4 Days Sri Lanka Tour: Yala Safari, Nuwara Eliya & Kandy
Four days that climb from Yala's leopard country up through Ella to the cool tea hills of Nuwara Eliya, and finish in temple-city Kandy.
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Yala, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka's most-visited national park, known for having one of the highest densities of leopards anywhere in the world. Elephants, sloth bears and abundant birdlife are also regularly seen. Safaris typically run in the early morning or late afternoon, when wildlife is most active.
What to expect
- Leopard sightings — never guaranteed, but Yala’s odds are among the best anywhere
- Elephants, sloth bears, crocodiles and a wide range of birdlife
- Early-morning or late-afternoon game drives, by 4x4 jeep
Tours that include Yala
Every tour is private and can be adjusted to spend more or less time here.
6 Days Sri Lanka Tour: Kandy, Tea Country, Ella & Yala
A compact loop from Kandy through the tea hills of Nuwara Eliya to Ella, then down to Yala for a leopard safari and on to the Bentota coast, with a private driver-guide.
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Cultural Triangle, Hills & Yala Safari
Two jeep safaris, a rock fortress, a temple city, a train through tea country and a Yala dawn drive, finished with beach days on the south-west coast.
View Tour9 Days Sri Lanka Tour: Elephants, Tea Hills & Yala Safari
A loop of elephants, ancient cities, Kandy, tea country and a dawn leopard safari in Yala, then a long, slow final day on the beach at Bentota.
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9 Days Sri Lanka Tour: Hill Train, Yala Safari & Galle Fort
Land in the morning and start straight away: elephants, Sigiriya, Kandy, a hill train to Ella, dawn in Yala and the ramparts of Galle, then two beach nights.
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Sri Lanka Grand Explorer
Nine days, six bases and one big loop: elephants, a rock fortress, Kandy, tea hills, a train ride to Ella, a Yala safari and a coastal finish, all with a private driver-guide.
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Animals are easiest to spotFebruary to July
Yala safari: what you can see in the park
A Yala safari is the best-known wildlife trip in Sri Lanka, and Yala National Park has one of the highest leopard densities in the world. You travel by jeep with a trained tracker, and the morning drive starts before sunrise when animals are active. Besides leopards, you may see elephants, sloth bears, crocodiles, water buffalo and many birds. No safari can promise a sighting, so we always suggest a full morning instead of a short visit.
A jeep with a tracker
The morning drive starts before sunrise, when animals are active.
The park closes for weeks
It shuts for a few weeks each year, so check the dates first.
Jeep and park fees are extra
We list them clearly on every tour page.
Planning your Yala safari
The dry season, roughly February to July, usually brings animals to the waterholes and makes spotting easier. The park closes for a few weeks each year, so check the dates before you fix a trip. We normally place Yala after the hills, with an overnight stay near the park gate, and then continue to the south coast. Dress in muted colours, bring a hat and water, and expect a dusty ride. Tell us how many people are travelling and we will book the jeep.
Your driver-guide travels with you to the park gate, and the safari jeep and tracker are arranged separately. Park fees and the jeep are normally extra, which we list clearly on every tour page so there are no surprises.
Nearby and easy to combine
Planning a visit to Yala?
Tell us your dates and interests and we'll build a private itinerary around it.