We all know that Ranthambore, a small town in Rajasthan is famous for its Jungle Safari!!! Undoubtedly Ranthambore National Park offers one of the best Jungle Safaris. But do you know that there is an equally incredible crocodile safari near Ranthambore. Also, there are a few amazing places where only locals go and they are still unknown to many!!! We came to know about these places during our trip to Ranthambore.
So, if you are planning a trip to Ranthambore, this 8 minute read is going to help you plan an offbeat weekend in a touristy location like Ranthambore.
Table of Contents
How to reach Ranthambore
The nearest Railway station, Sawai Madhopur is just at a distance of 10 km from Ranthambore. During our trip to Ranthambore we travelled to Ranthambore by train (Nanda Devi express) from Delhi. And it took us just 4 hours to reach here from Delhi.
Nearest Airport is in Jaipur and it is 160 km from Ranthambore.
Ranthambore is also well connected through road to major Indian cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Jaipur.
That’s where we stayed during our trip to Ranthambore
There are a number of accommodation options in Ranthambore for every budget.
Usually we book our accommodation online by ourselves. But during this trip to Ranthambore, we wanted to take a break from trip planning/ booking. So, we contacted a travel company “We must travel” on a friend’a recommendation and told them about the kind of the trip we wanted. Voila, they booked Regenta Resort Vanya Mahal for us.
The price of a room was INR 3500 at the time we traveled. On this trip we went generous with the budget but the accommodation was no less than a Mahal. Moreover, in the peak season, the price of this property shoots up to INR 8000 but the travel company “We must travel” got us a really good deal with breakfast included.
If you do not want the hassle of planning a trip, contact Mr. Hemant of “We Must Travel” @ +91-9871340295. They provide their services within India and abroad as well.
Regenta Resort Vanya Mahal 
Our beautiful room in Regenta Resort Vanya Mahal 
We relaxing in a room while on a trip is a rare occurrence.
How to travel within Ranthambore
You can book a taxi to travel within and around Ranthambore. Taxis can be booked from your place of stay. We took taxi services from a local driver, Banvari Bhaiya Contact +91-8502093125.
A budget friendly option to travel within Ranthambore are shared autos that are easily available.
During our trip to Ranthambore we used taxi for travelling to the Fort and Chambal Crocodile Sanctuary. And for travelling to and from local food joints/ cafes/ restaurants we used shared autos.
How to Book Jungle Safari
There are 10 zones in Ranthambore. Zone 1 to 6 are considered good for Jungle Safari. Booking a safari in these zones can be done via a website https://sso.rajasthan.gov.in/signin?ru=fmdss . Two to three months advance booking is to be made to get a zone of your choice.
We traveled during pandemic so the numbers of travelers were less and we got a good zone without prior booking. We booked the safari through our place of stay. Jungle Safari can be done in Morning and Evening. Just do not forget to layer yourself if you are going for morning Safari as it gets cold in the morning.
Canter Safari costed us INR 800 per person. While the Jeep Safari costs around INR 1500 per person.
Best time to visit Ranthambore
Ranthambore National park remains open between October and June. The winter season from October to March is considered the best time to visit Ranthambore.
The months of May and June are extremely hot there in Ranthambore. Still, this time is considered good for tiger sighting.
In the monsoon season between July and September, many of the zones of Ranthambore National Park remain closed for the visitors. The buffer zone with Gate 6 to 10 remain open in this season.
We visited Ranthambore in the last week of October. Then the days were hot but mornings and nights felt pleasant.
Things to do in Ranthambore
Jungle Safari in Ranthambore National park
Ranthambore is one of the biggest national parks in India and used to be the hunting grounds of the former Maharajas of the area. Today it is a major wildlife attraction spot. There are a wide variety of flora and fauna in the park. It is known as Land of Tigers.
