The 15 Best Yala Safari Tours

1.Yala Safari Day Trip from Bentota/ Kalutara/ Ahungalla/ Hikkaduwa

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 60 reviews · from $200Our pick

Set out from Bentota, Kalutara, Hikkaduwa and nearby coastal towns for a long day at Yala National Park. A private driver-guide handles the road transfer, then you spend about four hours on safari in a jeep. Park fees, bottled water and lunch are included. Wildlife sightings can include elephants, leopards and sloth bears, but no animal is guaranteed.

“Excellent. We managed to see 2 leopards as well as elephants and other wildlife. The meal was very good. The driver was very pleasant, on time and clean vehicle. Thank you for a wonderful experience”

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2.Colombo/Bentota/Kalutara/Ahungalla: Yala Safari Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 50 reviews · 1 day · from $124

Travel by air-conditioned vehicle from Colombo, Bentota, Kalutara or Ahungalla to Yala, then explore by soft-top safari Jeep with an English-speaking driver-guide. Guides such as Dilan, Sasanka, Naja and Tikiri have led outings, though your guide can vary. Look for leopards, elephants, crocodiles and birds. The park-entry fee is extra.

“The safari was incredible! Our guide had over 10yrs experience so knew all the perfect spots to see all types of animals. We saw a leopard up very close. Would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Sri Lanka! Well worth it.”

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3.VALUE PACK! One Day Safari Tour to Yala and Udawalawa Parks

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 28 reviews · from $100

Set aside 10 to 12 hours for this private safari day from Bentota: a five-hour 4x4 drive in Yala, a picnic lunch, three hours in Udawalawe, and a visit to its Elephant Transit Home. Transport, a safari jeep, bottled water, and an English-speaking driver-guide are included. Park entrance fees are extra.

“We had a fantastic time on the safari! Our tour guide, Nipun, was wonderful. We saw an abundance of wildlife including the sloth bear! I would definitely recommend to anyone!”

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4.Yala 4h Jeep Safari: Guided Wildlife Experience (All Inclusive)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 16 reviews · from $172

Set aside 9 to 12 hours for this private trip from Bentota to Yala National Park, including hotel transfers and a four-hour safari in a 4x4 jeep. Park entry, bottled water and a wildlife guide are included. Shiran Travels & Tours has been associated with guides and drivers named Shiran, Little Tony and Lakshitha, though your assigned guide may vary.

“I am very pleased I booked by Yala day safari with Shiran. I was picked up from my accommodation and travelled to Yala in a decent vehicle with a great driver. The safari experience was great, the guide was very good indeed.”

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5.Yala National Park Private Jeep Safari From Colombo & Negombo

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 14 reviews · from $250

Ride from your Colombo or Negombo hotel in an air-conditioned vehicle to Tissamaharama, then switch to a 4x4 with a driver and wildlife tracker for a Yala safari. Look for elephants, leopards, bears, crocodiles and birds. Breakfast or lunch is included, but Yala’s entrance fee is not.

“A great tour with a superb driver. Would 100% recommend! The driver was accommodating and tailored the tour for us to have the best experience.”

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6.All Inclusive Leopard Nest Treehouse Safari in Yala

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 12 reviews · from $200

Travel to Yala for an overnight stay in a private treehouse or tent at Leopard Nest. A naturalist or game ranger guides your evening and dawn game drives, while meals, selected drinks, a campfire, and an early nature walk to a lake are included. Hotel pickup and return transport are offered from selected cities.

“The staff are very friendly and helpful. The road/track to the facility is an adventure (wear the seat belt or hold on tight as you will be thrown around) in its self, similar to some of the tracks around yala national park. Food was very generous portions not a lot of selection Read more”

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7.7 Day Colombo Galle Yala Ella Kandy, Sri Lanka Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 12 reviews

Take a private seven-day road trip from Colombo Airport through Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya, Kandy, tea country, Ella, Yala and the south coast. Sujeewa, also called Sujee, is associated with the tour, and the route combines ancient sites, village life, mountain walks, wildlife and beaches. The $523.19 group price covers up to two people, but accommodation, many admissions and several activities cost extra.

“we had an amazing time. sujeewa took us to as many places as we told him and he knew. we partied, took videos and photos. we toured all over sri lanka hahahaha now sujeewa is not just a simple guide but family and I highly recommend yRead more”

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8.Private Day Trip to Yala National Park from Colombo

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 11 reviews · from $180

Leave Colombo, Negombo, or Kalutara around 7 a.m. for a long private day trip, stopping at Galle Fort and Weligama’s stilt fishermen before a four-hour Yala safari. A driver-guide handles transport; Deshan has guided the route, though your guide may differ. Park fees and dinner are included, lunch is not.

