DrRashpal · Water body within Sariska Tiger Reserve Rajasthan.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Water_body_within_Sariska_Tiger_Reserve_Rajasthan.jpg
Sariska
A tiger reserve folded into the Aravalli hills of Alwar district, where the stop is dry forest, hill temples and lake edges, with the tigers themselves a hope rather than a promise.
Aravalli forest with a tiger comeback story
Sariska is a stop for people who want Rajasthan without a palace in the frame. The reserve sits in Alwar district, folded into the Aravalli range, and its country is dry deciduous forest, thorn scrub, grassland and bare rocky ridges rather than the lake-and-fort scenery most of the state is known for. It was protected as a wildlife reserve in the mid-1950s, notified as a sanctuary soon after, and later became part of Project Tiger. Its modern story is unusual: the tigers vanished from the reserve by the mid-2000s, and from 2008 animals were brought across from Ranthambore and released here. That history is worth knowing before you arrive, because it explains why a visit is about the forest, the birds, deer and langurs, and the possibility of a tiger, not a certainty. Add an old fort on a plateau, hill temples inside the park and a royal lake close to Alwar, and the stop offers a quieter contrast to the palace-and-fort side of Rajasthan.
Explore Sariska on the map
City locations, drawn from our published destination data. Attractions, hotels and restaurants are not mapped yet.
What a day around Sariska can be
Plan around one or two drives in the reserve and one outing beyond it. Nothing here is a fixed schedule, and wildlife depends on the day.
Drives in the reserve
- A jeep drive on forest tracks through dhok woodland, with chital, sambar, nilgai and peafowl as the more regular sights
- A slow scan of rocky hillsides and waterholes for langurs, jungle cat, hyena or leopard, none of which can be promised
- Birding from the vehicle for francolin, treepie, kingfisher, sandgrouse and the occasional eagle or owl
- A conversation with the naturalist or driver about how tigers were reintroduced here from Ranthambore
Old sites inside and around the forest
- Kankwari Fort, a hill fort on a plateau reached by an uphill forest road, visited for the view over the reserve; access depends on current forest rules
- Pandupol, a spot with a waterfall and a Hanuman temple linked in local tradition to the Pandavas' exile
- Neelkanth Mahadeva near Tehla, a group of ruined early-medieval temples
- Bhangarh, a ruined walled town in Alwar district at the edge of the reserve, uninhabited for centuries
Beyond the park boundary
- Siliserh Lake, a nineteenth-century reservoir near Alwar with a former royal palace on its shore, good for a calm late-afternoon stop
- A short boat ride on the lake, where the surroundings are wooded hills and old cenotaphs on the embankment
- Alwar's Bala Quila hilltop fort and city museum for travellers who want a town afternoon between drives
How long to stay
Arrive and settle
Travel in from Jaipur by road, check in near the reserve and use the remaining daylight for a first look at the forest edge or a gentle visit to Siliserh Lake if you are staying on the Alwar side.
A full forest day
Take the first drive in the reserve with a naturalist, return for a break and consider a second drive or an excursion to Pandupol or Kankwari, depending on current forest rules, access and your energy for rough tracks.
Lake, Alwar and onward
Spend the final morning at Siliserh Lake and in Alwar, then continue to your next stop by road or rail from Alwar. Neelkanth and Bhangarh need a separate long day if you add them.
Reaching Sariska and getting around
Public transport inside the reserve does not exist in a useful form, so vehicles are booked rather than hailed.
Getting here
- By road from Jaipur, about 108 km to the northeast
- By road from Delhi, roughly 200 to 240 km depending on route and source
- By rail to Alwar Junction on the Delhi to Jaipur line, then a road transfer to the main Sariska gate; confirm the distance for your gate
Inside the reserve
- Safari jeeps are the standard way to enter the forest, arranged through the reserve system or a hotel
- Vehicle rules change, so we confirm them with the reserve before travel
- Guides and naturalists are arranged separately, and their fees are not part of our tour price
Moving between sights
- Siliserh Lake is about 13 km from Alwar and works as a short road outing
- Kankwari plateau involves a climbing forest road and is a separate excursion
- Neelkanth and Bhangarh are on the far side of the reserve from the main gate and need a separate, long excursion; ask us to confirm access and time before including them
Reading the reserve honestly
Three things worth knowing so the stop matches expectations.
By 2004 and 2005 reports confirmed that the reserve had lost its tigers. Animals were brought from Ranthambore from 2008 onward, and the reserve has tigers again. That is a real conservation story, but Sariska has hilly, dense terrain where animals are hard to spot, so a tiger sighting is a bonus and nobody can promise one on any given drive.
Access to the reserve and to temple routes such as Pandupol varies with the season, and sources disagree on the monsoon arrangements. Pilgrims are allowed through the park on set days, which means those days are busier and less suited to a wildlife-focused visit. Always confirm the current rules and vehicle allocation with the reserve office before fixing a plan.
Sariska rewards people who like landscape and patience. Distances inside the reserve are long, tracks are rough, and temples, forts and viewpoints sit far apart. Treat the drives as the main event and the heritage sites as bonuses, and avoid packing more into a day than the terrain allows.
Where to sleep for the forest
Most travellers stay either at the park gate or on the Alwar side. The choice mainly decides how early you reach the first drive.
Near the main gate
- Heritage-style hotels close to the gate, for the shortest morning approach
- Small forest lodges and eco-style stays along the edge of the buffer area
- A base that lets you do an early drive, return for breakfast and go out again later without long road time
On the Alwar side
- Lake-view hotels near Siliserh for people who want water views and a slower evening
- City hotels in Alwar, practical for rail arrivals and for combining the fort and museum
- A longer daily transfer to the reserve, accepted in return for being near town facilities
Choosing between them
- Choose the gate side if the drives are the point of the stop
- Choose the lake side if you want Sariska as one chapter in a gentler Alwar stay
- Confirm vehicle and guide arrangements with the property, since safaris here are arranged through the reserve system
Practical notes
Small preparations that make the forest days easier.
What to carry
- Muted clothing in greens, browns or greys rather than bright colours
- A hat, sunscreen and a layer, since open jeeps are cold early in winter and hot in the warm months
- Binoculars and a camera with a zoom lens, as animals are often at a distance
Costs and bookings
- Reserve entry, vehicle and camera charges are paid on top of the tour and are not included
- Naturalist or guide fees are also extra
- Safari slots are limited, so the drives are arranged in advance rather than on the day
Etiquette in the forest
- Keep voices low and stay seated in the vehicle unless your guide says otherwise
- Follow the driver and the forest staff on distance from animals
- Dress modestly for the hill temples and follow local custom there, including removing footwear where asked
Close to Sariska
Places that can be combined with the reserve on a longer trip.
Related to Sariska
Journeys that include Sariska — each one visits the city as part of its itinerary.
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