Jungle Safari is what Ranthambore is majorly famous for. We opted for morning canter Safari and the canter reached our hotel around 6:00 am. We went inside Zone 3. This zone is beautiful and the landscape is picturesque. We spotted a tiger, deer, a crocodile, plenty of birds and other animals inside the park. After doing this Safari we can say, Ranthambore is definitely one of the most beautiful Jungles we have ever seen.
Ranthambore Fort
The fort in Ranthambore is a UNESCO World Heritage site. This fort is unique by the fact that it is situated inside the Jungle. Not just its architecture, but also the view from here is incredible and enticing.
Also, the Fort is famous among locals for its Ganesh Temple. The scene of lakes and forests from the temple area make it worth the visit.
The entry in the fort is free for all, and opens from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Visitors should try to catch the sunset from here. The best time to visit the Fort is from April to October.
Taxi charges around INR 800 – 1200 for a round trip from the place of your stay.
Meru Darwaja
Meru Darwaja is a place where locals worship and on the suggestion of the owner of café Chai Chaska, we visited this place. The temple here is built on a hill, from where you can see the view of entire city. As the kings used to visit the temple, it has a historical significance.
The stairs from the left side of the temple leads to a point further high in the hills. We sat there for hours just looking at the vast expanse of surrounding hills and the city from there.
Chambal Crocodile Safari/ National Chambal Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary
Chambal is around 45 kms from Ranthambore. Famous for its crocodile safari in Chambal River and birds watching, it is an offbeat destination.
We went for Chambal Safari in the morning. The scene of kingfishers catching fishes from the water, crocodiles taking sunbaths and baby alligators playing around with each other felt surreal.
The best opportunities for sighting and photography of wildlife in Chambal can be taken by hiring a boat with a driver and a guide, available at several points along the river. You can travel with your family or friends to enjoy the crocodile safari at palighat in the National Chambal Sanctuary.
Palighat at Chambal River is best place for birds-watching as this place has more than 300 species of migratory and resident birds.
Taxi charge in between INR 2000 – 3000 for a round trip to Chambal from Ranthambore.
Usually the charges of a boat are INR 2100 for an hour or two. If there are other persons as well in the boat, this amount can be shared.
Food options in Ranthambore
During our trip to Ranthambore, we explored some really nice and cool places to eat.
Dosa Centre
We had such an amazing crisp Dosa at the Dosa Center in Ranthambore that we ended up going there multiple times. Not just Dosa, there are a variety of snacks and food options available here. We totally recommend this place.
Thikana
Thikana Cafe is famous for its Pizzas and Sandwiches. We tried their Pizza and it was crisp from outside, soft and cheesy from inside, loaded with loads of veggies – in short bang on.
Chai Chaska
Cafe Chai Chaska is an amazing cafe in Ranthambore. Their sandwiches, cold coffee and Tandoori Chai are what we found the best. Most importantly, we recommend visiting the café after it gets dark as it is then they setup their open food stall and the place turns into something you definitely want to try.
Tiger Trail Restaurant
The restaurant of Vanya Mahal Resort serves amazing food. Their north Indian delicacies are a must try.
Kanha Restaurant
Kanha Restaurant serves nice North Indian food. It is one of those places where you can have nice food in resonable rates.
How much we spent on this trip to Ranthambore
The amount of money spent at a place depends on your accommodation, mode of transport and food.
Accommodation: We stayed for 2 nights in Regenta Resort Vanya Mahal. And the charges were INR 3500 per night when we visited.
If you opt for budget accommodation, it will cost around INR 1000.
Travel – We traveled by train to Ranthambore from Delhi It is a budget friendly option.
Hiring a Private Taxi to visit in and around Ranthambore costed us around INR 3000 for two days as we took a detour to Chambal Safari as well.
Food – You can easily get good food for INR 300-400 per meal which is enough for two persons.
Others – Canter Safari cost us INR 800 per person. Jeep Safari costs around INR 1500 per person.
Chambal Safari costed us INR 2100 (price per boat).
2itchyfeets hope you find this article useful in planning your trip to Ranthambore. Also, if you know more such places in and around Ranthambore, tell us in the comments.