A Gir National Park lion safari is the only way to see Asiatic lions in the wild anywhere on earth. They survive in one corner of Gujarat, in the dry teak forest of the Saurashtra peninsula, and nowhere else. That single fact shapes everything about a visit: where you stay, which permit you chase, and how far you are prepared to drive for it.
We have planned wildlife trips from our office in Jaipur since 2005, and Gir is the park we most often have to explain twice, because it does not work like the tiger reserves. Here is how the zones, permits and months actually work.
The park in brief
The protected area covers roughly 1,412 square kilometres between Junagadh and the coast. It became a sanctuary in 1965, and a core of about 259 square kilometres was declared a national park in 1975. The forest is dry deciduous: teak, acacia scrub, rocky ridges and seasonal rivers, with the Kamleshwar dam reservoir in the middle holding marsh crocodiles and a good share of the birdlife.
The lion story is a genuine recovery. The 16th Asiatic lion census, carried out in May 2025, counted 891 lions across Gujarat, up from 674 in 2020. The detail most visitors miss is that only around 384 of them live inside Gir National Park and the sanctuary. The rest have spread into farmland, scrub and coastal belts across eleven districts.
Leopards, striped hyenas, sambar, spotted deer and nilgai live here too, and you will pass Maldhari herders, pastoralist families who have grazed buffalo alongside the lions for generations.
Gir National Park lion safari: the zones explained
"Gir safari" can mean three quite different things, all run by the Gujarat Forest Department.
Gir Jungle Trail
This is the real thing: an open gypsy drive along a fixed route inside the forest, with a registered guide. A permit covers one route and slot, for up to six adults plus one child in a six-seater vehicle. There are usually two morning slots and one in the afternoon, each lasting around three hours. Slot times can move with the weather; the time on your e-permit is final.
The Jungle Trail is closed every year from 16 June to 15 October for the monsoon. As we write, the 2026–27 season opens in a week.
Devalia Safari Park (Gir Interpretation Zone)
Devalia is a large fenced area within the sanctuary, toured by bus or gypsy. Sightings are close to certain, because the lions are kept within the fence. It is a useful back-up when Jungle Trail permits are sold out, and it suits young children. It is not the same experience, and we would never sell it as one. Devalia is closed every Wednesday.
Ambardi Safari Park
A smaller fenced park on the eastern side, further from Sasan and closed on Tuesdays.
Permits, ID and the morning itself
Jungle Trail permits can only be booked online through the official Gir booking system, and the season's popular weekends sell out fast. Book as soon as your dates are fixed. The permit does not include the guide or the gypsy: both are hired separately at the reception centre, Sinh Sadan, in Sasan, and a registered guide is compulsory.
Two rules catch people out. Foreign visitors must carry their original passport as photo ID; a photocopy or a phone picture is not accepted. And you have to reach the reception centre at least 30 minutes before your slot. Arrive late and the permit is lost, with no refund. Weekend permits cost more, so a midweek stay is cheaper as well as calmer.
For the paperwork that comes before any of this, our India visa guide for US, UK and EU travellers covers the e-Visa. Winter mornings in an open gypsy are colder than most people expect, so look at the layers in our season-by-season packing list.
When to go
The park is open from mid-October to mid-June.
- Mid-October to November: green after the rains, thick undergrowth, lower odds.
- December to February: cool mornings, comfortable days and the vegetation starting to thin. The best balance, and the busiest for permits around Christmas and New Year.
- March to mid-June: the forest dries out and water shrinks to a few holes, which makes lions easier to find. The price is heat: afternoons in April and May can pass 40°C.
We'd suggest late December to February for a first visit, with April only for keen wildlife watchers who can cope with the heat and are happy to rest at the lodge through the middle of the day.
How we fit Gir into a trip
Ahmedabad to Sasan is about 350 km, a full day in the car once you allow for the roads and a lunch stop. Rajkot airport is about 160 km away, roughly four hours. Keshod is the closest airport, around 60 km, but has very few scheduled flights; Diu, about 100 km away, is the other option. Air India flies non-stop from London Gatwick to Ahmedabad a few days a week, in around nine and a half to ten hours,.
On our 13-day Gujarat wildlife tour, Gir follows the blackbuck grasslands of Velavadar. Day 5 is the transfer to Sasan, with the afternoon spent at the Kamleshwar dam for birds and crocodiles. Day 6 starts with an early breakfast and a morning drive in the teak forest. The route then continues to Jamnagar for the marine park and bird sanctuaries, and on to Kutch. If you would rather combine lions with crafts and the white Rann, our 9-day Ahmedabad and Kutch itinerary shows the northern half of the state; all our Gujarat tours can be extended south to Gir.
A good driver matters more here than in most places, because the safari days start in the dark and the transfers are long. Dino N, who travelled with us in February 2026, wrote on TripAdvisor that their driver Dhara Singh "waited for us with so much patience he also gave us many useful tips on how we should behave regarding places to visit." On a Gir trip, with its dark starts and long transfers, that patience is the job. You can read more of what guests say on our reviews page, where we hold 4.8 from 303 reviews, and see how a private car works on our car rental with driver page.
What we would avoid
We advise against one night in Sasan. You get one drive, and if the lions are resting deep in the teak that morning, which happens often, you go home with photos of spotted deer. Two nights and three Jungle Trail drives give you a fair chance; the forest department never guarantees a sighting, and neither do we.
The honest downside of Gir is that it can feel busy. Gypsies run on fixed routes, and when a lion is spotted near the track several vehicles gather. Compare it with our experience of Jim Corbett's safari zones if you are choosing between parks, or browse our wider India wildlife tours. For a deeper read on the park itself, see our Gir destination page, and for the rest of the state, Gujarat at a glance.
Gir National Park: frequently asked questions
Are lion sightings guaranteed?
Not on the Gir Jungle Trail. Your odds rise with more drives and in the drier months from March. Devalia's fenced area makes a sighting close to certain, but it is a different experience.
How many safaris should we book?
Three Jungle Trail drives over two nights is our usual recommendation.
Is Gir suitable for children?
Yes, with care. One child aged 3 to 12 can join six adults on a permit, but three hours in an open vehicle is a lot for small children; Devalia's shorter tour suits families better.
What is the time difference with the UK?
India is five and a half hours ahead of London in winter and four and a half hours ahead during British Summer Time. There are no clock changes in India.
If lions are on your list, tell us your dates and we will build the Gujarat route around the best permit slots. Send us your Gir enquiry and our Jaipur team will reply with a day-by-day plan.
