Why stay in Haldwani for a Corbett trip?
Most people visiting Corbett for the first time fly into Delhi, catch the Kathgodam Shatabdi (12040) at 6 AM and reach Kathgodam Junction around 12:00 PM. At that point you have a choice. You can drive the 88 km straight to Ramnagar and check into a Corbett resort the same afternoon, or you can spend a night in Haldwani and drive across at sunrise.
A night in Haldwani has three things going for it. The first is price: mid-range hotels in Haldwani cost ₹2,500–₹4,500, while the safari resorts in Ramnagar (Aahana, Taj Corbett, Tigris) charge ₹8,000–₹22,000 in 2026. The second is flexibility. If your morning safari permits do not come through, and corbettonline often sells out, you can still fall back on Haldwani, Bhimtal and Nainital. The third is logistics: cabs cost less from Haldwani than from the Ramnagar resorts, and on the Haldwani side your pickup from Kathgodam is included.
There is still a case for going straight to Ramnagar. If you have already booked a safari resort on a package that includes the permit, as most premium resorts offer, the all-in price often works out cheaper than paying separately for a night in Haldwani, a Ramnagar resort and a private cab. Work out the cost both ways before you book.
If your trip takes in other parts of Kumaon as well as Corbett, our visitor's guide to Haldwani, Uttarakhand gives the wider picture across all three of Haldwani's neighbourhoods. If you would rather stay on the hill highway itself, our guide to hotels on Nainital Road covers seven hotels along the 8 km stretch towards Nainital, including Maplewood, Blue Saphire and Castle Inn, all of which also suit an early start for Corbett.
