Overview
Our private Udawalawe safari from Colombo is a full day out to Sri Lanka’s best park for wild elephants and back. Your English-speaking driver picks you up from your hotel in Colombo or Negombo at around 9:00 am, drives you south to Udawalawe for an afternoon jeep safari, and brings you back to your hotel by about 9:00 pm.
The price covers your private return transport: US$150 for 1 to 3 people in an air-conditioned car, or US$200 for 4 to 7 people in a van. The safari jeep and Udawalawe National Park entrance tickets are extra. We can book your jeep for you: a private half-day Udawalawe safari is US$60 per jeep for up to 6 people, and you can add it in the booking box.
Is a Udawalawe day tour from Colombo worth it?
Yes, if you have one free day and want to see wild elephant herds with their calves in the open. Udawalawe is the most reliable park in Sri Lanka for elephants, so sightings are almost certain on an afternoon safari. Our Udawalawe day tour from Colombo is about 12 hours door to door, with lunch near the park before the safari. If you prefer a slower pace, we can add a night near Udawalawe and a morning safari the next day, or continue to Ella or the south coast instead of returning.
Udawalawe safari from Negombo and the airport
We also pick up from any hotel in Negombo or near Bandaranaike International Airport at no extra cost. From Negombo the drive takes a little longer, so we confirm your exact pickup time when you book.
How far is Udawalawe from Colombo?
Udawalawe is about 170 km from Colombo, roughly 3.5 hours by road with a short break on the way. Read more about the park, its wildlife and the Elephant Transit Home on our Udawalawe National Park safari page.
More day trips from Colombo
Udawalawe is one of many day trips from Colombo and Negombo that we run with hotel pickup. For more wildlife, see our safari tours in Sri Lanka.
Highlights
- Udawalawe day tour from Colombo or Negombo, back the same evening
- Private air-conditioned car (1–3 people) or van (4–7 people)
- English-speaking driver and hotel pickup in Colombo, Negombo or the airport area
- Afternoon jeep safari in Sri Lanka’s best park for wild elephants
- Elephant herds with calves, water buffalo, crocodiles and birds of prey
- Transport from US$150 · add a private jeep for US$60 · entrance tickets extra
