Key hubs
Manas airport and railway station
- Airport
- Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, Guwahati (GAU), about 150-180 km and roughly 4 hours by road; Rupsi (RUP) is closer but has limited services
- Railway station
- Barpeta Road (BPRD) on the Northeast Frontier Railway, the usual railhead; Bansbari gate is roughly 1-1.5 hours further by road
- Getting around
- Private car or hired jeep from Barpeta Road or Bansbari. Forest department jeeps are not generally available to tourists, so arrange transport locally.
How to reach Manas by air
The nearest major airport is Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, Guwahati (GAU), about 150-180 km away and roughly 4 hours by road. Rupsi (RUP) is also nearby, but services are limited and it is not the usual choice.
How to reach Manas by train
Barpeta Road (BPRD) on the Northeast Frontier Railway is the usual railhead, with several services to and from Guwahati. From there Bansbari gate is roughly 1-1.5 hours by road.
How to reach Manas by road
From Guwahati, take the highway west to Barpeta Road, then a rural road to Bansbari, about 4 hours in total depending on traffic. Buses and shared vehicles serve Barpeta Road, but a hired car is more comfortable.
Getting around Manas
Public transport stops at Barpeta Road. For the park, hire a private car or jeep from Barpeta Road or Bansbari, as forest department jeeps are not generally available to tourists. Inside the park, you travel in a jeep with a ranger.
For parents and senior travellers
Easy transfers to and in Manas
- Open jeeps are bumpy and have no air-conditioning. Ask your driver to go slowly, bring a cushion and a light layer for cold dawn air, and do not plan a full day of safari back to back.
- Make the road trip kinder by splitting it. Guwahati to Bansbari is a long drive, so a night in Barpeta or a late start to the park is easier than doing it all in a day.
- Carry medication, water and snacks. Medical help is far away, so travel insurance and a charged phone matter more here than in a city.
- Ask the airline or railway for wheelchair or porter assistance when you book, not on the day.
- Pre-book the pickup from the airport or station, so nobody has to negotiate with drivers after a long journey.
- Choose arrivals in daylight where you can, and keep the first afternoon free to rest.