Pench Tiger Trail

You start your day with a hearty breakfast, preparing for a long trek ahead.

After crossing the protective fence of the National Park, you enter the jungle. Just 400 meters in, you’ll leave the village boundary behind and arrive at Choppan Talab, a small pond. Keep an eye out, as this spot is great for birdwatching and observing wildlife. However, since it’s only the beginning of the trek, we can't linger here. More ponds and rivers await as you continue your journey.

About 150 meters from Talab, you’ll encounter a fork in the trail. Take the left path.

Just 100 meters ahead, you’ll find a salt dig— a man-made pit filled with saltwater that forest officials create. Once it dries, herbivores visit this spot to lick the ground for sodium. This area is a hotspot for animal activity.

As you proceed, you’ll walk through a thick canopy of bamboo groves, followed by a sudden ascent of about 300 meters to Kutha Daan.

A quick descent from Kutha Daan leads you to Bodha Nala, a refreshing stream. Take off your shoes and cross the stream; the cool water is invigorating, but avoid drinking it without filtration, as even flowing water can harbor harmful bacteria and parasites in the jungle.

Continue along the forest trail for another 1.3 kilometers until you reach another fork. Take the right path to enter the boundary of Nayegaon, where a new beat begins, and your forest guards will change here.

After trekking 3.75 kilometers, you’ll see a mountain on your right and a small clearing, signaling your first rest point. After a quick break, resume trekking through a series of gradual ascents and descents until you reach the end of the mountain slope.

From this point, you’ll walk alongside a small stream, the soothing sound of water gurgling over stones creating a pleasant melody. About 1.5 kilometers from your first rest point, you’ll arrive at the best rest spot of the day.

The trail ahead will be flat, leading you through small patches of grassland surrounded by shrubs. You’ll cross several small water streams and come upon a check dam, which fills with water during the monsoon season.

As you continue, you’ll notice signs of civilization, revealing the harmony between villagers and Pench wildlife. The quarter-moon-shaped Nayegaon Talab is one of the largest water sources in the area.

The village boundary ends just a few hundred meters from the pond, and you’ll re-enter the wild. Here, multiple faint trails can make navigation tricky. At the first fork after Nayegaon Talab, take the right path. Four hundred meters later, you’ll encounter another fork; take the left to reach the Bawanthadi Hadi River.

This river may dry up in winter and summer, but during monsoon, its strong current is a spectacular sight.

Leisurely walk alongside thee river for 1.7 kilometers until you reach another crossroads. Take the right trail. After the same distance, you will arrive at Nalyer Camp.

Here, forest officials have constructed an outpost where you will stay in government-maintained Swiss tents.

You will start the day at Nalyer Camp, having a packed lunch. As you exit the camp, take the first right at the diversion, and you'll find yourself on a muddy trail. Forest officials often use SUVs to access Nalyer, so keep an eye out for them.

Continue your hike until you reach Beat Rock, which are man-made cement structures that divide the forest into designated "beats." Each beat is monitored by its own team of forest staff, who know their area intimately.

Stay mindful of the trail today, as you'll encounter many natural elements along the way. From bamboo forests to multiple streams, these features will be a refreshing delight in the humid weather.

After trekking for about 3 kilometers, you'll come to Satar Pen, a holy stone revered by the locals as a forest deity. From here, take a left and walk another kilometer toward Forest Munara. A sharp right from this temple will lead you to Tuar Nala.

It takes about an hour from the temple to reach a natural cave known as Sher Gufa.

As you continue, you’ll encounter the second salt dig of the area. Take some time to observe the paw prints and markings left by various animals that frequent this spot. On an Indiahikes exploration, senior trek leader Nitesh Kumar even spotted fresh tiger paw marks just 30 minutes old. The forest officials accompanying you can often identify the size and type of animal based on these tracks.

Venturing deeper into the jungle, you may notice trees with peeled bark and green paint, marked with numbers. These markings indicate a transit line, denoting distances and waypoints used by the guards on duty.

