List of 20 Best National Parks To Visit In India

India is renowned as a tourist paradise. It is the land of beautiful coastline, sparkling lakes, majestic forests, mesmerising far-flung locations and of course the Indian wildlife.

One of the best places to witness this wildlife in their natural habitat and the diverse terrain are the national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in India. It is the perfect place to ramble around especially if one wishes to visit a site with a blend of beautiful forests and Indian wildlife.

There are over 400 reserves and national parks in India.

Obviously, you not interested to know about each one of them.

So, Here I’ve listed down 20 Top National Parks in India, where you capture the nature at play and get to witness the Indian wildlife in-person like never before.

20 Best National Parks in India

List of 20 Best National Parks (NP) in India

1. Sunderbans

sunderbans

Sundarbans is also called as the HOME to the majestic Royal Bengal Tigers.

It is largely located across the Bay of Bengal. Sundarbans National park was named after the throngs of Sundari Trees.

The dense rainforests cover the entire expanse of this national park.

Additionally, it has the most significant number of coastal mangroves ranging up to 10,000 square kilometres. Located at the Ganges delta, and is a permanent home to various wildlife.

The area of this NP is around 1330.10 kilometres.

Major Attractions:

  • The Sundarbans forest is home to more than 400 tigers.
  • Fishing cats, saltwater crocodiles, Leopard, olive ridley turtle, Indian grey mongoose, King Cobra, Rock Python and Water Monitor are also found the Sundarbans.
  • The most peculiar kind of fish found here is the mudskipper which behaves partly as an amphibian.

Mode of Transport :

A Boat from Canning station reaches you safely.

Best time to visit :

October to May. To view Bengal Tiger the winter season is best.

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2. Jim Corbett National Parks

Jim_Corbett national park

Witnessing tigers never gets better than the exotic Jim Corbett NP. It was named after the British Tiger hunter Jim Corbett. Corbett is one of the oldest and the first NP established in 1936.

This park is spread across an area of 521 sq km. Located at Nainital on the outskirts of Uttarakhand, this was the first park to launch a project on Bengal Tiger conservation, one of the largest tiger reserve in India.

This park attracts tourists from all over the world and is also featured in many wildlife documentaries. It has five zones, one zone named Jhirna is opened whole year, and the other zones are closed during monsoon.

Major Attractions :

  • The Jim Corbett NP has 110 tree species, 580 bird species, 25 reptile species and 50 species of mammals.
  • The highest population of tigers all around India. Other than tiger there are plenty of other animals, and elephant safaris are the most famous in the park.
  • Various other species of animals like leopards, jackals, red foxes, sloth bears, monkeys, etc.

Mode of Transport :

Via Delhi, Nainital, Moradabad by road. Jeep facility to wander around in the park.

Best time to visit :

November to June.

Must Read: Best Tourist Places in India To Have A Look

3. Nandadevi National Park

Nanda devi national park

Enveloped by both the Nanda Devi peak and Rishi Ganga, the Nanda Devi NP is a must-visit place. This is the right place for travellers to experience and admire the wilderness and the miracles of nature.

The height of this peak surrounding national park is around 7816 m located in Uttarakhand in north India is also the second largest peak in India.

The Area of this park is around 5860.69 kilometres which makes it one of the largest national parks in India.

Due to the dry weather, the vegetation found in this park is found nowhere in India.

Major Attractions :

  • The Nanda Devi National park has 312 herbaceous species that include 17 rare species, 114 bird species, 88 species of larger mammals and other mammals.
  • Common mammals such as mainland serow, Himalayan musk deer, Himalayan tahr, Goral and rhesus macaque are found here.
  • Carnivores like snow leopard, Himalayan black bear, brown bear and Langurs are located within the park.

Mode of Transport :

The nearest city is Joshinath after which trek journey starts.

Best time to visit :

April to November.

4. Khangchendzonga National Park-

Khangchendzonga National Park

The Khangchendzonga National Park is a part of Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve. The only national park of Sikkim, which is partially in Nepal and partly in the north-eastern Sikkim.

Khangchendzonga is named after the 3rd highest mountain all over the globe, Kanchenjunga which means The Abode of the Gods.

