The national park lies at the foothills of the Nilgiri Mountains in the southern tip of Karnataka and borders the famous Nagarhole National Par to its north, Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary (Tamil Nadu) to the sought and Wynad Wildlife Sanctuary (Kerala) to the south west. Together the four parks cover an area of more than 5.500 square km and form a the part of Nilgiri biosphere reserve. Bandipur has the highest population of Asiatic elephants (about 750), 74 Tigers, large herds of Gaur, the largest bovine on earth. Bandipur belonged to the hunting grounds of the Maharaja of Mysore and was famous for its hunting parties. Since 1973 Bandipur is a national park. The area is hilly, ranging from 780 – 1.454,5 m and covered with dry deciduous forest, teak, rose wood and bamboo are common.

Species in the park: Asian or Indian elephant (elephas maxmus), Gaur (Bos gaurus), four-horn antelope, tiger (Panthere tigris), leopard, wild dog (dhole), hyena, Sambhar (cervus unicolor), Chital (axis axis), muntiac, sloth bear, wild boar, Python, several species of monkeys and birds

Best time of travel: The park is open all the year round. The seasons are well recognised. The wet season or Monsoon can be observed between June and September as well as October to November. The mornings and the evenings from November to January can be cold.