“We had the absolute pleasure of experiencing a truly unforgettable day trip from Colombo to Galle, culminating in an evening safari in Yala National Park—and we can’t recommend it highly enough. As two coworkers looking for a unique wRead more”

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9.Colombo to Kandy,Ella & Yala 3 Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · from $5Best value

Travel from Colombo through Kandy, the tea country and Ella toward Yala in a private, air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking driver. The plan includes the Royal Botanical Gardens, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, a train ride toward Nanu Oya and Ella’s waterfalls. One account names guide Terens, but guide assignments are not guaranteed.

“In this three day trip excellent tour in my life and the friends also enjoyed well and good hotels. Guide also supported us well. Good all arrangements. I recommend it more friends.”

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10.All inclusive Private jeep safari at Yala National park

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 9 reviews · from $95

Travel from Colombo in a private air-conditioned vehicle, then switch to a safari jeep for Yala National Park. Your driver-guide takes you through a four-hour safari, with bottled water and park snacks included. The day is about 15 to 16 hours, with an optional-feeling temple stop at Sithulpawwa and drop-off near Tissamaharama.

“Trip was very good and guide was very knowledgeable and would have given five stars had it not been that the guide turned up 90 minutes late. Also the vehicle was quite old and was left behind by other tour vehicles”

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11.Yala Full Day Safari with Picnic Lunch – Private & All Inclusive

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · from $175

Set out before dawn for a private Yala safari with hotel pickup, return transport, park admission, a safari jeep, bottled water, and lunch covered in the price. The park visit lasts about 10 hours, including 9 to 10 hours in the jeep. Guides named in past trips include Nirmal, known as Chooti, and Shashi, though your guide is not guaranteed.

“We booked a number of trips through Viatours & Get your Guide, these were routed through the Bentota Travel Mart, as soon as we had booked I was contacted by Sam the tour manager who confirmed the bookings and made us aware of Read more”

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12.Yala National Park Full-Day Jeep Safari with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · from $250

Set out from Colombo, Negombo or another agreed location in a private air-conditioned vehicle for Yala National Park. A safari jeep and licensed guide are arranged, park entry fees are included, and lunch follows the safari. Roshan and Arash are names associated with Kingsbury Tours, but confirm who will drive your trip.

“great day, nice experience. Very cool and helpful person.Responsible, and honest. worm heart and great with kids”

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13.Overnight Treehouse Safari at Yala National Park

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 7 reviews · 2 days · from $549

Spend two days in Yala’s ecosystem with a private game ranger, an evening jeep safari and a guided dawn walk. Sleep at Leopard Nest, enjoy campfire drinks and dinner under the stars, then have breakfast by a scenic lake. Pickup is available from selected coastal towns. Past trips have praised guides Roy and Kumara, though the driver and safari guide may be different people.

“Those who want to experience something unique in Sri Lanka should definitely do this trip. The accommodation is great. The staff have done everything to make this trip memorable.”

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14.Yala Safari Private Day Tour Kaluthara/Beruwala/Bentota/Kosgoda/Ahungalla

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · from $220

From Bentota, Beruwala, Kosgoda and nearby towns, Dimtours Srilanka arranges private car transfers to Yala and a four-hour park safari in a 4WD jeep with a driver-tracker. You can choose a morning or afternoon safari. Park admission and bottled water are included; meals are not. Dimuthu handles tour arrangements, and extra-cost guides can be arranged in several languages.

“We had a great day that started with the visit of a tea factory (we asked for that). Afterwards we drove to Yala and saw lots of wonderful animals like elephants, crocodiles, chameleons, eagles and many more. Dim answers every question and knows everything about life in Sri Lanka. He is a very friendly person and safe driver, full recommendation 🖖🙏”

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15.2 Days Tour of Double Safari (Yala & Udawalawe) – All Inclusive

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · from $375

Spend two days with a private English-speaking driver-guide, a Yala evening safari, and a morning safari in Udawalawe, known for its wild elephants. The package includes a three-star hotel, meals, park fees, safari jeep, and pickup and drop-off across a wide stretch of Sri Lanka’s west and south coasts. An elephant facility and a hilltop temple add two different stops.

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