Looking to do a jeep safari in Yala National Park? Here’s my guide to Sri Lanka’s best safari destination, including what to see and do, the jeep safari price, and insightful travel tips.
For me, someone who never went on a wildlife safari before, Yala National Park was, without a doubt the most rewarding and exciting adventure during my trip to Sri Lanka.
It’s an exhilarating happening to embark on a jeep safari, knowing you’re about to observe extraordinary animals in their natural habitat while driving along the bumpy roads of the wildlife park.
Especially if you realize that Yala National Park is considered the most popular wildlife park on Sri Lanka’s teardrop-shaped island.
This excellent reputation is due to its dynamic landscape, great variety and density of wildlife – plus the fact that the park is acknowledged as one of the best places in the world to see leopards in the wild.
Here’s my guide to Yala National Park, featuring what to see and do, which safari to choose, and where to stay – plus insightful travel tips, including costs, the best time to visit, and how to get to Yala National Park.
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Where is Yala National Park?
Yala National Park is situated in the southeast region of Sri Lanka’s teardrop-shaped island and stretches over the two provinces, Hambantota and Monaragala.
The Yala National Park is quite remote, and therefore it’s almost inevitable to visit a town named Tissamaharama.
Tissamaharama itself isn’t the most interesting town and it’s also quite difficult to get to. Nevertheless, it functions perfectly as the only official gateway to the wildlife park.
The official Yala visitor centre is around 20km east of the town, which is easily reached by joining a Yala National Park tour from Tissamaharama.
Yala National Park opening hours
The Yala National Park is open daily from 06:00 to 18:00 and is pretty strict regarding the regulations of the opening hours.
If you’re joining a morning safari, the goal is to arrive at the gate well before it opens. Being one of the first in line provides the benefit of entering the park as early as possible.
It’s also essential that all jeeps are out of the park before it closes at 18:00. This is monitored by the official wildlife officers who note and check the license plates of the jeeps that enter and leave the park.
Where to stay near Yala National Park
You’ll find an abundance of excellent accommodations (both in and outside the park) that suit almost every budget and travel style.
Tissamaharama has no shortage of budget-friendly options, comfortable lodges and luxury hotels, while there’s also a great number of luxurious wildlife campings and chalets inside the Yala National Park itself.
Going on a safari in Yala National Park is extremely popular and therefore it’s wise to book your accommodation a couple of weeks in advance, especially if you’re planning to visit during the high season.
Some of the accommodations I recommend include:
Hotel River Front |A charming riverfront hotel with spacious air-conditioned rooms, comfortable beds, and a great outdoor swimming pool. The hotel has a good in-house restaurant that serves excellent local, Chinese and Continental food.
Thaulle Resort | Located directly at Yoda Lake, Thaulle Resort is a great hotel with traditional Sri Lankan-style rooms, spectacular lakeside views, a large outdoor pool and a courteous and helpful staff. This hotel provides all the essentials to unwind after an adventurous safari tour in Yala National Park.
Cinnamon Wild Yala | If you’re looking for a once-in-a-lifetime experience, look no further. Cinnamon Wild offers astonishing eco-friendly chalets in the midst of the lively jungle of the beloved Yala National Park. Undisputedly one of the best picks when it comes to uniqueness, comfort and world-class service.
Jetwing Yala | A luxurious hotel with a marvellous outdoor pool, spacious air-conditioned rooms, and a charming ambience. Given the location of the hotel, you’ll be encircled by delicate nature and fascinating wildlife. The friendly staff also provide great service and hospitality.
What animal could you see during a Yala National Park Safari?
Yala National Park is a vast dynamic reserve, consisting of dense jungle, endless grasslands and several lakes and lagoons.
This distinct landscape ensures the perfect habitat for a great variety and density of wildlife, making Yala one of the best national parks in Sri Lanka.
But it isn’t just the variety of animals that makes Yala National Park so popular. No, it’s mostly the fact that it’s acknowledged as one of the best spots in the world to see wild leopards.
The animals of Yala National Park
Although taking a safari tour doesn’t guarantee that you’ll see every animal that lives in the Yala National Park, it’s safe to expect to get up close and personal with water buffalos, wild boars, spotted deer, monkeys and peacocks.
Beyond the aforementioned wildlife, there is the potential sighting of leopards, elephants, Black Sloth bears, Fishing cats, Red Slender loris and crocodiles.
In total, the Yala National Park is home to 44 species of mammals, 215 species of birds and 46 species of reptiles, which makes it impossible not to spot any animals during your safari.
Leopard sightings in Yala National Park
According to extensive research, Yala National Park is said to have the biggest concentration of leopards in the world.
And given there live roughly 55 leopards within the park, you might have the good fortune to encounter one during your jeep safari in Yala.
However, each safari is completely unique and it’s impossible to guarantee what animals you’re going to see (especially the rare species). Therefore I highly recommend lowering your expectations, as it’s less common to encounter leopards.
Join a Yala National Park tour
Tissamaharama is home to an abundance of safari tour operators, that are all extremely willing to take you on your once-in-a-lifetime Yala National Park safari experience.
A Yala safari jeep has the capacity for up to 6 people and the safari tour operator will usually arrange a pick-up and drop-off at your accommodation.
Yala National Park can be visited as part of a morning, afternoon or full-day jeep safari.
Book | Arrange your Yala National Park Safari Tour in advance
Morning safari in Yala National Park
It is often said that a morning safari in Yala National Park provides the best circumstances when it comes to the potential sightings of elusive wildlife.
This is mainly due to the fact that the animals aren’t yet disturbed by the countless amount of jeeps that drive along the park’s dusty roads throughout the day.
