Entry Fee for Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary in Wayanad

Older pages, including some that still rank on Google, quote an INR 110 entry fee and an INR 600 jeep. Those are the old Kerala Tourism ecotourism rates and they no longer apply. The figures below come from the Forest Department's own safari pages, cross-checked with the District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC). Where the two disagree, we show both.

Muthanga Safari Ticket Price 2026 (Bus and Jeep)

Muthanga is one of the ranges of the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, which is why "Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary tickets" and "Muthanga tickets" are the same thing. There is one ticket rate card, and it is priced two ways. The bus is charged per person. The jeep is charged per vehicle, with a fixed price for the first four people and a top-up for each person after that, up to six.

Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary ticket rate and safari ticket price, 2026

Sources: Muthanga jungle jeep safari and bus safari pages on the official Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary site, and the DTPC Wayanad Muthanga fare card, both read on 27 September 2026. Fares can change without notice, so call the Muthanga safari counter on +91 99472 71015 before you drive out.

Photography is allowed inside, but a camera fee applies. The still-camera fee is now INR 45 and the video camera fee INR 255, up from the INR 38 and INR 225 printed on older pages. Car parking at the Interpretation Centre carries a small separate charge. The Forest Department guide who rides with each vehicle is part of the safari, so you do not hire one separately.

How Much Will Your Group Pay? Bus vs Jeep Cost

The per-person versus per-jeep split is what trips most people up. For a couple the bus is a third of the price. For six friends the jeep costs only about INR 100 more per head than the bus and you get the vehicle to yourselves.

Add INR 45 for each still camera and INR 255 for a video camera. Many travellers fold the safari into a Kerala wildlife tour package with the driver and stay already sorted. You still pay the safari fare at the counter unless the package lists it as an inclusion.

Jeep Safari vs Bus Safari: Which Should You Book?

The jeep safari price buys you control. A jeep holds six at most, so every seat is a window seat, the driver can wait at a waterhole a little longer, and there is less chatter to scare off a shy gaur. Photographers and anyone hoping for a tiger or leopard should pick the jeep.

The bus is the better deal for couples, solo travellers and families with small children. It follows the same forest route and the same 7 AM and 3 PM slots, and the higher seats give a decent view over the roadside lantana. The trade-off is noise and the scramble for the left or right side when someone spots elephants. The forest track is bumpy, so sit near the front if you get motion sick.

Sightings are a matter of luck on both. The Forest Department's own rules say it plainly: be patient.

Can You Book the Muthanga Safari Online?

No. The official Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary site marks both the Muthanga jeep safari and the bus safari as "not available for online booking". Tickets are sold only at the counter at the Interpretation Centre in Muthanga, on the day, first come first served. Stays inside the sanctuary are different, and you can book those on the same official site.

The same site also warns that "Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary does NOT operate any other online booking website" and takes no responsibility for bookings made through other websites or travel agents. So a listing that sells a "Muthanga safari ticket" online is selling a service around the ticket, usually a driver who queues for you. It is not a reserved seat. A resort or package can plan your day around the safari, but it cannot jump the counter queue.

Vehicle Quota and What Time to Reach the Counter

The Forest Department runs two slots daily, 7 to 10 AM and 3 to 5 PM, and each ride lasts about 1 hour 15 minutes. DTPC Wayanad lists a wider entry window of 6 to 10 AM and 3 to 6 PM, but the rides themselves leave in the two slots above. For the slot-by-slot detail, see our Muthanga safari timings page.

The quota is what decides your morning. DTPC lists 8 buses and 8 jeeps for the morning trip and 6 buses and 7 jeeps in the evening, and the counter stops selling once those vehicles are full. That is roughly 15 vehicles for everyone who turns up at dawn. The official advice is to report 20 minutes before your slot. On a weekday that works. On Saturdays, Sundays and long weekends between October and January, be in the queue before 6 AM.

If the morning is sold out, the 3 PM slot is your fallback, and afternoons are often quieter outside holidays.

