Sundarban National Park Entry Fee 2026: Permits, Boat & Guide Costs
Sundarban National Park entry fee for 2026, the park fee, boat and guide charges, the compulsory permit, and why most visitors book a package tour.
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The Sundarban — the vast mangrove delta on the West Bengal coast and home to the Royal Bengal Tiger — is a protected tiger reserve, so visiting is not a simple "buy a ticket at the gate" affair. You need a forest permit, a registered boat and an approved guide, and there are several separate charges. This guide breaks down the Sundarban National Park entry fee and the other costs for 2026 so you know what you are actually paying for.
Sundarban entry fee at a glance
The park entry fee itself is modest — around ₹60 per person for Indian visitors and about ₹200 for foreign nationals. But the entry fee is only one line on the bill. Because the Sundarban is a tiger reserve, the Forest Department levies several additional per-day charges collected at the time of entry, and you cannot enter without a boat and a guide. The headline "entry fee" is therefore much smaller than the total you will spend.
The other forest charges you should budget for
On top of the basic entry fee, expect Forest Department charges along these lines (per day, indicative):
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- Boat / launch permit — around ₹1,000 per boat per day (higher for larger launches).
- Per-person forest entry — a smaller daily charge, higher for foreign nationals than for Indians.
- Guide charges — a government-approved guide is compulsory and charged per day.
- Camera / video — a separate fee may apply for certain equipment.
These rates are set by the West Bengal Forest Department and are revised periodically, so treat the figures as a guide and confirm the current charges with the forest office or your operator before you travel.
Permit, boat and guide are all compulsory
No tourist — Indian or foreign — is allowed into the core forest without a valid Forest Entry Permit, a registered boat and a government-approved guide accompanying the group. The permit is checked against your ID at entry and is typically valid for a few days, extendable by the forest officer if needed. Foreign tourists must carry passport and visa, and some zones require additional clearance, so foreign visitors should arrange things well ahead.
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Why most people book a package
Because the permit, boat, guide and (often) meals and stay all have to be arranged together, the great majority of visitors go through a registered tour operator on a one- to three-day package rather than assembling everything themselves. Package prices vary widely — from a modest per-person rate for a shared day trip up to much higher figures for private, multi-day launch cruises — depending on group size, boat type, season and inclusions. A package also means the operator handles the permit paperwork, which is otherwise the fiddliest part of the trip.
Best time to visit
The cooler, drier months of roughly October to March are the most comfortable and the most popular for tiger-reserve trips, with clearer boat cruising and better wildlife sightings along the creeks. Sightings of the tiger itself are never guaranteed — the Sundarban's appeal is the mangrove ecosystem as a whole: crocodiles, spotted deer, wild boar, water monitor lizards and a huge variety of birds.
Tips before you go
- Book through a registered operator so the permit, boat and guide are all handled.
- Confirm the current Forest Department charges rather than relying on old figures.
- Carry original ID (and passport/visa for foreign nationals) for the permit check.
- Go in the October–March window for the best conditions, and manage expectations on tiger sightings.
Frequently asked questions
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