In October during the Dussehra holidays, I visited Nahargarh Biological Park in Jaipur. It is also called Nahargarh Zoological Park. The prime attraction of this visit was the recently shifted Jaipur Zoo, from Ramniwas Garden near the Albert Hall museum to the Nahargarh Biological Park, Kukas, on Delhi Highway. This park has been in the making for the last few years and it opened in 2016. It is one of the leading biological parks in India.

I visited a part of this park having few enclosures with lions and tigers some 5 years ago. The Zoo in Jaipur being small forced the authorities to shift a few cats to this place. I’m not sure if this section is still open to the public. I’m sharing a few pictures from that trip.

Visiting Nahargarh Biological Park Zoo requires planning as it is 20 KM from the city center; a 45 minutes drive. I have wanted to visit the park because I have trekked in the vicinity many times. It’s a beautiful terrain that occupies 80 hectares.

The announcement board on the highway is subdued and one is likely to miss it. A narrow road from the highway leads to its entrance concealed by the Aravali hills. The road ends at a roundabout where you can purchase Nahargarh Biological and Zoological Park entry tickets.

It is here you can either park your vehicle or decide to take it further by paying extra charges. You can only drive a kilometer and a half further from this point. My friend who had visited here before advised me to park the car in the parking lot.  I hired an e-rickshaw available at a flat rate of Rs 60 one way.

The road which leads from the roundabout to the zoo entrance is cemented. Many people choose to walk this distance. Still-camera is charged steeply and the entrance ticket is checked twice before you enter the zoo.

I was delighted with the well-planned layout and landscaping of the zoo area. One gets a feeling of an expansive and open space.

The first open-air cage was that of a white tiger. I’m assuming a reason for placing the white tiger away from other cats. It looks like the aim is to delight and wow visitors since the white tiger is not common in a zoo.

One gets to see a variety of animals from sloth bear, crocodile, emu, civet, porcupine to various species of deer. Information about each species is also placed on a board adjacent to the enclosure.

You will find benches placed along the walkway in case you want to sit & relax. There’s a resting hut along with a public toilet, however, the upkeep of the toilet is poor. It looked like it wasn’t cleaned for days and there were signs of vandalism.

In a zoo, the prime attraction is either exotic animals like giraffes, Elephant,s and so on. However, in Nahargarh Biological Park it is big cats. The anticipation for the cat family starts building up when one notices painted paw marks on the walkway.

Enclosures of the cat family are placed side by side. There is a lion, a Bengal tiger, and a panther.

The last section of this zoo is that of a fox family.

Is Nahargarh Biological Park a new Zoo in Jaipur? Overall, the zoo at Nahargarh Biological Park is bigger and better than the old Jaipur Zoo. The bird section is yet to be shifted to here which is a dampener since it doesn’t complete the zoo experience. From the perspective of animals, the topography is natural with no human settlement around.

Improvements can be made in a couple of areas.  I do feel that there is a need for better facilities, especially food and water. Currently, there is no canteen or food court for visitors. In summer the lack of drinking water will be a menace; make sure you are carrying enough water with you on your visit. There are talks of introducing Zebra and Giraffes as well under the animal exchange program from Kenya but nothing has been finalized yet. The biological park section is slated to open in the second half of 2018.

Lion Safari in Nahargarh Biological Park And Ticket Charges

The government has plans to start Lion Safari in Nahargarh Zoological Park starting in October 2018 and in all likelihood, it will start as planned.  Update August 2019 – Having sought lions from Gujrat, the lion safari has started in Nahargarh Biological Park. The lion safari ticket price is Rs 250 per person for Indians and Rs 500 for foreigners; it is a combo ticket availing a visit to the Nahargarh Biological Park. The time for the lion safari is 9 AM to 4 PM.

Update August 2019: Recently, among the list of animals in Nahargarh Zoological Park, a pair of hippopotami has been added.

Follow Jaipurthrumylens!! on  Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Nahargarh Biological & Zoological Park Entry Ticket

Nahargarh Zoological Park Entry Ticket is priced at Rs 20 for students, Rs 50 for Indian adults, and Rs 200 for foreigners. Kids under 7 years have free admission. Charges for a car are Rs 200 and camera Rs 600. A video camera is charged at Rs 1000.

Nahargarh Biological & Zoological Park Ticket Booking Online

Nahargarh Zoological Park ticket booking can be online https://sso.rajasthan.gov.in/signin

Nahargarh Biological & Zoological Park Timings

The time of Nahargarh Zoological Park is 8.30 AM to 5.30 PM. Nahargarh Zoological Park is closed on Tuesdays. Nahargarh Zoological Park’s timings on Sunday are the same as on other days.

Best Time To Visit Nahargarh Zoological Park

It is recommended to visit this park during the early morning in the summer months, March to September. October- February is the ideal month to enjoy a visit to this zoo as the weather is pleasant.

How to reach Nahargarh Biological & Zoological Park by bus?

You can also reach Nahargarh Biological Park with the Jaipur city bus system; it won’t be the most suitable or comfortable mode of transport though. Check with the bus heading towards Amer Kukas or Kunda. Do note that you need to walk for 1-2 km to the entry gates of the park, from the Jaipur-Delhi highway, the drop point for those arriving from Jaipur. Alternatively, you can take a bus ride from Jaipur to Amer and hire an autorickshaw to Nahargarh Biological Park.

You can also club your visit to Nahargarh Biological & Zoological Park with Tao Experiences