Jim Corbett National Park

Dhikala Zone

The heart of Corbett — and the only zone you can sleep inside

Entry gate Dhangarhi Gate

From Ramnagar About 18 km to the gate, then 30 km inside

Open Roughly 15 November – 15 June (closed in monsoon)

Safari type Night stay with jeep safari, or day canter safari

Night stay inside Yes

Tiger chance

Dhikala is the largest and most famous zone in Jim Corbett National Park. It has the widest grasslands, the Ramganga reservoir, and the highest chance of seeing a tiger. It is also the only zone where you can stay the night inside the forest.

If you have seen a photograph of Corbett with tall golden grass, a river bend and a tiger walking out of the treeline, you have almost certainly seen Dhikala.

Dhikala sits deep inside the park, about 30 km in from the Dhangarhi entry gate. What makes it special is the chaur — huge open grassland that lets you see far in every direction. In most of Corbett you are looking into thick sal forest. In Dhikala you are looking across open country, which is exactly why sightings here are the best in the park.

Why people choose Dhikala

The highest tiger sighting rate of any zone in Corbett
Big herds of elephant on the grassland, especially in the evening
The Ramganga reservoir, where you often see mugger crocodile, gharial and otter
The old Forest Rest House that Jim Corbett himself wrote about

The one thing to understand about Dhikala

Dhikala works differently from every other zone. There are two ways in:

1. Night stay at Dhikala Forest Rest House. You stay inside the park, and you get jeep safaris in the morning and afternoon. This is the full Dhikala experience. Rooms are very limited and the Forest Department releases them well in advance, so this needs booking months ahead.

2. Day visit by canter. A shared open bus run by the Forest Department goes in for a day trip. It is far cheaper and much easier to get, but you are in a group of about sixteen people and you cannot choose where to stop.

Day jeep safaris are not allowed in Dhikala. If someone offers you one, something is wrong.

Honest note

Dhikala is closed during the monsoon and usually opens around the middle of November. It stays open until roughly mid-June. Exact dates shift every year with the weather and the Forest Department decision, so please confirm with us before you fix your train tickets.