If you are a wildlife enthusiast who is planning to visit India’s oldest and most popular wildlife national park in the coming days, weeks, or months, this is the only guide you need to look at. Get to know what is the best time to visit Jim Corbett, which zones of the Corbett National Park are open in which seasons, and how to create the best travel plan for amateur and experienced wildlife & nature lovers. But first, don’t forget to subscribe to the Jungle Revives YouTube Channel for amazing wildlife stories and adventures.
I have curated this comprehensive guide for you from my own past wildlife trips based on experiences across the entire Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve. I have been an avid wildlife explorer for many years and have visited this amazing wildlife park in all seasons. So I feel I must share my experience with you all, as I keep getting many queries from individuals who want to plan the perfect Jim Corbett Trip.
Let’s dive deeper into the zone vs seasonal matching for the Jim Corbett National Park so that you can plan your next wildlife adventure accordingly and without any hassle.
Table of Contents
Best Time to Visit Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve Across Various Zones
There are three seasons when people prefer to visit Jim Corbett Wildlife Park. Each of those is best suited for different types of wildlife enthusiasts.
- November to February (Winter Season)
Best preferred by first-time goers and families. - March to June (Summer Season)
The hot season attracts serious Wildlife Enthusiasts and a similar type of individuals. - July to October (Monsoon Season)
Overall, the best time for people to experience a different side of nature. Amazing and soothing ambiance and environment due to the rainy weather in the open zones. Very less crowd overall.
But first, for those of you who haven’t been to this amazing wildlife reserve, and are curious about where is Jim Corbett Park situated, and how to reach there, let me tell you all the details you should know.
Is Jim Corbett in Nainital, Uttarakhand?
Yes.
Jim Corbett National Park, which was established in the year 1936 honouring the legacy of Mr. Jim Corbett, is situated in the Uttarakhand’s Nainital district, near the town of Ramnagar.
It has EIGHT distinct zones, which are divided into the core and buffer zone areas. Overall, the wildlife park is divided into the core region and the extended tiger reserve region.
You can know the key differences between Jim Corbett National Park and Corbett Tiger Reserve to get a better understanding of the demographic landscape.
The 8 Zones of the Corbett Wildlife Park include:
- Dhikala
- Bijrani
- Jhirna
- Dhela
- Durga Devi
- Garjia
- Phato
- Sitabani
Some of them are open throughout the year, while others open on the basis of seasonality. The best month to visit Jim Corbett for each of these zones is a bit different for different types of people.
The best route would be to come to the NCR region first through your preferred mode of transport and then carry on with the Delhi to Jim Corbett National Park Journey to reach the most popular National Park of India.
Seasonal Analysis to Figure out the Best Month to Visit Jim Corbett
Now let’s have a look at the seasonal timeframes and understand the key advantages of each of them so that you can plan your next trip accordingly.
November to February
(Winter Season)
This is considered the peak and one of the best time to visit Jim Corbett National Park for first-time wildlife enthusiasts.
The temperature is moderate and ranges between 5 to 25 degrees Celsius. Individuals get the best overall wildlife sightseeing experience because the visibility of wild animals and birds is excellent due to the cold and pleasant weather. Many animals actively bask in the sun due to cooler mornings, and that maximizes the overall wildlife sighting experience.
Also, the wildlife and jungle safaris across all the zones during this time of the year are comfortable and soothing. Visitors can get the best opportunity to capture amazing wildlife moments using their camera and photography gear.
From my personal experience, visiting during this time of the year will entail fewer tiger sightings and spottings. The expectations are quite low as animals fulfill all their daily needs within the jungles itself and come out of the forests less frequently.
But overall, this time of the year is best for overall wildlife sighting and to enjoy the ambiance and atmosphere of the jungles due to the perfect combination of cold weather and pleasant atmosphere. Spotting elephants, tigers, langoor, sambar deer, barking deer, and lots of exotic birds across the entire demography, along with some species of migratory birds will enhance the overall experience of your trip.