It was declared as an NP in 1977, making it the first mixed heritage site in India. The total area of the park is 1829 kilometre.

Major Attractions :

  • 550 species of birds are found here.
  • Endangered species of mammals like an Asiatic wild dog are found here.
  • Animals like musk deer, snow leopard, Clouded Leopard, Himalayan tahr, red panda, serow, takin, Himalayan blue, Tibetan wild and ass, Russell’s viper all make their home in this park.

Mode of Transport :

From Jaipalguri station, the nearest roadway is Sevlok-Gangtok

Best time to visit :

June to September.

5. Sariska National Park

Sariska national park

On the edge of safari, with an eagerness, you wait for the king of the jungle to show up in Sariska National park.

The Sariska reserve used to be the hunting ground for the Alwar State which was later declared as the protective sanctuary for the wildlife in it.

There were no tigers previously in this reserve owing to incessant poaching activities. But the Government intervention stemmed the damage, and now it has the Royal Bengal Tiger as part of their habitat.

It is also a treat for the bird watchers as they have a considerable amount of them in reserve.

The area covered by this NP is around 273.80 kilometres.

Major Attractions : 

  • Herbivorous species such as Sambar, Nilgai, Chausingha, Chital, Wild Boar and Langur.
  • The Indian leopard, jungle cat, caracal, striped hyena, Indian jackal, chital, sambhar, nilgai, chinkara, four-horned antelope, wild boar, hare, Hanuman langur, rhesus monkeys are some of the mammals found in abundance.
  • Avifauna like a crested serpent, golden-backed woodpecker, eagle, white-throated kingfisher, Indian peafowl, bush quail, sandgrouse, treepie, and the Indian eagle-owl.

Mode of Transport :

The nearest city is Alwar via Jaipur-Delhi express.

Best time to visit :

October to June.

6. Ranthambore National Park

Ranthambhore national park

Ranthambore National Park is considered as the best national parks of Rajasthan, India and received the status of national reserve park in 1981.

Chambal and Bansas River surround the national park. Located near Sawai Madhopur, the reserve used to be the hunting field for the princely rules, and now it houses a considerable number of animal species

The dry deciduous forests cover an area of about 392 kilometres. The park is also known as “The Land of Tigers”.

There is also a fort which was built in the 10th century. In this park, you can get a glimpse of tigers and tiger safaris are most popular in the park.

Major Attractions : 

  • Creatures like bears, leopards, jackals, elephants, striped hyena, bison, monkeys, wild boar and several types of deer.
  • Watch out for different species of beautiful colourful snakes.
  • Various animals like Sambar, wild boar, Nilgai, Hyena jackals, red foxes, sloth bears, monkeys, etc.

Mode of Transport :

Sawai Madhopur is the nearest city and well connected via roads.

Best time to visit :

October and mid-June

7. Keoladeo National Park

Keoladeo_ghana_national_park

Keoladeo NP is situated at Bharatpur in Rajasthan. Earlier this park was known as ‘Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary’.

Earlier, the park was known for it’s the human-made wetlands and grasslands which was later declared as a National Park.

It serves as a primary source for bird watchers and other zoological studies to observe migratory birds

Major Attractions :

  • Home to 370 species of animals and birds. 350 herbaceous species can be found here.
  • Migratory rare birds like Siberian Cranes and various other birds. The park is also famed for being home to snakes of different varieties.
  • 200 different species of various amphibians and reptiles like fish, turtles, lizards, etcetera and more.

Mode of Transport :

Bharatpur Junction is the nearest city, 5 kilometres away.

Best time to visit :

November to March.

Also Read: Popular Waterfalls In India To Visit

8. Tadoba National Park-

Tadoba maharashtra national park

Tadoba National park is a home of tigers in Maharashtra in Chandrapur district, It is the oldest and the largest NP in Maharashtra.

Forests of this park always bear the green colour due to the geographical topography of the park’s location.

The area covered by this park is around 116.5 kilometres.

Highly commercially valued trees like fire resistant Axle-wood, Black Plum, Palas can be commonly found.

