Delhi is the capital of India, and it is well connected to all major cities in India, major cities and countries around India, and major cities and countries in the world through rail and air travel. Delhi Airport is a large airport and the only one in India that ranks among the world’s top 30, holding the 3rd spot globally in the category of over 70 million passengers.
This connectivity makes Delhi an ideal destination for the tourists arriving from all corners of the world. After landing in Delhi, people generally go to various tourist places by train or by air, but there are many places that can be accessed by road from Delhi, like Agra, Jaipur and Fatehpur Sikri. Apart from these cultural destinations, five different tiger reserves are also accessible from Delhi by road.
Here in this blog, I will share information about these tiger reserves, their location, distance from Delhi, major animals and birds and their importance.
Sariska Tiger Reserve
Distance from Delhi – 225 km/ 4 hrs.
Sariska, located in the Aravali mountains, is the closest tiger reserve to Delhi and holds significant importance. in the Aravali mountains. The vegetation of Sariska typically consisted of tropical dry deciduous and tropical thorn forests. Dhonk is the dominant tree species covering almost 90% of the forest area of the reserve.
The tiger is an apex predator, but Sariska is also known for its leopard population, which is mostly found in the rocky boulders found in the buffer zones. There are three types of small cats that Sariska is home to: these are jungle cats, fishing cats, and rusty-spotted cats. Sariska is also a destination. The tiger reserve is not only famous for its flora and fauna but also for medieval period monuments and a temple of Lord Hanuman inside.
Best route: Delhi → Gurugram → Manesar → Behror/Neemrana → Bhiwadi/Alwar → Sariska.
Recommended stops and places to visit:
Dharuhera/ manesar is a good place for breakfast after leaving Delhi. Alternatively, you can stop at Neemrana where you can visit a 15th-century fort which is on the Delhi–Jaipur highway and operates as a heritage resort. Bawdi Deep Water Step Well is another interesting heritage stop. For a simpler highway meal, Old Rao Hotel-Neemrana is a convenient option. In Alwar you can spend a day sightseeing, Bala Qila, Siliserh Lake, City Palace, Moosi Maharani Ki Chhatri etc.
Corbett Tiger Reserve
Distance from Delhi – 271 km/ 5 hrs. (Dhangarhi gate)
The first national park and the first tiger reserve in India, Corbett, is undoubtedly one of the most famous, beautiful, and biodiverse tiger reserves in northern India. The reserve is situated in the Himalayan foothills and Terai arc landscape. The Corbett Tiger Reserve got the distinction of having the highest number of tigers in India. The reserve is known as the “land of trumpets, roars, and songs”, which means elephants, tigers, and birds. The park is known as one of the last remaining strongholds of elephants in northern India.
The bird diversity of Corbett is spectacular; it hosts roughly half the bird species found in India. In reptiles, the critically endangered gharial and mugger crocodiles are found in the Ramganga river, which flows through the park. Apart from private lodges and resorts, there are various forest rest houses in and outside the park that offer an unparalleled experience to visitors. The location of these rest houses is prime, and most of them were built during British times and give the experience of a colonial forest expedition.
Best Route: Delhi → Hapur → Gajraula → Moradabad → Kashipur → Ramnagar → Various gates of the reserve.
Recommended stops and places to visit:
Gajraula is the best food stop after leaving Delhi for both Indian and foreign visitors. Gajraula has long been recommended as the principal breakfast stop on the Delhi–Corbett Road, with food, parking, and washroom facilities. Another suggested stop is Moradabad, where tourists can get excellent medical facilities as well. Moradabad is also a viable option for lunch stops. After Hapur and before Gajraula, there is a tourist stop called Garh Mukteshwar, a famous destination for its Haridwar-like ghats on the River Ganges.
Pilibhit Tiger Reserve
Distance from Delhi – 335 km/ 6 hrs.
Pilibhit Tiger Reserve is comparatively a new tiger reserve near Delhi, but the tiger sightings in this reserve are exceptionally good, and it can give serious competition to other well-known tiger reserves. Located in the northern part of the Terai arc landscape, this tiger reserve is renowned for its scenic beauty, especially Chuka beach, which is a large man-made reservoir.
The major attraction of Pilibhit is the tiger, but apart from the tiger, the forests of Pilibhit support typical Terai-Bhabhar landscape fauna, which includes leopards, five species of deer, sloth bears, jungle cats, and freshwater crocodiles. Reserve supports around 300 species of birds, which includes the critically endangered Bengal florican.
Route: Delhi → Hapur → Gajraula → Moradabad → Rampur → Bareilly → Pilibhit.
Recommended stops and places to visit:
Because most of the stops from Delhi to Pilibhit are same as Delhi to Corbett so similar stops are applicable here also. Bareilly is a big city, and tourists can buy essential things like medicine or use medical facilities here.
