DESTINATION
Pench National Park (Madhya Pradesh)
Seoni & Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh
The teak-and-bamboo valleys that inspired Kipling's Jungle Book. This is the larger, Madhya Pradesh side of Pench — our default first-safari recommendation, with strong sightings without Tadoba's crowds, and the shortest transfer from Nagpur of any Madhya Pradesh reserve.
FLORA & FAUNA
What grows and roams here
Flora
- Teak
- Mixed dry deciduous
- Saja
- Lendia
- Bamboo
Fauna
- Bengal tiger
- Leopard
- Dhole (Indian wild dog)
- Indian gaur
- Four-horned antelope
- Sloth bear
SAFARI ZONES
Zones & gates
| Safari zone | Gate code |
|---|---|
| Turia | TUR-01 |
| Karmajhiri | KAR-02 |
| Jamtara | JAM-03 |
SEASON
Best time to visit
Open October through June. Sightings improve steadily through the dry season, peaking April to June before the monsoon closure.
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
- Peak sightings
- Core zone closed
- Open, moderate
GETTING HERE
How to reach
Nagpur
90 km · approx. 2 hrs by road
Delhi
980 km · fly to Nagpur (1.5 hrs) + 2 hrs road
Mumbai
780 km · fly to Nagpur (1.3 hrs) + 2 hrs road
PLAN A TRIP
Related packages
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Before you ask.
Still have questions?
Can't find the answer you're looking for? Reach out and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.
Plan a safari hereIs Pench good for first-time safari-goers?
It's our top pick for first-timers — the shortest transfer from Nagpur, dependable sightings, and an easy-going pace that suits families.
Can I combine Pench with Kanha?
Yes — it's our most popular two-park route. A 3-hour road transfer connects them, covered in our Kanha & Pench Explorer package.
Is this the same reserve as Pench, Maharashtra?
Same tiger population and forest belt, but a separate entry point and management zone — see our Pench Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra) page for the Sillari and Khursapar gates on the other side of the border.
Do I need to self-drive or arrange my own vehicle?
No — every safari runs in a permitted gypsy with a forest-department-approved driver and our naturalist on board. Self-drive isn't permitted inside any core zone.
How many tigers live in Pench?
The wider Pench landscape (both the Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra sides together) holds roughly 80–90 tigers per the most recent forest-department estimates, one of the healthier populations in Central India.