The 10 Best Zoos in India

1.Private Elephant Sanctuary

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 390 reviews · from $80Our pick

Spend private time at Elefantastic near Jaipur learning elephant care from local handlers. Feed, wash, walk beside, and possibly decorate an elephant with chalk colors. Pickup is offered, and the visit ends with a generous home-cooked lunch at Rahul’s family home.

“We had a wonderful experience at Elefantastic. We got to spend time with one beautiful gentle elephant and really enjoyed our visit and will never forget the experience. We were a little disappointed we only got to meet one elephant aftRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Jhalana Panther Safari Park Tour in Jaipur

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 127 reviews · from $45

Ride through Jhalana Panther Safari Park in an open 4x4 with a naturalist, searching for free-ranging leopards, hyenas, desert foxes, and birds. Choose a morning or afternoon departure. Permits, interpretation-center entry, and still-camera fees are included, with pickup available near the park.

“It was a very nice experience to see two leopards, although they were sleeping and it was quite far away. We had a very good guide”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Jaipur: Elefantastic Elephant Sanctuary Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 44 reviews · 3 - 12 hours · from $71

Travel from Jaipur to Elefantastic for a private, guided visit with rescued and retired Asian elephants. You can feed, wash, walk with, and learn about the animals, then enjoy lunch with the family. Drivers such as Rahul and Pravin are praised for prompt, helpful service.

“Amazing elephant sanctuary getting to be up close, stroking and washing the elephants that seem very happy. Pick up and drop off was great. We were also offered beautiful home-cooked food which we didn’t have so we could make the fort sunset. Highly recommend!”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Same Day Tajmahal at Sunrise and SOS wildlife sanctuary tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 28 reviews · from $165

Travel from Delhi in a private air-conditioned car with a driver and guide, visit the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort, see Itmad-ud-Daula from outside, then stop at Wildlife SOS. Gopal and guide Subhash are named by the operator, and lunch, drinks, tolls, and hotel transfers are included.

“Pickup was perfect - our driver Gopal was waiting, stopped for tea and did an amazing job navigating traffic in Delhi and Agra. Our guide Subhash was personal and informative as we toured the amazing Taj Mahal and Agra Fort. Lunch was grRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Delhi: All-Inclusive Day trip Taj Mahal with Elephant SOS

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 25 reviews · 6.5 - 12 hours · from $21Best value

Travel by private air-conditioned car from Delhi to Agra, where guides such as Abdul, Immy, and Vinny lead you through the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort. Add Wildlife SOS for an elephant or bear visit, but budget at least Rs 2,000 per person for the required donation.

“Vinny was great, he took some amazing photos and skipped every line so fast. He was generally expeditious to get as much in as possible in a short amount of time. He was good at explaining various sites and let us stop for more time if we wanted to.”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Elefun Best Elephant Sanctuary in Jaipur

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 19 reviews · 3 hours · from $60

Meet Elefun’s rescued elephants near Jaipur during a three-hour visit with hotel pickup. You’ll build trust, feed an elephant, use natural paint, walk beside her, and wash her when weather allows. Tea, a guided introduction, multilingual support, and hotel drop-off are included.

“Una gran experiencia el poder pasar la tarde junto a una elefanta; Chanchal, darle de comer, acariciarla, pintarla y despues lavarla. Me ha gustado mucho. Los elefantes están bien cuidados y alimentados.”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary with Lunch in Spice Plantation in Goa

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 12 reviews · from $472

Spend a peaceful day beyond Goa’s beaches with private North Goa pickup, a three-hour visit to Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary, and a two-hour Tropical Spice Plantation stop with a fixed-menu Goan lunch. Expect air-conditioned transport, entry fees, and a driver-guide.

“Enjoyed the trip. Good guide and driver - felt very safe. There were 2 unplanned stops to a hindu temple and old Goa which were interesting but unnecessary for us. It would have been nice to have been given the option for these before hand. Wildlife park is well cared for if a little scarse on animals. Some knowledge on the local birds would have been appreciated.”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Private Day Tour Of Kumbhalgarh Fort & Wildlife Sanctuary From Udaipur

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 10 reviews · from $85

Travel from Udaipur to hilltop Kumbhalgarh Fort, then continue to a Rajasthani wildlife sanctuary. Your private, air-conditioned vehicle and English-speaking driver handle the long day, while an English-speaking safari guide leads the open-jeep wildlife outing. Fort and safari entrance fees are extra.

“Great experience the tour was well organised and the car and driver were very good will definitely recommend this for the history buffs”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Elephant Sanctuary for Best elephant experience in Jaipur

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · from $62

You’ll visit Elefanjoy Elephant Sanctuary near Jaipur with hotel pickup and drop-off, meet rescued elephants such as Mala or Pinky, and feed, walk with, and care for them. Guides including Ankit share facts about Jaipur and elephant life. Riding is not part of the main experience.

“Super nous avons passé un excellent moment avec Mala 21 ans (éléphant)elle était tellement gentille .Nous avons eu amplement le temps de faire différentes activités avec elle . Le guide était super compétent et le chauffeur très prudent .”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Shimla: Wildlife Sanctuary & Water Catchment Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 7 reviews · 4 - 5 hours · from $26

Spend 4 to 5 hours in Shimla’s Water Catchment and Wildlife Sanctuary with a private guide such as Pawan or Raghav. Choose a bicycle, e-rickshaw, or walking tour, follow forest trails, and visit the century-old Seog Water Tank, a key part of Shimla’s historic water system.

“It was a peaceful environment. A good place to cycle again. It’s off-road so as I don’t cycle much I was glad it wasn’t crowded. Remarkable filtering system to provide water down to the Catchment Reservoir to provide Shimla with pure water. As a wildlife sanctuary the aim is to protect the animals, letting them live naturally. Hence we didn’t see any which was fine as wildlife should be left in peace.”

Check availability →Read our full review