Ranthambore Tiger Reserve
Distance from Delhi – 362 km/ 6 hrs. 15 minutes
Ranthambore is one of the most famous tiger reserves in India and worldwide. Many tigers of Ranthambore have got celebrity status and featured in various magazines and wildlife documentaries. Machli, the famous tigress of the reserve, was considered the most photographed wild tiger in the world.
Ranthambore is a beneficial mix of historical and wildlife tours. The reserve is dotted with several ruins from the medieval period, and a fort on top of a hill adds to the beauty and importance of the reserve. Tigers are a major attraction in Ranthambore, but apart from the tiger, leopards, sloth bears, and crocodiles also add to the list of attractions. There are several man-made lakes inside the reserve, which attract the water birds during winter.
There is a fort on top of a hill that is a tourist attraction; this 10th-century fort, along with five other forts of Rajasthan, has been given the status of a world heritage site. There is a famous temple of Trinetra Ganesh ji (elephant god with three eyes) inside the fort premises.
Best Route: Delhi → Gurugram → Neemrana → Dausa → Sawai Madhopur → Ranthambore
Recommended stops and places to visit:
Dharuhera is the first stop after Delhi/ Gurugram for breakfast. Neemrana fort palace could be a second stop which is a very good proposition for foreign tourists: breakfast or coffee combined with a quick heritage experience. Then stop for lunch at Dausa, where the major attraction is Chand Baori at Abhaneri, one of Rajasthan’s most spectacular stepwells. An ancient stepwell with thousands of symmetrical steps, adjacent to the Harshat Mata Temple.
Dudhwa Tiger Reserve
Distance from Delhi – 430 km/ 8 hrs.
This is the longest and probably the most challenging road journey. Dudhwa forests are the best representatives of the Terai arc landscape and are known for having the typical faunal assemblages of the Terai. The tall grasses and sal forest of Dudhwa support a wonderful array of biodiversity. The tiger is the apex predator in Dudhwa, but it is not the only attraction; after the northeast of India, Dudhwa is the best place to see Indian one horned rhino in their natural habitat.
Elephants are also in abundance, and you can encounter a big herd anytime on a jeep safari. The main subspecies of Barasingha, or swamp deer, Dudhwa, and its surrounding landscape are the exclusive habitats of the main subspecies of Barasingha, also known as swamp deer. Dudhwa is also known for the thriving population of critically endangered Bengal florican.
Dudhwa Tiger Reserve consists of Dudhwa National Park, Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, and Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary. All three units of the tiger reserve have their own attractions. You can plan your visit to Dudhwa National Park to explore the unique attractions of all three units of the tiger reserve.
The official Lakhimpur Kheri district website gives the Delhi Road route as:
Best Route: Delhi → Moradabad → Bareilly → Shahjahanpur → Khutar → Mailani → Bhira → Palia → Dudhwa
Recommended stops and places to visit:
Because this is the longest journey, it requires more than two stops. The first stop is Gajraula for breakfast, then Moradabad, and then the third stop would be Bareilly, which can be considered as a lunch stop. The final break can be at Shahjahanpur, where there are places to visit also if someone is interested. For Dudhwa, I would not recommend adding too many sightseeing stops. The journey is already long, and tourists will be much happier reaching their lodge before dark.
Though these tiger reserves can easily be approached by road but alternatively if someone wanted, can take a train journey also to nearest towns and hire a taxi from there to the tiger reserves. Here is the list of Railway stations for these tiger reserves.
For Sariska – Alwar Railway Station
For Corbett – Ramnagar Railway Station
For Pilibhit – Bareilly Railway Station
For Ranthambore – Sawai Madhopur
For Dudhwa – Shahjahanpur
Mr. Vibhav Srivastava is a seasoned wildlife biologist and ecotourism professional with over 20 years of experience across wildlife research, forest management, conservation education, and sustainable tourism in India.
Currently at Nature Safari India, he curates immersive wildlife experiences, leads conservation communication, and designs educational outreach programs. His expertise spans both in-situ and ex-situ conservation, with extensive field work in all major wildlife landscapes of Central, Northern, Eastern, and Southern India. Notable contributions include all-India tiger monitoring with the Wildlife Institute of India, community-based conservation initiatives, and training forest staff and nature guides.
He has held key roles with RARE India, National Zoological Park (New Delhi), Le Passage to India, Tiger Protection Group, and served as Chief Naturalist at Kanha National Park, deepening his expertise in biodiversity conservation and human-wildlife interactions.
An accomplished educator and communicator, Mr. Srivastava has delivered over 30 lectures at prestigious institutions including Delhi University, BHU, Amity University, and IITTM. He is a published author and researcher, with co-authored books, scientific publications, and paper presentations at national seminars. His work consistently bridges conservation science, community engagement, and responsible tourism.
He holds a Master’s degree in Botany, has received professional training from the Wildlife Institute of India, and was nominated among the top five naturalists in India for the TOFT Best Naturalist Award.
