🏞️ Destinations

Top 10 National Parks & Wildlife Sanctuaries in India

India is one of the most biodiverse countries on Earth, with 107 national parks and over 570 wildlife sanctuaries protecting Bengal tigers, one-horned rhinos, Asiatic lions and thousands of bird species. From the misty sal forests of Jim Corbett to the lion country of Gir, these national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in India offer world-class safari experiences. Here are the top 10 you must visit in 2026.

📅 Jun 23, 2026 👁 5 views 🏆 10 picks

1

Jim Corbett National Park
Uttarakhand

Established in 1936, Jim Corbett is India's oldest national park and the original home of Project Tiger. Spread across 520 sq km of sal forests, grasslands and the Ramganga River in the Himalayan foothills, it draws over 3 lakh visitors a year for its Bengal tigers, elephants and rich birdlife. Its Dhikala zone is among the most sought-after safari areas in the country.

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Photo: Soumyajit Nandy · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
2

Ranthambore National Park
Rajasthan

One of India's most popular tiger reserves, Ranthambore attracts over 4.5 lakh visitors annually thanks to its high chance of daytime tiger sightings. The dramatic 10th-century Ranthambore Fort and ancient lakes where crocodiles bask give the park a uniquely cinematic backdrop. It is famous as one of the best places on Earth to photograph wild tigers.

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Photo: THerrington · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
3

Kaziranga National Park
Assam

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kaziranga is home to the world's largest population of the one-horned rhinoceros, hosting roughly two-thirds of the global total. Its vast floodplain grasslands and marshes along the Brahmaputra also shelter tigers, wild elephants and swamp deer. The park is a textbook success story of rhino conservation.

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Photo: Diganta Talukdar · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
4

Gir National Park (Sasan Gir)
Gujarat

Gir is the only place on Earth where the Asiatic lion still survives in the wild, with a population that has steadily grown past 670 lions. Its dry deciduous forests and rugged hills also support leopards, hyenas and over 300 bird species. A lion safari here is a once-in-a-lifetime wildlife experience found nowhere else.

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Photo: Mayankvagadiya · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
5

Bandhavgarh National Park
Madhya Pradesh

Bandhavgarh boasts one of the highest densities of Bengal tigers of any park in India, making sightings remarkably reliable. Set around an ancient hilltop fort in Madhya Pradesh, its mix of sal forest, grassland and rocky cliffs creates stunning safari scenery. It was once the hunting ground of the Maharajas of Rewa, famous for white tigers.

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Photo: This Image was created by User:Archith. If you would like to use the image please mail me at archithrobber@gmail.com · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
6

Sundarbans National Park
West Bengal

A UNESCO World Heritage Site straddling India and Bangladesh, Sundarbans is the world's largest mangrove forest and home to the elusive swimming Royal Bengal Tiger. Part of the vast Ganges-Brahmaputra delta, it is explored by boat through tidal creeks teeming with crocodiles and water birds. The tigers here are uniquely adapted to a saline, amphibious habitat.

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Photo: Soumyajit Nandy · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
7

Kanha National Park
Madhya Pradesh

Established in 1955, Kanha is one of India's largest and most beautiful tiger reserves and the inspiration for Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book. It is credited with saving the rare hard-ground Barasingha (swamp deer) from extinction. Its lush sal and bamboo forests, open meadows and dependable tiger sightings make it a favourite among wildlife photographers.

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Photo: This Image was created by User:Archith. If you would like to use the image please mail me at archithrobber@gmail.com · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
8

Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve
Maharashtra

Nicknamed the 'Jewel of Vidarbha', Tadoba is Maharashtra's oldest and largest national park and has the country's fastest-growing tiger population. The wider landscape now supports over 200 tigers, with frequent daytime sightings near its lake and teak forests. It has rapidly become one of central India's top safari destinations.

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Photo: Stephenekka · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
9

Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary
Kerala

Set in the Western Ghats around the scenic Periyar Lake, this Kerala sanctuary is best known for its herds of wild elephants and boat-safari wildlife viewing. Declared a national park in 1982, it also shelters tigers, gaurs, sambar deer and Nilgiri langurs amid spice-scented hills. Bamboo rafting and guided jungle treks make it a standout eco-tourism spot.

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Photo: Wouter Hagens · Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
🏞️ 10

Bandipur National Park
Karnataka

Established in 1974, Bandipur was one of the first reserves under Project Tiger and forms part of the Nilgiri Biosphere, India's largest protected forest tract. It is renowned for healthy populations of tigers, leopards and Asian elephants across its deciduous forests. Its location on the Mysuru-Ooty route makes it one of South India's most accessible safari parks.

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