Yala Safari from Colombo – Private Day Tour

Overview

Our private Yala safari from Colombo is a full day out to Sri Lanka’s most famous national park and back. Your English-speaking driver picks you up from your hotel in Colombo or Negombo at around 8:00 am, drives you down the Southern Expressway to Yala for an afternoon jeep safari, and brings you back to your hotel by about 9:30 to 10:00 pm.

The price covers your private return transport: US$160 for 1 to 3 people in an air-conditioned car, or US$230 for 4 to 7 people in a van. The safari jeep and Yala National Park entrance tickets are extra. We can book your jeep for you: a private half-day Yala safari is US$60 per jeep for up to 6 people.

Is a Yala safari day trip from Colombo worth it?

It is a full day, about 14 hours door to door, but it is the easiest way to see leopards and elephants if you only have one free day near Colombo. Looking for a safari in Colombo itself? There are no national parks in the city, so Yala, Udawalawe and Wilpattu are the closest big safari parks. If you prefer a slower pace, we can add a night near Yala and a morning safari the next day.

How far is Yala from Colombo?

Yala is about 280 km from Colombo, roughly 4 to 4.5 hours by road using the Southern Expressway. From Negombo and the airport, allow about 30 minutes more. Read more about the park in our Yala National Park guide.

Want to stay longer on the south coast?

See our 3 nights Yala and south coast itinerary, with Galle Fort, Mirissa, two Yala safaris and a night on the beach.

More day trips from Colombo

Yala is one of many day trips from Colombo and Negombo that we run with hotel pickup. For more ways to see Sri Lanka’s wildlife, see our safari tours in Sri Lanka.

Half day or full dayYala Safari TourPrivate jeep · Local pickup · From US$60About 3.5–4 hrs from ColomboUdawalawe National ParkElephant herds · Reservoir · BirdsAbout 3.5–4 hrs from ColomboWilpattu National ParkLeopards · Sloth bears · Natural lakes

See all day trips from Colombo →