RANTHAMBORE Gypsy or canter: which safari vehicle to book
A gypsy is a 6-seat open jeep: quieter, lower, better for photographs and harder to get. A canter is a 20-seat open bus: cheaper, easier at short notice, and it goes to the same zones. Here is how to choose.
Ranthambore Tiger books safari permits in your name — we are not the Rajasthan Forest Department and not the official park booking website.
Check availability for your date
Check my date on WhatsApp →Reply in 2 min · 7am–10pm · pay only after we confirm
Prefer to pay online now? Book & pay online →
Phone optional here · we reply by email, usually within the hour (7am–10pm)
Short answer: book a gypsy if photography, a quiet drive or a private group matters and you can book 3 or more days ahead; book a canter if you are deciding late, travelling on a budget, or with a large family. Both run the same zones under the same Forest Department rules.
Prices below are our all-in prices (permit, vehicle, guide and pickup) for Indian nationals on regular dates; foreign-national and festive prices are on the price page. Content checked 4 November 2026.
| Gypsy (jeep) | Canter | |
|---|---|---|
| Seats | 6 (plus driver and guide) | 20 (plus driver and guide) |
| Per-seat price, core zones | ₹6,500 (₹7,500 for a named zone 2, 3 or 4) | ₹2,500 (₹3,000 named zone) |
| Per-seat price, outer zones 6–10 | ₹5,500 | ₹2,200 |
| Whole vehicle | ₹36,000 (premium, any zone) · tatkal ₹40,000–45,000 | Not sold as a whole vehicle |
| When seats are released | Premium quota 3 days before; tatkal (whole jeep) 7 days before at 11 am; advance quota months ahead | Current quota at 10 am the day before, plus the advance quota |
| Chance of a seat at short notice | Lower: premium gypsy seats go first | Good on most dates |
| Ride | Low, open, nimble: stops where the guide wants; quieter | High, open, slower to stop; more voices on board |
| Photography | Best: low angle, bean bag on the door, few people | Workable from the sides; the height helps over grass |
| Children and elderly | Easier to board; can leave the park early in an emergency (the permit is yours) | High step; the drive runs its full course |
| Zones | Same zones, same allotment rules | Same zones, same allotment rules |
What each vehicle costs
Short answer: A canter is the cheaper choice and easier to get at short notice: seats start at ₹2,200 for Indian nationals and ₹4,500 for foreign nationals. A gypsy is smaller and better for photographs: seats start at ₹5,500 and ₹8,000. A whole gypsy for up to six starts at ₹36,000 and ₹46,000, which is about ₹6,000 per person only if six people share it.
| Option | Indian nationals | Foreign nationals | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canter seat, current quota | ₹2,200–₹3,000 | ₹4,500–₹5,500 | Per person |
| Gypsy seat, premium quota | ₹5,500–₹7,500 | ₹8,000–₹12,000 | Per person |
| Whole gypsy, up to 6 | ₹36,000–₹45,000 | ₹46,000–₹65,000 | Per vehicle |
| Advance-quota seat, when any are left | ₹1,700 canter, ₹2,500 gypsy | ₹3,500 canter, ₹4,000 gypsy | Per person |
The range runs from zones 6–10 to a named zone 2, 3 or 4. Festive weeks cost more. Availability is confirmed before you pay.
What is the same
- Both vehicles enter the same ten zones, in the same morning and afternoon slots, under the same Forest Department permit and the same rules.
- Both are allotted a zone by the portal within their group; zones 2, 3 and 4 can be named at the choice price for either vehicle.
- Both have a Forest Department guide on board.
- Zones 1–5 do not run on Wednesdays, zones 6–10 on Tuesdays, whichever vehicle you take.
What is different
Quota. Gypsy seats come from the premium quota (released 3 days before) and the advance quota; whole gypsies also from tatkal (7 days before, non-refundable once issued). Canter seats come from the current quota, released at 10 am the day before, which is why a canter is usually possible at short notice when every gypsy is gone. See when seats are released.
The drive. A gypsy stops the moment the guide hears an alarm call and can wait; a canter has twenty people with twenty opinions and takes longer to settle. On a tiger sighting both see the same animal; the gypsy usually gets the quieter, longer look.
Cost for a family. Four people: two gypsy seats each way of looking at it cost ₹26,000 for four seats against ₹10,000 for four canter seats on a core date. For six or more, a whole gypsy at ₹36,000 is often the best value and gives you the vehicle to yourselves.
Got a date in mind? Send it on WhatsApp. We check live seats and reply in minutes, 7am–10pm.
Check my date on WhatsAppOur advice
- First visit, one drive, deciding late: canter. It will happen.
- Photographer: gypsy, booked at the 3-day release, or a whole gypsy.
- Family with children under 10 or an elderly parent: gypsy if the budget allows; the low step and the freedom to leave early matter.
- Group of 6: a whole gypsy.
- Two or more drives: mix them: a canter for the first, a gypsy for the one that counts.
Check seats for your date → Jeep safari page · Canter safari page
Questions
Should I book a gypsy or a canter, and what does each cost?
A canter is the cheaper choice and easier to get at short notice: seats start at ₹2,200 for Indian nationals and ₹4,500 for foreign nationals. A gypsy is smaller and better for photographs: seats start at ₹5,500 and ₹8,000. A whole gypsy for up to six starts at ₹36,000 and ₹46,000, which is about ₹6,000 per person only if six people share it. No vehicle changes your chance of seeing a tiger by any measure we can promise.
Can I choose my zone in a canter?
Zones 2, 3 and 4 can be named for a canter seat at the choice price, like a gypsy. Other zones are allotted by the portal within the core or outer group.
Is a canter safari worse for tigers?
No. It goes to the same zones; the difference is the quieter, lower ride of a gypsy and the ease of stopping. Sightings are decided by the animals, not the vehicle.
Can I book a whole canter?
Not online; canters are sold by the seat. For a group of 20 WhatsApp us and we check what the Forest Department allows for your date.
Sources and how we know
Permit fees, quotas, release times and rules are taken from the official Forest Department portal and re-checked whenever they change; our all-in prices are our own and are stated as such. The “Updated” date on this page is when the content last changed.
- Official Rajasthan Forest Department safari booking portal (FMDSS / Aaranyak): seat release, quotas, official permit fees
- Official Rajasthan Forest Department
- Official National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), Government of India
Spotted an error? Tell us and we correct it: see our editorial and corrections policy.