Gorumara National Park is one of the popular national parks in India. Situated in the Dooars region of West Bengal, this natural splendour offers exciting wildlife to its visitors. It covers an area of 80 square kilometres with diverse flora and fauna. Are you curious to know more about this national park? Then keep reading to know everything about Gorumara National Park and the safaris that you can try on your visit.

A picture of the entrance of Gorumara National Park — Image Credits: Google Images

The national park is located at the foothills of Darjeeling, Himalayas on the floodplains of rivers, Murti and Raidak. This evergreen grassland stands as home to a large number of animals, reptiles and birds. This land was declared as a wildlife sanctuary in the year 1949 and transformed into a national park in 1992.

Why Gorumara National Park?

Gorumara National Park is one of the places where you can explore both nature and wildlife at its best. With its dense forests and green vistas, it has every element to soothe your soul. If you are a wildlife lover but haven’t explored this exciting place yet, then Gorumara National Park should be the place where you are planning your next trip to.

A picture of a rhinoceros that was taken at Gorumara National Park — Image Credits: Google Images

Best time to visit Gorumara National Park

The best time to visit Gorumara National Park is during winter. This is because of the reason that monsoon would have just ended and you will get to witness fresh green trees, dense forest that had grown over the monsoon and most importantly, you will experience a pleasant climate. Though visiting this place during summer can be a good experience, animal watching will the best when you visit during winter because of the soothing climate it offers.

An amazing view of the dense forest at Gorumara National Park — Image Credits: Google Images

Watchtower visits

Gorumara National Park is divided into different sections with a watchtower located in the core area of the section. There will be several trips that you can choose which would take you to the watchtower along with a guide to spot the amazing wildlife. One tip to not forget is that the afternoon watchtower visit has a special attraction compared to the others. Are you curious to know what that special attraction is? It is that, at the end of the visit, you will be taken to a place where the cultural dances are performed. Below are some of the watchtowers in Gorumara National Park:

Jatraprasad Watchtower
Medla Watchtower
Chandrachur Watchtower
Chukchuki Watchtower
Chapramari Watchtower

1. Jatraprasad Watchtower

Named in the remembrance of a female elephant is the Jatraprasad Watchtower, one of the famous watchtowers in Gorumara National Park. From the watchtower, you could witness a lot of animals flocking below the tower because of the salt licks deposited there.

2. Medla Watchtower

Medla Watchtower is located in the eastern part of the park. The best part about this watchtower is the bullock cart ride which is a must-do thing in this park.

3. Chandrachur Watchtower

Chandrachur Watchtower is located amidst the breathtaking nature where you will get to witness the best views of flora and fauna. This watchtower also has salt licks to attract a large number of animals.

4. Chukchuki Watchtower

Chukchuki Watchtower is very famous for birdwatching. For all the birders out there, this place is for you.

A picture of a peacock that was taken from Chukchuki Watchtower — Image Credits: Google Images

5. Chapramari Watchtower

Chapramari Watchtower is an extension of Gorumara Watchtower which is divided by Murti river. What you see here, will be so similar to the wildlife in Gorumara Watchtower.

Entry fee and timings to visit Gorumara National Park

While you are at the counter to avail the tickets for the watchtowers and safaris, you would need to submit a proper ID proof. After that, you will be given a form to fill along with a complimentary green cap. Also, there are many entries with specific costs that the tourists have to pay. Below are the entry fees and timings for each slot in different watchtowers:

Watchtower entry & counter timings

Depending on the season, the timings for watchtower entries may vary. There are totally 4 shifts in a day. Find below its timings:

March to September

Visit time: 6 AM to 7:30 AM
Permits issued time: 5:30 AM to 6:30 AM
Visit time: 8:30 AM to 7:30 AM
Permits issued time: 6:30 AM to 7:30 AM
Visit time: 2 PM to 3:30 PM
Permits issued time: 1 PM to 2 PM
Visit time: 4:30 PM to 6 PM
Permits issued time: 2 PM to 3 PM

October to February

Visit time: 6:30 AM to 8 AM
Permits issued time: 6 AM to 7 AM
Visit time: 9 AM to 10:30 AM
Permits issued time: 7 AM to 8 AM
Visit time: 1 PM to 2:30 PM
Permits issued time: 12 PM to 1 PM
Visit time: 3:30 PM to 5 PM
Permits issued time: 1 PM to 2 PM

Fee for watchtower visits and safaris

Here are the several costs that you need to pay on your visit to Gorumara National Park:

Vehicle cost from Lataguri to:
Jatraprasad/Rhino Point, Medla, Chandrachur: INR 990
Chukchuki: INR 720
Chapramari: INR 1140; Rs. 1320 (with tribal dance program)
Vehicle entry fee: INR 100
Guide fee: INR 180
Video Camera: INR 200
Per person entry fee:
Jatraprasad: INR 120 (for shift 1-3), INR 160 (shift 4)
Chapramari, Chandrachur, Chukchuki: INR 70 (shift 1-3), INR 120 (shift 4)
Medla: INR 120 (An additional amount of INR 40 for Bullock Cart Ride)

Safaris that you can take at Gorumara National Park

Apart from the watchtower visits, you also have safaris that you can enjoy at Gorumara National Park. Below is everything about elephant safari and jeep safari that you can try on your trip:

Elephant safari

Elephant safari is one of the thrilling experiences that Gorumara National Park has to offer. One thing about elephant safari is that not every traveller would get a chance to experience it. It is only for people who stay at Gorumara Eco Village (Kalipur), Gorumara Rhino Camp (Ramsay) and Gorumara Elephant Camp (Dhupjhora). Elephant safari is one of the best ways to spot wildlife at Gorumara National Park.

Jeep safari

If you are a wildlife enthusiast, then you must definitely try jeep safari in Gorumara National Park. In this safari, you will be picked up in the jeep along with a guide. You can explore the places for a total of 2 hours including the pickup and dropoff time. You can try jeep safari either in the morning slot or afternoon slot or both if you would like. Though it takes you to various parts in the park, please be aware that no watchtower will be covered.

How to reach Gorumara National Park

Gorumara National Park is located in Dooars region in Northeast India. Since the main counters to get the tickets for both safaris and watchtower visits are in Lataguri, tourists choose to stay either in Murti or Lataguri. Here are the ways in which you can reach the park:

To reach the park by train, you can reach the New Mal Junction at Malbazar which is the nearest railway station to the park. From there, take a cab to the park.
Malbazar is 28 km away from the park. From Malbazar, take a cab to reach Chalsa which is 8 km away from Malbazar. And from Chalsa, take either a bus or a cab to reach Lataguri.
You can take buses from Siliguri to reach the park. And from there, you can reach either Bagdogra airport or New Mal Junction and take a cab to reach Gorumara National Park.

Your trip to West Bengal would feel incomplete without paying a visit to Gorumara National Park. An experience of exploring the dense forest and spotting the awesome wildlife at this park will be nothing short of amazing. To plan your trip, head out to the website of Pickyourtrail to get some cool packages to visit Gorumara National Park in India. Throughout the trip, we would be helping you have an amazing vacation with seamless customer support via the Pickyourtrail application.

Happy exploring!