Best time
November to February, early morning safarisEntry fee
Approx ₹100 (Indians), ₹500 (foreigners); jeep/guide charges separateOpening hours
Sunrise to sunset; permits via forest officeThe Desert National Park is the wild Thar — over 3,000 sq km of dunes, rocky outcrops, salt flats and scrubland southwest of Jaisalmer that protects one of the world's most fragile arid ecosystems. Its most celebrated resident is the Great Indian Bustard (locally 'Godawan'), a magnificent metre-tall bird now among the most endangered on Earth, with the park holding a significant share of the surviving global population. Rajasthan's state bird is the reason birders travel across the world to this corner of the desert.
But the park is far more than one species. Winter safaris commonly sight chinkara (Indian gazelle), desert fox, Bengal fox and desert cat, while raptors rule the skies — eagles, harriers, falcons and buzzards wintering over the grasslands, joined by larks, coursers and sandgrouse. The landscape itself astonishes: the Akal Wood Fossil Park within the region preserves 180-million-year-old fossilised tree trunks from when this desert was a humid Jurassic forest.
Visits work best as guided jeep safaris arranged through the forest department or experienced local operators, entering via the Sam or Sudasari gates — Sudasari is the classic bustard zone. Go at first light between November and February, keep voices low, stay on tracks, and bring binoculars and a zoom lens. Combine a morning park safari with an afternoon at the Sam Sand Dunes and an overnight desert camp for the complete wild-Thar day. Note: sightings of the bustard are a privilege, never a guarantee — which makes spotting one unforgettable.
History
Established in 1980, the park was carved from former royal hunting and grazing lands to protect the Thar's endemic wildlife as human pressure grew. It became the centrepiece of India's Great Indian Bustard conservation efforts — the bird once ranged across the subcontinent's grasslands in the thousands but collapsed under hunting and habitat loss. Recent years have brought a landmark captive-breeding programme near Sam, hatching chicks to rebuild the population, alongside campaigns to protect the birds from powerline collisions — making the park a live theatre of one of the world's highest-stakes conservation battles.
Location
Frequently asked questions
The Great Indian Bustard (if lucky), chinkara gazelles, desert foxes, desert cats and a spectacular range of winter raptors and dryland birds.