15 Safari Tours in Yala National Park to Build a Day Around

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

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 603 reviews · from $57Our pick

Start around 4:30 am for a full day in Yala National Park, riding in a safari jeep with a guide such as Su, Darshana, or Sri Mal. You’ll search for leopards, elephants, sloth bears, crocodiles, buffalo, deer, and birds, with breakfast, lunch, water, and fruit included. The park entry fee is extra.

“Darshana was a great driver! He was very passionate and knowledgeable. Although luck was not on our side with the leopards, we managed to see 3 bears! Well organised with good breakfast and lunch. Highly recommend :)”

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2.Yala National Park: Half, 7-Hour, or Full-Day Safari & Meals

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 489 reviews · 4 - 12 hours · from $14Best value

Explore Yala National Park by 4WD Jeep with an English or Sinhala-speaking guide. Choose a 4-hour, 7-hour, or full-day safari, with hotel pickup from Tissamaharama, Yala, Kirinda, Kataragama, or nearby areas. Look for leopards, elephants, sloth bears, crocodiles, and 215 bird species. Full-day trips include breakfast and lunch, depending on the option.

“Ishan our tour guide and driver was outstanding. He was very informative about the animals and made sure we got to see so many elephants. Very funny guy. Would highly recommend.”

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

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 351 reviews · from $18

Ajith Safari takes you from Tissamaharama into Yala National Park in a shared jeep for a 4-hour, afternoon, morning, or full-day game drive. Guides such as Naja, Kasun, Bale, and Dilan have helped visitors find leopards, elephants, sloth bears, crocodiles, and birds. Park entry costs extra, and full-day trips include lunch.

“Kanaka was an excellent driver and we saw a family of elephants which was very surreal. Highly recommended!”

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4.Leopard Safari Tour in Yala National Park

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

Join Shehan Safari for a Yala National Park drive in a shared jeep of up to six people. Early entry aims for leopard sightings during the morning golden hours. Hotel pickup, a driver-guide, and park transport are included, while entrance and service fees cost extra. Guides such as Tikiri, Mudhu, and Rashandra may be assigned.

“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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5.Special leopards safari Yala National park – 04.30 am to 11.30 am

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 186 reviews · from $36

Start early in Yala National Park with a maximum of six people, an experienced safari driver, binoculars, water, and breakfast. The five-hour park drive focuses on leopards, but you may also see elephants, sloth bears, crocodiles, deer, jackals, monkeys, peacocks, and many birds. Park entry costs extra.

“Our guide was IG. He was outstanding. He was knowledgeable, safe, and kind. He was a fantastic driver and was able to get us in the very front to see leopards, elephants, and more! Highly recommend.”

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6.Yala National Park – Full Day Safari (04:30 am – 06:00 pm)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 132 reviews · from $99

Start around 4:30 am for a full-day Yala safari in a luxury 4x4, with park entry, pickup, breakfast, lunch, fruit, and water included. The group limit is six, and bookings for five or more receive a private jeep. Guides such as Ishan and Sule are praised for finding wildlife and explaining the park.

“We had an absolutely incredible experience at Yala Safari Park! From the moment we entered we started seeing animals, and we were lucky enough to spot a magnificent leopard which was truly a once-in-a-lifetime sight. The highlight of our Read more”

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7.Yala National Park Safari Tours – Half Day & Full Day

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 108 reviews · from $25

Choose a half-day or full-day 4WD safari in Yala National Park with pickup near the main park gates. Guides such as Ishan, Madu, Darnesh, and Srimal are praised for spotting leopards, elephants, sloth bears, and birds. Binoculars, drinks, and breakfast are included, while lunch comes with full-day trips. Park entry costs extra.

“Unvergessliche Tour durch den Yala National Park mit Ishan! Wir hatten das große Glück, eine Tour durch den Yala National Park mit Ishan als Guide zu erleben – und es war einfach traumhaft! Dank seiner Expertise, Leidenschaft und hervorragenden Ortskenntnisse konnten wir alle Highlights des Parks sehen, inklusive Leoparden und sogar einen Sloth Bear! Die gesamte Tour war perfekt organisiert. Ishan wusste genau, wo er uns hinführen musste, um die besten Chancen auf Tierbeobachtungen zu haben. Dabei hat er sein umfangreiches Wissen auf spannende und unterhaltsame Weise mit uns geteilt. Seine Motivation und Begeisterung für die Tierwelt waren ansteckend und haben die Tour zu einem einmaligen Er...”

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8.Leopard Safari in Yala National Park(Full Day/Half A Day)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 96 reviews · from $22

Set out early in a private 4WD with an experienced driver and tracker to search Yala National Park for leopards, elephants, sloth bears, jackals, and more than 150 bird species. Choose a 5-hour, 7-hour, or full-day drive, with pickup from Tissamaharama, Yala, or Kirinda. Ranga and Amila are among the drivers connected with this experience.

