Every year the forests of Dudhwa close for the monsoon and reopen for safaris in winter. If you are planning a jungle trip between November 2026 and June 2027, this post covers what you need before you book: when the park opens, which zone to choose, the safari timings and the weekends that sell out first.
When does the 2026-27 season open?
Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, including Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary and Katarniaghat, opens to tourists on 1 November 2026 for the 2026-27 season, two weeks earlier than the usual 15 November, and usually stays open until 15 June. From mid-June the reserve closes for the monsoon, when roads inside the forest become unusable and the animals breed.
The UP forest department sets the season dates every year. If you book through us, we reconfirm the date and your slot before we lock your safari.
The three zones, in one line each
- Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary: the zone best known for tigers, plus swamp deer and birds at Jhadi Tal. Its gate is 2-3 minutes from DTR Jungle Hideaways.
- Dudhwa Zone 1: denser forest, elephant herds and the Rhino Area, where you can see one-horned rhinos. About 35-40 minutes from our resort.
- Katarniaghat: the Gerwa River, Gangetic dolphins and gharials. About 2-2.5 hours away, best as a full-day trip.
For a 2-night stay, most of our guests do three to four safaris in Kishanpur and add one Rhino Area visit. Read the full Dudhwa safari booking guide for zone details.
Which month should you go?
- November to February: cool days, cold mornings, lots of birds. Jhadi Tal and the wetlands fill with winter migrants.
- March to mid-June: warmer days and the better months for tiger sightings, as animals come out to water.
Sightings are never guaranteed in any month. Our best time to visit Dudhwa page has the month-by-month detail.
Safari timings
Current safari timings for Dudhwa:
- Winter: 6:00-10:00 am and 2:30 pm to sunset
- Summer: 5:00-9:30 am and 3:00 pm to sunset
Staying near the gate matters most for the morning shift. From our resort you reach the Kishanpur gate in 2-3 minutes, so you can have tea before the jeep leaves instead of starting the drive in the dark.
Weekends that fill first
Dudhwa is far less crowded than Corbett, but a few dates still sell out early, both for rooms and safari slots:
- Christmas to New Year week
- Long weekends and school holidays
- Holi week
For these dates, book three to four weeks ahead. For normal weekdays, a week or two is usually enough.
How to book your safari
- Yourself: on the UP Ecotourism website (upecotourism.in), choosing the location, date, number of vehicles and shift.
- Through us: send your dates and group size on WhatsApp. Our team books the forest permit and jeep safari along with your stay, meals and pickup.
Coming from Delhi? See Delhi to Dudhwa for routes and travel time.
Also read: What to pack for a Dudhwa safari | Where to see tigers and rhinos
