Which Delhi train to take, how long the drive is on the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway, and a Friday-to-Sunday plan that fits three safaris into one weekend.
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Short answer: Ranthambore is the easiest tiger reserve to do as a weekend from Delhi. Take the Friday-evening August Kranti Tejas Rajdhani (12954) from Hazrat Nizamuddin at 17:15, reach Sawai Madhopur at about 20:48, do the morning and afternoon safaris on Saturday and a third drive on Sunday morning, then take the 17:32 train back to New Delhi (20451, arriving about 22:35). By road from Gurugram it is about 360–380 km, five to six hours, most of it on the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway.
Train times checked on 2 November 2026 against the published Indian Railways timetable (via erail.in). Timetables change; confirm on IRCTC before you book. Safari prices and quotas checked the same day.
Sawai Madhopur Junction (SWM), 10–13 km from the park gates. Photo: Harshvardhanrai0905, CC0, Wikimedia Commons.
There is no station called Ranthambore. You travel to Sawai Madhopur Junction (SWM), which sits on the main Delhi–Mumbai line, and the hotels on Ranthambore Road are 10 to 20 minutes away. That is why the train beats the car for most people coming from Delhi: four to five hours, no driving, and you arrive in the town where the safari vehicles pick you up.
These trains run daily from Delhi stations (NZM is Hazrat Nizamuddin, NDLS is New Delhi):
| Train | No. | From | Departs | Arrives SWM | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Temple Mail | 12904 | NZM | 04:00 | 08:30 | 4 h 30 m |
| Dehradun–Kota AC Express | 12402 | NZM | 04:45 | 08:43 | 4 h |
| New Delhi–Sogariya SF Express | 20452 | NDLS | 07:10 | 11:33 | 4 h 25 m |
| Jan Shatabdi Express | 12060 | NZM | 12:45 | 17:13 | 4 h 30 m |
| Paschim Express | 12926 | NDLS | 16:35 | 21:58 | 5 h 25 m |
| August Kranti Tejas Rajdhani | 12954 | NZM | 17:15 | 20:48 | 3 h 35 m |
| Mewar Express | 12963 | NZM | 18:25 | 23:03 | 4 h 40 m |
| New Delhi–Indore Intercity SF | 12416 | NDLS | 21:50 | 02:03 | 4 h 15 m |
| New Delhi–Dr. Ambedkar Nagar SF | 20156 | NDLS | 23:25 | 03:45 | 4 h 20 m |
Several more trains run on some days of the week only. Arrival times are scheduled; trains on this line are often a little late in winter fog.
| Train | No. | Departs SWM | Arrives | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August Kranti Tejas Rajdhani | 12953 | 05:25 | NZM 09:43 | 4 h 20 m |
| Jan Shatabdi Express | 12059 | 07:20 | NZM 12:10 | 4 h 50 m |
| Golden Temple Mail | 12903 | 08:30 | NZM 13:50 | 5 h 20 m |
| Sogariya–New Delhi SF Express | 20451 | 17:32 | NDLS 22:35 | 5 h |
| Kota–Dehradun AC Express | 12401 | 18:57 | NZM 23:35 | 4 h 40 m |
| Dr. Ambedkar Nagar–New Delhi SF | 20155 | 22:45 | NDLS 04:25 | 5 h 40 m |
| Mewar Express | 12964 | 01:30 | NZM 06:50 | 5 h 20 m |
For a weekend, two trains matter most. The Rajdhani on Friday evening gets you in by about 9 pm with time for dinner and a proper night’s sleep before a dawn pickup. The 17:32 to New Delhi on Sunday lets you do a Sunday morning safari and the fort, and still be home before midnight. The early-morning trains back (05:25, 07:20) clash with the morning safari, so only take them if you are skipping Sunday’s drive.
Since the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway opened, the drive from Delhi and especially from Gurugram has become much easier. The usual route:
| Start | Distance | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| Gurugram (Sohna entry) | about 330–350 km | 4½–5½ hours |
| South or central Delhi | about 360–380 km | 5–6 hours |
| Old route via Jaipur (NH-48) | about 380 km | 6–7 hours |
Distances and times are typical and vary with your start point, traffic and stops; check a live map before you leave. The last stretch is an ordinary two-lane road through villages.
Three tips from guests who drive. Leave Gurugram by early afternoon on Friday so the state-highway section is done before dark. Fuel up on the expressway; there is less choice on the last stretch. And you do not need your car at the park at all: safari gypsies and canters collect you from your hotel, so the car can stay parked all weekend.
