Thar Desert Herping Expedition

Rajasthan Desert Jaisalmer

Scales of the Sand – Thar Desert Herping Tour

5 Days 4 Nights | Expert Led | Desert Reptiles, Night Drives & Spotlight Surveys
A five day reptile expedition into the Thar Desert around Jaisalmer. Night drives, spotlight surveys and expert led field sessions in search of India’s most fascinating desert reptiles.

Tour Dates

  • 21 Nov 2026 – 25 Nov 2026
  • 04 Dec 2026 – 08 Dec 2026
  • 18 Dec 2026 – 22 Dec 2026
  • 01 Jan 2027 – 05 Jan 2027
  • 15 Jan 2027 – 19 Jan 2027
  • Customizable

Highlights

Thar Desert Herping Expedition

  • Dedicated night herping excursions across dunes, scrublands and arid grasslands
  • Search for monitor lizards, agamids, desert geckos, skinks and nocturnal snakes
  • Expert led spotlight surveys and night drives through remote desert terrain
  • Photography opportunities with some of India’s rarest reptile species
  • Small group expedition with daily species reviews and field discussions
  • Optional bird and mammal watching alongside reptile focused sessions
  • Stay at a comfortable desert camp close to prime herping habitats near Jaisalmer
  • A rare chance to explore the Thar Desert beyond its famous forts and sand dunes

Tour Overview

Thar Desert Herping Expedition

The Thar Desert is one of India’s most underrated wildlife destinations. While most visitors come for the forts and sand dunes, a quieter and equally fascinating world exists here after dark. The Thar is home to a remarkable variety of reptiles, from fast moving agamids and monitor lizards to secretive nocturnal geckos and desert snakes that are rarely seen and even more rarely photographed. This five day herping expedition takes you deep into the dunes, scrublands and arid grasslands around Jaisalmer in search of these extraordinary desert specialists. Led by an expert expedition leader, each day is structured around the natural rhythms of desert wildlife, early morning basking hours, midday rest and long productive nights with spotlights and patience. This is a niche experience designed for reptile enthusiasts, wildlife photographers and naturalists who want to see a side of India that most travellers never find.

Big Cats India

Tripadvisor Traveler Rating

48 Reviews

Tripadvisor Ranking

#5 of 113 Outdoor Activities in Pune
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Google Reviews

5.0

117 Reviews

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Beetle in Sand Desert
Rajasthan Desert Jaisalmer

Tour Itinerary

Thar Desert Herping Expedition

  • Day 1: Arrival and Introduction to Desert Herping
  • Day 2: Dune Ecosystems and Night Search
  • Day 3: Exploring Remote Desert Habitats
  • Day 4: Advanced Herping and Wildlife Observation
  • Day 5: Final Search and Departure
Snake in Desert
Lizard in Desert

Tour Information

Booking Procedure

To confirm your seat, a 50% advance amount along with a recognized Government Identity card (Aadhar, Pancard, Driver’s License, OCI, Passport, Voter’s ID, school/College ID) is to be sent to us.

For non Indian nationals, only Passport is allowed.

Id’s should be scanned and emailed at [email protected]

Inclusion
  • Accommodation in desert camp or lodge for 4 nights with all meals
  • Expert expedition leader throughout the tour
  • All night herping excursions, spotlight surveys and night drives
  • Morning and afternoon field sessions each day
  • Species identification guidance and field documentation support
  • Bottled water during all field sessions and transfers
  • Camera fee wherever applicable
  • Assistance on arrival and departure
Exclusion
  • Personal expenses like laundry, phone calls, liquor, à la carte food, etc.
  • International or domestic airfares and rail tickets.
  • Travel insurance.
  • Tips and Gratuities.
  • Anything that is not mentioned in the inclusion section.
Cancelation Policy
  • If cancellation requested before 120 days (or more) prior to departure, Full refund.
  • If cancellation requested before 60 days (or more) prior to departure – 75% of the tour cost will be refunded.
  • If cancellation requested before 45 to 59 days prior to departure – 50% of the tour cost will be refunded.
  • If cancellation requested before 30 to 44 days prior to departure – 25% of the tour cost will be refunded.
  • If cancellation requested before 15 to 29 days prior to departure – 10% of the tour cost will be refunded.
  • If cancellation requested less than 15 days prior to departure, No Show – No Refund.