Major Attractions-

  • The surrounding is also famous for Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve, Tadoba Lake, Erai dam, Moharli and Khosla village.
  • Predators like Bengal Tigers, Leopards, Striped Hyena and Jungle Cats are commonly found.
  • Sloth Bears, Gaur, Nilgai and Spotted Deer, are some of the vegan animals found here.

Mode of Transport –

Chandrapur Junction is the nearest city to Mohrali village.

Best time to visit –

April to August

Also Read: Top 10 Biggest Dams in India 

9. Kanha National Park

Kanha national park

Kanha NP was established in the year 1955.

This park is one of the tiger watcher’s delights and is one of the largest tiger reserves in Madhya Pradesh.  It is also one of the well-maintained parks in Asia.

It is spread across 940km and has a sizeable number of tiger population as well.

The primary fascination of this park is the sunset point called Bamni Dadar from where you can see the entire view of the park

Major Attractions-

  • It is home to the barasingha, i.e. swamp deer, one of the extinct wildlife species.
  • Sloth Bear, Leopard, Bengal Tiger, Wild Dog and various species of Deer like spotted deer, barking deer and the four-horned antelope and other animals and birds.
  • It is also home to the Indian gaur which is most visible in the winters.

Mode of Transport –

Well connected by road from Nagpur and Jabalpur. Nearer to Maharashtra as well.

Best time to visit –

October to May.

10. Pench National Park-

Pench_National_Park, in Madhya Pardesh

Another notable national park in MP is the Pench owing to the River Pench that flows through it.

It is a traveller’s wonder to visit this park since they have adventure sports, scenic beauties to bask in and a surprising presence of the Royal Bengal Tigers and a considerable number of them.

This park is stretched across 292.85 kilometres.

Major Attractions-

  • It is home to the barasingha, i.e. swamp deer, one of the extinct wildlife species.
  • Notable wildlife species of the Indian leopard, sloth bear, jungle cats, striped hyena, and four-horned antelope and so on.
  • It has a sizeable quantity of bird population as well.

Mode of Transport –

Seoni is the nearest city well connected to every transport.

Best time to visit –

November to May.

11. Satpura National Park

Satpura National Park MP

The national park is situated in the Satpura hill ranges, at Hoshangabad district in Madhya Pradesh.

The park covers almost 524 kilometres providing an ecosystem at a higher altitude which is very rare in this country.

Adventurous Tourists can book a jeep or enjoy boating and walking tours. They also have the choice to stay overnight at a camp as well.

Major Attractions-

  • Exotic animals particularly wild leopards, sambhar, nilgai,four-horned antelope, porcupine, Indian giant squirrel boars, black bucks and many more.
  • Plus, there have also been rare sightings of the majestic barasingha and tigers as well. Occasional sightings of the majestic creatures like barasingha, tigers, Indian gaur and avifauna like Hornbills peafowl and so on.
  • The flora consists of mainly sal, teak, tendu, bamboo, and grasses and medicinal plants.

Mode of Transport –

Panchmarhi is the closest city to this place.

Best time to visit –

October to April

12. Bandhavgarh National Park

Bandhavgarh national park white tiger

Bandhavgarh NP is situated at Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh. It has the highest number of tigers than any park in India, and also the number of tigers is increasing by years.

This is the most expensive NP in India. It was declared a national park in the year 1968.

Bandhavgarh is spread across 448.85 kilometres. Also in this park, there is an ancient fort, green valleys and rocky hills. This park is open for visitors from mid of

Major Attractions-

  • The main attraction in this park is of White Tigers.
  • Various deer’s species like spotted deer, barking deer and the most extensive conservation of leopards, nilgai, Indian bison, grey mongoose and many more.
  • The most extensive range of Birds like crested hawk eagle, orange-headed thrush, Indian grey hornbill, peafowl etc.

Mode of Transport –

Umaria is the closest town to this place.

Best time to visit –

July to September.

13. Periyar National Park

Periyar_national park

Periyar National Park is situated on the hills of Western Ghats and is famous for its beauty. This is one of the parks in South India which has an artificial lake in the forest.

This wonder park covers around 350 kilometres of land.

Residing on evergreen hills of the Western Ghats, this wildlife sanctuary is also one of the Tiger Reserve Forests in India.