“The half day safari was great from start to finish. Our tour guide/driver (Ranga) was very knowledgable of the national park and where to locate all kinds of wild animals. Whilst we didn’t quite see the Leopard up close, we did see it perched on a tree from afar. However, we Read more”

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9.Special Leopards Safari Yala National Park – 04:30 AM to 11:30 AM

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 88 reviews · from $17

Start around 4:30 AM for a small-group Jeep safari in Yala National Park, Sri Lanka. Your driver, possibly Vinu or Janaka, searches for leopards while pointing out elephants, buffalo, birds, deer, peacocks, and monitor lizards. The package includes a luxury Jeep, water, fruit, breakfast, and a driver, but not the $43 park admission fee.

“The great experience for us.my driver qas vinu.he was excellent for during the safari he saw us one leopard alone in the safari he has sharp eyes.because first he saw.breakfast was amazing”

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10.Full Day Safari ( The Best for Leopards ) in Yala

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 76 reviews · from $60

Set out from your hotel around 4 to 5 am for up to 12 hours in Yala National Park. A maximum of six people share a luxury jeep with guides such as Mala, Ish, Sudu, or Amila. Breakfast, vegetarian lunch, water, and binoculars are included. Park entry costs extra.

“Our guide Mala was just tremendous. He picked us up at TARA Warergate Hotel in Tissa at 4:30 am and returned us there by about 7 pm - a 14.5 hour experience well worth it, including the maximum time in Yala: 6 am - 6 pm, allowing us Read more”

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11.Yala safari Tours Morning /Afternoon /Fullday

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 69 reviews · from $36

Explore Yala National Park by safari jeep with an experienced driver and tracker. Choose a morning, afternoon, or full-day outing, with pickup from Yala-area hotels, Tissamaharama, Bundala, or Kirinda. Look for leopards, elephants, crocodiles, sloth bears, buffalo, and peacocks, with Gihan and Amila among the named drivers praised for their work.

“Great day out the Gihan from Leopard Eye Safari. Got to spend 4 hrs before lunch in the park, broke for a snack and a paddle in the Indian Ocean from 13:00-14:00, then another 90 mins in the park. We opted not to share our 6 seater safari Read more”

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12.Yala National Park Half Day Safari – 4.30 a.m to 11.30 a.m

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 62 reviews · from $78

Start at 4:30 a.m. for a six-hour wildlife drive in Yala National Park with an English-speaking guide, binoculars, breakfast, fruit, water, and park entry included. Guides such as Kavee are praised for sharp animal spotting, especially leopards, elephants, crocodiles, and sloth bears. Pickup is available, with a 11:30 a.m. finish.

“My trip to Yala was truly a highlight, and I was so glad I chose Yala One Safari. As a solo backpacker, it can be tough to find a safari package for just one person, so I was thrilled that they offered a shared jeep option.”

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13.Special Leopard Safari Tour in Yala National Park by Malith & the team

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 60 reviews · from $85

Join Malith and the Yala Wild Safaris team for a seven-hour morning drive in Yala National Park. Pickup begins between 4 and 5:15 AM, followed by an early park entry and two hours focused on leopard sightings. Deesha is also available as a guide. Expect deer, elephants, crocodiles, peacocks, wild boar, and many birds in a small group of up to six.

“Wow! Malith had our vehicle near the head of the entrance line. And by 6:25 am he had led us to this handsome male leopard, Yasa. Malith is passionate about seeing the wildlife with you, and gives a much longer trip than many providers - Read more”

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

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 56 reviews · from $22

Explore Yala National Park in a private 4WD safari jeep with up to six people. Choose a seven-hour half-day trip with breakfast and water, or a 12-hour full-day outing with lunch. Guides such as Kasun are praised for sharp eyes, clear English, and a strong effort to find leopards, elephants, bears, crocodiles, monkeys, deer, and birds.

“An early start for a fab day. We had two jeeps for our party of 8. The drivers were great at ensuring that we saw as much wildlife as possible as possible. Sadly, the leopards were elusive on the day when we visited but that didn’t detract from our visit. The landscape and scenery were spectacular.”

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15.Full Day Safari Tour in Yala National Park

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 55 reviews · from $103

Set out from a Tissamaharama or Yala hotel in a jeep shared by no more than four people. Your driver-guide, such as Su, Sudu, Janaka, Damith, or Ish, spends up to 12 hours tracking leopards, elephants, sloth bears, crocodiles, and birds. Breakfast, lunch, fruit, and water are provided.

“What an amazing day! Damith, our amazing tour guide really pulled out all the stops to ensure we had the best day. There are lots of trucks in Yala and they really aren’t all as good as Damith. We were so glad we’d researched and gone with him Read more”

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