Guest Testimonials

We thank all of our guests for trusting Big Cats India and for trusting us with planning their wildlife holiday with us.
Read all our guests' reviews on our Google business profile or TripAdvisor

Villiam C
Wonderful trip Excellent safari, organization was perfect. Driver wery well prepared Resort were terrrific. We were Always in contact with agency during trip! Absolutely we'll come back A lot of Tigers seens, sloth bear, Leopard and wild dog
Villiam C
Italy
Wonderful trip Excellent safari, organization was perfect. Driver wery well prepared Resort were terrrific. We were Always in contact with agency during trip! Absolutely we'll come back A lot of Tigers seens, sloth bear, Leopard and wild dog
Villiam C
Villiam C
Italy
Mr. Appert Pierre
Hello the world ! I greatly recommend the service of Big Cats india ! They organize for me the perfect trip ! They solve all my problem !! Indeed I had booked the wrong date for my flight but they...
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Mr. Pierre Appert
France
Hello the world ! I greatly recommend the service of Big Cats india ! They organize for me the perfect trip ! They solve all my problem !! Indeed I had booked the wrong date for my flight but they succeed to save my trip and reschedule everything on a Saturday ! I can’t thank them enough ! Safari was all great with the right gate at the right moment and excellent driver ! Everything was managed for me ! I saw many tiger but more importantly was the quality of the seeing ! Indeed once you see a first tiger what you really want is special interaction not just see one in a bush…. You want to see the tiger with cubs, see the tiger hunting, see the tiger fighting, see the tiger drinking ! And thanks to them in 8 days and 3 parks I was able to see all of this ! It is a question of luck of course but you need perfect condition to try the luck and this is what Big Cats India provide to me ! The experience have nothing similar to other safari I have done in Africa ! It is very intense, tiger don’t stay for long and you run the jungle when one is seen! It is a true natural environnement nothing artificial you only see the tiger if they want you to ! And atmosphere is very intense when you see one ! Hotel were great, I choose not to be in luxury hotel to be near the local population and it was simple but perfect, very clean, air conditioning all working ! Food was perfect not to spicy for a foreigner and I was absolutely not sick ! I can’t recommend it more to you ! If you want to live this adventure book with them to have a trusted person and a trouble free trip !
Mr. Appert Pierre
Mr. Pierre Appert
France
Mr. Marcos Mallo
(Spanish) La experiencia en nuestro viaje de observación de fauna con Big Cats India fue impresionante. Visitamos tres reservas, y tuvimos la suerte de observar una gran cantidad de tigres, además de leopardos, osos bezudos,...
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Mr. Marcos Mallo
Spain
(Spanish) La experiencia en nuestro viaje de observación de fauna con Big Cats India fue impresionante. Visitamos tres reservas, y tuvimos la suerte de observar una gran cantidad de tigres, además de leopardos, osos bezudos, cuones, y todo el resto de fauna con la que conviven. Aunque se trata de fauna salvaje y la suerte juega un papel importante para conseguir observarla, la elección de las zonas y puertas de entrada a las reservas por parte de Big Cats India fue estupenda y tuvo mucho que ver con nuestro éxito. Kunal siempre está disponible para solucionar cualquier contratiempo durante el viaje, además de mantener una conversación fluida y muy orientativa durante la organización y planificación del mismo. También nos ayudó mucho a la hora de solucionar nuestros desplazamientos antes y después de comenzar el tour, y nos aconsejó en otras cuestiones no relacionadas con este. Los alojamientos están perfectamente escogidos y nos sentimos muy cómodos en cada uno de ellos, y las comidas resultaron deliciosas, especialmente durante nuestra estancia en Gourissa Resort, un lugar de gran calidad. En todo momento nos acompañó un conductor, que nos trasladó el primer día desde nuestro hotel en Nagpur hasta nuestro primer alojamiento, y más tarde en todos los desplazamientos, tanto a las entradas de las reservas, como en los traslados entre estas y, finalmente, a la estación de tren desde la que saldríamos hacia Mumbai. !Recomendamos la experiencia sin dudarlo, porque ha superado nuestras expectativas y nos vamos muy satisfechos en todos los aspectos! ¡Kunal y Big Cats India son unos grandes profesionales!
