Manas National Park
Grassland reserve under Bhutan with pygmy hog and golden langur
Best time to visit Manas National Park
- Jan, peak season
- Feb, peak season
- Mar, peak season
- Apr, shoulder season
- May, shoulder season
- Jun, best avoided
- Jul, best avoided
- Aug, best avoided
- Sep, best avoided
- Oct, shoulder season
- Nov, peak season
- Dec, peak season
peak shoulder off-season avoid
- Go: November to March
- Shoulder: April to May and October, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
- Skip: June to September
Planning a specific month? JanuaryFebruaryMarchNovemberDecember
Manas National Park season by season
Winter December to February Prime time
Nov-Mar is the real season: cold mornings on the Beki, rhino and elephant on burnt grassland, very few jeeps.
Summer March to May Prime time
April-May stays open but runs 33 C and the grass hides everything; safaris wind down before the June closure.
Monsoon June to September Do not go
Gates shut Jun-Sep, the Beki runs brown with Bhutan-side rain and the Bansbari approach road becomes a swamp.
Autumn October to November Prime time
An October reopening depends on the rains and grass is still shoulder-high, so November is the first safe month.
What Manas National Park is actually like
Bodoland community lodges and forest bungalows, hardly any backpackers, guides who used to hunt these forests
Getting to Manas National Park
Barpeta Road railhead 22 km to Bansbari gate; Guwahati 140 km, 4 h by bus plus shared taxi
Practical ways in: trainroad
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 2 days
- Budget
- Mid-range
- How busy
- Quiet at its peak
- Solo travel
- Doable solo with some planning
- Altitude
- 90 m
- State
- Assam
- Coordinates
- 26.7228, 90.9779
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Manas National Park?
November to March is peak season in Manas National Park. April to May and October is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid June to September. An October reopening depends on the rains and grass is still shoulder-high, so November is the first safe month.
How many days do you need in Manas National Park?
2 days is the usual stay. Bodoland community lodges and forest bungalows, hardly any backpackers, guides who used to hunt these forests.
How do you get to Manas National Park?
Barpeta Road railhead 22 km to Bansbari gate; Guwahati 140 km, 4 h by bus plus shared taxi. Practical ways in: train and road.
Is Manas National Park expensive, and does it get crowded?
Mid-range by Indian travel standards, and it runs quiet at the busiest time of year. Doable solo with some planning.
Nearby, and where to go next
-
Hajo & Sualkuchi
Assam
Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim shrines, and a town that weaves muga silk
100 km from Manas National Park, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Guwahati
Assam
Northeast's gateway city: Kamakhya Temple, river cruises
130 km from Manas National Park, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Chandubi Lake
Assam
Earthquake-born forest lake in Rabha country near Guwahati
140 km from Manas National Park, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Tawang
Arunachal Pradesh
Largest Indian monastery, high Himalayan passes
200 km from Manas National Park, roughly about 5 h by road
-
Buxa Tiger Reserve (Jayanti)
West Bengal
River-bed village under Bhutan hills with a limestone cave
180 km from Manas National Park, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Mawphanlur
Meghalaya
Grassy knoll village of tiny lakes and kayaks at 1,850 m
210 km from Manas National Park, roughly about 5 h by road
-
Dirang
Arunachal Pradesh
Monpa valley with hot springs, en route to Tawang
220 km from Manas National Park, roughly about 6 h by road
-
Nongkhnum Island (Langshiang Falls)
Meghalaya
Sand-beach river island above one of India's tallest falls
220 km from Manas National Park, roughly about 6 h by road
More places to visit in Assam
- Chandubi Lake Assam
- Dibru-Saikhowa National Park (Guijan Ghat) Assam
- Guwahati Assam
- Haflong Assam
- Hajo & Sualkuchi Assam
- Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary (Jorhat) Assam
- Kaziranga National Park Assam
- Majuli Island Assam
- Nameri National Park Assam
- Sivasagar Assam
- Tezpur Assam