Gharials, crocodiles and river birds on India’s cleanest river, about an hour from Ranthambore.
Ranthambore Tiger books safari permits in your name — we are not the Rajasthan Forest Department and not the official park booking website.
The Chambal is the cleanest river in northern India and home to the last large wild population of the gharial. A motor boat takes you along its sandbanks at Palighat, inside the National Chambal Sanctuary, among basking gharials, crocodiles, turtles and flocks of river birds. It is a calm, unhurried contrast to a jeep in the forest, and the easiest half-day to add to a Ranthambore trip.
Includes the boat ride, the sanctuary entry for the ride and life jackets. Children taking a seat pay the same. Pay only after we confirm your slot.
Photos and short clips from Chambal trips we ran, taken by us and our guests at Palighat.
Boats run through the day in the season, roughly October to June, and usually stop in the peak monsoon. November to February for migratory birds, March to June for gharials and crocodiles on the banks. Morning and late afternoon give the best light.
The most popular plan: a morning Ranthambore safari, lunch, the Chambal in the afternoon. Or the reverse. Send both dates and we book both. Ranthambore timings.
Photo ID for every guest (passport for foreign nationals), a hat, sunscreen and water. Binoculars and a telephoto lens help for birds and gharials on the far bank.
Everyone: it is a calm river ride with life jackets and no walking beyond the jetty. A favourite with families, older guests, birders and photographers.
Pick the date and leave your number. We reply on WhatsApp with the slot and, if you need it, the pickup price for your hotel, usually within minutes between 7 am and 10 pm.
Reply in 2 min · 7am–10pm · pay only after we confirm
Phone optional here · we reply by email, usually within the hour (7am–10pm)
Palighat, where the boats leave from, is about 35 to 45 km from Ranthambore and Sawai Madhopur, roughly an hour by road each way. Allow about three to four hours in total including the drive.
₹1,300 per person for Indian nationals and ₹2,500 per person for foreign nationals, for the boat safari. Pickup and drop from your hotel is separate and quoted on WhatsApp, because it depends on where you are staying and the vehicle you need.
Usually about an hour to an hour and a half on the water, depending on the season, the water level and what is being seen.
Gharials, which are critically endangered and found in very few rivers, mugger crocodiles, freshwater turtles, and a large variety of river birds including the Indian skimmer. Gangetic river dolphins live in the Chambal but are seen only occasionally. Winter brings migratory birds.
Boats run through the day, roughly from morning to late afternoon, in the season from about October to June. Rides are usually suspended in the peak monsoon when the river is high. Morning and late afternoon have the softest light and the most bird activity.
Yes, it is the most common plan: a morning tiger safari, lunch, then the Chambal in the afternoon, or the other way round. Send both dates and we book both.
A government photo ID for every guest (passport for foreign nationals), a hat, sunscreen and water. Life jackets are provided on the boat. Binoculars and a telephoto lens help for birds and gharials on the far bank.
Yes. It is a calm river ride in a motor boat with life jackets, and there is no walking beyond reaching the jetty. Tell us about anyone who needs help boarding.
Send the date, number of guests and your hotel. We confirm the slot and the pickup price in minutes, 7am to 10pm IST.
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Photos: Arjun Bharioke, Hari Mohan Meena, PJeganathan (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Kandukuru Nagarjun (CC BY 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons. Full credits.
RANTHAMBORE