About Bandipur National Park

Country: India | State: Karnataka

Ideal Trip Duration: 4 Hours/Half Day

Nearest City to Bandipur National Park: Mysore (80 Kms), Bangalore (215 Kms)

Best Time to Visit Bandipur National Park: October to March

Peak Season: October & December to January & May to June

At a distance of 70 km from Ooty, 80 km from Mysore, & 215 km from Bangalore, Bandipur National Park is one of the well preserved national parks in Karnataka. It is located in Chamarajanagar district on the border of Karnataka - Tamil Nadu between Mysore & Ooty. Nagarhole and Bandipur National Park are separated by Kabini reservoir. Bandipur National Park is one of the top attractions you must include in Ooty packages.

Spread across 874 sq.km, Bandipur is one of the best places to visit as part of your wildlife tour in India. It is part of the famous Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve along with Nagarhole National Park, Mudumalai National Park (12 Kms towards Ooty), and Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary. Bandipur forests used to be the private game reserve of the Maharajas of Mysore. This Sanctuary is one of the 15 sanctuaries belonging to the Project Tiger Scheme. Bandipur was declared a National Park under the Wildlife Protection Act in 1974.

Bandipur National Park is home to around 70 tigers and over 3000 Asian elephants, as well as other animals like leopards, dhole, gaur, sloth bears, and a variety of birdlife. Gopalaswami Betta is the highest peak in the Bandipur range. It can be visited along with Wayanad as part of Wayanad tour packages.

Jeep Safari (90 minutes), and Mini Bus Safari (90 minutes) are arranged by the forest department. The cost and timings keep changing and sometimes they cancel the safari without any prior notice. Staying at the Jungle Lodges Resorts by JLR is the best way to explore the park as their package includes Jeep Safari into the park with experienced guides. JLR operates Bandipur Safari Lodge in at the entrance of Bandipur park on Gundlupet - Ooty road.

The entry point & interpretation center of the park is located in Bandipur village on the Highway after Melkamanahalli Village. Private vehicles are NOT allowed inside the park.
The best time to visit Bandipur National Park is from June to October.

Safari Timings: 6 to 9:30 AM & 2:30 to 6:30 PM

Bus Safari Cost (90 mins): Rs. 650 per person
Jeep Safari (90 mins): Rs. 3500 per jeep (6 pax). Prices as of Jan 2023.

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Other Info
Internet Availability: Internet Not Available
STD Code: 08229
Languages Spoken: Kannada, Tamil, English and Hindi
Major Festivals: Details Not Available
Notes/Tips:
Safari timings & cost changes frequently.

How to Reach Bandipur National Park

By Air

Nearest Airport: Bangalore - Bengaluru International Airport (255 Kms)

By Train

Nearest Train Station: Mysore Junction (80 Kms)
Bangalore City Railway Station (215 Kms)

By Bus

Nearest Bus Station: Bandipur (0 Kms)

Top 10 Places to Visit in Bandipur National Park

Wildlife

#1 of 7 Places to Visit in Bandipur National Park

Mini Bus Safari is the simplest way to explore Bandipur National Park. The park organizes a 90-minute bus safari through the tourism zone of the national park. Most of the common wildlife can be seen at close range. The first and last safaris offer the best possible views of wildlife. The bus safaris are crowded during weekends & holiday seasons. It is one of the best things to do in Bandipur.

Safari Timings: 6 AM - 9.30 AM & 2.30 PM - 6.30 PM

Safari Cost (90 mins): Rs. 650 for Person. Prices are for Indian Visitors as of Jan 2023.

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Wildlife

#2 of 7 Places to Visit in Bandipur National Park

Jeep Safari is the best way to get maximum exposure to wildlife of the Bandipur park. The forest department organizes the jeep safari along with bus safari in Bandipur starting from the reception center. The duration of the jeep safari is about 90 minutes and there are two slots for safari in the monring and evening. First safari and last safari offer better chances of sighting animals. While Bandipur forest is home to large number of tigers, the sighting of Tiger is purely luck.

Apart from safari arranged by forest dept, Jungle Lodges is the only thirdpary authorized to offer jeep safari in Bandipur national park.Jungle Lodge is located in Melkamanahalli Village just before Bandipur.

