Yala National Park Travelers Recommend

With careful planning, two days are enough time to explore three of the area’s parks: Yala, Uda Walawe, and Bundala. See lots of animals (maybe even a leopard), spend the night in high-end safari tents, and get a taste of village life or Buddhist history along the way. Here’s how.

Day 1: Into the wild

**Morning:**Animals are at their most active around dawn and dusk, so aim to get to the Yala area the night before, ready for an early-morning game drive. Start the day in the wetlands of the less-visited Bundala National Park, looking for sea turtles, monkeys, elephants, crocodiles, and a wealth of birdlife.

**Afternoon:**Head to either Uda Walawe (known for elephants) or Yala (famous for leopards) for a classic safari camp experience. On your way, join a cultural village tour followed by a local meal, or check out Sithulpawwa Rock Temple, once home to Buddhist hermits.

**Night:**Savor the magic of tented camp living, with rangers to ensure your safety. Dine and drink around a campfire, shower alfresco, then sink into clean linens on a teak bed as the sounds of the wilderness echo around you.

Day 2: Safari and sunset

**Morning:**Rise before dawn and enjoy a light snack before your game drive. The goal is to spot Sri Lanka’s big three—leopards, elephants, and sloth bears—but even if some of these are elusive, expect to see deer, crocodiles, and much more. Refuel with a leisurely breakfast back at camp.

**Afternoon:**Time to experience the park you haven’t yet visited. If you spent the night in Uda Walawe, opt for a leopard-spotting safari in Yala. If you spent the night in Yala, discover Uda Walawe’s jumbo herds, and stop by the Elephant Transit Home orphanage.

**Night:**Wrap up your stay in the area with dinner under the stars. Feel the romance of a 4-course dinner on an Indian Ocean beach, surrounded by fire torches; gather around a roaring bonfire; or take a sunset cruise.

Sri Lanka’s most popular safari site, Yala National Park sprawls across coastal plains, forests, and lagoons. It’s one of the world’s best leopard-spotting destinations, and sightings of elephants, deer, monkeys, and crocodiles are almost guaranteed. Here’s how to make the most of the area in just one day.

Morning: Elephant excursion

Wild animals are at their most active around sunrise and sunset—so get to the Yala area the night before to set yourself up for a dawn game drive. Start your day at Uda Walawe National Park, home to hundreds of wild elephants that roam in herds of up to 50. Be sure to stop at the Elephant Transit Home, an ethical halfway house for rehabilitating orphaned elephants. Interaction isn’t an option, as the elephants will eventually return to the wild, so look for a tour that arrives around feeding time. 

Afternoon: Looking for leopards

Travel back to Yala, and refuel with a hearty Sri Lankan lunch. Then, head out on your second game drive of the day, this time in Yala National Park, home to one of the densest populations of leopards. Even if you don’t manage to spot the famously elusive predator, expect to see deer, crocodiles, peacocks, monkeys, and maybe even a sloth bear. For more flexibility and to avoid the more crowded areas of the park, splurge on a private safari.

Night: Beachfront barbecue

Yala closes in the early evening, so there are no night safaris within the park. However, the perfect way to unwind after a day of animal antics is to have dinner under the stars. Opt for a barbecue feast on a romantic Indian Ocean beach; venture into the buffer zone around the park to dine surrounded by fire torches and the cries of nocturnal animals; or choose a sunset cruise on Tissa Wewa (Lake Tissa).

Three days are enough time to see four of the area’s wildlife parks: Yala, Bundala, Kumana, and Uda Walawe. Spend a night or two in a classic tented camp; spot leopards, elephants, and more; and explore the lakeside town of Tissamaharama. Here’s how to do it all in 72 hours.

Day 1: Safari chic

Dawn and dusk see wildlife at its most active, so get to the Yala area the night before, to prepare for an early game drive. The next morning, explore Bundala National Park, a compact wetland home to monkeys, elephants, crocodiles, sea turtles, and migrating birds. Then, head to either Uda Walawe (known for elephants) or Yala (famous for leopards) for a classic safari camp experience. Some packages include two nights and three days with a prearranged itinerary that includes multiple game drives and activities such as fishing. Whichever park or package you pick, enjoy a close encounter with the wilderness from a stylish, fully furnished tent with a fan and electric lighting.

Day 2: Leopards and elephants

Start the day bright and early—and get a head start on travelers visiting from outside the park—with a dawn game drive in search of Sri Lanka’s “big three”: leopards, elephants, and sloth bears. Once you’ve captured the photos of a lifetime, unwind over breakfast back at camp. Your afternoon destination is the park you didn’t stay in last night (either Yala or Uda Walawe). In Yala, don’t miss the historic Sithulpawwa Rock Temple; in Uda Walawe, stop by the Elephant Transit Home, an ethical elephant orphanage that returns all its charges to the wild. Choose a private tour for the most flexibility. In the evening, dine on a barbecue feast in the park’s buffer zone, surrounded by fire torches and the sounds of the forest.

Day 3: Culture and cuisine

Bird-watchers in particular will want to complete their series of national park visits with a morning game drive in Kumana, where wetlands house more than 400 bird species. Later, tour a village on foot or by tuk-tuk, and learn about traditional chena farming systems. Then, enjoy a curry lunch with a local family before soaking up the sights of Tissamaharama, a pretty lakeside town. Wrap up your stay with a sunset cruise on Tissa Wewa (Lake Tissa) or an alfresco dinner on a private Indian Ocean beach.