Mukundara National Park · MHTR · Kota · Rajasthan
Tigers returning after half a century, the Chambal's deepest gorge and fifteen centuries of history — an hour from Kota. Come for a tiger safari by jeep or canter, a boat safari on the Chambal, wildlife trails and the painted rock shelters of the Chambal valley.
Chambal gorge, Garadiya · Photo: Vishalamu81, CC BY 4.0
Experiences
Search for a tiger in the old hunting valleys of Darrah, drift beneath vulture cliffs on the Chambal, walk the gorges and winter wetlands, and finish at rock shelters painted thousands of years ago.
Jeep · Canter · Darrah & Kolipura ranges
Open-jeep and canter safaris through Mukundara Hills Tiger Reserve, where tigers from Ranthambhore and Bandhavgarh are rebuilding a population. Leopards, sloth bears and wolves make every drive worthwhile.
Boat safari · Kota · Chambal gorge
A forest-department boat trip into the Chambal gorge — gharial and mugger on the sandbanks, smooth-coated otters in the shallows, eagle-owls and vultures on red sandstone cliffs.
Trails & walks · Gorges · Wetlands
Gorge-rim walks at Garadiya Mahadev and Gaipernath, crocodiles at Sawan Bhadon, otters on the Jawahar Sagar stretch and winter wetlands full of migrants — and, beyond Mukundara, Ramgarh Vishdhari and the grasslands of Sorsan.
Rock paintings · Forts · Temples
Painted shelters of the Chambal valley on UNESCO's Tentative List, the 5th-century ruins of Bhim ki Chauri by the safari gate, the water fort of Gagron, Buddhist caves at Kolvi and the temples of Baroli.
Tiger Safari · Jeep & Canter
Safaris are run by the Rajasthan Forest Department on fixed routes in the Darrah and Kolipura ranges, in two slots a day. Pick the vehicle that suits your group — the forest, and the chance of a tiger, are the same.
Up to 6 guests
Quieter and more flexible, low to the ground for photographs. Best for couples, families and photographers.
Up to 20 guests
A larger open-top vehicle with a higher seat and a steadier ride, usually cheaper per seat. Best for groups and school parties.
By mid-2026 the reserve held seven tigers — two males, four females and a cub born here. Sighting chances are very good, and leopards, sloth bears and deer make every drive worthwhile. Meet the tigers →
Other wildlife sightings
Most days in Mukundara are made by the supporting cast — a leopard on a ruined wall, a sloth bear on a rocky slope, otters in the Chambal, vultures riding thermals above the gorge. Here is what to look for, and where.
Tiger safari · ridges & ruinsLeopard
Tiger safari · DarrahSloth bear
Chambal safariGharial & mugger
Chambal safari · winter morningsSmooth-coated otters
Gorge cliffs · GaradiyaIndian vultures
Monsoon visitorIndian pitta
Sarus crane, ducks & waders · Nov – FebWinter wetlands
Shaded valleys · monsoonParadise flycatcher
Rocks & scrub · watch your stepSaw-scaled viper
Also look for: sambar · chital · chinkara · nilgai · wild boar · Indian wolf · striped hyena · jungle cat · Bonelli's eagle · eagle-owls · brown fish owl · Alexandrine parakeet · sarus crane
Sightseeing · Heritage & rock art
Mukundara sits at the heart of Hadoti, where the Chambal and its tributaries carved the shelters of Stone Age painters and drew builders from the Guptas to the Rajput kings of Kota and Jhalawar.
JhalawarJhalrapatan Sun Temple
UNESCO Tentative List · prehistoryRock paintings
By the safari gateDarrah & Bhim ki Chauri
Buddhist heritageKolvi Caves
Chambal viewpointGaradiya Mahadev
UNESCO World HeritageGagron Fort
10th-century temples · dams · waterfallsBaroli & Rawatbhata
Inside the reserveMandirgarh ruins
Gateway cityKota River Front
When to come
Each season favours a different experience. Safaris in Rajasthan's tiger reserves usually pause for the monsoon, and dates can change — check with us before you plan.
Oct – Nov
Dec – Feb
Mar – Jun
Jul – Sep
The comeback
Hadoti's original tigers were hunted out by 1984. In July 2003 a wandering Ranthambhore male known as Broken Tail was killed by a train near Darrah — proof that tigers could still find their way here along the hills and rivers. Mukundara became a tiger reserve on 9 April 2013; the first relocated tigers arrived in 2018 and most were lost by 2020.
Since late 2022 a second, more careful recovery has taken hold — tigers from Ranthambhore, an orphan rewilded at Kota's Abheda Biological Park, and in 2026 a tigress from Bandhavgarh. It has made Mukundara a living laboratory:
Questions
Mukundara Hills National Park (2004) forms the heart of Mukundara Hills Tiger Reserve (MHTR), which lies just south of Kota in south-east Rajasthan across Kota, Bundi, Chittorgarh and Jhalawar districts. The main safari gate at Darrah is about 50 km from Kota on NH-52, the Kota–Jhalawar highway.
Yes. After early setbacks, the reserve held seven tigers by mid-2026 — two males, four females and a cub born in the reserve — relocated from Ranthambhore and Bandhavgarh or rewilded from Kota. Sighting chances are very good — though, as with any wild tiger, never guaranteed.
An open jeep (Gypsy) seats up to 6 guests and is quieter and more flexible — best for photographers, families and couples. A canter seats up to 20 — a larger open-top vehicle for groups and school parties, with a higher seat and a steadier ride, and it usually costs less per seat. Both run on the same forest-department routes and slots. Compare jeep and canter.
Safaris in Mukundara are run by the Rajasthan Forest Department from the Darrah and Kolipura ranges. Call or WhatsApp +91 77373 39915, or email wildlifectp@gmail.com, with your dates, group size and choice of jeep or canter, and we'll confirm availability and the current booking process.
A two-hour forest-department boat safari from Kota into the Chambal gorge, through the National Chambal Sanctuary and along the edge of MHTR — with gharial and mugger crocodiles, smooth-coated otters, eagle-owls and cliff-nesting vultures. Chambal Safari details.
Yes. Painted rock shelters at Darrah, Gaipernath, Garadiya Mahadev, Jawahar Sagar and near Kolipura belong to the Rock Art Sites of the Chambal Valley, placed on UNESCO's Tentative List in 2024. Most are in protected forest and unsigned, so visit with a knowledgeable guide and never touch the paintings. About the rock paintings.
October to March is the most comfortable and best for birds and the Chambal Safari. April to June is hot but good for waterhole sightings on tiger safaris. Tiger-reserve safaris in Rajasthan usually pause during the monsoon (July–September) — confirm before you plan.
MHTR is the short form of Mukundara Hills Tiger Reserve (also spelt Mukundra Hills), notified on 9 April 2013. Its tigers carry “MT” numbers — MT-1 to MT-10 so far.
Talk to us
Tiger safari by jeep or canter, a Chambal boat safari, wildlife trails or a heritage and rock-painting visit — send your dates and group size by WhatsApp, phone or email and we'll help you plan it.
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