From Colombo · about 15 hours
Sigiriya and Dambulla day tour from Colombo
Two UNESCO sites, about nine hours in the car
$125
per person for two, from Colombo, tickets included
Wilpattu safari from Colombo
Wilpattu safari from Colombo is Majeste's private day tour. It takes about 15 hours door to door and costs $164 per person for two, including your own car with an English-speaking driver, and a private jeep with a safari driver and the park tickets. Prices checked 7 Nov 2026. Nothing to pay now.
The largest park, far fewer jeeps, patience needed.
At a glance
| Start | Hours | Km | Per person for two |
|---|---|---|---|
| Negombo | about 14.5 | 330 | $157 |
| Airport | about 14.5 | 340 | $160 |
About this tour
A five-hour private jeep safari in Wilpattu, the island's largest national park, with leopards, sloth bears and elephants around its natural lakes. Sightings are less dense than at Yala and the forest is thick, so patience is needed. From Colombo it is four hours each way; a night near the gate would give you a dawn drive instead of a 09:00 start.
- Five hours in a private 4x4 jeep, park tickets included
- Villus (natural lakes) in thick forest; far fewer jeeps than Yala
- Leopards and sloth bears are seen on some drives, not all
Your day
Planning times from Colombo, not promises. From another start town the times change.
Pickup in Colombo; A3 via Puttalam, then the A12.
Breakfast stop in Puttalam, paid directly.
Meet your jeep at the Hunuwilagama gate.
Wilpattu safari, about five hours.
Late lunch in Nochchiyagama, paid directly.
Start the drive back.
Arrive in Colombo.
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 Colombo, Negombo or at the airport
- Every 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 on the road, paid directly
- Tips for the driver and any local guide, at your discretion
- Drinks, snacks and personal spending
Tickets and fees
Wilpattu safari (private jeep)
$157.86
USD 86 per jeep (up to 6) plus park tickets: about USD 72 for two adults.
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
- Heavy north-east monsoon rain from November to January can flood the park and close it for days.
- Eight hours in the car plus five in a jeep: a tiring day. Sloth bears are most often seen from May to September.
- Long, bumpy tracks inside the park.
Good months: February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September.
Harder months: November, December, January.
Optional extras
Not in the price. Add them in the price box.
- Naturalist guide for your safari
+$25 for two
USD 25 per jeep per drive, added to any safari.
Read more
- Yala vs Udawalawe vs Wilpattu vs Minneriya safari
Yala for leopards, Udawalawe for elephants, Wilpattu for quiet, Minneriya for the Gathering. Safari for two: USD 146.86 to 160.86 with Majeste, Nov 2026.
- Sri Lanka entrance fees 2026: Sigiriya and parks
Sigiriya is USD 35, Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura USD 30, the Temple of the Tooth LKR 3,000; a park ticket for two is USD 71.86. Checked 7 November 2026.
- Best time to visit Sri Lanka: month by month
January to March is driest on the west and south coasts, in the hills and the Cultural Triangle; May to September suits the east. Checked 7 Nov 2026.
Where the figures come from
- safa.lk (sister brand) retail price, checked 7 Nov 2026
- Majeste rate card, checked 7 Nov 2026
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