Ran and Thambhore, these are the two hills that constitute Ranthambhore. Ranthambhore was established as the Sawai Madhopur Game Sanctuary in 1955 by the Government of India, and declared as a Project Tiger reserves in 1973. The sanctuary became a national park in 1980. In 1984, the adjacent forests were declared the Sawai Man Singh Sanctuary and Keladevi Sanctuary, and in 1991 the tiger reserve was enlarged to include Sawai Man Singh and Keladevi sanctuaries. Now, it is one of the most famous National Parks in India with an area of 392 Sq.KM. Tha Park is named for the historic Ranthambhore fortress, which lies within the national park and  situated in Sawai Madhopur district of southeastern Rajasthan, about 180 km from Jaipur, which is also the nearest airport. The nearest town and railway station (about 11 km away) is at Sawai Madhopur on Delhi - Mumbai (via Kota, Ratmal) rail route.

Ranthambore wildlife sanctuary is known for its tigers and is one of the best places in India to see these majestic predators freely roaming in the jungle. Tigers can be easily spotted even during the day time. Other major wild animals include the tiger, leopard, nilgai, dhole, wild boar, sambar, hyena, sloth bear and chital. It is also home to wide variety of trees, plants, birds and reptiles. The reserve has thriving bird population with more than 270 different species of birds here.
A good time to visit Ranthambore National Park is from November and May when the nature of the dry deciduous forests makes sightings common. Its deciduous forests with Anogeissus pendula forests - a dominant tree species, were once a part of the magnificent jungles of Central India. The park lies at the edge of a plateau, and is bounded to the north by the Banas River and to the south by the Chambal River. There are several lakes in the park. Ranthambore is also the site for one large banyan tree.
In 2005, there were 26 tigers living in Ranthambhore. This was significantly lower than the recorded tiger population of the reserve in 1982, which then stood at 44. According to non-government sources there were 34 adult tigers in the Ranthambhore National Park in 2008. More than 14 tiger cubs were also recorded. This was largely attributed to sustained efforts by forest officials to curb poaching. Villagers in the region were being given incentives to stay out of the park and surveillance cameras were also fitted across the reserve.

During the past few years, there has been a decline in tiger population in Ranthambore. However there were some tigers who succeeded in carrying on their genes even in such circumstances. A tigress known as "Lady of the Lakes" was, at a very young age, separated from her parents due to increase poaching in the area. The young tigress was called Macchli since she had a mark on her body which resembled a fish. She grew up with great determination for ruling the jungle. She mated with a male who resided just beside her territory and gave birth to three female cubs, one being dubbed 'Macchli - The Junior' in a documentary. Despite Macchli also being the name of her mother, the young cub found herself stuck with the designation. The father of the younger Macchli died early due to an unknown disease, which was confirmed when forest officer Fateh Singh Rathore saw him in Ranthambore. After this, the elder Macchli found the scent of a different male, known as Bumburam, and mated with him. She gave birth to two cubs. Baccha is believed to be her grandson. [Source: wikipedia.org]

Safari Rides: Rides are carried out at two times:6.30 AM and 2.30 PM. Each ride lasts for about 3 hours. There are two options of vehicles for the safari : 20 seater open top canter or 6 seater open top gypsy. Each ride costs around Rs. 400-500 per person. The core park area has been divided into several zones and the safari vehicles go on one of those zones. Since there is a good chance of not sighting a tiger in one outing, people usually take more than one ride. There are a lot of quality resorts on the way from Sawai Madhopur to the national park.

Ranthambore Fortress: The majestic fortress, built in 10th-century, towers over the entire park area. It was founded in 944 by the Tatu Meenas (a branch of Chauhan). The fortress commanded a strategic location, 700 feet above the surrounding plain. After the defeat of the Chauhan king Prithviraj III by Muhammad of Ghor in 1192, Ranthambore, led by Govinda Raja, grandson of Pritviraj, became the center of Chauhan resistance to the expanding Sultanate of Delhi. Govinda Raja was succeeded by his son Balhana.
The Delhi Sultan Iltutmish captured Ranthambore in 1226, but the Chauhans recaptured it after his death in 1236. The armies of Sultan Nasir ud din Mahmud, led by the future Sultan Balban, unsuccessfully besieged the fortress in 1248 and 1253, but captured from Jaitrasingh Chauhan in 1259. Shakti Dev succeeded Jaitrasingh in 1283, and recaptured Ranthambore and enlarged the kingdom. Sultan Jalal ud din Firuz Khilji briefly besieged the fort in 1290-91. In 1299, Hamir Dev sheltered Muhammad Shah, a rebel general of Sultan Ala ud din Khilji, and refused to turn him over to the Sultan. The sultan unsuccessfully besieged the fortress in 1299, but returned in 1301 to personally oversee a long siege, and succeeded in capturing the fort.

