150 km off the Indian city of Nagpur in the heart of the Indian subcontinent, lies Maharashtra’s oldest and largest National Park - the Tadoba National Park. The tropical dry deciduous forest cradled by the Chimur hills hosts a plethora of stunning wildlife species that attract the likes of thousands of avid wildlife lovers year in and year out. Also known as the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve, this park has risen to prominence as a result of a boom in tiger numbers. Frequent tiger sightings and photographs of huge handsome males or graceful females along with their gamboling cubs have taken social media by storm.
These charismatic big cats have secured cherished spots in the hearts of all those who have been fortunate to have sighted or photographed them. Moreover, they have gripped big cat lovers so much that they frequently tour Tadoba and are seldom disappointed as tiger activity always thrives. The same fact also entices people wanting to take their first trip into the jungles or nature lovers wanting to sight a tiger for the first time in their lives.
In this blog, let us look at how to reach Tadoba National Park in the most efficient manner possible, by air, rail and road.
How to reach Tadoba National Park?
‘How to reach Tadoba National Park?’ is one of the most frequently asked questions by tourists. One can reach Tadoba National Park by air, rail and road and the journey is definitely worth it. No matter how many times you have had the experience, watching a tiger in the wild is electrifying! Tadoba gives you a chance to spot multiple of them.
Reaching Tadoba by Air
If you are not a resident of Maharashtra and are living in another state in India, the most viable option for you is to fly to Nagpur, which is the closest and most well-connected airport and subsequently drive down to Tadoba. You can choose to hire a private cab which is the most comfortable option to make the 150 km journey.
If you are an international traveller, you will most probably land in Mumbai or Delhi. Even if you land anywhere else in India, you will have to take a connecting flight to Nagpur and drive down. The other airport option closest to the Tadoba National Park is the one at Raipur. But the distance between Raipur and Tadoba is about 350 km and it will take an eight-hour drive to arrive.
So, our recommended option is Nagpur as it has at least one, if not more, direct flights available every day from all the major cities of India.
Reaching Tadoba by Rail
Tadoba does not have a train station of its own. Hence, you would need to reach the nearest railway stations which are at Chandrapur or Chimur and proceed to Tadoba via road. The railway station at Chandrapur is located about 35 km from the park and is a pleasant 45 minutes drive. The one at Chimur is a little further at 45 km.
Nagpur has a station too, which is very well connected as it is, in fact, a major junction and several trains from all across India arrive at this city. The Nagpur railway station is also about 150 km away from the National Park and it would take about a 2 and half hour drive to reach Tadoba.
Both the mentioned stations have trains from Delhi and Mumbai as well as other prominent cities of India. So, depending on your requirements and the timings that best suit you, you can pick your option. It would be best if you plan your travel in a way that you arrive for lunch as most resorts in Tadoba allow check-ins post noon, and offer check-outs after breakfast on the day of your departure.
Reaching Tadoba by Road
As mentioned already, Tadoba is extremely well-connected by roadways to all the nearby cities and towns and most parts of the state of Maharashtra and the neighbouring states of Chhattisgarh and Telangana. If you are an avid wildlife lover and never bored exploring different forests, you could go on a tiger marathon and do a circuit tour of three forest reserves in Maharashtra by road. You could start from Umred Tiger Reserve, proceed to Tadoba National Park, then visit the Pench National Park or start from Pench, go to Tadoba, complete Umred and return home via Nagpur. These wildlife reserves are distanced within 100 km from each other and they are smoothly connected to one another.
Note: Mumbai and Pune are more than 700 km away from Tadoba so the more viable option is to travel by air or rail to reach Tadoba. But, if one loves the roads and has no time constraints, one can make the long drive. The forest will definitely refresh and rejuvenate you!
Distance and travel time from some of the major surrounding cities to the Tadoba National Park:
Summary
We hope our blog has helped you find an answer to the ‘how to reach Tadoba’ question. Depending on your departure point, your budget and the mode you choose to travel by, the answer will vary. If you choose to fly, the most viable option is to land at Nagpur and proceed by taxi to Tadoba. If you choose to travel by train, the closest option is the railway station of Chandrapur and if you love the roads and have no time concerns, you can reach Tadoba from anywhere as the roads are very well connected.
We at Toehold offer specialised tours to Tadoba. We offer camera gear on hire and some merchandise and wildlife gifts for sale. Business apart, we share our passion for this place with you and can give you free advisory.
If you have any further queries, please feel free to visit our website or get in touch with us. We will be happy to assist you!
We look forward to your visit to Tadoba.
