9 Best Wildlife Sanctuaries near Bhopal (2024)

Ranthambore National Park is one of the national parks in Rajasthan, and among the popular national parks near Delhi. It is situated about 162 km from Jaipur, and 368 km from Delhi.

Ranthambhore was established as the Sawai Madhopur Game Sanctuary in 1955 by the Government of India and was declared one of the Project Tiger reserves in 1974. Ranthambore became a national park in 1981. It can be visited along with Jaipur tour packages. Spread over an area of 392 sq. km, the park is majorly famous for its tigers and is one of the best locations in India to watch the majestic predators in its natural habitat.

Apart from tigers, visitors can also spot a large variety of animals including sloth bear, leopard, caracal, jackal, fox, hyena, mongoose, dainty chital, sambar deer, the blue bull antelope or nilgai, rhesus macaque, langur, and an incredible variety of birds as part of Ranthambore tour packages. Ranthambore Fort, Jogo Mahal, Trinetra Ganesh Temple, Rajiv Gandhi Regional Museum of Natural History, Kachida Valley, and Rajbagh are some of the best tourist places in Ranthambore.

Distance from Bhopal: 464 Kms

Tadoba - Andhari Tiger Reserve is the oldest and largest national park in Maharashtra. Situated about 29 km from Chandrapur, and 145 km from Nagpur, Tadoba is one of the top wildlife sanctuaries in India and among the must include places in Maharashtra packages, especially for wildlife buffs.

Established in 1955, Tadoba National Park is one of the 47 project tiger reserves in India. The total area of the tiger reserve is 1,727 Sq. km and the core area of the tiger reserve is 625.40 Sq. km. Tadoba Lake acts as a buffer between the park's forest and the extensive farmland which extends up to the Irai water reservoir. This lake is a perennial water source that offers good habitat for Mugger crocodiles to thrive.

The Tadoba National Park is divided into three separate forest ranges, i.e. Tadoba north range, Kolsa south range, and Mohurli range. There are 6 entry points for this park which are Mohurli gate, Kolara gate, Kuswanda gate, Navegaon gate, Pangdi gate, and Zari gate. The park is home to 88 tigers, along with leopards, sloth bears, gaur, nilgai, dhole, striped hyena, jungle cats, sambar, spotted deer, barking deer, chital, and chausingha. Jeep safari is one of the most popular things to do as part of Tadoba tour packages.

Distance from Bhopal: 495 Kms

Situated in Vindhya Hills, Bandhavgarh National Park is one of the renowned places of wildlife in India, and among the best tourist places in Madhya Pradesh. It is about 169 km from Jabalpur, and 452 km from Bhopal.

Covering over an area of about 1536 sq. km, Bandhavgarh is known to have the highest density of Royal Bengal Tigers in the world and the frequent sightings of royal tigers make this national park a must-visit for all wildlife enthusiasts. One can spot more than 22 species of mammals including Common Langurs, Rhesus Macaque, the Asiatic Jackal, Bengal Fox, Sloth Bear, Ratel, Gray Mongoose, Striped Hyena, Jungle Cat, and Leopard as part of Bandhavgarh holiday packages.

The park has three gates, namely Tala, Magadhi, and Khitauli. Out of these three, Tala gate is the most popular as it has more chances of tiger spotting. These are closed for visitors during the monsoon months while the buffer zones Dhamokhar, Panpatha, and Johila are opened throughout the year. Jeep safaris are conducted in all zones while Canter Safari is available only in Maghadhi and Khitauli Zones.

Distance from Bhopal: 452 Kms

At a distance of 15 km from Mocha, 59 km from Mandla, 106 km from Balaghat, 146 km from Gondia, 184 km from Jabalpur, 224 km from Raipur, 264 km from Nagpur, and 421 km from Bhopal, Kanha National Park is nestled in the Maikal range of Satpuras in Madhya Pradesh. Located in Mandla and Balaghat districts, it is the largest national park in Madhya Pradesh and among the popular tourist places to visit in Madhya Pradesh.

Positioned in the central region of Madhya Pradesh, Kanha was established as a sanctuary in the year 1933. It was declared as a National Park in 1955 and eventually made a Tiger Reserve in 1973. Kanha is one of the first Tiger Reserves to work for Project Tiger in India. Sprawling over an area of 2059.7 sq. km, it comprises of 940 sq. km core zone, 1009 sq. km of the buffer zone and 110.79 sq. km of neighbouring Phen Sanctuary. The park encompasses Banjar and Hallon valleys, Sal and bamboo forests, rolling grasslands and winding streams.

Kanha got its name from the texture of the soil found in the park, which is locally called Kanhar. Kanha National Park is one of the most well managed, tourist-friendly & popular tiger reserves of India. Kanha has the highest density of tiger population in the state with around 80 big cats wandering aimlessly in the forest area. Besides its rich tiger population, there are also around 100 leopards, a huge population of deer and antelopes, including some 400 southern ...

Distance from Bhopal: 421 Kms

At a distance of 4 km from Turiya, 14 km from Khawasa, 58 km from Seoni, 90 km from Chhindwara, 92 km from Nagpur, 196 km from Kanha National Park, 201 km from Jabalpur, 324 km from Raipur, and 410 km from Bhopal, Pench National Park is straddle across two states - Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Located in Seoni and Chhindwara districts of Madhya Pradesh, it is one of the top national parks in India and among the prominent places to visit as part of Madhya Pradesh tour packages.