Mr. Marcos Mallo
Mr. Marcos Mallo
Spain
Maxim & Josca
We were a bit late with planning the safari trip and many good spots were fully booked, but Krunal was very helpful and creative in planning a trip that met our needs. The resorts where very comfortable and the food ...
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Mr. Maxim Vetsuypens
Netherlands
We were a bit late with planning the safari trip and many good spots were fully booked, but Krunal was very helpful and creative in planning a trip that met our needs. The resorts where very comfortable and the food was tasty. Krunal was very responsive to our messages, even at late hours. We had an amazing experience at Tadoba National Park. In six safari's we saw many tigers and other amazing wildlife. Highly recommend Tadoba for anyone who wants to see tigers in their natural habitat.
Maxim & Josca
Mr. Maxim Vetsuypens
Netherlands
Mr. Baron Von
Made very comfortable accomodations and set up the best gates for animal viewings. Saw everything i was hoping to see and more. Very happy with this company would highly recommend.
Mr. Baron von Beardenheim
Canada
Made very comfortable accomodations and set up the best gates for animal viewings. Saw everything i was hoping to see and more. Very happy with this company would highly recommend.
Mr. Baron Von
Mr. Baron von Beardenheim
Canada
Robert Prehn
Amazing Safari Experience Krunal of Big Cats India organised our photographic safari trip to Tadoba and Pench Reserves. The accommodations were first class and the safaris blew our minds with more than 30 tigers and loads of other wildlife ...
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Robert Prehn
South Africa
Amazing Safari Experience Krunal of Big Cats India organised our photographic safari trip to Tadoba and Pench Reserves. The accommodations were first class and the safaris blew our minds with more than 30 tigers and loads of other wildlife seen in 8 days. Krunal really went out of his way to make sure that we had a wonderful trip. We had never been to Tadoba or Pench and it was his advice and patient recommendations to my many questions that persuaded me to go with Big Cats India. He explained in detail how the safari systems in the different reserves worked and why he would recommend buffer zones above core zones in certain areas. All his suggestions paid off handsomely. Thank you Krunal!
Robert Prehn
Robert Prehn
South Africa
David Scarborough
Had an amazing time on our safari and couldn't be more pleased with Krunal for helping set everything up. We did 6 safari drives (3x morning, 3x afternoon) and luckily saw tigers on 4 of the drives - unbelievable! The hotel was ...
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David Scarborough
United States of America
Had an amazing time on our safari and couldn't be more pleased with Krunal for helping set everything up. We did 6 safari drives (3x morning, 3x afternoon) and luckily saw tigers on 4 of the drives - unbelievable! The hotel was beautiful and the staff provided excellent service. Would definitely recommend working with this company!
David Scarborough
David Scarborough
United States of America
Q Ayla Y
They are the best! Amazing experience! Big Cats India helped me costumize and plan my trip exactly how I wanted. We got to see a mixture of historical sites and tiger safaris. The staff was more than helpful. ...
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Q Ayla Y
United States of America
They are the best! Amazing experience! Big Cats India helped me costumize and plan my trip exactly how I wanted. We got to see a mixture of historical sites and tiger safaris. The staff was more than helpful. Always available to our calls and concerns. They went above and beyond to meet our needs. They arranged excellent hotels, booked private drivers, and provided good guides for the sightseeing and tiger safaris. We could tell that the staff deeply cared about our vacation being as comfortable as possible. We would highly recommend you book with Big Cats India! To increase your chances of good tiger sightings I recommend booking at least 3 days of safaris in the core zones. They made our dream to see tigers come true!
