The 15 Best Yala National Park Safaris in Galle

1.Yala Safari Private Day Trip with Return Transport -All Inclusive

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 54 reviews · from $140Our pick

Leave from Galle, Unawatuna, Weligama, Mirissa, Tangalle, Colombo, or nearby areas for a private Yala National Park day trip. A driver-guide handles the long transfer, lunch, park entry, and Japanese safari jeep. Guides named on past trips include Lahiru, Rahul, and Nisinte.

“Our driver was very nice and learned us a lot about Sri Lanka. Our safari guide was amazing as well! He went to places where not that much other drivers were, and he was keen on showing us all types of animal Yala has. We 2 Leopards, elephants, bears, monleys, buffalos, pelicans, and much more! Highly recommended!”

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2.Mirissa/Weligama/Galle/Tangalle: Drop to Ella & Yala Safari

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 27 reviews · 10 hours · from $43

Travel door to door from Galle, Unawatuna, Weligama, Mirissa, Matara, Hiriketiya, or Tangalle to Ella, with a Yala National Park safari in the middle. Ride with an English-speaking guide, watch for elephants and leopards, and expect a long, bumpy day.

“We werden opgepikt in onze verblijfplaats in Mirissa. De rit naar de jeep was snel (maar voor mijn wagenziekte erg misselijkmakend). De driver was erg lief en ging langzamer rijden. De safari was prima, het was kort, maar te verwachten. Sasanka was onze driver van de safari. Hij vertelde veel bij de dieren en was erg meedenkend. Omdat je maar kort de tijd hebt, gingen we snel langs alle dieren, maar dat is helemaal logisch.”

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3.GO WILD! Double Safari Day Trip (Yala & Udawalawe) – Private & All Inclusive

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 23 reviews · from $280Top rated

Set out from Galle or nearby south-coast towns for two Sri Lankan national parks in one private, all-inclusive day. Expect safari jeeps, park entry, lunch, bottled water, and an Elephant Transit Home visit. Drivers such as Dinesh and Rahul have handled pickups, but wildlife sightings remain a matter of luck.

“We had a wonderful, albeit long day to visit Udawalawe and Yala- trip was well organised and pick up with Dinesh was on time from our hotel. He took us safely to both parks and both of our guides in the parks were friendly and knowledgaRead more”

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4.Galle/Mirissa: Yala & Udawalawe Safari Day Trip with Picnic

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 21 reviews · 16 hours · from $101

Leave your accommodation early for Yala’s sunrise safari, then enjoy a picnic, visit Udawalawe Elephant Transit Home during feeding time, and finish with a sunset safari. A local English-speaking driver-guide handles the long route, wildlife spotting, and air-conditioned transport. Park entry fees cost extra.

“Fedele a quello che era riportato in descrizione, sono stata fortunata e ho visto tutto quello che si poteva vedere. Nel complesso è una gita lunga e impegnativa perché prende molte ore durante il giorno, le persone molto gentili e disponibili ma ogni tanto c'era qualche barriera linguistica. Prima dell'escursione non mi erano arrivati riferimenti in merito al pick up dal mio residence di partenza e forse non è stata la cosa più rassicurante, nel complesso però ho trovato persone gentili e simpatiche con cui condividere questa esperienza”

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5.Yala National Park Private Safari trip from Galle/Unawatuna/Mirissa

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 12 reviews · from $200

Travel from Galle, Unawatuna, or Mirissa to Yala National Park for a private safari of nearly four hours. Your driver handles the long transfer, then a wildlife tracker such as Mahesh helps search for elephants, birds, and elusive leopards. Park entry, water, a snack, and transport are included.

“Great driver and guide. Very nice people and great tour. It might be better to stay the night in Yala, however it was a great experience none the less”

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6.Half Day Safari at Yala National Park with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · from $189

Leave Galle at 5:30 am for a private, air-conditioned transfer to Palatupana and a three-hour Yala safari. A driver-tracker takes you through forest and wetlands in search of leopards, elephants, crocodiles, deer, sloth bears, and birds. Lunch, park entry, water, and return transport are included.

“It was a well organised trip. My driver Saman drove me from Galle - he was super friendly and engaging. The safari driver was informative, and showed me popular Rocky areas. Although we didn’t see any leopards, we managed to see water bRead more”

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7.Paradise Yala Safari Tours

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · from $27Best value

Start before sunrise with Sujith from Paradise Tuk Tuk Tours, riding from your hotel to Tissamaharama before changing to a safari jeep for about five hours in Yala National Park. The tour includes private tuk-tuk transport, bottled water, tea, snacks, and a light breakfast, but park tickets and the jeep cost extra.

