RANTHAMBORE Ranthambore safari rules
The rules are the Forest Department’s, enforced at the gate and by the guide in your vehicle. They exist for the animals and for you. Here is what they mean in practice.
Ranthambore Tiger books safari permits in your name — we are not the Rajasthan Forest Department and not the official park booking website.
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In one line: carry the original ID the permit was booked on, be at the pickup on time, stay seated inside the vehicle, keep quiet near animals, no feeding, littering, smoking, drones or flash on animals, and leave the park with your guide at the end of the slot.
This is a plain-language summary by our guides of the Forest Department rules as applied at Ranthambore’s gates; the permit terms on the official booking portal are the binding text. Content checked 4 November 2026.
Before the gate
- Permits are in your name. Every guest’s name, age and ID number are on the permit; each guest shows the original ID (Aadhaar, passport, driving licence, voter ID or PAN; school ID or birth certificate for under-18s) at the gate. A photo of an ID on a phone is not accepted.
- Foreign nationals show the passport used for the booking.
- Be on time. Pickup is about 45 minutes before the gate opens; the vehicle enters in a queue and late arrivals lose time inside, not get it back.
- Permits cannot be changed or transferred once issued: no swapping guests, dates or slots.
Inside the park
- Stay seated and inside the vehicle at all times; no standing on seats, no getting down, except at the designated stop if the guide allows.
- Keep to the track: the driver may not leave the route or enter closed areas.
- Keep your voice down near animals and switch phones to silent; no music.
- No feeding or calling animals, no throwing anything, no littering; carry your waste out.
- No smoking, no alcohol, no fire.
- No drones. Flash photography of animals is not allowed; professional video or commercial filming needs a separate Forest Department permit.
- Follow the guide: the guide is a Forest Department employee and can end the drive for a serious breach.
- Leave with the vehicle at the end of the slot; the park closes to visitors between slots and at night.
Got a date in mind? Send it on WhatsApp. We check live seats and reply in minutes, 7am–10pm.
Check my date on WhatsAppTimings, closures and quotas
Morning and afternoon slots change with the season (timings and zones). Zones 1–5 do not run on Wednesdays, zones 6–10 on Tuesdays. The park is closed to safaris in the monsoon (July–September) for the core zones; a few outer zones may run. Permits come from fixed quotas released at set times: when seats are released.
Children
Children of all ages are allowed with a permit in their name (school ID or birth certificate). Under-5s travel on a parent’s lap in a gypsy; a canter seat is needed for each child who takes a seat. Keep small children seated and quiet; a gypsy is easier for them.
What to carry
- Original IDs for everyone.
- Warm layers in winter mornings (open vehicle at 7 am in December is cold), a hat and sunscreen for afternoons.
- Water; no single-use plastic is sold inside and nothing may be left behind.
- Binoculars; a camera with a long lens if you have one.
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 WhatsAppIf a rule is broken
The guide can stop the drive and return to the gate; the Forest Department can fine the visitor and the vehicle owner, and blacklist the driver. We do not refund a drive cut short for a breach by the guests.
Questions
Can I get down from the vehicle to take photographs?
No. Visitors stay in the vehicle throughout, except at a designated stop if the guide allows it.
Is a soft copy of my Aadhaar accepted at the gate?
No. Carry the original card (or the official e-Aadhaar print); the gate staff match it to the permit.
Are drones allowed in Ranthambore?
No. Drones are banned inside the reserve.
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
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