The main entry village is Tala, where most lodges, jeep operators, and the permit office are based. The nearest town is Umaria, about 35 km away, which has a railway station on the Katni–Bilaspur line with connections to Delhi, Jabalpur, and Varanasi. Trains from Delhi take around 15 hours; from Jabalpur the journey is about 3 hours.
By road, Umaria is 185 km from Jabalpur (about 4 hours) and 237 km from Rewa. From Umaria, shared jeeps and private taxis run to Tala. Jabalpur Airport (JLR) is the nearest airport, with flights from Delhi, Mumbai, and Hyderabad; from there, hiring a car for the full journey is the simplest option. Many visitors arrive as part of a Madhya Pradesh wildlife circuit combining Bandhavgarh with Kanha or Pench.