Even though waking up at 04.30 is pretty intense, it’s safe to say that it’s completely worth it.
By joining a morning safari, you’ll get picked up at your accommodations around 05.00 with the mission to arrive at the entrance of the park before it opens at 06.00.
In my opinion, the best part of a morning safari is the exciting journey to the park whilst it’s still dark, knowing you’re about to witness exquisite wildlife while it’s still relatively quiet in the park.
BOOK | This extremely popular guided safari during the golden hour
Duration | 05:00 – 10:00 with approximately 3 hours in the park.
Afternoon safari in Yala National Park
A great alternative for those who experience difficulties when waking up early is taking the slightly more popular afternoon safari in Yala National Park.
According to most Yala safari rangers, there isn’t a significant difference between the morning and afternoon safari when it comes to the sightings of wildlife.
I’ve seen a great variety of animals during my afternoon safari in Yala National Park, and found it a tranquil yet adventurous experience – plus I witnessed a magnificent sunset while leaving the park.
Duration | 13:00 – 18:00 with approximately 3 hours in the park.
Full-day safari in Yala National Park
Although it sounds pretty attractive, I personally wouldn’t recommend going on a full-day safari in Yala National Park.
Being in the park for 12 hours straight is extremely exhausting – plus you should keep in mind that you’re in the park during the hottest part of the day. Believe me, this can be quite intense in Sri Lanka.
It is also not guaranteed that you’ll see more animals during a full-day safari than during a morning or afternoon safari in Yala National Park.
Duration | 05:00 – 19:00 with approximately 12 hours in the park.
Yala National Park cost overview
The price of a jeep safari is made up of the official Yala National Park entrance fee – plus the price that you’ll arrange with your safari tour operator.
The price of a safari tour operator varies and depends on the following elements: the duration of the tour, the tour operator and the number of people that join the safari tour.
The jeep safari tour prices are often per jeep, which can hold up to six persons, and are easy to organize at nearly every accommodation in Tissamaharama.
I made an insightful summary, so you’ll have a clear indication of the costs of a jeep safari in Yala National Park.
Yala National Park entrance fee in 2024 | 11.000 LKR, ($37.50) per person
Half-day jeep safari | 14.000 – 17.000 LKR ($47.60 – 57.80) per jeep
Full-day jeep safari | 28.000 – 34.000 LKR ($95 – 115) per jeep
Yala National Park | The essentials
The best time to visit Yala National Park
Although you can visit the park year-round, the absolute best time to visit Yala National Park is during the dry season. This season runs from February to June, with February and March as the undisputed peak months to spot leopards.
It is said that it’s easier to spot wildlife during this period, mainly because of the deficient natural water resources that are available in the park. For that reason, animals get active to go out of their hideouts and drink from the accessible water ponds.
I personally visited Yala National Park during the offseason in September and had a great safari experience with an impressive number of animal sightings.
Do keep in mind that there is a great possibility you’ll find the park closed for maintenance in September.
How to get to Yala National Park
The Yala National Park is slightly off the beaten path compared to other popular sights in Sri Lanka. This doesn’t mean you’ll have to be discouraged, it’s more than worth the extra effort.
The only gateway to the Yala National Park is a town named Tissamaharama, which is best reached by local bus or car.
The journey by bus can be quite long, intense and exhausting, but trust me, it’s one of the best ways to experience daily local life.
Do keep in mind that the local bus stops frequently and that you’ll need to change busses on several occasions to reach Tissamaharama.
The Yala National Park is usually visited after Mirissa, Ella or Arugam Bay.
From Mirissa to Tissamaharama
Bus journey | Mirissa – Matara – Tissamaharama
Cost | 250 – 330 LKR, ($1.30 – 1.80) per person
Travel time | Around 3.5 hours
From Ella to Tissamaharama
Bus journey | Ella – Tissamaharama
Cost | 220 – 250 LKR, ($1.20 – 1.35) per person
Travel time | Around 2.5 hours
From Arugam Bay to Tissamaharama
Bus journey | Pottuvil – Monaragala – Wellawaya – Tissamaharama
Cost | 350 – 380 LKR, ($1.90 – 2.10) per person
Travel time | Around 6.5 hours
Insightful travel tips for a visit to Yala National Park
Photography gear | If you’re into serious photography you might want to bring your camera and zoom lens. See what’s in my camera bag here.
Sunscreen | Even though the jeep is partly covered, the sun can be extremely harsh during a safari in Yala. Better safe than sorry.
Bug repellent | It’s always good to have a good bug repellent within hand reach.
Sweater | Bring a warm sweater. This will be your best friend during a morning safari.
Drinking water | Bring drinking water to stay hydrated throughout the day.
No toilets in the park | Do keep in mind that there are no toilets available inside the park.
Visit without expectations | Last but not least, lower your expectations before going on a safari. Every safari is unique and there is no guarantee that you’ll see all the animals you hope to see.
Stay safe in Sri Lanka | Travel insurance
Though Sri Lanka is perfectly safe for travellers, I always strive to sort out my travel insurance before arriving in a foreign country, and I highly advise anyone else to do the same.
Where we prefer that everything goes smoothly during our travels, something unfortunate can happen at any moment, whether it’s an injury or an accident on the road. When that happens, it is better to be safe than sorry.
Heymondo | Whether you’re going on a 3-week backpacking trip, or planning a long stay somewhere abroad, Heymondo has excellent insurance options either way – plus full COVID-19 coverage and a handy app with 24-hour medical assistance. Readers of WTSW receive 5% off any insurance policy, more information here.
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