Named after Pench River that divides the park into two halves, Pench was notified as a sanctuary in 1977. Then in 1983, it was declared as a national park and in 1992, a Tiger Reserve. It became the 19th project tiger reserve in India. The total area of the Pench is about 1179 Sq. km, of which the core area is 411 sq. km while the buffer area is about 768 Sq. km. The terrain of the park is undulating, with most of the area covered by small hills and tropical moist deciduous forests.

Laden with rocky trails, wooded hills, glassy rivers, and gushing streams, the beauty of Pench National Park is so enchanting that it has sparked one of the best creations of Rudyard Kipling- The Jungle Book. The area of the present Pench Tiger Reserve has also been described in Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century document written by Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak (the Emperor Akbar's vizier). Renamed as 'Indira Priyadarshini ...

Distance from Bhopal: 410 Kms

Cradled in the Satpura Range, Satpura National Park, also known as Satpura Tiger Reserve, is one of the popular national parks in India, and among the popular Madhya Pradesh tour packages. It is situated about 93 km from Pachmarhi, and 140 km from Bhopal.

Covering an area of about 524 sq. km, Satpura National Park was established in 1981 and got the Tiger Reserve status in the year 1999. Divided into 4 zones, it has a large and diversified population of wildlife due to its unique ecosystem and a long history of wildlife conservation. The fauna here includes Indian Bison, Spotted Dear, Leopards, Tigers, Wild boar, Sloth bear, Blackbuck, etc. A jeep safari is the must experience things to do here as part of Satpura tour packages.

Madhai gate is the main entry point from which all safari activities are operated. The park authorities offered two types of safaris to its visitors - Jeep Safari, and Elephant Safari. One can indulge in activities like nature walks, cycling & night Safari, canoeing & boat safaris here. It can also be visited along with Bhopal tour packages.

Distance from Bhopal: 140 Kms

At a distance of 5 km from Shivpuri, 89 km from Jhansi and 116 km from Gwalior, Madhav National Park, one of the oldest parks in India, is situated in Shivpuri district of Madhya Pradesh. It is one of the major wildlife sanctuaries in Madhya Pradesh and among prime place to visit on a Gwalior tour.

The park was established as Madhya Bharat National Park in 1955. It was declared as a National Park in the year 1959 and renamed as Madhav National Park after Madhav Rao Scindia, the Maharaja of Gwalior. It was originally the shooting reserve of the Maharaja. Even before this, during the reign of the Mughals, its dense forests were the hunting grounds of the Mughal emperors. It is also believed that from the dense forests of Madhav National Park, Akbar once captured elephants for his stables in the year 1564 CE. Since the area was a royal shooting reserve, it was well protected and flourished with wild life and was famous for its tigers.

Spread over an area of 375 sq. km, the park offers amazing views of lush greenery and architectural wonders, edified by the erstwhile rulers of Gwalior. Madhav National Park fascinates tourists with its unique surroundings that comprise lakes, dense woodlands, & castles. Madhav National Park is a combination of dry deciduous & dry thorn forests that make home for different variety of antelopes like Nilgai, Chinkara, Deer, and predatory animals such as Tiger, leopard, wolf, jackal, ...

Distance from Bhopal: 330 Kms

At a distance of 12 km from Indore Junction, Ralamandal Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected reserve situated at Ralamandal in the outskirts of Indore city. It is one of the oldest wildlife sanctuaries in Madhya Pradesh, and among the most visited tourist places as part of Indore tour packages.

Ralamandal Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the most popular places of wildlife in India. Earlier, it was the hunting ground for the royal family members of Holkars as it had a huge population of tigers, leopards, and deers. It was established as a wildlife sanctuary in 1989 for the conservation of plants and animals. The holy River Narmada graces the sanctuary with its presence. It has an ancient palace built by Holkars which was primarily used as a hunting lodge also known as shikargah.

Spread over 5 sq. km, the sanctuary is home to different species of birds and other wildlife like Leopards, Black Bucks, Chitals, Blue bulls, Hyena, Barking deers, Peacock, Palm-civet, Porcupine and Hare. To protect animals and birds from noise and air pollution emanating from the nearby highway, a green wall of about 8,000 trees was created. There are several trails present in the Wildlife Sanctuary which are ideal for trekking, by both amateurs and professionals. There is also the facility of camel rides inside the sanctuary, which is one of the top highlights among the tourists.

There are several trails present in the Wildlife Sanctuary ...

Distance from Bhopal: 194 Kms

At a distance of 8 km from Bhimbetka, and 51 km from Bhopal, the Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected reserve located in the Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh. It is one of the popular wildlife sanctuaries in India, and among the major places to visit as part of Bhimbetka Tour Packages.

Situated in Vindhya Range in central India, the Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary stretches across 823 sq. km in the Raisen and Sehore districts of Madhya Pradesh. The area was declared as a sanctuary in 1976 and got the status of tiger reserve under the Project Tiger by the Government of India recently. The landscape is undulating, with hills, plateaus, valleys, and plains. Many seasonal streams irrigate the site in the monsoon, and water is retained in some pools along these streams even in the summer. Two large reservoirs, namely Barna Reservoir and Ratapani Dam (Barrusot lake) are among the major water bodies adjacent to or inside the sanctuary.

The forest of Ratapani is a dry deciduous and moist deciduous type, with teak (Tectona grandis) as the main tree species. About 55% of the area is covered by teak, the Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the finest teak forests in Madhya Pradesh. The regal striped cat is the apex predator here and estimates suggest that 40 tigers roam these forests. Besides, the sanctuary is also home to animals like Panther, Hyena, Jackal, Indian Fox, Wild Dog, Jungle Cat, Small Indian Civet, Blue Bull, Chinkara, Black Buck, Chausingha, Spotted Deer, ...

Distance from Bhopal: 51 Kms