Bhitarkanika itinerary

Plan 01

1 day in Bhitarkanika

1. 01

   Day 1: Creek safari from Khola or Gupti

   Leave Bhubaneswar very early or stay the previous night nearer the park. Reach the Khola or Gupti counter by mid-morning, register, collect the permit and hire a registered boat and guide. Spend four to five hours in the creeks, timing the ride so that you are on the water around low tide when crocodiles lie on the mudbanks. Return to the jetty, eat a simple meal and start the long road back while there is still light. This is tiring in a single day; a night closer to the park makes it much more enjoyable.

Plan 02

2 days in Bhitarkanika

1. 01

   Day 1: Road to the park and an afternoon safari

   Drive from the highway via Kendrapara to Rajnagar. If you pass through Kendrapara in the morning, visit the Baladevjew temple and try rasabali. Reach Khola or Gupti, arrange the permit and boat, and do an afternoon creek ride around low tide. Stay at a forest rest house or a camp near the park.

2. 02

   Day 2: Dangmal and the return

   Take an early boat to Dangmal to see the visitor centre and the old hunting tower and temple site. Return to the jetty by midday and drive back. If it is August or September, ask the forest office whether a visit to the Bagagahana heronry is possible instead.

   Stop	Time needed	Walking	Best time
   Bagagahana Heronry	Half a day by boat from the nearest jetty	Easy	August to September, when chicks are in the nests

   Pace: All the stops today are easy on the legs.

Plan 03

3 days in Bhitarkanika

1. 01

   Day 1: Arrival and Kendrapara

   Drive from Bhubaneswar to Kendrapara and visit the Baladevjew temple and a sweet shop for rasabali. Continue to Rajnagar and your lodging near the jetties. Rest and book the next day's boat.

2. 02

   Day 2: Creeks and Dangmal

   Collect the permit at Khola or Gupti and take a full-day boat ride into the creeks, with a stop at the Dangmal visitor centre. Stay overnight at Dangmal if you have booked a rest house, which lets you see the forest at dawn.

3. 03

   Day 3: Island beach or heronry

   With a confirmed boat and tide advice, travel to Habalikhati for the beach and turtle research centre, or, in August and September, go to the Bagagahana heronry. Return by afternoon. Do not plan beach visits to Gahirmatha, as access is restricted.

   Stop	Time needed	Walking	Best time
   Bagagahana Heronry	Half a day by boat from the nearest jetty	Easy	August to September, when chicks are in the nests

   Pace: All the stops today are easy on the legs.

Read before you go

Guides for the stops on these routes

Pacing

Pacing a Bhitarkanika trip for parents and children

• Plan at least one night near the park. A single day from Bhubaneswar means about seven to eight hours on the road and is very tiring.
• Boats are low and open. Ask the boatman to help with boarding, keep the life jacket on and carry a hat, water and sun protection; there is little shade on the water.
• Jetties are muddy and uneven. Wear closed shoes with grip and move slowly at landings.
• Facilities inside the park are basic. Carry medicines, snacks and a torch, and check bedding and bathroom arrangements before you book a forest rest house.
• The park is closed 1 May to 31 July. Plan for November to February, when the weather is mild and the creeks are comfortable.
• Skip Ekakula and long beach journeys unless you are comfortable on boats for several hours; Dangmal and the Khola creeks are the gentler choices.

Bhitarkanika with elderly parents: the full guide →