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A young one-horned rhinoceros with mud on its grey armoured hide walking through short grass, in Kaziranga
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Photo: Tisha Mukherjee · CC BY-SA 4.0
park2 min from Kaziranga

Kaziranga National Park — the four ranges, the rhinoceros and the safaris

Kaziranga National Park in Assam: the one-horned rhinoceros, the four ranges at Kohora, Bagori, Agoratoli and Burapahar, jeep and elephant safaris, floods.

What it is

Kaziranga is a World Heritage Site and Tiger Reserve on the south bank of the Brahmaputra, entered at Kohora, about 2 km and 2 minutes from the town on our routing. Wikipedia describes dense tropical forest broken by tall elephant grass and marsh around many beels. The Assam Tourism page says it holds two-thirds of the world's Indian one-horned rhinoceros.

Photos: Rohit Sharma (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Tisha Mukherjee (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.

The ranges

The state page names four main ranges: Central at Kohora, Western at Bagori, Eastern at Agoratoli and Burapahar. Jeep safaris run in all four, and elephant safaris in the Central and Western ranges; elephant seats are limited, so the state page advises booking ahead. Covering all four takes two to three days.

The animals

Wikipedia gives the park the world's largest populations of the Indian rhinoceros, wild water buffalo and eastern swamp deer, with Indian elephants as well. It lists the rhino, tiger, elephant, buffalo and swamp deer as Kaziranga's Big Five. Wikivoyage says the tall grass makes tigers hard to see, and calls the rhino the star.

Floods and seasons

Each monsoon the Brahmaputra floods much of the park. Wikipedia says the floods of 2012 killed 540 animals, including 13 rhinos, and that in the dry months park staff burn the tall grass in December and January. The state page names November to April as the best months.

Plans

Copy the one day at Kaziranga or the two days with the Western Range and Deopahar. Read how to reach Kaziranga, the best time and things to do in Kaziranga, and see Deopahar for the ruins nearby.

Plans that include this

All 2 plans that stop here →
Two open safari jeeps with passengers on a dirt track through grassland and bare trees in the Central Zone
One day at Kaziranga — Kohora and a Central Range safari
Day plan · wildlife lovers · wildlife
A one-day plan for Kaziranga: be at Kohora before sunrise for a jeep safari in the Central Range, the dry-season months and what to book in advance.
Best Jan–Apr · Nov–Dec
See the plan →
A wild elephant standing in tall brown elephant grass with a hazy tree line behind
Two days at Kaziranga — the Western Range, the Central Range and Deopahar
1 night · 2 days · wildlife lovers · wildlife and ruins
A two-day plan for Kaziranga: a Western Range safari at Bagori, the Central Range at Kohora and the Deopahar archaeological site at Numaligarh, with times.
Best Jan–Apr · Nov–Dec
See the plan →

Nearby places

All of Kaziranga →
Deopahar — the Hills of the Gods and its ruined stone temple at Numaligarh
Deopahar — the Hills of the Gods and its ruined stone temple at Numaligarh
ruins · 33 km away

Nearby destinations

All destinations →
Wooden houses with red tin roofs on a green slope in Kohima Village, with the city and blue hills behind under white clouds
Kohima
125 km away · 3 itineraries · 3 places
The tall dark beehive-shaped dome of Kamakhya Temple above smaller red domes and a trident among trees
Guwahati
170 km away · 2 itineraries · 4 places
The white and yellow buildings of Tawang Monastery spread along a ridge above the town under a blue sky with clouds
Tawang
188 km away · 2 itineraries · 4 places
A wide view over the houses of Shillong spread across forested hills under a sky of towering white clouds
Shillong
189 km away · 4 itineraries · 7 places
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Questions people ask

What are the ranges of Kaziranga?

The Assam Tourism page names four main ranges: Central at Kohora, Western at Bagori, Eastern at Agoratoli and Burapahar. It says jeep safaris run in all four and elephant safaris in the Central and Western ranges, and that covering all four takes two to three days. We have no verified safari timings or fares, so ask at your stay.

How big is Kaziranga and what lives there?

The state tourism page gives 858.98 sq km with its additions, and Wikipedia gives a core of 378 km² with 429 km² more added around it. Wikipedia counts 2,401 Indian rhinoceros, 1,666 wild water buffalo, 468 eastern swamp deer and 1,940 elephants, the largest populations of the first three anywhere, and calls it a Tiger Reserve.

Why does Kaziranga flood?

The Brahmaputra rises in the monsoon. In July and August three-quarters of the western region is under water, says Wikipedia, and each flood covers most of the park for 5 to 10 days. Animals move to high ground outside the southern boundary. Wikivoyage says the park is closed from May to October.