Manas itinerary

Plan 01

1 day in Manas

1. 01

   Day 1: Bansbari safari and the river

   Leave Barpeta Road early so you reach the Bansbari range office as the park opens, pay entry fees there and take a ranger with you. Spend the morning on a jeep drive through grassland and forest, stopping for birds and langurs, and go on to the river at Mathanguri if access is open. Eat lunch at your lodge, rest through the heat and head back before dusk. It is a long day by road from Guwahati, so a night near the park is more comfortable.

Plan 02

2 days in Manas

1. 01

   Day 1: Arrive and settle

   Drive from Guwahati or Barpeta Road in the morning, check in near Bansbari and rest. In the late afternoon, walk the village lanes around the lodge or visit the Manas Maozigendri Ecotourism Society's community programmes if open. Early dinner, early night.

   Stop	Time needed	Walking	Best time
   Manas Maozigendri Ecotourism Society	1-2 hours	Easy	November to February

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

2. 02

   Day 2: Jeep safari and the Manas river

   Enter at opening time for a jeep safari in the Bansbari range, then continue towards Mathanguri and the river if access allows. Raft on the river if operators are running trips. Return to the lodge for a late lunch and onward travel.

Plan 03

3 days in Manas

1. 01

   Day 1: Arrive and Barpeta

   Break the drive from Guwahati at Barpeta to see the Barpeta Satra, a long-standing Vaishnavite monastery, then continue to Bansbari for the night.

   Stop	Time needed	Walking	Best time
   Barpeta Satra	1-1.5 hours	Easy	October to March

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

2. 02

   Day 2: Bansbari and Mathanguri

   Do a full morning jeep safari in the Bansbari range, with a picnic or lodge lunch near the river. Spend the afternoon quietly birdwatching from the lodge or on the river bank.

3. 03

   Day 3: River or a second range

   Raft on the Manas river if running, or drive to the eastern Bhuyanpara range for a different stretch of grassland. Alternatively, spend the morning at Bornadi Wildlife Sanctuary, then head back to Guwahati.

   Stop	Time needed	Walking	Best time
   Bhuyanpara Range	Half a day	Easy	November to February
   Bornadi Wildlife Sanctuary	Half a day	Moderate	November to February

   Pace: Moderate walking today — plan a sit-down break between stops.

   With parents at Bornadi Wildlife Sanctuary: Facilities are minimal and access can be rough. Plan the visit with a local driver and carry your own water and food.

Read before you go

Guides for the stops on these routes

Pacing

Pacing a Manas trip for parents and children

• Choose one range and one base. The ranges inside the park are poorly connected, and moving between them wastes energy and daylight.
• 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.
• Lodge rooms are simple and some are far from the vehicle drop-off. Ask about ground-floor rooms, hot water and bathroom steps before you book.
• Carry medication, water and snacks. Medical help is far away, so travel insurance and a charged phone matter more here than in a city.
• Season and closures: The park is generally closed for the monsoon, roughly May to October, and the forest department sets reopening dates each year. Confirm the status before you book transport or lodges.

Manas with elderly parents: the full guide →