Gir Lion Safari Booking 2026–27: Permits, Timings, ₹16,999

You book a Gir lion safari only on the Gujarat government's official permit site, girlion.gujarat.gov.in, where an e-permit for up to six people costs ₹800 on weekdays and ₹1,000 at weekends, with the jeep and guide paid separately; our 3-day Gir trip from Ahmedabad is from ₹16,999 per person with two jeep safaris and permits included (prices checked 16 Oct 2026). Gir Jungle Safari is open from 16 Oct 2026 to 15 Jun 2027.

Our trip price includes return AC transport from Ahmedabad, two nights in a forest-edge lodge, all breakfasts and dinners, two jeep safaris with permits and a forest department guide, and a visit to the Somnath temple. Lunches, camera fees inside the park and a Devalia ticket, if you add one, are extra. GST is shown in your written quote.

Prices checked 16 Oct 2026 from our live trip pages. Permit fees, safari timings and the closure dates checked on girlion.gujarat.gov.in, the Gujarat government's Gir permit booking site, on 16 Oct 2026.

How do you book a Gir lion safari?

The permit site says it is the only official booking website for Gir permits, and it warns about websites that claim to sell confirmed permits at higher prices. Tatkal or urgent bookings are not allowed. If you are booking yourself, this is how it works (girlion.gujarat.gov.in, checked October 2026):

1. Register on the site with your name, mobile number and email, and confirm with the OTP sent to you.
2. Choose Gir Jungle Safari, then the date and the time slot.
3. Enter each visitor's details exactly as they appear on the original photo ID they will carry. Bookings with incomplete or incorrect ID details are treated as invalid.
4. Pay online and download the e-permit.
5. Report at the reception centre in Sasan Gir 30 minutes before your slot, with the original IDs. The jeep and guide are paid there.

Rules to know before you pay

• One e-permit covers up to 6 adults plus one child aged 3 to 12.
• For Gir Jungle Safari, one person can hold only one e-permit per slot per day.
• The site's terms say booking opens three months before the date, while its FAQ still says 45 days. Either way, it closes two hours before the slot.
• Permits for Gir Jungle Safari can't be changed once issued, and the refund table covers other parks, not Gir. Late reporting cancels the permit with no refund.
• Camera charges, where they apply, are given at the Sasan Gir reception centre.

On our trip we book the permits in your names, so we need everyone's ID details well before the date.

When is Gir National Park open in 2026–27?

The permit site says Gir Jungle Safari is closed from 16 June to 15 October every year. That means the 2026–27 season runs from 16 Oct 2026 to 15 Jun 2027.

Within the season, the site lists winter timings from 16 October to the end of February and summer timings from 1 March to 15 June. Our trip page suggests December to March as the best time to go. A sighting is never guaranteed, and two safaris give you more chances than one.

What are the safari timings, and how long is each drive?

Each Gir Jungle Safari slot is about three hours. These are the slots the permit site lists, checked 16 Oct 2026.

The early and late slots are the cooler ones. On our trip, the first safari is at dawn and the second in the late afternoon, with rest at the lodge through the heat of the day.

What the permit and the jeep cost

The site lists the vehicle charges as ₹2,500 for a 4-seater, ₹3,500 for a 6-seater and ₹4,500 for an 8-seater. The guide's charge is also paid separately at Sasan Gir and is not listed on the site, so check it there.

What is the Devalia zone, and who is it for?

Devalia Safari Park, also called the Gir Interpretation Zone, is a 412-hectare park that the permit site describes as a mini version of Gir, with almost all of Gir's representative wildlife: Asiatic lions, leopards in an open moat, spotted deer, sambar, nilgai, blackbuck, jackals and birds.

It suits families with small children, elderly parents who would find a three-hour drive tiring, or anyone who wants a second chance after the forest drives. The drives are shorter and the area is smaller.

The gypsy itself is paid separately, at ₹2,000 to ₹3,000 depending on size. Devalia is closed every Wednesday (girlion.gujarat.gov.in, checked October 2026). On our trip, the Devalia ticket is not included, and we add it if you ask.

How much does a Gir trip from Ahmedabad cost?

Our Gir: The Asiatic Lion Safari trip is from ₹16,999 per person for 3 days and 2 nights. It is a private trip, so it runs on your dates.

Here is what a family or group pays, before GST. Children are priced in your quote.

Six adults fit one e-permit and one jeep, which keeps a family together on both drives.

Is a Gir safari suitable for children and elderly parents?

Yes, for most families. Both safaris are seated in an open jeep rather than on foot, so there is very little walking. The dawn safari means a very early start, and the forest tracks are bumpy, so a parent with back trouble may prefer one drive and a Devalia bus ride instead.

• Children aged 3 to 12 can join an e-permit as the extra child, at ₹100 on weekdays.
• Wear muted colours and carry a cap and a light jacket for the dawn drive.
• Leave perfume at the lodge, and keep voices low in the jeep.

Can you add Somnath and Dwarka to the same trip?

Somnath is already in the Gir trip, on the way home on day 3. For Dwarka and Bet Dwarka as well, our Somnath & Dwarka: The Coastal Temples trip is from ₹18,999 per person for 4 days and 3 nights, with pure vegetarian breakfasts and dinners, the Bet Dwarka boat and a guide at both main temples. If you want Gir, Somnath and Dwarka as one route, we quote it as a single trip.

In winter, Gir also pairs well with the Rann of Kutch: The White Desert, from ₹12,999 per person for 3 days, because both are at their best from December to February. For more ideas, see our Gujarat guide, our weekend getaways from Ahmedabad and our places to visit in India in December.

How we help

We book the Gir permits in your names, plan the two safaris for dawn and late afternoon, and plan the drive from Ahmedabad around your family's pace, with everything in one written quote. Tell us your dates and who is travelling: start with a message.

Sources, checked October 2026: Gir online permit booking, Government of Gujarat; About Gir Jungle Safari; About Devalia Safari Park; Permit FAQ; Permit terms and conditions.

FAQs

How do I book a Gir lion safari permit online? Only on girlion.gujarat.gov.in, the Gujarat government's official permit site. Register with your mobile and email, choose the date and slot, enter each visitor's ID details and pay. The jeep and guide are paid at Sasan Gir.

What is the Gir safari permit fee in 2026? For Indian visitors, ₹800 per e-permit on weekdays and ₹1,000 on Saturdays, Sundays and festival days, for up to 6 people plus one child. The safari vehicle costs ₹2,500 to ₹4,500 extra (checked 16 Oct 2026).

When does Gir National Park open after the monsoon? Gir Jungle Safari is closed from 16 June to 15 October every year, so the 2026–27 season runs from 16 Oct 2026 to 15 Jun 2027.

What are the Gir safari timings in winter? From 16 October to the end of February, the slots are 6:30 to 9:30 am, 9:00 am to 12:00 pm and 3:00 to 6:00 pm. Each drive is about three hours.

Is Devalia Safari Park worth it? It suits small children, elderly parents and anyone who wants a short drive. It is a 412-hectare park with lions and leopards, mini bus rides of about 30 minutes from ₹150, and it is closed on Wednesdays.

How much is a Gir trip from Ahmedabad? Our 3-day, 2-night trip is from ₹16,999 per person, with return AC transport, two nights in a forest-edge lodge, breakfasts and dinners, two jeep safaris with permits and a Somnath visit (prices checked 16 Oct 2026).