Route library · Weekend · Jungle & wildlife
Delhi to Sariska by the Tehla Gate
Sariska is a tiger reserve in the Alwar Aravallis, and most people see it from the busy main gate on the Alwar–Jaipur road. The Tehla side, on the reserve's south-east edge, is quieter: the Bhartrihari temple in a wooded fold, the Pandupol Hanuman shrine, Siliserh lake and its lakeside palace, and, for permit-holders, the ruined Kankwari fort deep inside — where Aurangzeb once jailed his brother. It is an easy Aravalli weekend of dry forest, old stone and very little safari traffic.
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At a glance
- Round trip
- About 420–480 km
- Riding time
- 4.5–5.5 hours each way
- Nights
- One night
- Start point
- Delhi (via Sohna and Alwar)
- Highest point
- About 700 m in the Aravalli folds around Sariska
- Difficulty
- Easy. Aravalli state highways with rough patches; core-zone tracks are safari-vehicle only, not for private bikes.
- Surface
- Mostly sealed two-lane; the Alwar–Tehla and lake-loop roads have broken edges and gravel. You do not ride inside the core.
- Best season
- October to March. Winter is cool, the forest is open and animal movement is easiest to see; April to June is very hot and dry (though good for waterhole sightings by jeep); the reserve's core zone closes in the monsoon (roughly July–September).
- Permits
- Sariska core-zone entry (Kankwari, safari routes) is by forest-department permit and registered gypsy only — private motorcycles are not allowed inside. Bhartrihari, Pandupol (on fixed days), Siliserh and Tehla town are freely rideable.
The ride
Delhi → Sohna → Alwar → Tehla, an Aravalli route that skirts the reserve's eastern edge. Base near Tehla or by Siliserh lake.
Ride the fringe: the Bhartrihari temple and its forest setting, the Siliserh lake loop and palace, the Neelkanth temple ruins (6th–10th century) on the reserve's southern side, and Alwar's own Bala Qila and Sagar if you want a town half-day. For Kankwari fort or a wildlife drive, book a forest-department gypsy — you cannot take the bike in.
Day by day
Delhi to Tehla / Siliserh
Aravalli roads via Alwar to the Tehla / Siliserh side of the reserve (4.5–5.5 hours). Afternoon on the lake loop and the Bhartrihari temple; night here.
Fringe loop and back
An early Neelkanth temple ride or a booked forest gypsy to Kankwari, then back to Delhi via Alwar — an easy day. Add Bala Qila in Alwar if there is time.
Fuel & services
- Fuel is easy — pumps at Sohna, Alwar, Rajgarh and Tehla. No gap; a normal tank covers each leg.
- Stay at a Siliserh lakeside hotel, an RTDC property or a Tehla-side homestay / forest resort. Food is simple — eat at the hotel or in Alwar. Carry cash; card acceptance thins outside Alwar.
Road & conditions
The Sohna–Alwar road is busy and patchy; past Alwar the Aravalli roads quieten but carry gravel off the hills, broken edges and slow farm and quarry traffic. Do not attempt to ride the reserve's internal tracks — they are for registered gypsies only and riding them risks a fine and a wildlife-disturbance case. On the public fringe roads, cattle, nilgai and, at dawn and dusk, wildlife cross — ride those hours slowly and never at night near the forest.
Bike, fuel & getting help
- Suggested bike
- Fine on a well-maintained 150–200cc commuter.
- Fuel gap
- Longest dry stretch is short — a normal tank covers it with margin.
- Spare fuel
- None needed for this route.
- Emergency & logistics
- District hospital at Alwar; forest-department help at the Tehla and Sariska gates; the reserve core is gypsy-only — do not ride the internal tracks. Nilgai and, at dawn and dusk, wildlife cross the fringe roads; do not ride the forest edge at night.
Best time to ride
October to March. December to February is best — cool, dry, the deciduous forest open, and animal movement easiest to read from the fringe roads. April to June is fierce heat (good for jeep waterhole sightings, hard on a bike). The core zone closes for the monsoon, roughly July to September, and the fringe roads are green but slick.
What to add to your kit
Beyond the standard ride kit: layers for a cold Aravalli morning, sun cover for the day, binoculars for the fringe, cash, and patience for the town traffic in Alwar. Nothing technical.
Ride this with a group
We run Sariska's Tehla side as an easy one-night ride — Aravalli back roads past Alwar, a temple, a lake, a fort in the forest, and a lakeshore clean-up as the service action. The tiger reserve without the safari queue.