Major Attractions-

  • Periyar is also one of the Tiger and Elephant Reserve Forest of India. This park offers jeep safaris within the forest.
  • The attraction of this park is Deer, Nilgiri Tahrs, Langurs, Elephants and other wild animals.
  • There are 45 species of reptiles. Snakes include the king cobra, Malabar pit viper, and striped coral snake.35 diverse variety of mammals and above 200 birds.

Mode of Transport –

Kumily is the closest town to this place where bus facilities are from every metropolitan city.

Best time to visit –

October to February. To view elephants, the best time is the summer season.

14. Eravikulam National Park

eravikulam national park

The most scenic NP and among the first ones in Kerala, Eravikulam National Park is a sight to behold.

It is stretched across 97 kilometres.

It has been declared as a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO owing to its substantial amount of elephant population.

But the mark of being a World Heritage Site is also due to one of the endangered species to which it is home to, the Nilgiri Tahr.

Major Attractions-

  • The park also witnesses 132 various species of birds and 19 species of amphibians. The park is famous for intriguing plant named Neelkurinji which blooms every 12 years.
  • Also, home to lion-tailed macaques, Indian Muntjac, Nilgiri langur, Stripe-necked Mongoose, jackals, tiger so on and so forth.
  • A vast variety of birds and butterflies. The national park is also home to Anamudi Peak, the highest peak in South India.

Mode of Transport –

It is a mere 15 km from Munnar, and well connected by road

Best time to visit –

September to November, and April to June

15. Bandipur National Park

Bandipur national park

Bandipur National Park is located in Karnataka, which is the state with the highest tiger population in India.

Deciduous forest of the Deccan Plateau and the Western Ghats which are rich in wildlife and flora makes this park one of the beautiful parks in India and a popular tourist attraction of Karnataka.

The park spans an area of 874 square kilometres. Bestowed with a wide range of wildlife and multitudes of teak and sandalwood trees, this is the first Biosphere Reserve of the country.

Surprisingly, the park got transformed into a tiger reserve in 1974 which was earlier used as a hunting ground by Maharaja of Mysore.

Major Attractions-

  • Most extensive range of reptiles like vipers, spectacled cobra and so on. Also, a diverse variety of butterfly and avifauna of 200+ like honey buzzards, hawk eagles and many more.
  • It is a natural home to Elephants, hornbills, deer, pythons and several other vulnerable species like gaurs, tigers, sloth bears, Indian rock pythons, four-horned antelopes and many more.
  • Other popular tourist attraction in Karnataka is Ooty which is nearer to this park.

Mode of Transport –

It is a mere 8km from Dhumre, and well connected by road

Best time to visit –

July to September.

16. Nagarhole National Park

nagarhole national park

Nagarhole Park is located 100 km away from Mysore. It received the status of National Park in the year 1983.

Also known as Rajiv Gandhi NP, it is 37th tiger reserve of India.

Nagarhole derives from naga, means snake and hole, referring to streams.

This park is adjoining Bandipur NP of Karnataka. The area of this park is around 643.39.

Major Attractions-

  • This park has more than 270 species of birds, 96 species of Dung Beetles and 60 species of Ants. The endangered Mugger Crocodile is also found here.
  • This park conserves Leopards, Deer, Wild Boars, Wild Dogs, Macaques, Elephants, Bison, mongoose, languar and Tigers.
  • Species of high valued trees such as Teak, Sandalwood and Silver Oak. The tourist attraction, Coorg hill station is nearer to this place as well.

Mode of Transport –

The nearest city to this place is Mysore. Buses and taxis are available.

Best time to visit –

October to April

17. Kaziranga National Park

Kaziranga National Park

Kaziranga Park is located on the bank of Brahmaputra River in Assam. It was declared a national park in the year 1940.

UNESCO marked this place as the World Heritage Site in their books, and it has stayed that way for a long time.

It is home to five most prominent, and the most imperilled species in the world, which covers an area of 471.71 kilometres.

The reserve includes 35 mammalian species, and a significant number of them are present here.

The park is divided across the plains of the Brahmaputra River in Assam, and it is a visual treat for every traveller who goes here.

