Yala National Park Safari Trips & Tours

A famous, leopard-speckled slice of nature to make your big cat dreams come true.

For a generous slice of Sri Lanka’s safari action, pop Yala on your travel list. Undoubtedly the country’s most well-known national park, it may already be on your radar, but the hype is absolutely worth it. Sloth bears, water buffalo and elephants roam wild through a diverse terrain of jungles, grasslands, lakes, plains and even a caramel-coloured beach or two, but the biggest drawcard is the leopard. Not only does the park have the largest population of the spotted cats in the world (60 in 380 square miles at the last count), they are also King of the food chain and can be spotted slinking around their natural habitat with relative ease. Any month of the year should yield sightings, but your best chance is probably from January to July, which handily coincides with the palu tree fruit season in late June and early July and the sloth bear’s nirvana.

Trips

Yala National Park Safari Trips & Tours

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Sri Lanka

Classic Sri Lanka

13 nights from $9.2K per person

Negombo & surrounds Anuradhapura Cultural Triangle

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Things to do

What to do in Yala National Park

If you're hoping to add close encounters with Sri Lanka's wildlife to your trip, Yala National Park is one of the best places to do so. Explore the diverse landscape on game drives or guided walks, eyes peeled for sloth bears, water buffalo, elephant, wild boar and slinking leopard - it's home to the largest population in the world! This is Sri Lanka so the beach could still be on the cards and on a boat trip off the coast, you could spot turtles, dolphins and whales.

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Why you'll love it

Yala is astonishingly beautiful, with an even more astonishing array of wildlife, birdlife and flora and if you’re looking for a spot of Lankan safari, this is the place to be.

Off the beaten track

Live out your safari dreams in a tented camp. Yala offers everything from rustic, eco-camps in private forests to carpeted, candle-lit teepees, butler and bathtub included.

Something to think about

As might be expected from a place of such legend, there can be a bit of a jeep scramble to enter the park at dawn and dusk. Alleviate the rush by choosing to stay as close as possible to the gates, or just go with the flow and don’t let it worry you. It’s a small price to pay to see the magnificent of all the big cats.

Best time to visit