Devalia Safari Park, officially the Gir Interpretation Zone, is a fenced area of a little over four square kilometres of typical Gir habitat about 12 km west of Sasan. It was created to take pressure off the main sanctuary and to give visitors a short, dependable look at the park’s wildlife: lions above all, but also leopards kept in a separate enclosure, chital, sambar, nilgai, blackbuck and wild boar.
A visit lasts well under an hour. You go round either in a Forest Department minibus or in a gypsy, and because the lions live inside the fence, the chance of seeing them is very high. It is not the same as meeting a lion in the open forest, and it is right to know that before you go — but it is honest about what it is, it is well run, and for many families it is the highlight.
Devalia is normally closed on Wednesdays, and unlike the Jungle Trail it has usually stayed open through much of the monsoon; arrangements change, so confirm on the official portal before you travel.
What to see and do at Devalia Safari Park
Take the bus round
The cheapest and simplest option: a seat on a Forest Department minibus that drives a set loop. Tickets are sold for fixed departure times; on busy days they sell out, so book ahead on the official portal where possible.
Or go by gypsy
Open gypsies also run at Devalia, carrying a small group for a similar round. They cost more than the bus but give better views and photographs.
See the leopards
Devalia is one of the few places where visitors to Gir reliably see a leopard, in a large enclosure of its own.
Use it as an introduction
Doing Devalia on your arrival afternoon and the Jungle Trail the next morning works well: you see a lion for certain, then go looking for a wild one without the pressure.
How to get to Devalia Safari Park
- Devalia is roughly 12 km from Sasan Gir by road, about 20–25 minutes by car or auto-rickshaw. Resorts on the western side of Sasan are closer to it than to Sinh Sadan.
- Tickets and permits for Devalia are issued through the same official portal as the Jungle Trail, girlion.gujarat.gov.in, with some sold at the counter when seats remain.
Practical tips
- Check the weekly closing day — normally Wednesday — before planning around Devalia.
- Morning and late-afternoon rounds are cooler and the animals more active than at midday.
- With toddlers or elderly relatives, Devalia’s short, smooth round is much easier than three hours on forest tracks.
- The same warning about fake booking websites applies here as for the Jungle Trail.
Best tours for Devalia Safari Park
These packages are the easiest way to see Devalia Safari Park with transport and a guide sorted:
Short guided safari from US$78 Sasan Gir: Devalia Safari Park Gypsy Safari
A pre-arranged gypsy visit to Devalia, the fenced interpretation zone where sightings are far more reliable than on the Jungle Trail. Of the Gir products on GetYourGuide this is the one with the better reviews, though there are still only a handful. Devalia is normally closed on Wednesdays; check the day before you book.
- A gypsy round of the Gir Interpretation Zone
- A high chance of seeing lions at close range
- Short enough for young children
Short guided safari from US$52 Gujarat: Devalia Park (Devaliya) Guided Jeep Safari
A second, cheaper Devalia listing from a different operator. It has no reviews yet, so compare what each one includes — vehicle, guide, entry and pickup — rather than choosing on price alone.
- A guided jeep round at Devalia Safari Park
- Lions, and often deer and antelope, in typical Gir scrub
- The lower-priced Devalia option
Jeep safari package from US$104 per group Gujarat: Gir National Park Guided Jeep Safari
A private operator’s package for the classic Gir safari: a roughly three-hour drive in an open gypsy with a guide, priced per vehicle. It costs noticeably more than arranging the official permit, jeep and guide yourself, and its reviews so far are few and low — read them before you book, and confirm in writing which date, time slot and permit you are getting. Lion sightings can never be guaranteed.
- An open-gypsy drive on the Gir Jungle Trail
- Priced per vehicle for up to six people
- The operator handles the permit paperwork for you
