Dudhwa National Park
The main park, sal forest and Terai grassland on the Nepal border. Home to the reintroduced one-horned rhino, swamp deer in large herds, and tiger. Entry from Palia, about 10 km away.
Uttar Pradesh · Terai Grasslands
Nestled in Lakhimpur Kheri district, Uttar Pradesh, along the Indo-Nepal border, Dudhwa National Park is a core part of the larger Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR). Marshy grasslands, dense sal forests and meandering rivers make it the significant remnant of India’s highly productive Terai ecosystem. Dudhwa is known for the successful reintroduction of the one-horned rhinoceros and as a stronghold of Barasingha, also known as the endangered Northern Swamp Deer.
Note: Unusually, Dudhwa Tiger Reserve actually comprises three separate protected areas (Dudhwa National Park, Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary, and Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary), which are spread out rather than contiguous.
Became a protected area in 1958, declared a National Park in 1977. In 1987, Dudhwa and adjacent sanctuaries formed the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve under Project Tiger. The Rhino Rehabilitation Project (1984) successfully reintroduced Indian one-horned rhinos once native to the region. Conservationist Kunwar ‘Billy’ Arjan Singh was central to protecting Dudhwa’s tigers and building its reputation as a biodiversity hotspot.
Dense sal forests, vast marshy grasslands, rivers and wetlands at the foothills of the Himalayas.
Leopard, Sloth Bear, Wild Boar, Nilgai, Hispid Hare.
Over 450 bird species — Bengal Florican, Great Slaty Woodpecker, Swamp Francolin, hornbills, fishing eagles, storks, Sarus Crane.
Mugger Crocodiles, Gharials, pythons, monitor lizards.
Dudhwa lies in the Terai, a belt of swamp, grassland and sal forest along the Nepal border, and its climate is one of extremes in every season. Winter runs from November to February and is genuinely cold by Indian standards, with nights near 4°C and dense morning fog that can delay a drive. Days reach a comfortable 20 to 25°C. Summer runs from March to June, hot and humid, passing 40°C in May. The grasslands dry back and wildlife concentrates around the Suheli and Sharda rivers and the lake at Jhadi Taal. The monsoon is heavy, from July to September, with around 1,500 mm of rain. The Terai floods, the grass grows above head height, and the park closes. It reopens on 15 November, the latest opening of any reserve in this group.
Dudhwa is open 15 November to 15 June. Winter (November-February) is cool and popular; March-May is hotter but improves sightings of tiger and rhino near water.
Two safaris a day. Winter (1 November-31 March) runs roughly 6:30 am-10:00 am and 2:30 pm-sunset; summer (1 April-15 June) shifts earlier, to about 6:00 am-9:30 am and 3:30 pm-sunset.
Each zone has its own terrain, gate and character.
The main park, sal forest and Terai grassland on the Nepal border. Home to the reintroduced one-horned rhino, swamp deer in large herds, and tiger. Entry from Palia, about 10 km away.
About 30 km from Dudhwa, centred on Jhadi Taal lake. The best part of the reserve for tiger sightings and for swamp deer, which gather at the lake in hundreds.
The eastern third, on the Girwa river. Gharial, mugger crocodile and Gangetic dolphin alongside tiger. The river crossing at Girwa is the reason most people come.
Terai grassland drives near the Nepal border.
Along the Suheli and the Sharda, through Dudhwa's wetland edges.
Into grassland the jeeps cannot reach, the traditional way to see Terai swamp deer.
Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, Lucknow, about 230 km away, is the nearest airport.
Dudhwa Railway Station, about 4 km from the park entrance, is the nearest railhead; Palia (about 10 km) and Mailani (about 37 km) are the other nearby stations.
Dudhwa is well connected by road from Lucknow (about 230-250 km) and Delhi (about 430 km) via Sitapur, Lakhimpur and Palia Kalan.
Tell us your dates and we will come back with zones, permits and a plan.