What to See and Do
• Tiger and leopard sightings across the Kanha, Kisli, Mukki, and Sarhi safari zones, each with distinct terrain from open meadows to dense bamboo groves.
• The hard-ground barasingha, best spotted in the Kanha zone's meadows.
• Bamni Dadar (Sunset Point), a high viewpoint over the park's sal and bamboo forests, popular at the end of an afternoon safari.
• Shravan Taal, a pond linked to the Ramayana legend of Shravan Kumar, offering a quiet spot for birdwatching.
• Over 250 species of birds, including the crested serpent eagle and Indian roller, alongside gaur, wild dogs, sloth bears, and four-horned antelope.
Planning Your Safari
Kanha offers jeep safaris across its core zones (Kanha, Kisli, Mukki, Sarhi) and buffer zones (Khatia, Khapa, Sijora, and the Phen wildlife sanctuary), with morning and afternoon slots. Bookings are made through the Madhya Pradesh forest department's online portal and are best arranged well in advance, particularly for the peak April–June season when tiger sightings near water sources are most likely. The park closes for the monsoon and reopens in mid-October.
Best Time to Visit
The park is open from mid-October to the end of June. December to February offers the most pleasant weather for game drives, while April to June — though hot — often yields the best tiger sightings as animals gather near shrinking water sources.
How to Reach
By Air: Kanha National Park is conveniently accessible from Jabalpur Airport which is approx. 137 km away
By Rail: The nearest major railway stations are Jabalpur, Nagpur, and Raipur, all of which are well connected to major cities across India. From these railheads, visitors can continue to the park by road.
By Road: Kanha is well positioned between Jabalpur, Nagpur, and Raipur, with good road connectivity from all three cities. The Khatia (Kisli) and Sarhi gates are most easily reached from Jabalpur, while the Mukki gate is more conveniently accessed from Nagpur or Raipur. Regular taxis and private transfers are available from all major transit hubs.
