Papikonda National Park Voyage Tips and guide

Papikonda National Park (పాపికొండలు Pāpikoṇḍalu) is at the border confluence of Khammam district in Telangana and Polvaram district of Andhra Pradesh, India.

Papikonda is a part of the Eastern Ghats mountain range, which extends from Odisha to northern Tamil Nadu.

Many species endemic to the Eastern Ghats are found in Papikonda National Park.

The plant species of the national park include Pterocarpus marsupium, Terminalia elliptica, Terminalia arjuna, Adina cordifolia, Sterculia urens, Mangifera indica (Indian mango) and Anogeissus latifolia.

Carnivores include Bengal tiger, Indian leopard, rusty-spotted cat, jungle cat, leopard cat, sloth bear, small Indian civet, Asian palm civet, wild boar, honey badger. Herbivores include spotted deer, sambar deer, Indian muntjac, Indian spotted chevrotain, water buffalo, gaur, nilgai and four-horned antelope.

The national park has populations of both Rhesus macaques and Bonnet macaques, as well as grey langurs.

You can enter Papikonda from Kunavaram or Rajahmundry. Kunavaram is reachable by road from Hyderabad (351km), Khammam (170 km), and Bhadrachalam (49km). You can hire a boat or join a tour. Rajahmundry also offers boat services to Papikonda, and is well-connected by plane and train.

Map of Papikonda National Park

A boat trip on the Godavari River in Papikonda is quite spellbinding and romantic. You can choose from a wide variety of trips depending on the time limits. Kunavaram offers the fastest and cheapest way to check out the hills.

Tour boats locally called "Launches" are the main transport vehicles. Added to the tour boats the local fishermen's boats can be used for emergency transport.

This region isn't well connected by roads but after a 10km hike.

The national park covers a forest area where each village on the banks of the Godavari has its stops and individual specialities.

• Gandipochamma - A temple of GandiPochamma Deity.
• Devipatnam
• Perantalapalli (Village of Perantalapalli). A major stopover in boat trips, Perantalapalli has Ramakrishna Muni Ashramam and other religious places . 
• Kolluru - Huts to stay & sands for a relaxing atmosphere.
• Pamaleru Wagu - A place for bathing in the water which originates from the hills.
• 17.291981.6441 Polavaram Dam. An under-construction multi-purpose irrigation project on the Godavari River.  (updated Mar 2026)
• 17.21781.6462 Sri Veerabhadra Temple, Pattiseema. On a hill known as Devakuta Parvatha in the middle of the Godavari River. In mythology, Veerabhadra was born out of the lock of Shiva's hair during his tandava performance on sighting his wife getting burnt in the fire of the yagna being conducted by Daksha, his father-in-law. You have to cross the river on board a crude motorboat to reach the temple.  (updated Mar 2026)

• Bamboo chicken

• Papi Hills resorts, ☏ +91 9963007222, [email protected]. A 1 day Papi Hills tour is ₹650 and a resorts bookings 2 Days package is ₹2300. 2300. (updated Jun 2017)

This region gets minimal mobile phone coverage and is located in the Agency area. Please stick to tourist places and don't miss your boat. It would be very difficult for foreigners who are lost, to communicate with the tribal people.

• Bhadrachalam
• Rajahmundry