One of the highlights of the day will be the sudden clearings that emerge from the dense vegetation. These expansive grasslands are popular grazing spots for herbivores. During the monsoon, they may become a haven for barasinghas, also known as swamp deer, which is the national animal of Madhya Pradesh.

After 7 to 8 hours of trekking, you'll finally spot Swangi Village, which is surrounded by protective fencing. The closest entrance is the Kurai Gateway.

You’ll camp at the edge of the village. After enjoying some evening snacks, you can choose to explore the village. The unique houses are constructed using a variety of forest materials, designed to protect the villagers from the extreme temperature fluctuations common in the region.

Today is your summit day!

Begin your trek by walking through the village. On the opposite side, you’ll find a large pond called Bada Talab. Here, take a right and head toward the forest.

The trek today features gradual ascents and descents, so keep an eye out for the colorful variety of small insects, butterflies, and reptiles that populate the area. You’ll be surrounded by Sal forests and bamboo groves.

After trekking for 5 kilometers, you'll reach the boundary between the Kurai and Rukhad beats. Each beat is carefully managed by dedicated forest guards, making them experts in their respective areas. Here, you'll change guards as you start your push for the summit.

As you continue, the wet, grassy terrain transitions to rocky boulders, requiring careful footing, especially if it’s raining.

After about two hours of climbing, you’ll finally reach the top. The view from this vantage point is truly breathtaking. Until now, you’ve been trekking through dense jungle, with limited visibility. Standing at the summit, you’ll finally grasp the vastness of the landscape below.

This summit is unique; the rocky terrain allows for unobstructed views of the forest. As you gaze out, it feels like you’re adrift in a sea of green. This experience is humbling.

Take a moment to sit at the summit and soak it all in. Below you lies Pench National Park, recognized for having the highest density of herbivores. Thousands of species of plants, animals, insects, reptiles, and birds coexist harmoniously in the forest, and you are a part of this vibrant ecosystem.

Though you’d love to linger at the summit, there are still 5 kilometres to cover to reach Rukhad Gate.

Begin your steep descent from Kurai Gad. Along the way, you’ll encounter Sangam Nala and Sangam Nala Gufa. After walking for about 2 kilometres, you’ll find a mud road frequented by SUVs. From here, the path to Rukhad Gate is mostly flat, with patches of bamboo groves and several stream crossings until you arrive at your destination.

Pench Tiger Reserve is famous for its wildlife safari, which takes place through different gates. The buffer zone gates are Khawasa, Khumbhpani, Masurnala, Rukhad, and Teliya. And the core zone gates are Turia, Karmajhiri, and Jhamtara.

Your trek will end at Rukhad Gate. Here, you will have an 11 km safari in buffer zone of the forest. This is a part of day 4 and a part of your trek fee.
But you can also take the opportunity to stay a day in Pench and go for a longer safari in the core zone. This is optional and is not a part of your trek fee. It is an extra cost and you will have to pay this amount to the national park authorities.

P.S. If you are opting for this, we recommend the morning hour slot.

Turia Gate is famous amongst all the core zone gates. There are many resorts and other places to stay within a 2 km radius. Irrespective of the three core zone gates, the safari tracks all meet inside. So you may select any available gate online. Note: Every resort provides a drop-off to the distance gate with charges.

You will have to book the Day 5 core zone safari slots in advance. Go the Madhya Pradesh forest department website to book.

Pro Tip: You can choose 'full vehicle' (6-7 seater) if your fellow trek mates are also interested. Any last-minute or over-the-counter booking there is difficult as there is high demand.

If the vehicle/seats are not available online, you may try by contacting Javed Khan - 7748050767 (local agent), who arranges VIP bookings which costs 1000–1200 rupees higher per vehicle.

Note: The weekend Safari in the Tiger Reserve is very crowded. Keeping that in mind, we end your trek on a weekday. Check your trek start day carefully and book this safari on the 5th day of the trek.