Guwahati to Kaziranga Distance, Route and Travel Time

The drive from Guwahati to Kaziranga is flat, straight for long stretches, and still takes most of a day. That surprises many people who see "about 195 km" and plan a morning arrival and an afternoon safari. We run this route more than any other road in Assam, and the timing is what makes or breaks the first day.

Below are the distances, the route, what the ride costs by car, bus, train and air, and how to time it around the safari slots.

Distance and travel time at a glance

Kaziranga is not one gate. The park's tourist ranges sit along NH715, and the one you are heading for changes your distance. Figures below are approximate road distances and typical driving times.

Most lodges and resorts cluster around Kohora and Bokakhat, so "Kaziranga" in practice usually means Kohora. The Burapahar Range at Ghorakati is the first you pass coming from Guwahati.

The route, step by step

The road is easy to follow and mostly good. In order:

1. Guwahati to Jagiroad and Nagaon on NH27. Four-lane for most of the way. The first hour, getting clear of Guwahati's eastern suburbs, is often the slowest.
2. Nagaon to Kaliabor and Jakhalabandha on NH715. The highway turns east towards the park. Tea gardens start to appear.
3. Along the park's southern edge. Past Burapahar, then Bagori, then Kohora. The park lies to your left (north), and the Karbi Anglong hills to your right.
4. Kohora to Bokakhat. Many lodges sit along this stretch, and the Agaratoli range lies beyond.

Along the park stretch, NH715 passes through animal corridors that rhinos, elephants and deer cross, especially during the monsoon floods when they move to the hills. Speed limits are enforced here, and drivers who ignore them are fined. Expect to slow down, and keep an eye out; sightings from the highway are not unusual.

Private taxi fares by vehicle

These are indicative one-way fares for 2026, per vehicle, including driver. Fuel prices, season and time of day all move them.

Worth knowing before you book:

• One-way vs a car for the stay. Taxi drivers price in the empty return. If you are staying two nights, a car that stays with you, then drops you back or takes you on to Shillong or Majuli, often costs little more than two separate transfers.
• Safari jeeps are separate. Your taxi does not enter the park. Safaris use registered park jeeps booked through the range, your lodge or an operator.
• Night driving. We avoid it. Trucks are heavy on NH27 after dark, and the park stretch is best driven in daylight for the animals' sake as much as yours.

Buses to Kaziranga

There is no bus that ends at Kaziranga, but many pass through it.

• Which buses: ASTC and private operators running Guwahati to Jorhat, Golaghat, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia and further east use NH715 through Kohora.
• Where from: the Guwahati ISBT at Betkuchi and the Paltan Bazaar area near the railway station.
• Where to get off: Kohora for the Central Range and most lodges; Bokakhat for stays further east. Tell the conductor when you board.
• Time: about 5–6 hours, depending on stops.
• Fare: varies with bus type, from ordinary to AC sleeper-seater. Confirm when booking.

Buses are a solid budget option for solo travellers and backpackers. Morning departures are best, so you reach Kohora in daylight and can walk or take a short auto ride to your lodge.

By train

No railway line runs to Kohora itself. Your two options are:

• Furkating Junction, near Golaghat, about 75 km from Kohora. This is the practical choice, with several daily trains from Guwahati, including the Guwahati–Jorhat Town Jan Shatabdi and the Nagaland Express. Book a taxi from the station in advance.
• Jakhalabandha, closer to the western end of the park, on a branch line with fewer services.

Trains suit travellers already coming from elsewhere in India by rail. From Guwahati itself, the road is quicker door to door.

By air

• Guwahati (GAU): the main gateway, with the most flights by far. About 220 km from Kohora.
• Jorhat (JRH), Rowriah: about 100 km from Kohora, with IndiGo flights to Delhi and Kolkata. Useful if you are combining Kaziranga with Jorhat and Majuli.
• Tezpur (TEZ): small, few flights, but close to the western side and on the way to Arunachal.

A handy pattern: fly into Guwahati, drive to Kaziranga, continue to Jorhat and Majuli, and fly out of Jorhat. It saves you the long drive back.

Stops on the way

A good driver will break the trip once or twice.

• Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, a detour of about 1–1.5 hours from Guwahati, is known for its dense rhino population. Useful if you arrive early and want a first sighting, though it makes the day long.
• Nagaon area, roughly halfway, for lunch and a washroom stop. Several highway restaurants serve Assamese thali and simple Indian meals.
• Tea gardens around Kohora and Bokakhat. Some estates and lodges offer short garden walks, best in the morning or late afternoon.

If you have time on the return, Kaziranga's roadside stalls sell local tea, and the Kohora area has small shops for Assamese gamusa and handloom.