“Excellent day exploring Yala National Park block 5 which I understand is less busy than block 1. Very early morning and chilly start from”

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8.One day Yala National Park from Galle/Hikkaduwa/Mirissa/Unawatuna

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · from $184

Leave your south-coast hotel before sunrise for a private Yala National Park jeep safari with a driver-guide, wildlife tracker, park ticket, snacks, and water. The long day also includes stops at Koggala’s stilt fishermen, a Buddha statue in Dikwella, and Tissa Lake. Mahesh and Thilanka are named guide options.

“I had amazing and SAFE time with Mahesh and his team during my stay in Galle. I was there for 9 days touring, Mahesh gave me recommendation to visit Udawalawe National Park Safari, as I was with my 2.5 years old little baby, I didn’t want Read more”

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9.Yala Safari Drive From Galle, Weligama, Mirissa & Dickwella

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · from $80

Leave around 5 AM from Mirissa, Weligama, or nearby areas for a private drive to Yala National Park. After the road transfer, board an open safari jeep with a trekker, watch for elephants, leopards, and birds, and enjoy a packed breakfast or snacks along the way.

“Great trip! Beautiful place with loads of wildlife, very good value for money! Also, there is obviously other groups around the park but it’s not overwhelming and I was worried they would impede on the animals, but that’s not the case!”

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10.Yala National Park Safari from Weligama

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 6 reviews · from $124

Travel from Weligama in an air-conditioned vehicle, stop for lunch near Yala, then take a private open-top jeep into Yala National Park for three hours. An English-speaking chauffeur guide, hotel pickup, water, and return transport are included, but lunch and park entry cost extra.

“Had a good visit to Yala National Park. Got picked up promptly at 3 30 am as we opted for a morning game drive. Entered that park at 6 and spent 4 hours. Saw the wildlife in the park, missed the leopard sighting, am sure that’s a luck of the draw !!!”

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11.Galle/Mirissa/Tangalle: Transfer to Ella & Yala/Udawalawa Safari

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · from $90

Travel from Tangalle, Mirissa, Galle, or nearby coastal areas to Ella by air-conditioned vehicle, stopping for a safari at Yala or Udawalawe National Park. A local jeep guide, including Sasanka, Janaka, or another assigned driver, leads the wildlife search. Park fees are extra.

“The transfer was easy, and the van was great!”

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12.YALA SAFARI TOUR from Galle/Mirissa/Matara/Tangalle/Ella & More..

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · from $39

Spend up to 10 hours inside Yala National Park after an early pickup from Galle, Ella, Mirissa, Tangalle, or nearby coastal towns. Your safari includes a jeep, guide, breakfast, water, and binoculars. Park entry costs an extra $37 per person.

“Amazing tour! We saw all kinds of animals included leapord. Think we counted to 13 spotted elephants. Our guide Ishan was the best! Told us everything along the tour and did an amazing job finding the animals. Also the included breakfast was god! Perfect day 👌👌♥️♥️”

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13.Yala National Park Private Safari (All Inclusive) From Mirissa

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 4 reviews · from $151

Leave Mirissa, Weligama, or Galle at 4am in an air-conditioned vehicle, then explore Yala National Park by private jeep. Park entry, jeep hire, water, transport, and a guide are included. Expect an early start, wildlife searches, and a return around midday, with lunch not included.

“It’s was a good experience. I don’t think it was worth the price at all & found it a little rushed. We only saw elephants once. He didn’t even say he was leaving. Also our driver didn’t speak for the whole journey so it was awkward sometimes. Highly recommend the safari but they could of made it better”

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14.Private Half Day Safari Tour to Yala NP From Tangalle and Drop Back

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 3 reviews · from $200

Start at 5 AM from Tangalle, Rekawa, Ranna, or Hambantota with a private Toyota Hilux and an experienced driver-guide. Spend the day in Yala National Park looking for leopards, sloth bears, elephants, and other wildlife, then return to your hotel by taxi. Guides named Prasana and Ishan have earned special praise.

“Ishan est un très bon guide, très respectueux de l’environnement des animaux dans parc et à l’extérieur mais surtout le sri lankais le plus souriant 😀”

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

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · from $118

Travel from the southern coast to Yala for two game drives in a shared Toyota Hilux, with a break at Patanangala beach and onward transfer to Arugam Bay. Drivers such as Ishan, Janeka, and Naja are praised for their wildlife skills. The $118 price excludes park fees and food.

“Amazing tour, saw incredible animals including elephants and leopard! Ishan was brilliant driver, he was so helpful and knew all the best spots to see the animals.”

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