Sri Lanka · YALA NATIONAL PARK SAFARIS

Yala Safaris: The 15 Best Drives

219 tours  ·  ★★★★★★★★★★ 4.7 average  ·  from $10

Yala carries one of the highest leopard densities on earth, and the driver decides most of your morning. These 15 drives are compared on gate time, block, jeep size and price, with the ones that wait at waterholes marked out from the ones that chase radio calls.

Yala National Park Safari Tours: Morning/Evening/Full Day - Morning versus evening versus full day: pick your odds and your energy
Evening Experiences, Full-Day, Morning, National Park Trips in Yala, National Parks, Safari, Safaris in Yala, Tour Reviews, Tours, Yala National Park Safaris

Yala National Park Safari Tours: Morning/Evening/Full Day

1.Yala National Park Safari Tours: Morning/Evening/Full Day

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 818 reviews · 5 - 12 hours · from $25Our pick

Yala National Park safari with hotel pickup, breakfast, and jeep rides. Choose morning, evening, or full day with lunch for leopard and elephant spotting.

“We had an incredible safari experience with Yasanaka. He was truly amazing and made sure we saw everything — especially the leopards. One leopard actually passed right by us, which was absolutely unforgettable. He also stopped so we could fully enjoy seeing the elephants and carefully pointed out every animal along the way. He has great energy, is fun, chill, and clearly loves what he does. At the end of the day, he even helped me catch my bus from Tissa and made sure I got on safely, which was very kind and thoughtful. The safari was fantastic, and Yasanaka made the experience even better. Highly recommend it!!”

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Full day Safari - Yala National Park - 04.30 am to 06.00 pm with - Janaka safari - Pickup at dawn and the luxury jeep setup you will actually use
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Full day Safari – Yala National Park – 04.30 am to 06.00 pm with – Janaka safari

2.Full day Safari – Yala National Park – 04.30 am to 06.00 pm with – Janaka safari

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 603 reviews · from $57Top rated

Full-day Yala National Park safari, 4:30am to 6pm, luxury jeep, breakfast and lunch, leopard-focused mission with Janaka Safari.

“Amazing full day safari! We had Su as our driver and he was fantastic. He was so friendly and knowledgeable about all of the wildlife in the park. He made our day unforgettable and I would highly recommend joining one of his safaris!”

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ELLA: Drop to Tangalle/Hiriketiya/Mirissa/Galle & Yala Tour - Yala National Park safari, what the jeep time really gives you
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Ella: Drop to Tangalle/Hiriketiya/Mirissa/Galle & Yala Tour

Yala National Park: Morning or Afternoon Golden Hour Safari - Your Safari Setup, Pickup Areas, and Life in a 4WD Jeep
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Yala National Park: Morning or Afternoon Golden Hour Safari

4.Yala National Park: Morning or Afternoon Golden Hour Safari

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 473 reviews · from $10

Golden hour safari in Yala National Park with a small-group 4WD jeep hunt for leopards, elephants, sloth bears, and birds.

“Excellent tour. Wishwa was our guide. It was raining heavily when we did safari thus we couldn’t see a leopard but Wishwa was very professional and tried to show as much wildlife as he could. The roads were difficult to drive on due to rains but Wishwa drove very well. Would definitely recommend this tour.”

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Yala National Park Wildlife Safari/ Game Drive - by Ajith Safari - Ajith Safari jeeps, small groups, and hotel pickup that affect your comfort
National Park Trips in Yala, National Parks, Safari, Safaris in Yala, Tour Reviews, Wildlife, Yala National Park Safaris

Yala National Park Wildlife Safari/ Game Drive – by Ajith Safari

ELLA: Drop to Tangalle/Hiriketiya/Mirissa/Galle & Yala Tour - Yala National Park safari, what the jeep time really gives you
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ELLA: Drop to Tangalle/Hiriketiya/Mirissa/Galle & Yala Tour

6.Drop to Tangalle/Hiriketiya/Mirissa/Galle & Yala Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 336 reviews · from $35

Ella to Yala safari plus south coast transfer, with open-air wildlife viewing, expert spotting, and AC door-to-door drop-off.

“Janaka was our driver and a terrific guide. He made sure that we get to see a leopard before we leave Yala. It was a smooth and safe ride from Ella to Ayala and then to Mirissa. Thank you for this tour!!! Sri Lanka experience is complete with this leopard sighting in Yala”

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From Ella: Drop to Tangalle/Hiriketiya/Mirissa & Yala Safari - Air-Conditioned Shuttle Comfort, and Why It Matters in Sri Lanka
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From Ella: Drop to Tangalle/Hiriketiya/Mirissa & Yala Safari

Leopard Safari Tour in Yala National Park - How your safari jeep setup affects comfort (and spotting)
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Leopard Safari Tour in Yala National Park

8.Leopard Safari Tour in Yala National Park

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 281 reviews · from $20

Yala leopard safari built around golden hours, with hotel pickup, small safari jeeps, and optional picnic breakfast and lunch in Sri Lanka.

“Great day spent. Driver has an awesome eye to spot all the animals and birds. He is a very good driver and really made a lot of efforts to make our experience unforgettable. At the moment we almost gave up on seeing leopards, he managed to do it in our last 15 minutes, with a race drive within the safari :).”

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Hikkaduwa/Galle/Weligama/Mirissa/Tangalle: Yala Safari Tour - Entering Yala by Jeep, where the guide’s skill turns scanning into spotting
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Hikkaduwa/Galle/Weligama/Mirissa/Tangalle: Yala Safari Tour

9.Hikkaduwa/Galle/Weligama/Mirissa/Tangalle: Yala Safari Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 263 reviews · 9 hours · from $45

Yala Jeep safari from the south coast with hotel pickup and a 3-hour wildlife drive. Watch for leopards, elephants, crocodiles, and birds.

