Assam · World Heritage Park
Kaziranga National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the world's stronghold of the one-horned rhinoceros — more than two-thirds of the global population lives in its 1,090 km² of flood-plain grasslands. This guide covers the four safari ranges, when to come, what to expect and how to combine Kaziranga with Majuli, tea country and Arunachal Pradesh.
Highlights
Central Range (Kohora) is the classic — high rhino density, easy access. Western Range (Bagori) is the photographer's pick for grassland light and elephant herds. Eastern Range (Agoratoli) is quieter, the best for birds. Burapahar in the far west is rugged forest, lower wildlife frequency but very atmospheric.
Jeep safaris run morning and afternoon across all four ranges — book at least two. Elephant safaris are limited to the Central and Western ranges and start very early; they put you eye-to-eye with grazing rhinos but cover little ground. We recommend two jeep safaris plus one elephant safari.
One-horned rhinoceros (almost guaranteed), Asian elephant (frequent), wild buffalo, swamp deer (barasingha), hog deer and over 480 bird species including Bengal florican, great pied hornbill and white-winged duck. Tigers are present (~120) but elusive — Kaziranga has the highest tiger density of any reserve, though grass cover makes sightings rare.
November to April. November and December are crisp and clear; January is misty and cool; February to April are warm with the best sightings as water sources shrink and animals concentrate. The park is firmly closed mid-May to October due to monsoon flooding of the Brahmaputra.
Stay near Kohora gate for early safaris. Combine Kaziranga with Majuli (3 hr north), Jorhat tea heritage (2 hr east) or use it as the gateway to Arunachal Pradesh via Dibrugarh.
Traveller Questions
1 November to 30 April. Exact dates depend on monsoon flooding and are announced annually by the Assam Forest Department.
Two to four across at least two ranges. Different ranges deliver very different landscapes and species.
Possible but rare. Kaziranga's grass is tall and the tiger density is high; for reliable tiger sightings, plan separately for Bandhavgarh or Ranthambhore.