ID Documents and Safari Rules

Every Indian visitor needs one original government photo ID. The Forest Department accepts a Voter ID, Aadhaar, passport or driving licence. Foreign nationals must show their original passport with a valid visa, and their details are shared with the police as the law requires. Photocopies and phone screenshots can get you turned away, so carry the card.

Inside the sanctuary, the rules are strict and they are enforced under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

• Stay in the vehicle and follow the guide's instructions.

• No feeding, teasing or following animals. Animals have the right of way.

• No smoking, fires, plastic litter or loud music.

• No pets, and no firearms or inflammable material.

• Wear colours that blend in. Olive, khaki and brown work; white and red do not.

For more on what to carry and how to make the most of the ride, read our Muthanga safari tips.

When Is Muthanga Closed?

Muthanga is open all week for most of the year, but it shuts for the dry season, usually from early or mid-March to late April. In those months elephants and other animals move into Wayanad from the drier Bandipur and Mudumalai forests next door in search of water, and fire risk is at its highest, so the Forest Department suspends safaris. It announces the exact dates each year.

Safaris can also pause at short notice during heavy monsoon rain or when an elephant herd is on the route. Call +91 99472 71015 on the morning you plan to go. For the season-by-season picture, see our guide to the best time to visit Wayanad. October to February is the sweet spot for both weather and sightings.

Can You Trek in Muthanga?

There is no public trekking in Muthanga, so there is no trekking price to pay. Walking into the sanctuary on your own is not allowed, and the bus or jeep safari is the only way in for day visitors. If you want to walk in the Wayanad hills, the Chembra Peak trek near Meppadi is the most popular permitted hike.

What You Pay to See on a Muthanga Safari

The INR 349 bus seat gets you into one of India's best elephant forests. The Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary was set up in 1973, belongs to the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and is part of Elephant Reserve No. 7 of South India. It runs straight into Bandipur and Nagarhole in Karnataka and Mudumalai in Tamil Nadu, one unbroken protected forest of about 2,184 sq km. Asian elephants, spotted deer, sambar, gaur and grey langurs are the regular sightings. A tiger or leopard on the track is a lucky morning, not a promise. Our Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary guide covers the wildlife and landscape in more detail, and our feature on the wider Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary explains how its two ranges differ.

Muthanga vs Tholpetty: Which Safari Should You Take?

Tholpetty is the sanctuary's northern range, near Mananthavady and about 75 km by road from Muthanga. The same Forest Department runs it, on the same 7 to 10 AM and 3 to 5 PM slots, but it has its own counter and phone line (+91 79075 43321). Tholpetty offers only the jeep safari. There is no bus.

Pick Muthanga if you are staying around Sulthan Bathery or driving in from Mysuru, since it sits right on the highway. Pick Tholpetty if you are based in Mananthavady or heading towards Coorg, or if Muthanga's morning quota is already gone and you can reach Tholpetty for the afternoon. Read more in our Tholpetty Wildlife Sanctuary guide.

Getting to the Muthanga Ticket Counter

The counter is at the Interpretation Centre in Muthanga, on NH 766 (the Kozhikode to Mysuru highway), about 14 km from the Sulthan Bathery bus stand. The nearest railway station is Kozhikode, about 111 km away, and the nearest airport is Calicut International, about 120 km away (DTPC Wayanad distances). Our page on how to reach Muthanga has the routes from Bengaluru, Mysuru and Kozhikode. If you would rather have the drive, stay and safari morning planned for you, browse our Wayanad tour packages.

Money-saving Tips for the Muthanga Safari

• Travelling as two or three? Take the bus. A couple saves INR 1,402 over a jeep.

• Group of five or six? Share one jeep. At six people it works out to about INR 455 each.

• Leave the video camera behind unless you really need it. It costs INR 255 against INR 45 for a still camera.

• Go on a weekday morning. You are far more likely to get a seat on your first try and avoid a wasted trip.

• Call the counter before you set out in March, April or during heavy rain, when closures are likely.