Major Attractions-

  • Well known for the habitat of one-horned Rhinoceros. The only park to have this species.
  • Other animals like Wild Water Buffaloes, Swamp Deer, Indian Bison, Hog Deer, Leopards, Jackals, Sloth Bears, The Royal Bengal Tiger, the Asian Elephant, the wild Water buffalo are also seen.
  • During the winter season, a large number of birds migrate on the lakes

Mode of Transport –

Well connected to Kohara, the closest town, by road.

Best time to visit –

Mid- November and April.

18. Manas National Park

Manas national park

Anothepark in Assam which is located at Himalayan foothills is Manas.

The area covered by this park is around 500 kilometres. It is entitled to UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites and significant reserves of elephant, tiger and biosphere.

The name Manas comes from the river Manas which is in the nearby vicinity of this park.

Major Attractions-

  • This park boasts of its 55 species of mammals, 450 species of birds and a substantial number of reptiles and amphibians.
  • A large number of rare and endangered species like Assam Roofed Turtle, Hispid Hare, Golden Langur and Pygmy Hod.
  • Asian Elephant, Indian Rhinoceros, Water Buffaloes, Leopard and Assamese Macaques are the other dwellers of this park The adventurous sports like river rafting in the vicinity of this park

Mode of Transport –

Well connected to Barpeta, the nearest town, by road.

Best time to visit –

November to April.

19. Gir National Park

Gir gujarat national park

Gir National Park was established in the year 1965. Home to the majestic Asiatic Lion, Gir is a wildlife wonder spread across the Kathiawar-Gir forest range.

This reserve was a hunting ground in the old days for the rulers of the princely states back in the 19th century.

The Area covered by this park is around 258.71 kilometres.

Only a handful of the lions remained, and as of today, this is the only place in India where Asiatic lions are found. Apart from the lions, you also get to witness the scenic beauty of the seven major rivers flowing through the Gir.

Major Attractions-

  • 38 mammalian species, 300 bird species, and 27 reptilian species currently in existence.
  • Habitat like Jackals, Leopards, Antelope, Deer, Crocodile sambar, chinkara, chital, porcupine, wild boar, black buck and others.
  • Species of birds like a pygmy woodpecker, black-headed oriole, crested hawk-eagle, brown fish owl, rock bush-quail, and crested treeswift dwell here.

Mode of Transport –

Well connected by roads to Rajkot and other cities.

Best time to visit –

December to March

20. Namdapha National Park

Namdapha national park

Also known as the 3rd largest national parks in India, Namdapha NP is located in the Eastern Himalayan of Changlang district and is known to have the richest biodiversity in India.

Namdapha was established as an NP in the year 1972

The park is stretched across a whopping 1985.23 kilometres of land, and it is very close to Indo-Myanmar-China tri-junction.

The park has vast bamboo forests to complement with lowland evergreen rainforests.

Major Attractions-

  • The park has about 425 bird species like Kingfisher, cochoa, falconet, hornbill etc.
  • Primates like Snow leopards, clouded leopards, common leopards, tigers, Himalayan bears, civet, marten and even Red Pandas
  • Herbivores such as elephant, wild boar, Indian muntjac, musk deer, sambar, gaur, hog deer, serow, goral, takin and bharal.

Mode of Transport –

The closest city is Tinsukia, Dibrugarh to Miao road

Best time to visit –

March to May

Things To Pack For National Parks

Before heading to some of these best National Parks, here is the list of things you should consider to take so that you make the most of your NP safari trip.

  1. A raincoat.
  2. A pair of Binoculars.
  3. A good camera (if possible DSLR to capture the best moments)
  4. A selfie stick for selfie lovers
  5. A medical kit.
  6. Sun protectors like sunglasses, sunscreen, hats, water bottles etc.
  7. Bug Spray or Mosquito Repellent.
  8. Sturdy boots
  9. Prefer wearing light natural colours like beige, brown, green so that you gel up with the surrounding and animals don’t feel scared.
  10. A power bank  and memory cards (Extras), Miscellaneous like A torch extra/ plastic bags

The Conclusion

These national parks are among the best, and each one of them has something unique to offer, be it the tiger/lion spotting, rhino/elephant sightings, or any of the other fascinating animal along with the mesmerizing beauty of nature!

So pack your bags and enjoy your national park safari!

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