Assam wildlife tourism will reopen for the 2026-27 season with Manas National Park welcoming visitors on October 2, followed by Kaziranga National Park on October 3 and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary on October 13, according to the Assam tourism department.
The staggered reopening follows the mandatory monsoon closure prescribed by the National Tiger Conservation Authority. Forest Department teams are completing preparations at the parks as the rainy season ends, including repairs to roads, bridges and other visitor infrastructure, as well as verification of safari vehicles.
Manas National Park and Tiger Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site spread across Chirang and Baksa districts in the Bodoland Territorial Region, will reopen with a special programme at its second main entrance. The park will remain open until further orders under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and the Assam Wildlife (Protection) Rules, 1997.
Visitors to Manas will need to account for weekly closures at individual ranges. Bansbari will remain closed on Tuesdays, Bhuyanpara, also known as Bhuyapara, on Thursdays, Panbari on Fridays, Kuklung on Wednesdays and Kahitama Beat on Mondays.
Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve will begin jeep safaris on October 3. The notified entry windows are 7.30 am to 10 am and 1.30 pm to 3 pm. Hotels and other tourism stakeholders have renovated facilities ahead of the reopening, with officials and operators expecting strong demand during the new season.
Kaziranga recorded 4,68,147 visitors during the 2025-26 season, including 30,474 foreign tourists, described as a record number in the report. Manas received 63,723 visitors during the same season, representing an increase of more than 20 per cent over four years. Pobitora recorded 35,371 visitors.
The parks are also central to Assam’s wildlife conservation profile. Manas is home to Royal Bengal tigers, Asian elephants, greater one-horned rhinoceroses, clouded leopards, golden langurs, pygmy hogs and nearly 450 bird species. The park’s rhino population has risen to more than 50 after years of zero-poaching success, according to the report.
Kaziranga holds around 2,613 of Assam’s estimated 2,895 one-horned rhinoceroses and a significant share of the state’s tigers. Both Manas and Kaziranga are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Officials expect the staggered reopening to support guides, lodge operators and communities located near the forest boundaries while giving habitats time to recover after the monsoon. Visitors have been advised to check range-specific schedules and book safaris in advance as the 2026-27 wildlife tourism season begins.