Sunrise SafariFour hours, from the moment the gate opens.US$68 (up to 6)
EntertheWild.
Leopard tracking at first light with the family that has driven these blocks for years. Private jeep US$68 for up to six, park entrance paid separately, nothing charged until we confirm.
- 4.9 / 5
- 04:30
- Six, never more
- Tissamaharama
I · The land
Four hundred and sixty-ninesquare milesof dry country.
Thorn scrub, granite outcrops, brackish lagoons and tanks dug centuries ago. Six blocks — and only three of them open to you.
- Block 1
- The highest leopard density on the island, and the busiest gates.
- Blocks 5 & 6
- Quiet country through the Galge gate. Elephants, birds, almost no jeeps.
- Blocks 2, 3 & 4
- Permission-only, closed, or strict reserve. Nobody drives these.
Twenty minutes from our door in Tissamaharama to the Palatupana gate. Forty-five minutes further to Katagamuwa, if you would trade a little sleep for a lot less company.
II
The wild
Everything that moves before the heat arrives.
Forty-four mammals, around 350 elephants, 215 recorded birds and 47 reptiles. The leopard is the headline; it is nowhere near the whole story.
Panthera pardus kotiya
No tigers.No lions.Just him.
With nothing above it on the island, Sri Lanka’s leopard behaves unlike leopards anywhere else — bolder in daylight, at ease on open rock, and far less nocturnal. That is why Yala gives you a real chance in the morning, and why we will still never promise you one.
III
Experiences
Seven ways to take the park.
Same jeeps, same drivers, a different shape of day. Every price below is the published price — park entrance is always shown separately.
Sunrise SafariFour hours, from the moment the gate opens.US$68 (up to 6)
Sunset SafariThe golden hour, and the walk back to water.US$68 (up to 6)Photography SafariSix hours, and the patience to wait for the frame.US$75 (up to 6)
Full-Day ExpeditionDawn to dusk, lunch under a tree.US$110 (up to 6)
Private SafariThe jeep is yours, even if there are two of you.US$68 (up to 6)
Family SafariBuilt around short attention spans and early bedtimes.US$68 (up to 6)
Luxury SafariA tailored day, arranged jeep by jeep.On requestIV
Build your safari
Five questions. One honest recommendation.
Tell us what you want to see, how long you have and who is with you. We will point at the real package that fits, at its real price — and say plainly when the cheaper option is the better one.
V
The journey
From the hotel door to the gate.
A morning drive, hour by hour, so nothing about the day is a surprise.
- 04:00
The knock at the door
We pull up outside your hotel in Tissamaharama, Weerawila, Kataragama or Kirinda. Blankets and a cool box are already in the jeep.
- 04:30
The road to the gate
Twenty to forty minutes in the dark to Palatupana, or further to Katagamuwa if you asked for the quieter gate.
- 05:00
Tickets, then through
Entrance tickets are bought at the gate — bring your passport. On the tours that include tickets, we have already done this.
- 05:30
First light in Block 1
The best hour of the day. Night prints on the track, alarm calls in the scrub, and the radio net waking up across the block.
- 07:30
Coffee, or keep going
A pause at a viewpoint, or straight on if something is happening. On a private jeep, that call is yours to make.
- 10:00
Back for breakfast
Four-hour drives return to your hotel. Six-hour and full-day drives push on into the quiet middle of the park.
VI
Yala, practically
What holds true today.
- Monday – Sunday, 4:30 AM – 7:00 PM
- About US$43 per foreign adult
- Usually early Sept – mid Oct
- February to July
VII
Explore
Three parks, one hour apart.
Yala for leopards, Bundala for birds, Udawalawe for elephants. The maps below show the blocks and gates we use.
Yala
The best chance of a leopard in Sri Lanka.
Bundala
Sri Lanka's best coastal birding, with almost no crowds.
Udawalawe
The most reliable elephants in Sri Lanka.
Guests
4.9 out of 5from 43 travellers.
Rated on Tripadvisor as of September 2026. We do not reprint review text here — read it at the source, where you can see who wrote it.
VIII
Wildlife journal
Field notes from the block.
What our drivers actually watch for, and what we would tell a friend before they booked.
How to read a leopard sighting
Why your driver stops the jeep in an empty clearing and switches the engine off.
Which block of Yala should you book?
469 square miles, six blocks, and only three of them open to you.
What a Yala jeep actually costs
Two numbers, not one — and the point at which sharing stops saving you money.
What to bring on a dawn drive
It is colder at 4:30 AM than anyone expects, and hotter by nine.
IX
Before you book
The questions everybody asks.
01How much does a Yala safari cost?
A 4-hour private jeep safari in Yala costs US$68 per jeep for up to 6 people, and a shared seat starts at US$58 for one or two travellers. A 6-hour private safari is US$75 and a full day is US$110 per jeep. Park entrance tickets are paid separately.
02Are park tickets included in the price?
On our own Yala and Bundala jeep safaris the tickets are not included: your payment covers the jeep, driver and guide only, and you buy the park entrance ticket separately, which is about US$43 per foreign adult in Yala. Our Viator listings with tickets included are priced differently and say so.
03Private or shared jeep - which is cheaper?
For three or more travellers a private jeep is cheaper: US$68 for the whole jeep against US$87 for three shared seats on a 4-hour safari. A shared jeep only saves money for one or two people, at US$58 against US$68.
04How many people fit in a safari jeep?
Six. One jeep carries up to 6 guests, and a private jeep costs the same whether there are two of you or six. For 7 or more people message us on WhatsApp and we will arrange extra jeeps.
05Is Yala closed in September?
Yala Block 1 usually closes for about six weeks from early September to mid-October each year for maintenance, but the exact dates are set annually by the Department of Wildlife Conservation. Ask us for this year's dates - when Block 1 is shut we run safaris in Bundala or in Yala Blocks 5 and 6 instead.
06Where do you pick up guests?
Pickup and drop-off are free from Tissamaharama, Weerawila, Kataragama and Kirinda. We also collect from Palatupana, Bundala Junction, Weligatta, Yodhakandiya and Hambantota Port, and Matara can be arranged as an optional extra.
07Will I definitely see a leopard?
No one can promise a leopard - this is wild country and the animals move where they like. Yala Block 1 has the highest leopard density in Sri Lanka, our trackers know the territories, and a longer drive improves your chances, but we will never guarantee a sighting.
08How do I pay?
You can pay online by PayPal or card when you book, or by bank transfer once we have confirmed your booking. If we cannot run your date, an online payment is refunded in full. The park entrance fee is paid separately, and we will tell you the current amount when we confirm.
09What is your cancellation policy?
Cancel 24 hours or more before the start time and you get a full refund; inside 24 hours there is no refund. If a safari has to be cancelled for bad weather, you choose between a new date and a full refund.
10Do you run shore excursions from Hambantota Port?
Yes. We run two shared shore excursions from Hambantota Port: Yala National Park at US$100 per adult with the park entrance included, and Udawalawe with the Elephant Transit Home at US$110 per adult with all tickets included. Your driver meets you in the arrival hall with a name sign.
11How do I book a safari?
Use the price calculator to pick your park, package and group size, then send the booking to us on WhatsApp or by email. You can pay straight away by PayPal or card, or wait for us to confirm availability and pay by bank transfer.