This period is usually preferred for family trips also, and has the largest amount of visitor footfall.
March to June
(Summer Season)
Another best month to visit the Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve can be either March, April, May, or June. This is the best period for tiger sightings as the chances increase due to the hot weather. Tigers and many other wild animals can be found alongside water bodies, river tributaries, or water holes.
The Ramganga River becomes the primary hotspot for tiger sighting in the region, along with many grassland areas. Also, during this time of the year, the vegetation reduces, which offers clear visibility to far-off distances. Temperatures can soar up to 45 degrees Celsius, and individuals can do amazing photography and videography to capture their perspective on Indian Wildlife.
Overall visitor footfall is quite less as compared to the winter season. Chances of capturing wildlife action photography and videography including tigers and leopards also increases during these months.
Summer comes with many operational challenges too, as temperatures remain high, which leads to early start of morning safaris and limited mid-day activities. You need to be well prepared with sun-protecting items and must stay hydrated at all times.
Afternoon safaris are highly challenging, and so fewer people prefer this time of the year to visit Jim Corbett National Park.
July to October
(Monsoon Season)
This time of the year is usually the least visited by people due to the monsoon arrival.
Very few zones are open during this season, and it offers the perfect ambiance for nature lovers seeking solitude and lush, beautiful landscapes in the middle of the northern jungles and hills.
The temperature varies between 25-35 degrees and comes with a lot of humidity in the region due to intense rainfall.
But visitors can get exclusive experience across the open zones, and it’s the best time to visit Jim Corbett to enjoy a peaceful, crowd-free and cost effective natural ambiance and atmosphere.
Zone-wise Best Month to Visit Jim Corbett National Park
| Dhikala Zone | Opens From 18 November to 15 June ( Varies depending on monsoon arrival ) | Approximately 18 KMs from Ramnagar via Dhangarhi Gate | Best for Morning and afternoon safaris, both in jeeps and canter. |
| Bijrani Zone | Operational from Mid October to June | Approximately 2 KMs from Ramnagar via Amdanda Gate | Best for morning and afternoon Jeep Safaris |
| Jhirna Zone | Opens Throughout the Year | Approximately 16 KMs from Ramnagar | You can do both morning and afternoon Jeep Safaris |
| Dhela Zone | Opens Throughout the Year | Approximately 13 KMs from Ramnagar | Best for morning and afternoon Jeep Safaris |
The remaining zones have the following schedules of operations across the year:
- Durga Devi is operational from November to June
- Phato, Garjia and Sitabani are operational throughout the year
Sitabani is a proper buffer zone and falls to the outskirts of the Core Jim Corbett Park. It’s best for unplanned travel as it doesn’t have as much wildlife as the main zones. But it doesn’t require any permit to explore and you can get to off beat locations to explore the serenity of the jungles and natural landscapes. The forests are dense in Sitabani Zone and overall the ride experience through the forests is unique. Best suited for those who want to make impromptu visits to the corbett tiger reserve.
During the Summer Season, the safari Timings are usually:
- Morning Safari: 5:30 to 9 AM
- Afternoon Safari: 2:30 to 6 PM
Similarly, during the Winter Season, the remains from:
- Morning Safari: 6:30 to 10 AM
- Afternoon Safari: 1 to 5 PM
These are pretty much the approximate timings and can vary up to a couple of minutes depending on seasonality and visitor footfall. Also, arrival and departure of monsoon too affects the overall timings of operation across the zones.
When is Jim Corbett Closed?
On average, the Jim Corbett National Park usually suspends operations like Jeep and Canter Safaris, and stays in the FRHs during the monsoon season due to the risk of flooding and waterlogging. It becomes extremely unsafe as water accumulates everywhere across the majority of the zones. Also, the roads become slippery, which increases the chances of accidents.
Between July to October is when the core zones like Dhikala and Bijrani remain closed.
The closure period starts in a phased manner, where first night stays in Forest Rest Houses are suspended, followed by closure of the entire zones for Jeep and Canter Safaris.
