Gir Safari Booking Online: A Step-by-Step Guide to the Official Permit

Booking a Gir jungle safari online is simple once you know the steps, but it must be done exclusively through the official government portal to avoid the many fraudulent third-party sites that charge inflated rates. The Gujarat forest department makes 100 percent of Gir safari permits available online and slots fill up quickly, so early booking is essential. This guide, from the team behind Somnath Dwarka Tour Package, a unit of Experience My India, walks you through the entire Gir safari online booking process step by step, with the ID rules, the ground charges and the timing you need to get it right.

Book only on the official Gir portal

Before anything else, understand this, the only authorised place to book a Gir safari online is the official Gir online permit booking system run by the Gujarat forest department. The internet is full of unofficial third-party sites that mimic the official portal and charge heavily inflated prices and booking through them is the single most common mistake visitors make. The official site even displays a warning message about unauthorised third-party platforms when you arrive, which you simply close to continue. All genuine permits, for both the core Gir jungle trail and the Devalia Safari Park interpretation zone, come through this one portal. If you would rather not navigate it yourself, a trusted tour operator can book the permit for you at the correct official rate, which is the safest route of all.

Gir safari online booking at a glance

Step-by-step Gir safari online booking process

Here is the full process to secure your Gir safari permit online, step by step:

1.      Visit the official website. Go to the only authorised platform, the Gir online permit booking system. A warning message about unauthorised third-party platforms will pop up, which you close to continue.

2.      Select the safari type. Choose your experience, the Gir Jungle Trail, the main core-area safari in an open Gypsy or the Devalia Safari Park, the enclosed interpretation zone by forest department bus or Gypsy.

3.      Choose your date and time slot. Pick your date from the calendar, then a slot. Gir safaris run in morning, mid-morning and afternoon slots, with timings adjusting slightly between the winter and summer seasons.

4.      Enter your group size. Specify the exact number of adults and children. A single e-permit holds a maximum of 6 adults and 1 child aged 3 to 12 years.

5.      Fill in visitor details. Provide the full name, gender and age for every individual in your group, exactly as on their ID.

6.      Provide official ID proof. Enter a valid government photo ID for each traveller, such as Aadhaar, passport, voter ID or driving licence. You must carry the exact same physical ID cards to the gate for verification.

7.      Complete OTP verification. Enter the primary traveller's mobile number and email, click to get the OTP and input the one-time password sent to your device.

8.      Make the payment. Review the summary and pay the permit fee online by UPI, debit card or net banking. The base permit fee is around 800 rupees on weekdays and 1,000 rupees on weekends and festivals for a group of up to 6.

9.      Download the e-permit. Once payment succeeds, download and print your PDF safari booking voucher, which you carry to the gate with the IDs.

Additional ground charges paid on arrival

One point surprises many first-time visitors, the online payment covers only the entry permit fee. The vehicle and the guide are paid separately, in person, at the Sinh Sadan reception counter on the day of your safari. These mandatory ground charges are, at the time of writing, roughly as follows:

So your total cost is the online permit plus the gypsy and guide fees on arrival, split as you wish across your group of up to seven. Rates are set by the forest department and can change, so for the current, detailed cost breakdown across the options, see our Gir safari ticket price guide, which is the companion to this booking guide.

How far in advance should you book?

Because the forest department caps the number of permits per slot to protect the ecosystem and because 100 percent of them are sold online, the prized slots sell out quickly. It is highly recommended to book 30 to 60 days in advance and even earlier for the peak winter weekends, holidays and the festive season, when demand is highest. The early morning slots, the best for lion activity, go first of all. If your dates are fixed, book the moment the booking window opens for them; if your dates are flexible, you will find more availability midweek and outside the peak months. For which slot and option gives you the best chance of a sighting, see our best safari zone in Gir for lion sighting guide and for the full daily schedule, our Gir National Park timings guide.

Carry the same original ID to the gate

The single rule that catches people out is the identity check. Whatever government photo ID you entered for each traveller during the online booking, Aadhaar, passport, voter ID or driving licence, every one of those travellers must carry that exact same physical ID card to the Sinh Sadan gate on the day. The details on the permit are matched against the original IDs at verification and a mismatch or a missing or photocopied ID, can mean being refused entry even with a valid paid permit. So before you leave for your safari, check that each member of your group has the original of the very ID used in their booking. This simple check protects the booking you worked to secure and it is worth making the night before so there are no surprises at the gate in the early morning.

Seasonal closure and arriving on the day

Plan your dates with the season in mind, as the Gir jungle safari is strictly closed from 16 June to 15 October every year for the monsoon, so book only for the open window between late October and early June, with the cooler months the most comfortable, as covered in our best time to visit Gir guide. On the day itself, arrive at the Sinh Sadan gate at least 30 minutes before your scheduled slot, so you can complete the physical ID verification and the vehicle and guide assignments smoothly without missing any of your safari time. Coming early also gives you a calm start to what is often a pre-dawn departure. For how to reach the Sasan Gir hub in the first place, see our how to reach Gir guide and for the range of safari options you are booking among, our Gir safari zones guide.

Tips for booking your Gir safari online

A few pointers make the booking smooth and secure:

• Book only on the official Gujarat forest department Gir portal, never third-party sites, which charge inflated rates.

• Book 30 to 60 days ahead and earlier still for peak winter weekends and holidays, as slots sell out fast.

• Have every traveller's government ID ready before you start, as you enter one for each person in the group.

• Carry the exact same original physical IDs to the gate, as they are checked against the permit at verification.

• Budget for the gypsy and guide fees paid separately at Sinh Sadan, on top of the online permit fee.

• Arrive at the gate at least 30 minutes before your slot for verification and vehicle assignment.

• Book only for the open season, late October to early June, as the core safari is closed in the monsoon.

Let us handle your Gir safari booking

If you would rather skip the process entirely, Experience My India can handle your Gir safari booking for you, securing the permit through the official portal at the correct rate, arranging the gypsy and guide and timing your slot for the best sighting. You can combine your safari with the Somnath temple and Dwarka, a stay at well-placed Somnath Dwarka hotels and let the Experience My India Somnath Dwarka tour packages or the wider Gujarat tour packages bring the whole trip together, with the booking stress taken off your hands. See the wild Asiatic lion without the booking worry.

Related guides

To plan the rest of your Gir and Saurashtra trip, these related guides help:

Plan your visit

Experience My India can arrange your Gir safari booking and wider Saurashtra journey. Browse more travel guides, message us on WhatsApp or call +91 73006 20809.