Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary is a small rhino reserve in Morigaon district, about 50 km (1.5 hours) east of Guwahati. Its 38.8 sq km of grassland and wetland hold one of the densest populations of one-horned rhinos anywhere. Short jeep safaris run in morning and early afternoon slots, and elephant rides at dawn, usually from October or November to April.
Pobitora is what we suggest when someone wants to see rhinos but has only a day in Guwahati. The sanctuary is small, just under 39 sq km on the south bank of the Brahmaputra, and much of it is open grassland and shallow wetland, so rhinos are easy to spot. With more than a hundred rhinos in such a small area, its density is often higher than Kaziranga's.
The trade-off is scale. A jeep safari here lasts about an hour on short tracks, and the sanctuary is ringed by villages and fields. You will not get Kaziranga's sweeping drives or its range of big mammals, but you will usually see rhinos, wild buffalo, and in winter plenty of ducks, storks and waders on the beels.
The drive from Guwahati crosses flat farmland and takes about 1.5 hours. The village of Mayong, known in Assamese folklore for magic and tantric practices, is on the way and has a small museum. Pobitora usually reopens in October after the monsoon, sometimes later if tracks are flooded; in the 2025-26 season gates opened on 23 October. Check current status before you travel.
What makes it worth the trip
Rhino sightings
One of the densest populations of greater one-horned rhinos in the world in under 39 sq km. Most visitors see several rhinos on a single one-hour drive.
Jeep safari
Hour-long drives in slots from about 7.30 am to 3 pm. A full-day jeep option has also been offered in recent seasons at a much higher price.
Elephant safari
Short dawn rides in about 6.30 and 7.30 am slots, when operating. They cross grassland and wetland close to grazing rhinos.
Winter birds
The beels fill with migratory ducks, storks, herons and raptors between November and February.
Mayong
A village on the way from Guwahati known in folklore for black magic and healing traditions, with a small museum of manuscripts and objects.
Ranjan Jyoti Dutta · Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Rohit Sharma · Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
ঈশান জ্যোতি বৰা · Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0Things to do
- Take a one-hour jeep safari in the morning for the best light and activity
- Book a dawn elephant safari if it is running during your visit
- Scan the wetlands for winter ducks, storks and waders with binoculars
- Stop at Mayong village and its small museum on the way
- Combine Pobitora with Kamakhya and a Brahmaputra cruise for a full Guwahati day
- Visit the weekly Jonbeel Mela at Jagiroad if you are in the area in January, when communities barter goods
Getting there
Pobitora is about 50 km east of Guwahati by road, a drive of about 1.5 hours through Chandrapur or via the Jagiroad side, depending on your starting point. There is no direct public transport to the gate; hire a cab for the day from Guwahati. The nearest railway station is Jagiroad, about 20 km away. Guwahati airport is about 70 km away, so Pobitora also works on the first or last day of a trip. Leave Guwahati by 6 am if you want a dawn elephant ride.
Where to stay
Most visitors stay in Guwahati and come for a morning. If you want a dawn safari without a 5 am start, a handful of resorts, eco-lodges and homestays sit around the sanctuary edge and in Mayong, with simple rooms and home-cooked meals. There is also a forest department tourist lodge near the range office. Facilities are basic compared with Kaziranga, and most places take bookings by phone. In Guwahati, the airport side or the eastern suburbs cut the drive a little.
Local tips
- Go in the morning; the early jeep slots and dawn elephant rides are the most rewarding
- Book December and January safaris a week or two ahead, when slots fill quickly
- Carry binoculars and a zoom lens; some rhinos stay far out on the grassland
- Tracks are short, so combine Pobitora with other Guwahati sights in the same day
- The sanctuary usually closes for the monsoon and reopening dates vary; check current status before you travel
- Wear muted colours and keep noise down in the jeep
Rain and weather
Source: IMD 1991–2020 normals
November to March for dry tracks and winter birds; the sanctuary usually reopens in October after the monsoon.