Timing your arrival around safaris

This is the part most people get wrong. Kaziranga's safaris run in fixed slots:

Timings shift with the season and daylight, so check current status before you travel. What it means for the drive:

• Leave Guwahati by 8 or 9 am to reach Kohora by early afternoon.
• An arrival-day afternoon jeep safari is possible only if you reach by about 1 pm and have a confirmed slot.
• Plan the elephant safari and the best jeep drives for the next morning, when light and animal activity are better.
• In winter, sunset is around 4:30–4:45 pm; arriving after dark means missing the day entirely.

Entry fees at the time of writing are about Rs 100 per Indian adult and Rs 650 per foreign adult, plus camera charges; jeeps are priced per vehicle, from about Rs 3,500. Our Kaziranga safari guide covers ranges, booking and what each zone is best for.

When the park is open

Kaziranga opens in phases after the monsoon and closes again from about May. In 2025, the Bagori range reopened on 26 September, Kohora in the second week of October, and elephant safaris on 1 November. For the 2026–27 season, reopening was expected in October. The best months for most travellers are mid-November to April.

During the monsoon closure, the road still runs and some lodges stay open, but safaris do not. If you are driving through in June to September, treat it as a transit, not a visit. See our best time to visit Kaziranga guide for month-by-month detail.

Fog, floods and festival traffic

The distance never changes, but the time does. Three things stretch the drive.

Winter fog. From December to February, the Brahmaputra plains often start the day under fog that lifts between 8 and 10 am. Drivers slow right down, and the first two hours out of Guwahati can take longer than expected. On foggy mornings, a 9 am start is often smarter than a 6 am one.

Monsoon water. From June to September, heavy rain and floods in the park push animals south across NH715 towards the Karbi Anglong hills. Traffic is slowed and stopped in places to let them cross, and waterlogging on some stretches adds time. The park is closed for safaris then anyway, but if you are driving through towards Jorhat or Tezpur, allow an extra hour.

Festival days. During Bihu in mid-April and Durga Puja in October, towns along NH27 such as Jagiroad and Nagaon see heavy local traffic, and some roadside restaurants close for the main days. Carry water and snacks.

Travelling with children or seniors

The Guwahati–Kaziranga road is flat, so motion sickness is rarely an issue. The challenge is length. For families and older travellers we:

• break the drive at the halfway point, even for 20 minutes
• choose an MUV or Innova for legroom and easier entry
• schedule the elephant safari on the second morning, not straight after a long drive
• book lodges near Kohora so safari pick-ups are short
• keep the final day's drive back to Guwahati for an afternoon or evening flight

Children under the minimum age set by the park may not be allowed on elephant safaris, and rules change, so check current status before you book.

Mistakes we see most often

• Booking an afternoon safari after an afternoon landing. You will not make it. Plan a night in Guwahati or accept that day one is a travel day.
• Choosing a lodge far from the range you want. Agaratoli and Bagori safaris start from different gates; ask where your jeep leaves from.
• Assuming the park is open in early October. It reopens in phases. Confirm which ranges are running for your dates.

Onward from Kaziranga

Kaziranga sits well for several combinations:

• To Majuli: about 2.5–3 hours to Nimati Ghat near Jorhat, then the ferry. Ferry timings change with river levels.
• To Tezpur and Arunachal: about 2 hours to Tezpur, then on to Bhalukpong for Dirang and Tawang.
• To Shillong: about 6–7 hours via Guwahati's edge and NH6. Start early.
• Back to Guwahati for a flight: leave Kohora by 9 or 10 am for an evening departure; earlier in fog season.

How we'd plan it

For most first-time visitors, this is what we suggest:

1. Fly into Guwahati by late morning, or stay a night in Guwahati if your flight lands in the afternoon.
2. Drive to Kohora the next morning, leaving by 8 am, with lunch near Nagaon.
3. Two nights at Kaziranga. Afternoon rest or a tea-garden walk on day one; elephant safari and morning jeep safari on day two, with an afternoon jeep safari in a different range; a spare morning on day three.
4. Continue east or head back. Majuli and Jorhat if you have time, or back to Guwahati for the flight.

Our Kaziranga Safari Break and Guwahati and Kaziranga package follow this pattern. To pair the park with Meghalaya, see our Shillong, Cherrapunji and Kaziranga package; for a longer trip with Tawang, the Kaziranga and Tawang package uses the Tezpur side. For the day-by-day version, see our Kaziranga in 2 days itinerary, for stays our best resorts in Kaziranga guide, and for a full budget our Kaziranga tour cost breakdown.

Send us your flight times on the contact page and we will work out the Kaziranga drive and safari slots around them.