole trip. Our two guys, Krishna and Himanshu, are the best two guides you can meet anywhere on the subcontinent. They don’t just tell you about the gestation period of animals! They’re charming, eloquent and funny.”
Most tiger safari holidays take place in India, which is home to 70 percent of the world’s tiger population. It’s also possible to see tigers in Nepal, and to track them in Bhutan or Siberia, on a specialist, tailor made, wildlife holiday. A tiger safari in India can be a small group trip or a tailor made holiday. It may be slotted into a wider itinerary that includes cultural highlights – the Golden Triangle, or just Agra and the Taj – or it may be the sole focus of the holiday. In the former, you can expect perhaps three game drives in a single park, but in the latter, where tiger spotting is very much the priority, you will take numerous game drives, usually in a handful of parks, but sometimes in a single reserve. On a two week trip, expect to do around 15 game drives.
Tiger transport
Tiger transport
In India and Nepal, game drives take place in four or six seater ‘gypsy’ jeeps. Canters, which are like open mini buses and can seat 20, are also used in some parks. Both have open sides and roof, so you can stand up and get a really clear view of wildlife. This does mean that, during the winter, they are cold and you’ll need to wrap up, especially for early morning drives.
In Chitwan and Bardia National Parks in Nepal it’s also possible to do walking safaris with a trained naturalist guide. Some parks also offer elephant safaris. At Responsible Travel, we do not support elephant rides with the exception of safaris in certain national parks, where using elephants to monitor wildlife numbers and poaching and the revenue generated by elephant safaris, is essential to wildlife conservation. You can read more on our stance on elephant safaris
here. In Bhutan or Siberia, spotting tigers means trekking and tracking them, not sitting in a vehicle. You’ll need a good level of fitness for this.
Game drives in Indian parks are usually between three and four hours long, depending on the time of day and the season. Some parks offer all day permits, but most issue a fixed number of permits per morning and afternoon opening. Jeeps aren’t particularly comfy (or warm) and tracks are rough and bumpy, so this isn’t a great experience for anyone with a bad back. A decent level of fitness and lots of patience is essential. You might spend hours seeing little more than a few deer and some birds, but the reward of a good sighting of a tiger makes it worth the wait. Expect to get dusty, as vehicles are open, so bring scarves to cover your hair or mouth, neutral coloured clothes that can take a beating and make sure you take something to cover your camera. Pack lots of layers, too; in winter, morning game drives can start out freezing and feel roasting by 9am.
Our top Tiger safari Holiday
Tiger tour in India, land of the Tiger tour
Wildlife tour through India
From
£2499 to £8899
16 days
inc UK flights
Small group travel:
2019: 29 Mar, 12 Apr, 11 Oct, 26 Oct, 1 Nov, 8 Nov, 15 Nov, 20 Dec
2020: 31 Jan, 14 Feb, 28 Feb, 13 Mar, 27 Mar, 3 Apr, 10 Apr, 9 Oct, 23 Oct, 6 Nov, 13 Nov, 20 Nov
2019: 29 Mar, 12 Apr, 11 Oct, 26 Oct, 1 Nov, 8 Nov, 15 Nov, 20 Dec
2020: 31 Jan, 14 Feb, 28 Feb, 13 Mar, 27 Mar, 3 Apr, 10 Apr, 9 Oct, 23 Oct, 6 Nov, 13 Nov, 20 Nov
Helpdesk
Hello. If you'd like to chat about Tiger safari or need help finding a holiday to suit you we're very happy to help. Rosy & team.
Accommodation
Accommodation on tiger safaris
When it comes to accommodation on a tiger safari, there’s a huge choice ranging from comfortable lodges with modern comforts such as air conditioning and en suite bathrooms, to friendly homestays. Look out for locally owned and run accommodation, as this puts money back into the community and reinforces the benefits of responsible tourism and the value of tigers within that community. All meals are generally included and supplied by the accommodation. In India in particular, vegetarians will do brilliantly, as this is one of the best and most delicious places in the world to be meat free. Some child friendly lodges will be happy to tailor the food to juvenile palates. Finally, find out where the accommodation is. The closer to the park gates, the less time you’ll have to spend travelling to start each game drive, which is crucial when heading out on those early 6am drives.
Responsible tiger safaris
Responsible tiger safaris
Do check that the accommodation has good environmental practices. There are plenty of lodges and hotels dotted throughout India, for instance, that combine comfort with impressive eco friendly credentials (using solar power, recycling grey water, employing local staff), so seek them out. The TOFTigers PUG Mark (Travel Operators for Tigers) accreditation guarantees good sustainable policies around things like water usage, local community support and promoting an understanding of wildlife. Some accommodation also gives a percentage of its revenue to local charities, schools and projects.
More about Tiger safari
There are several places in the world where this elusive and endangered creature still roams, including Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and even Siberia.
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.
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.
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.
At Responsible Travel we are lucky to work with some of the world’s most dedicated conservationists, leader guides, naturalists and scientists when it comes to tigers.
Read about the issues affecting tigers today, from habitat loss to poaching and learn how responsible tourism is playing its part in conservation.
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.
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.
Big, wild and beautiful, Kanha National Park is home to around 100 Bengal tigers, plus an abundance of other fascinating wildlife and birdlife.
More relevant guides
Why book with Responsible Travel
Photo credits: [Page banner: Aditya "Dicky" Singh] [Tiger behind grass: Bernie Catterall]
[National park: Juho Makkonen]
[Guide and tourist: Muffinn]
[Golden triangle: Travis Wise]
[Jeeps: Sreeram Narayan]
[Trek Chitwan Park: Goran Hoglund]
[Jeep: Sreeram Narayan]
[Accommodation: Oxlaey.com]
[Responsible tourism: Oxlaey.com]
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