The 15 Yala Safaris in Ella That Earn Their Price

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

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 518 reviews · 3 - 9 hours · from $10Our pick

Leave Ella before dawn or at noon, ride through Yala in a shared open-sided 4x4, and look for leopards, elephants, crocodiles, buffaloes, sloth bears, and birds. Guides such as Sasanka, Dilan, Ishan, and Chathura are praised for spotting wildlife. Your air-conditioned shared car then continues toward Tangalle, Hiriketiya, Mirissa, Weligama, or Galle.

“We were verry happy, Dilan was our driver, he was amazing. We saw all the animals, lots of elephants and even a leopard. Can only reccommend.”

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

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

Travel from Ella, Haputale, or Bandarawela to the south coast, stopping at Yala National Park for a jeep safari. Guides such as Sasanka, Tikiri, Muthu, and Yashara are known for spotting hard-to-see wildlife. You may see elephants, leopards, crocodiles, buffalo, monkeys, and birds before continuing to Tangalle, Mirissa, Galle, or nearby towns.

“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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3.Drop to Tangalle/Hiriketiya/Mirissa & Yala Safari

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 296 reviews · 4 - 10 hours · from $11

Travel from Ella by air-conditioned vehicle, pause for a three-hour open-jeep safari in Yala National Park, then continue to Tangalle, Hiriketiya, Mirissa, Galle and nearby towns. Guides including Sasanka, Dilan, Ishan and Tikiri are praised for spotting wildlife and explaining what you see. Park entry costs extra.

“We had a great safari with our lovely guide Sasanka! He was very knowledgeable and tried to show us as many animals as possible despite it being dry season. Highly recommend!!”

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

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

Travel from Ella to Yala National Park by air-conditioned car, spend about four hours in a 4x4 jeep with an English-speaking guide, then continue to Tangalle, Hiriketiya, Mirissa, Unawatuna, or Galle. Guides such as Isuru, Kavee, Srimal, and Chutte are praised for spotting wildlife, including leopards, elephants, sloth bears, crocodiles, and birds.

“the transfer war smooth and the safari was amazing! Our guide/driver Isuru explained us everything about Yala park and the animals we were seeing. He was very attentive and despite he was driving he managed to spot a lot of fauna for us! We even see a leopard and a sloth bear (incredibly). The park was crowded at the entrance, but inside is so big that you will barely see other jeeps around. Absolutely worthy, I would definitely book it again”

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

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

You leave Ella before dawn or later in the day, ride two hours to Yala, then join a private 4x4 safari through forests, scrub, grasslands, and lagoons. Guides such as Sasanka, Dilan, Muthu, and Tikiri are praised for spotting leopards and small animals. Expect a long day, a separate cash park fee, and a real chance of seeing elephants and crocodiles.

“What an adventure that was! Very happy with our driver who got us to our 4x4 car was a nice and smooth journey despite early morning! Naja our tour guide at the park was amazing at spotting animals and wanted to make sure we will see as much as we can.”

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6.Yala Safari with Drop at Tangalle/ Hiriketiya/ Mirissa

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 74 reviews · 9 - 16 hours · from $11

Leave Ella by air-conditioned car, spend about four hours in Yala National Park with an English-speaking guide and 4x4 jeep, then continue to Tangalle, Hiriketiya, Mirissa, Galle, or Hikkaduwa. Expect elephants, crocodiles, deer, birds, and a chance at a leopard, with the LKR 13,000 park ticket paid separately.

“We had a good time and we managed to see all the animals. Our driver was very nice. On the way to the Safari he stopped for us in order to take pictures of the waterfall in Ella. Totally worth it. Thank you again!”

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7.Transfer to Tangalle/Mirissa/Galle & Yala Safari Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 40 reviews · 4 - 10 hours · from $12

Leave Ella, Haputale, or Bandarawela for a three-hour Yala National Park safari before continuing to Tangalle, Hiriketiya, Matara, Mirissa, Weligama, Unawatuna, Galle, or Hikkaduwa. You ride in an air-conditioned car, switch to an open-sided safari jeep, and may spot elephants, leopards, crocodiles, sloth bears, monkeys, buffalo, and birds. Guides include Dilan, Tikiri, Sasanka, and Vishwa.

“O condutor do trajeto conduzia com cuidado e era simpático. Quanto ao do guia do Safari já não posso dizer o mesmo, faltava-lhe simpatia. Mas de um modo geral, foi uma boa tour”

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8.YALA BLOCK 5 & 6 (Weheragala & Lunugamwehera) Safari Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 30 reviews · 5 - 12 hours · from $35

Take a private 4x4 safari through Yala Blocks 5 and 6, including Lunugamwehera and Weheragala, with an English-speaking guide such as Sasanka, Janaka, Ishan, or Dasani. Expect grasslands, wetlands, lakes, elephants, crocodiles, birds, and a chance at leopards and sloth bears. Pickup, drinks, water, and binoculars are included.

“Tikiri was a good driver. We had unfortunate weather and did not end up seeing any leopards, but saw many other animals including elephants, crocodiles, monkeys, lizards, and all different types of birds. If you’re going between Ella and the coast and short on time, this is a good way to squeeze in a visit to Yala if you’re interested.”

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9.Yala Safari & Transfer to Tangalle/Mirissa/Galle

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 25 reviews · 10 - 17 hours · from $29

Leave Ella by air-conditioned car, stop briefly at Ravana Waterfall, and spend about four hours in Yala National Park with a 4x4 safari guide. Look for leopards, elephants, crocodiles, buffalo, sloth bears, and birds before continuing to Mirissa, Tangalle, Galle, or Unawatuna. Guides such as Damith have been praised for sharp animal spotting and patient driving.