“We took the tour at 11:30am and it was great! Pick-up was perfectly on time, we got well through the traffic and the tour through Yala was amazing. Our guide Janaka did a great job, we never had to wait in line for a Long time and we even got close to a Leopard resting on a tree. Thank you! ☺️”

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Full day / Half Day WildlifeAdventure in Yala-National-Park - The timing plan, and why morning beats afternoon for big cats
Full-Day, Tour Reviews, Yala National Park Safaris

Full day / Half Day WildlifeAdventure in Yala-National-Park

Galle/Mirissa/Tangalle: Transfer to Ella & Yala Safari - Timing and the flow of the day: pickup, Yala, then drop-off in Ella
Hikkaduwa Tours, Private Car Days in Yala, Private Drivers, Safari, Safaris in Hikkaduwa, Safaris in Yala, Tour Reviews, Yala National Park Safaris

Galle/Mirissa/Tangalle: Transfer to Ella & Yala Safari

From Ella: Yala Safari with Tangalle/Mirissa/Galle Drop-off - Choosing Your Pickup: Ella, Galle, Tissamaharama, or Tangalle
Ella Tours, Safari, Safaris in Ella, Safaris in Yala, Tour Reviews, Yala National Park Safaris

From Ella: Yala Safari with Tangalle/Mirissa/Galle Drop-off

12.Yala Safari with Tangalle/Mirissa/Galle Drop-off

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 198 reviews · 9 hours · from $10

Ella to Yala by 4x4 safari, then a direct drop-off to Tangalle, Mirissa, Unawatuna, Hiriketiya, or Galle in 9 hours.

“Great day started early in Ella and was in Mirissa by 1pm. A great safari tour as well with a fun game drive that lasted a good few hours managed to see plenty of wildlife.”

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Special leopards safari Yala National park - 04.30 am to 11.30 am - What’s included on the jeep ride and breakfast timing
National Park Trips in Yala, National Parks, Safari, Safaris in Yala, Tour Reviews, Yala National Park Safaris

Special leopards safari Yala National park – 04.30 am to 11.30 am

Yala National Park Safari Tours - Half Day & Full Day - Pickup from Tissamaharama and the four-gate advantage
Full-Day, Hambantota Tours, National Park Trips in Hambantota, National Park Trips in Yala, National Parks, Safari, Safaris in Hambantota, Safaris in Yala, Tour Reviews, Tours, Yala National Park Safaris

Yala National Park Safari Tours : Half Day & Full Day

14.Yala National Park Safari Tours : Half Day & Full Day

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 161 reviews · 6 - 12 hours · from $25

4WD Yala National Park safari with hotel pickup, small groups, cool drinks, binoculars, half-day or full-day options.

“We had a great day with Ishan! He picked us up at the hotel in the morning and brought us back in the evening. We set off straight into the national park at 6am. We were very lucky and saw a leopard walk right past us. As Ishan has a lot of experience, we stopped at the spot and waited, as he said the leopards usually come out again. And bam, there he came again! We saw it very close and it was great. Afterwards, he continued with us through the park and tried to fulfill all our wishes and spot as many animals as possible. We saw 4 leopards,…”

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From Ella: Yala National Park Safari Tour in a 4x4 - The Yala Setting: Habitats That Raise Your Chances
Ella Tours, National Park Trips in Yala, National Parks, Safari, Safaris in Ella, Safaris in Yala, Tour Reviews, Tours, Yala National Park Safaris

From Ella: Yala National Park Safari Tour in a 4×4

15.Yala National Park Safari Tour in a 4×4

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 155 reviews · 8 hours · from $49

Ella to Yala National Park by air-conditioned vehicle for a sunrise or sunset 4x4 safari, 3 hours of wildlife spotting.

“It was really cool to see a lot of animals. The Dilan guide tried to look for new ones every time and talked about them, it was very interesting.”

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New in Yala National Park Safaris

★ 5.0Yala Village Tour: Pottery Class, Lake and Temple VisitsFrom $405 reviews
★ 5.0YALA SAFARI TOUR with Galle/Mirissa/Tangalle/Ella TransfersFrom $393 reviews
★ 4.4Yala Safari All-Inclusive Package with Convenient Pick UpFrom $1443 reviews
★ 5.0Yala Private Safari – Half Day or Full Day with Picnic LunchFrom $354 reviews
★ 3.8Yala Safari : 7 hour & 12 hour ToursFrom $196 reviews
★ 3.3Yala National Park Wildlife safari from MirissaFrom $1204 reviews
★ 4.7Yala National Park – Safari Tour with Hotel / AccommodationFrom $2431 reviews
★ 5.0Yala National Park Safari Tour from Hambantota PortFrom $607 reviews
★ 4.0Yala National Park Sharing Safari (5 Hours)From $193 reviews
★ 3.8Yala National Park: Safari Experience at Dawn or DuskFrom $1421 reviews
★ 5.0Yala National Park: Morning or Afternoon Safari Tour (5 h)From $163 reviews
★ 4.8Yala National Park: Leopard Safari Full day tour with LunchFrom $488 reviews
★ 4.3Yala National Park: Morning or Afternoon Safari ( 5 h )From $1124 reviews
★ 5.0Yala National Park: Leopard Safari Half/Full-Day SafariFrom $383 reviews
★ 4.3Yala National Park: Leopard Safari Full day tour with LunchFrom $6222 reviews

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