The jeep carries an experienced guide who helps tourists in spotting and identifying the wildlife. The duration of safari is 90 minutes and it's ideal for wildlife enthusiasts and photographers. Early morning and evening safaris offer .....

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Wildlife

#3 of 7 Places to Visit in Bandipur National Park

The elephant ride offers unique experience to visitors at Bandipur. The duration of Elephant ride is 20 mins and it's not a safari. The ride takes tourists around the park on an elephant. The Forest Department also organizes elephant rides of about an hour (or more) each on request, which takes you deeper into the forest.

Timings: 10 AM-11 AM. Fee: Rs. 50 per head.

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Pilgrimage

#4 of 7 Places to Visit in Bandipur National Park

At a distance of 9 km from Hangla, and 19 km from Bandipur, Gopalaswamy Betta is a majestic and lofty hill lying in the core area of the Bandipur National Park. It is one of the popular places to visit in places to visit in Bandipur.

Also known as the Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta, the Gopalaswamy Hills is situated at an altitude of 1,450 m. The hills get the prefix Himavad since the mountain is surrounded by mist all year round. Himavad means fog, while Betta means mountain in the native Kannada language. It is also the highest peak in the Bandipur National Park. A car festival is celebrated for 7 days in March / April.

The hill is famous for the Gopalaswamy temple dedicated to Lord Krishna. This temple was built by King Chola Ballala in 1315 AD. The hill thus is deemed to be a place of worship and holds great religious importance. .....

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Wildlife

#5 of 7 Places to Visit in Bandipur National Park

About Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary

At a distance of 12 km from Bandipur National Park, 37 km from Ooty, and 92 km from Mysore, Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, or Mudumalai National Park is located at the foothills of the Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu. It is one of the famous wildlife sanctuaries in Tamilnadu, and among the must-include places in the Ooty tour.

History of Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary

The word Mudumalai is a Tamil word with 'mutu' meaning old, and ancient, and 'malai' means hill or mountain. The name 'Mudumalai forest' was already in use when the British Government rented the forest in 1857 for logging purposes from the Raja of Neelambur. An area of about 60 km2 was established as Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary in 1940. This is the first wildlife sanctuary in South India and one of the best Ooty tourist places. The sanctuary was .....

Distance (From Bandipur National Park): 12 Kms
Trip Duration (From Bandipur National Park - Including Travel): 4 Hours/Half Day
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Hill Station

#6 of 7 Places to Visit in Bandipur National Park

At a distance of 89 km from Coimbatore, 128 km from Mysore, 158 km from Kozhikode, 244 km from Munnar, 254 km from Kodaikanal, 265 km from Bangalore, & 556 km from Chennai, Ooty is a stunning hill station as well as the headquarters of the Nilgiris district in Tamil Nadu. It one of the best hill stations in Tamilnadu, and among the must include places inTamilnadu Tour Packages.

At an altitude of 7,440 feet, Ooty, also known as Udhagamandalam, is often referred to as 'Queen of hill stations'. Nilgiris means 'Blue Mountains. A land of picturesque picnic spots & lakes, it was a popular summer and weekend getaway for the British during colonial days. Ooty Lake, Botanical Garden and Rose Garden are among the must include places in your Ooty tour packages.

Ooty was originally a tribal land occupied by the Todas along with .....

Distance (From Bandipur National Park): 70 Kms
Trip Duration (From Bandipur National Park - Including Travel): 1-2 Days
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Adventure

#7 of 7 Places to Visit in Bandipur National Park

Nature Walk is one of the most popular activities in Bandipur. There are only Govt. run treks & safaris in Bandipur due to environmental concerns & also for safety reasons. The Bandipur Safari Lodge organizes 2 hours Nature Walk in the jungle every morning and is a great experience. A guide is mandatory for those who want to take up Nature Walk.

Timings: 6 AM - 9 AM

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Top 3 Bandipur National Park Packages

Package Duration Starting Price Details
Bandipur and Ooty in 2 Days 2D/1N ₹ 6550 View Details
Mysore, Bandipur & Srirangapatna in 3 Days 3D/2N ₹ 8000 View Details
Mysore, Bandipur & Ooty in 4 Days 4D/3N ₹ 11500 View Details