Overview
Our private Minneriya safari tours from Kandy take you to see the wild elephant herds of Minneriya National Park and back in one day. Choose a 7:30 am or 8:00 am pickup from your hotel in Kandy. After a drive of about 2.5 hours, you spend around 4 hours on safari, then stop for lunch and head back to Kandy.
The price covers your private return transport: US$100 for 1 to 3 people in an air-conditioned car, or US$135 for 4 to 7 people in a van. The safari jeep and Minneriya National Park entrance tickets are extra. We can book your jeep for you: a private Minneriya safari jeep is US$60 for up to 6 people, and you can add it in the booking box.
Free stops at Sigiriya and Dambulla
On the way back to Kandy you can stop at Sigiriya Rock or the Dambulla Cave Temple at no extra transport cost. Just tick the stops you want in the booking box. Entrance tickets are paid at each site, and each stop adds some time to the day. For a full visit to both, see our Sigiriya day trip from Kandy.
Is a Minneriya safari from Kandy worth it?
Yes. Minneriya is the easiest place to see large elephant herds from Kandy, and from about July to October it is home to The Elephant Gathering, when hundreds of elephants graze on the shore of the ancient Minneriya tank. Read more on our Minneriya National Park safari page.
More day trips from Kandy
Minneriya is one of many day trips from Kandy that we run with hotel pickup. For more wildlife, see our safari tours in Sri Lanka.
Highlights
- Minneriya day tour from Kandy, pickup at 7:30 or 8:00 am
- Private air-conditioned car (1–3 people) or van (4–7 people) with an English-speaking driver
- About 4 hours on safari in Minneriya National Park
- Free optional stops at Sigiriya Rock or Dambulla Cave Temple
- Wild elephant herds and The Elephant Gathering (about July–October)
- Transport from US$100 · add a private jeep for US$60 · entrance tickets extra
