Udawalawe safari from the south coast

Udawalawe safari from the south coast is Majeste's private day tour from Galle. It takes about 12 hours door to door and costs $145 per person for two, including your own car with an English-speaking driver, entrance tickets, and a private jeep with a safari driver and the park tickets. Prices checked 7 Nov 2026. Nothing to pay now.

The elephant park, two and a half hours inland from Galle.

Two safari jeeps crossing open grassland with grazing cattle and hills behind, Udawalawe National Park
Photo: PIERRE ANDRE LECLERCQ via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

At a glance

StartGalle
Hoursabout 12 hoursDoor to door
Distance265 kmRound trip
Also from these towns
StartHoursKmPer person for two
Mirissaabout 11215$134
Hikkaduwaabout 13300$153
Bentotaabout 14370$169

About this tour

From Galle or Mirissa by expressway and the Embilipitiya road to Udawalawe for a three-and-a-half-hour private jeep safari, then the midday feeding at the Elephant Transit Home. Elephants are usually seen, all year, though sightings are not guaranteed. It is five to six hours of driving from Galle, more from Hikkaduwa or Bentota.

  • Private 4x4 jeep safari with park tickets included
  • Elephant Transit Home: orphaned calves fed for release, no contact
  • Open scrub and reservoir scenery; the park stays open all year

Your day

Planning times from Galle, not promises. From another start town the times change.

  1. Pickup at your hotel; E01 to Beliatta, then Embilipitiya.

  2. Meet your jeep at the park gate.

  3. Udawalawe safari, about 3.5 hours.

    About Udawalawe half-day safari (private jeep)

  4. Elephant Transit Home feeding, commonly given as 12:00 (we confirm).

    About Udawalawe Elephant Transit Home

  5. Lunch near the park, paid directly.

  6. Start the drive back.

  7. Arrive in Galle.

What is in the price

Included

  • Private air-conditioned car or van with an English-speaking driver for the day
  • Fuel, expressway tolls and parking
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off in Galle, Unawatuna, Mirissa, Hikkaduwa or Bentota
  • Every entrance ticket, jeep and activity listed under tickets and fees

Not included

  • Lunch is at a local restaurant, paid directly, about USD 5 to 15 a head
  • Breakfast box from your hotel
  • Tips for the driver and any local guide, at your discretion
  • Drinks, snacks and personal spending

Tickets and fees

Amounts are for two adults. Entrance fees for Sri Lankan residents differ. Message us and we price them for you.

Entrance fees last checked 7 November 2026. Activity prices last checked 7 November 2026. Rupee fees converted at LKR 332.5 to USD 1 (XE mid-market rate, 6 Nov 2026).

Good to know

  • Five to seven hours in the car depending on where you start. From Bentota a Yala or Udawalawe overnight is better.
  • Leopards live in the park but are almost never seen.
  • October and November are wetter; the park stays open.

Good months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September.

Harder months: October, November.

Optional extras

Not in the price. Add them in the price box.

Read more

Where the figures come from

Similar day tours