Q Ayla Y
Q Ayla Y
United States of America
Marisa Romeo
magnificent safari tour/wonderful tour & safari I discovered Big Cats India via the internet, looking through various operators and having asked for some offers to go to national parks and possibly see and photograph tigers (mission accomplished, ...
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Marisa Romeo
Switzerland
magnificent safari tour/wonderful tour & safari I discovered Big Cats India via the internet, looking through various operators and having asked for some offers to go to national parks and possibly see and photograph tigers (mission accomplished, but it is never obvious to be able to spot tigers, guides and jeep drivers will do their best). I have always had answers, a great attention to costs and savings, feedback and information always timely and a flawless on-site follow-up with various people all reliable and kind. I had 13 safaris in the parks of Kaziranga, Kanha, Bandhavgarh, where I could admire nature, many animals and photograph unique and endangered species. Among the animals seen are: tigers, Indian unicorn rhinos, different types of deer (also Barasingha), eagles, vultures, owls, gray langurs, Indian sea jays, gaur, jackal, green parrots, ibis, lesser marabou, turtles, wild boar, elephants both wild and domesticated, herons, etc. Also a tour was organized between Delhi, Khajuraho, Orchha, Vrindavan, Agra. In every trip or activity something unexpected can happen (through no one's fault) and was immediately remedied without any negative consequences. Great organization and attention, on visits, parks, travel, attractions, choice of drivers, breaks-catering,... timely information even during the trip. It's a trip I'm extremely happy about, I could admire beauties everywhere and appreciate India and what it offers by nature, attractions, different cultures, new foods, smiling and kind people. I loved all this! A reliable company, Krunal has always been very attentive to everything. A BIG THANK YOU to Big Cats India, Krunal @atraveler-krunal and also to the collaborators. Highly recommended!!
Marisa Romeo
Marisa Romeo
Switzerland
James Parker
High Service Levels and Superb Guiding. We booked a safari covering The Gir Forest, Tadoba, Pench and Kanha. The process was very easy and Big Cats was quick to respond. Throughout the trip they consistently checked how everything ...
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James Parker
United Arab Emirates
High Service Levels and Superb Guiding. We booked a safari covering The Gir Forest, Tadoba, Pench and Kanha. The process was very easy and Big Cats was quick to respond. Throughout the trip they consistently checked how everything was going and made sure everything proceeded smoothly. However, where Big Cats exceeds expectations is the provision of superb drivers and guides. In Gir we saw 19 lions and 1 leopard, whilst in the 3 Tiger Reserves we saw 27 tigers, 2 leopards, 3 packs of Dhole, 3 Sloth Bears, numerous Golden Jackal as well as Barasinga, 4 horned antelope and other herbivores. We saw many birds - especially owls. I would unhesitatingly recommend them. In fact, I started planning the next safari with them. The key to their service is consistently high service levels, quality guiding and additional services (our driver was, again, exceptional).
James Parker
James Parker
United Arab Emirates
Lewis Johnson
Had such an amazing tiger safari tour with Big cats at Pench tiger safari. Had 6 tiger sightings, 1 leopard sighting and 100s more wildlife over our 4 day tour. Big cats couldn’t have been more helpful...
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Lewis Johnson
Australia
Had such an amazing tiger safari tour with Big cats at Pench tiger safari. Had 6 tiger sightings, 1 leopard sighting and 100s more wildlife over our 4 day tour. Big cats couldn’t have been more helpful with the whole booking and right the way through they were always asking how it was all going and if they could do anything more for us. Will 100% be using them again.
Lewis Johnson
Lewis Johnson
Australia

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