Once the monsoon season fades away, November is when the zone starts opening again after assessing the infrastructure and safety clearances. Once everything is declared good to go, the entire area becomes operational for mainstream tourism activities.
Apart from that, the closure season of Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve also coincides with the critical breeding season for many animal and bird species. With reduced human interference, they can mate and raise young offspring in peaceful environments. Apart from that, the forest officials use this period to carry out habitat restoration activities as needed, and carry out monitoring of critical wildlife activities and movement.
Quick Tips to Create the Best Travel Plan to Jim Corbett National Park
From my own personal experience visiting Jim Corbett across all seasons throughout these past couple of years, here are some quick tips I would like to share with you to help you,
Plan your next wildlife adventure trip in the best way possible
- Plan your trips at least a month in advance to ensure booking availability, especially in peak season.
- The winter season will offer you the best and most comfortable experience in terms of enjoying the overall trip due to pleasant weather and frequent wildlife sightings of tigers, elephants, and many other exotic birds and animals. Share this blog with your known ones to help them decide the best time to visit Jim Corbett according to their preferences.
- Avoid core zones in the monsoon season as they are closed due to the risk of flooding and waterlogging. Check with the relevant POCs daily to know updates for better planning your stays and itinerary.
- Canter Safari is only available in the Dhikala Zone.
- Consider Jhirna and Dhela for year-round Jungle Safari adventures.
- Always carry a guide or naturalist with you for an enhanced jungle safari experience. They will help you in locating the wild animal through their understanding of the jungle and how the ecosystem works.
- Always carry a pair of binoculars and a good-quality camera with you. A smartphone will also do just fine if it has a higher-resolution camera.
- Always wear comfortable and neutral color clothing to avoid causing any disturbance to the wild animal. Many animals are sensitive to certain colors, and also, for safety reasons, you must wear colors that easily blend with the jungle ecosystem.
- Last but not least, try to book the forest rest houses for stay instead of resorts. This will give you the experience of staying in the jungle area amid the majestic wild animals and experiencing the true sense of wildlife exploration. It also allows you to go on morning safaris by avoiding the crowd.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Best Time to Visit Jim Corbett
Where is Jim Corbett Park Situated? How far is that from Delhi?
Jim Corbett National Park is located near the town of Ramnagar in Uttarakhand’s Nainital District. From Delhi, it’s a 250-kilometer journey that takes roughly 5 hours in your own vehicle. You can take the NH9 route that goes from Delhi 🡪 Ghaziabad 🡪 Hapur 🡪 Gajraula 🡪 Amroha 🡪 Moradabad 🡪 Kashipur 🡪 Ramnagar 🡪 Jim Corbett.
Should I go to Jim Corbett National Park in the Summer Season when the weather is quite hot?
Absolutely yes. But you should ensure that you have an adequate amount of comfortable and light colored clothing, and essentials like a hat, sunscreen, and an ample amount of water for consistent hydration. The weather gets quite hot, and doing safaris in the scorching heat can be challenging. But overall, the experience will be unforgettable.
Is there any alternate route to reach Jim Corbett?
Apart from the main route that goes through the NH9, you can take an alternate route that goes from NH734 and traverses Delhi 🡪 Ghaziabad 🡪 Bypass Meerut 🡪 Sakoti 🡪 Miranpur 🡪 Mahadev Puram 🡪 Kotawali 🡪 Kachnalgaji to reach Ramnagar. This is a bit of a long route that spans 290 kilometres and will take you approximately 6 hours to complete.
How to reach Ramnagar directly by Air?
You can book a flight to either Pantnagar Airport or Dehra Dun Airport. Post that, you can take a local taxi cab to reach Ramnagar and then carry on with your itinerary to Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve.
Which are the Popular Forest Houses that I can stay at during my Jim Corbett trip?
Malani Forest House and Bijrani Forest House are some of the most popular FRHs that you can stay at during your Corbett Jungle Safari. It will enable you to experience the jungle up close for an unforgettable experience.