“Después de haber hecho varios safaris en Sri Lanka, debo decir que el de Yala me ha resultado un poco decepcionante en relación calidad-precio. Aunque tuvimos la suerte de ver un leopardo, la experiencia se sintió más como una persecución caótica que como una oportunidad para apreciar la fauna en su entorno natural. Estuvimos más de una hora esperando entre jeeps para poder verlo, y cuando finalmente llegó nuestro turno, apenas se distinguía al animal entre las rocas. Entiendo que en un safari no hay garantía de ver animales, ya que están en libertad. No obstante, hubo falta de equilibrio: el recorrido estuvo completamente centrado en encontrar al leopardo, sin…”

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10.From: Ella – YALA Safari – Drop off: Arugam Bay / Arugambay

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 21 reviews · 9.5 hours · from $110

Leave Ella around 3 a.m. in an air-conditioned shared car or minivan, join a Toyota Hilux safari jeep near Tissamaharama, and spend three hours inside Yala National Park. Guides such as Sasanka, Muthu, Janaka, and Dolan focus on wildlife sightings before dropping you at your Arugam Bay hotel.

“dolan was a very good driver, explained what was what with the wildlife. Spotted Elephants, water buffalo’s monkeys a leopard and many other animals”

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11.Yala Safari Tour with Drop at Tangalle/Hiriketiya

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 16 reviews · 9 - 17 hours · from $29

Travel from Ella, Tangalle, Hiriketiya, or nearby towns to Yala National Park in an air-conditioned car, then explore for about four hours in a 4x4 jeep. Your English-speaking guide looks for leopards, elephants, deer, bears, crocodiles, monkeys, and birds before dropping you at your next destination.

“Przewodnik starał się nam pokazać wszystkie możliwe zwierzęta, robił to bardzo sprawnie, czasem pomijając pewne miejsca by nas dowieźć w ciekawsze, gdzie akurat będą dane zwierzęta. Widzieliśmy (poza niedźwiedziami) niemal wszystkie zwierzęta żyjące w parku (choć w przypadku geparda tylko ogon :D ). Natomiast niestety jadąc z Ella nasz kierowca przysypiał, głowa leciała mu w dół, i raz ewidentnie wypadłby z drogi, gdybyśmy nie krzyknęli na niego. Rozumiem, że to późna pora, że się spieszymy, ale jeśli kierowca jest zmęczony i potrzebuje półgodzinnej drzemki to wolałbym dojechać spóźniony, ale dojechać...”

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12.Shuttle to Tangalle/Hiriketiya with Yala Safari

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 12 reviews · 9 hours · from $31

Leave Ella by air-conditioned vehicle, visit Yala National Park, and continue to Tangalle or Hiriketiya after a daytime safari. You will switch to an open-topped safari jeep and look for elephants, leopards, crocodiles, sloth bears, monkeys, buffalo, and birds. Sasanka has guided some safari departures in clear English.

“Chauffeur was zeer vriendelijk en behulpzaam, fijne & veilige rit en netjes op tijd opgehaald in Ella. Ik reisde alleen en daarom zeer aan te bevelen. Eenmaal aangekomen in ... werd er gewisseld naar een safari voertuig met meerdere andere toeristen, geen probleem. Gids op safari was helaas ongeïnteresseerd, enkel in zijn fooi. Maakte de gehele ervaring net ietsje minder desalniettemin overall nog steeds goed.”

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13.Safari Day Trip to Yala & Udawalawe with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 10 reviews · 1 day · from $95

Leave Ella before dawn for Yala’s sunrise safari, then visit the Elephant Transit Home and spend the afternoon in Udawalawe. You travel by air-conditioned vehicle, use safari jeeps in both parks, and have an English-speaking guide. Guides such as Sasanka, Muthu, and Naja have earned strong praise for their animal spotting and driving.

“Estem molt contents amb el nostre guia Sasanka i amb els conductors Rasika i Madushanka. Sasanka ha estat molt bon guia, gràcies a ell vam poder veure 5 lleopards, l’òs i molts altres animals, tot perfecte!! Repetiriem sense dubte!”

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14.From Tangalle/ Hiriketiya: Yala Safari with Drop: Ella

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 9 reviews · 6 - 9 hours · from $11

Start with pickup in Tangalle or Hiriketiya, ride an air-conditioned car to Yala, then spend about four hours in a 4x4 jeep with an English-speaking guide. Look for leopards, elephants, sloth bears, crocodiles, and birds before continuing to Ella or another listed destination. Park fees are extra.

“I had the best time on the safari our guide was very knowledgeable and fab at point out all the animals. He was so good at getting us to be able to see the animals even with the rush of all the other cars. The drive from Hiriketiya to Yala and Yala to Ella was comfortable and the driver was very good at asking if we needed to stop. I highly recommend this trip to anyone considering booking.”

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15.From Arugambay : Yala National Park Safari & Dropoff in Ella

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 7 reviews · 10 hours · from $74

Travel from Arugam Bay to Yala National Park in an air-conditioned vehicle, spend about four hours in a 4x4 safari jeep, then continue to Ella. English-speaking guides such as Damith and Nilum have helped visitors find wildlife, including leopards and sloth bears, though sightings are never guaranteed.

“The Safari Trip was absolutely flawless (from pick up to safari trip as well as drop off - the organization was throughout the whole day amazing) Plus, we got to see so many different animals thanks to our very competent, kind and well experienced tour guide Nilum!! We can only recommend ;)”

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