Hello,
@Krimson, welcome to the forum!
1. What site do I need to visit?
The official website of the Ranthambore National Park was the
Ranthambore Wildlife one. However, it was recently changed and so now you need to go to the
Government of Rajasthan website to be able to book an online safari. This is the now official website of the Ranthambore National Park plus all the other national parks in the state. All other websites are just tour or travel agents so you'd need to pay an extra for them. By accessing the site I have mentioned above, you would be safe from hidden agent fees. To book an online safari, follow the following procedures:
Procedures for Online Booking of Safari for Ranthambore National Park
- Since you don't have an account yet, create an account by inputting a user id, along with your password and the required captcha.
- Login with your account and click on the Ticket Booking tab.
- In the field Select Place, input the name of Ranthambore National Park. In some national parks, you can choose which zone you prefer but with the Ranthambore National Park, the zone is randomly given to you.
- Input all the other required details like the date of visit, timing/shift, vehicle type and name of members for the safari.
- You would also be asked other details like what type of identification card the member would bring and how many cameras he or she would bring. Input these necessary details as well.
- Enter the required captcha and click on the Submit button.
- It will then show all your booking details and the Pay Now button appears, click on it. Proceed with payment and once done, click on the Print Ticket link to print your tickets. Keep these tickets safely as you need them and an identification proof once you reach the national park on your schedule.
That's it, the process is very simple and only requires a credit card or debit card for the payment.
2. Is it a valid and safe site to book from?
Yes, this website is valid and safe since it is the official website of the Government of Rajasthan. You can try other websites too but like I have mentioned above, they are just travel agents so you'd end up paying more. Some hotels also offer to book safaris for guests, but then again, it is costly as you need to stay in their premises to avail of their booking services.
3. Is the safari charges different online?
Charges are just the same for booking online and for booking personally. Here are the different tariffs that you would be paying for:
Charges for Ranthambore National Park
| Category | Indian National | Indian Student | Foreigner |
| Entrance Fee (Mandatory) | Rs. 100 | Rs. 30 | Rs. 800 |
| Shared Bus | Rs. 600 | Rs. 600 | Rs. 600 |
| Shared Jeep (Up to 20 persons) | Rs. 375 | Rs. 375 | Rs. 375 |
| Shared Gypsy (Up to 6 persons) | Rs. 800 | Rs. 800 | Rs. 800 |
| Auto Driven Two Wheeler | Rs. 50 | Rs. 50 | Rs. 50 |
| Camera Charge (Amateur Photography) | Rs. 600 | Rs. 600 | Rs. 900 |
As you can see, there are required entrance fees which are mandatory to pay. It is at Rs. 100 for Indian nationals, Rs. 30 for Indian students and Rs. 800 for foreigners. Then, you get to choose which type of vehicle you'd like for your safari, there are three choices: bus, jeep and gypsy. The most expensive is the gypsy, followed by the bus and then the jeep. You can also opt for an auto driven two wheeler which costs just Rs. 50, but you cannot explore all of the park via this vehicle. And lastly, there are also fees for bringing your camera inside the national park.
4. How much in advance to we need to make the booking?
You can book your tickets as early as 90 days before your preferred schedule. You cannot book earlier than this though and you might be incurred penalties for that. Also, book as slowly as possible, making sure every detail is correct. After all, the booking engine of the government tracks bookings that are done in rush time and deems them void or suspicious.
I hope this helps you.
