Source: Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sambar_in_Pench_National_Park_02.jpg
Pench Tiger Reserve straddles the Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra border along the Pench river, the landscape that inspired Kipling's The Jungle Book. Teak and mixed forest with open grassland hold tigers, leopards, wild dogs, gaur and large herds of deer. It became a national park in 1983.
Safari essentials: on the Madhya Pradesh side, core safaris enter through the Turia, Karmajhiri and Jamtara gates, with about 50 vehicles in the morning and 49 in the afternoon. The core reopened on 1 October 2026 and the season runs to 30 June, with morning and afternoon shifts. Mobile phones are not allowed on safari. Reported 2026 charges for Indian visitors are a vehicle entry fee of ₹2,640 and a guide fee of ₹800 to ₹1,000, with higher rates for foreigners. Book Madhya Pradesh permits on forest.mponline.gov.in.
- Address: Pench Tiger Reserve, Seoni District, Madhya Pradesh
- Hours: Morning and afternoon shifts. Core zones open 1 October to 30 June. Gate times from 1 October 2026: October and November 6:00 AM to 11:30 AM and 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM; December and January 6:20 AM to 11:30 AM and 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM; February and March 6:10 AM to 11:30 AM and 3:00 PM to 6:30 PM; April to June 5:30 AM to 11:00 AM and 3:30 PM to 7:00 PM.
- How to Reach: Nagpur airport and railway station are about 90 km from Turia gate on the Nagpur to Jabalpur highway via Khawasa.
- Website: https://forest.mponline.gov.in
Share a quick rating, tip, or photo so the next traveler knows what to expect.