The lakes below Ranthambore Fort. Photo: Vijay Singh, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
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Check my date on WhatsAppThree drives across different zones is the plan regulars swear by: tigers move, zones are allocated by the department, and three chances are worth far more than one. Safari times below are for November to January; from February the morning drive starts about half an hour earlier. See safari timings by month.
| When | By train | By road from Gurugram |
|---|---|---|
| Friday | 17:15 Rajdhani from Hazrat Nizamuddin, arrive about 20:48, hotel pickup, dinner | Leave by 1–2 pm, arrive by 7 pm, dinner |
| Saturday morning | Safari 1, about 7:00–10:30 am (pickup 30–45 minutes before). Warm layers: open vehicles are cold at dawn | |
| Saturday midday | Breakfast, rest, lunch at the hotel | |
| Saturday afternoon | Safari 2, about 2:00–5:30 pm, in a different zone if you can | |
| Sunday morning | Safari 3, about 7:00–10:30 am | |
| Sunday midday | Ranthambore Fort and the Trinetra Ganesh temple, lunch | |
| Sunday evening | 17:32 train, arrive New Delhi about 22:35 (or 18:57 to Nizamuddin, about 23:35) | Leave by 2 pm to be home by about 8 pm |
Take the 04:00 Golden Temple Mail from Hazrat Nizamuddin on Saturday, arriving about 08:30. Check in, rest, and do the Saturday afternoon safari. Sunday morning is your second drive, then the 17:32 home. Two safaris, no leave, one night. Or take the late Friday Mewar Express (18:25, about 23:03) and keep all three drives with a shorter first night.
A third night gives you four or five drives and time for the Chambal boat safari at Palighat, about an hour away, for gharials, crocodiles and river birds (₹1,300 per person for Indian nationals). Long weekends are the obvious moment, and also the busiest.
Weekends are the first dates to sell out at Ranthambore, especially from November to February. Book in this order:
| What | When it opens | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Advance safari seats | 12 noon on 1 November for January–March; 1 February for April–June | Weekend gypsy seats go within days. February–March advance seats opened on 1 November |
| Train tickets | 60 days before travel on IRCTC | Book the Friday and Sunday trains together, the day they open |
| Hotel | Any time | Book with the safari so shifts and pickups line up |
| Whole gypsy at short notice | 11:00 am, 7 days before (tatkal) | For groups of up to 6; non-refundable once issued |
| Canter seats at short notice | 10:00 am the day before (current quota) | The most reliable last-minute seat |
If your weekend already shows sold out on the official portal, that usually means only the advance quota is gone. We book in the daily release windows; see what to do when it shows sold out, or how to book a Ranthambore safari online yourself.
Our stay-and-safari packages include the room, every meal served by the hotel and the safaris, with pickups arranged. Starting prices per couple for a two-night Friday-to-Sunday weekend, Indian-national safari fares:
| Tier | Per couple per night, from | 2-night weekend, from | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economic | ₹7,999 | ₹15,998 | Comfortable 2-star stay near the gates, one canter safari per night |
| Standard | ₹13,499 | ₹26,998 | Good 3-star resort or haveli, usually with a pool; gypsy safaris |
| Luxury | ₹21,999 | ₹43,998 | Boutique resort or tented camp; gypsy seats, private gypsy on request |
| Ultra Luxury | ₹54,999 | ₹1,09,998 | Ranthambore’s finest lodges; private gypsy for every safari |
Train fares and fuel are extra. Festive dates (5–15 November, 20 December–2 January) cost more. Full details on Ranthambore safari packages.
Booking the safari only? Canter seats are from ₹2,200 per person and shared gypsy seats from ₹5,500 per person at short notice; the full list is on our Ranthambore safari price table. For a group of four to six, a whole gypsy is often the better weekend choice.
Sold out online? Ask us. We book from the daily current and tatkal quotas, and you pay only after we confirm availability, with a full refund if the permit can’t be issued.
Check my date on WhatsAppOn a weekend, every minute counts, so stay on Ranthambore Road, the road between the town and the park gate. The gate end means a shorter dawn drive; the town end is closer to the station if you arrive late by train. Our guide to where to stay in Ranthambore explains the areas, and the hotels and resorts we book are listed by budget.
Our guests at a lake inside the park this season.
For a weekend, the August Kranti Tejas Rajdhani (12954) from Hazrat Nizamuddin at 17:15, arriving at Sawai Madhopur at about 20:48, is the most convenient. The Jan Shatabdi (12060, 12:45 from Hazrat Nizamuddin, about 17:13) and the Golden Temple Mail (12904, 04:00, about 08:30) are good daytime options. Confirm current times on IRCTC.
About 360–380 km by road, five to six hours on the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway, and about 350 km by rail, three and a half to five and a half hours depending on the train. From Gurugram the drive is shorter because the expressway starts at Sohna.
Yes. Arrive on Friday evening, do two safaris on Saturday and one on Sunday morning, and travel back on Sunday evening. Three drives in different zones give you a good chance of a tiger, though no one can guarantee a sighting.
No. The morning safari leaves around dawn, before any Delhi train arrives. Arrive the evening before your first drive; if you arrive in the morning, start with the afternoon safari.
Auto-rickshaws and taxis wait outside the station, and most hotels on Ranthambore Road are 10 to 20 minutes away. Most hotels will send a pickup if you ask in advance, and it is arranged for you in our stay packages.
As early as possible: weekend seats for November to February sell out first. Advance seats for January to March opened at 12 noon on 1 November, and train tickets open 60 days ahead. If your weekend already shows sold out, seats are still released daily in the days before; we book in those windows.
Send us your dates, the number of guests and whether you are coming by train or car. We check safari seats for each shift, suggest a stay at your budget and line up the pickups around your train. Reply in minutes, 7 am to 10 pm.
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Or check seats on the Ranthambore safari booking page.
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