The safaris are one of the things that make Sri Lanka so special. There are several national parks in Sri Lanka, each with its own diversity of wildlife and nature. One thing almost all of them have in common: you are bound to see elephants. The most famous parks are: Yala, Udawalawe, Minneriya and Wilpattu. Below we share all our tips for the Yala National Park in southern Sri Lanka!
Content of this blog:
General information Yala National Park
Yala national park is not only the largest park but also the busiest. This is mainly because of the great diversity of wildlife. In fact, there are a total of 44 species of mammals and as many as 215 species of birds in Yala. Some of the unusual animals you may encounter here include: many different species of birds of prey, elephants, crocodiles, different species of monkeys, pythons, leopards and bears. Of particular note is the large population of leopards in the park. However, this is no guarantee that you will spot one during your safari but the drivers and guides are well trained to look in the right places. In 2025, Wilpattu National Park, near Anuradhapura, is the better place to spot leopards in Sri Lanka!
Arranging a safari in Yala + costs
All around Yala national park (Tissamaharama and Kataragama) you can find locals who own a 4X4 jeep and would be happy to offer you a safari. If you stay overnight at a hostel, hotel or apartment nearby, the owner always knows a good address as well (or offers safaris himself).
It is smart to go on safari with several people since, of course, you pay per jeep. You can then split this amount by several people. On average, for a full day safari in Yala National Park you will spend +/- 25,000 LKR (€85) per person. This is for the jeep, entrance fee, lunch and driver/guide. For a half day you pay +/- 20,000 LKR (€65).
Full day or half day safari in Yala?
We did a full day safari in Yala. It is quite tiring, because you are picked up at 05:00 and you are back at 18:00, but it is so cool! You have a better chance of seeing the different animals because you are in the park all day. Don’t have that much time or are you too tired to sit in the jeep all day? Then, of course, you can also opt for a half-day safari in Yala National Park.
On safari in Yala National Park
You can visit Yala national park between sunrise and sunset. The park opens at 06:00 and this is actually the best time to go in. This means you will be picked up at your hotel by the jeep around 05:00. In the dark you drive to the entrance of the park where you and several other jeeps wait for the gate to open and allow you to enter. The reason why it’s best to go on safari early in the morning is actually quite simple: it’s still fairly cool because of last night, this means it’s a pleasant temperature for both you and the animals which means the animals are a lot more active than when it’s warm. Thus, you will encounter more animals to photograph.
No jeeps are allowed to drive around Yala between 12:00 and 2:00 pm. If you are doing a full day safari in Yala National Park, this is the time to have lunch and relax a bit.
Furthermore, during your safari, make sure you pay close attention to the directions of the guide/driver. They often know the good spots where the animals are present and how to get the most beautiful pictures of them. During the safari you are not allowed to get out of the jeep, simply due to the fact that there are several dangerous wild animals living there such as bears, crocodiles, leopards and pythons. There is one place where you are allowed to get off. This is at the lunch place. There is also a restroom here and you can walk around freely.
Important supplies during your safari
- A large bottle of water. It can get very hot very fast, making it important to keep drinking well.
- A warm cardigan or sweater. Even though the temperature quickly rises in the morning, when you are picked up at 05:00 and drive a long way in an open jeep it is still very cold. Therefore, make sure you have at least one warm vest or sweater with you and something else you can wrap around you when it gets really cold while driving.
- A snack or breakfast. Since you will be picked up so early, you will not have an extensive breakfast before that. Therefore, it is important to bring a good snack (fruit or a granola bar) so that you do have something on hand during your safari. You often do get breakfast in the park, around 9:00 a.m., but you will probably be quite hungry by then.
- Mosquito spray. When you stand still for a while to view and photograph an animal, you may become a living prey for mosquitoes. In fact, you will find these throughout Sri Lanka, and especially in these areas in the national parks. Make sure you already generously spray yourself with the spray in the morning after showering, but to be safe, take it with you in your backpack as well so you can put on some extra protection along the way.
- Sunscreen. The sun rises around 6 a.m., and even though it is far from at its strongest at that time: it can already burn fiercely on your skin. Be sure to apply sunscreen at least from 09:00 to be as protected as possible.
- Sunglasses/cap. As mentioned above, the sun can get very bright. Therefore, to keep seeing everything well, it is important to also have good protection for your eyes so you can keep spotting the animals without squinting your eyes the whole time.
- Camera/phone. Last but not least, make sure you have a properly working (and charged) camera or phone with you to take your photos with. You can also bring a power bank if it drains quickly.
Yala is a busy safari park
Yala is traditionally Sri Lanka’s largest and most famous safari park. Therefore, many travelers visit Yala, and it is often very crowded here. Right now, in 2025, Wilpattu is a better safari park in Sri Lanka for spotting leopards, so many travelers visit Wilpattu. They usually do not visit Yala after this as well, so the number of tourists has decreased somewhat. Still, you may find yourself with a whole line of jeeps waiting near a leopard, elephant or crocodile, but that is also the case in Wilpattu. If you’re looking for an undiscovered safari park in Sri Lanka, we recommend Kumana National Park, near Arugam Bay. Also read our overview of all safari parks in Sri Lanka to make a good choice.
Accommodation near Yala National Park
As mentioned earlier, the nearby villages of Tissamaharama and Kataragama are the ideal base for a safari to Yala. Below we have listed our favorite 3 accommodations near Yala National Park!
If you have a little more to spend than the backpacker budget, you can also choose to stay in large safari tents in the middle of the wilderness just a stone’s throw from Yala. You really feel at one with nature here and this is a fantastic experience! If you have the money to spare, we can definitely recommend this! For example, choose Mahoora – Yala by Eco Team where you stay in a safari tent, enjoy a cold drink by the campfire under the stars at night and really feel like you are in nature. This reminded us of our stay at the Masai Mara in Kenya, which was also really fantastic.
Or choose Leopard Trails Yala where you can even opt for a suite with pool! Surely this is a dream!
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