The fortress was captured by the kingdom of bemawar under Rana Hamir Singh (1326–1364) and Rana Kumbha (1433–1468). After the reign of Rana Kumbha's successor Rana Udai Singh I (1468–1473) the fortress passed to the Hada Rajputs of Bundi. Sultan Bahadur Shah of Gujarat captured the fortress from 1532 to 1535. The Mughal Emperor Akbar captured the fortress in 1559.

The fortress passed to the Kachwaha Maharajas of Jaipur in the 17th century, and it remained part of Jaipur state until Indian Independence. The area surrounding the fortress became a hunting ground for the Maharajas of Jaipur. Jaipur state acceded to India in 1949, becoming part of the state of Rajasthan in 1950.

Inside Ranthambore fort there are three Hindu temples dedicated to Ganesh, Shiva and Ramlalaji constructed in 12th and 13th centuries from red Karauli stone. There is also a Jain temple of Lord Sumatinath (5th Jain Tirthankar) and Lord Sambhavanath (3rd Jain Tirthankar) within the premises.

Padam Talao: This is the largest of the all the lakes located inside the park, and the beautiful red sandstone Jogi Mahal is located at the very edge of this lake. A gigantic banyan tree, considered, is near the lake.

Transport:
By Air : Jaipur at 180 km is the nearest airport from Ranthambore National Park.
By Rail : Ranthambore National Park is around 11 km away from Sawai Madhopur railway station, that lies on the Delhi to Mumbai trunk route. This is by far the best way of reaching the place from Delhi or Jaipur.
By Road : A good network of buses connect Sawai Madhopur, the nearest town from Ranthambore to all the major cities within the state of Rajasthan. The frequency of direct services though is not very great. Mostly you have to first take a bus to either Tonk or Dausa.

The Park remains closed to visitors from July to September.

Climate

Ranthambore National Park is open from 1st October to 30th June (July - September closed to visitors). A good time to visit is between November and May when the nature of the dry deciduous forests makes sightings common.
Tourists should always carry the cloths according to the season, they are visiting the Ranthambore National Park as summers are very hot and winters are very cold.
In summer time tourists should always expect a hot day out in Ranthambore Park as the day temperature can soar in between 35 to 47 degree centigrade. Tourists can expect this temperature, if they are visiting this park in the month of April and June.
Winter season is totally opposite to the summer time. Winter season, especially from November to February, morning drives in the park can be very freezing and even if you wear many layers of cloths, they can be insufficient for you. Day time remain pleasant during winters and you can even enjoy the outing in thin layer t-shirts but again in the evening it starts freezing cold.

Important for Tourists:
Take all the safaris you can (in the morning at 6:30 and in the afternoon at 14:30). You need a certain amount of luck to see a tiger (about 1 in 4 chance), but there are plenty of other wonderful sights. It is better to book the safaris in advance the same time you book your hotel. Your hotel will also be able to secure tickets for you (in some cases, this may be the only way to secure a "Gypsy" vehicle at late notice), but you will likely be charged a higher mark-up compared with the general market rate.
There are two choices of vehicle for going on the safari, an all wheel drive jeep called a "Gypsy" (which seat up to 6 visitors) or 16 or 20 seater safari bus called a "Canter". The 16 seater is the petrol version and is a bit quieter than the 20 seater diesel version. A diesel/petrol canter safari costs Rs. 500/530 for a non-Indian and a jeep safari Rs. 600 for a non-Indian, but jeeps are more mobile and everything is better seen from them. Maximum 10 Jeeps can enter the gate. The visitors to the Fort do not requie separate ticket to tour the park. Both can be covered in a single ticket.

Jeep safari: This is one of the famous and best ways to explore the park. Tourists should do the advance booking for the jeeps as thousands of tourists come to visit this park and there are only few number of vehicles are allowed in the park.
At the entrance to the Park your guide goes to the drawing procedure in order to get one of the five tracks you will be allowed to drive (since the park is a nature reserve only a limited number of cars can enter it and they are obliged to follow only one of the five routes). A good guide asks also a representative of the tourist group to be present at this procedure.

The current tickets can be obtained the hour before each safari start time directly from the ticket window. This tends to be a chaotic process as the agents are also trying to finalize their safaris. This is a convenience charge / mark-up free way of purchasing tickets and most of the agents will be happy to assist you in dealing with the ticket window. Ensure that you have obtained and filled out a indemnity form prior to requesting tickets. These forms are available around the corner from the ticket window at the main entrance security desk. You may have to request one from a guard standing behind the gate.

In the National Park / wildlife sanctuary, please ensure:

Most important: