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
Yala afternoon safari from Colombo
Yala afternoon safari from Colombo is Majeste's private day tour. It takes about 14.5 hours door to door and costs $197 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.
Leopard country in a day: possible, long, and back after 22:00.
At a glance
| Start | Hours | Km | Per person for two |
|---|---|---|---|
| Negombo | about 15 | 580 | $215 |
| Airport | about 14.5 | 560 | $211 |
About this tour
Yala Block 1 as a day trip from Colombo, using the afternoon drive because the morning one starts before you could arrive. It is about 500 km and nine hours in the car, with a private jeep from 14:30 to 18:00. Leopards are seen on some drives, not all, and Block 1 has jeep jams at sightings. We list this for anyone with only one day; a night in Tissamaharama is far better.
- Private 4x4 jeep in Yala Block 1 with park tickets included
- Leopards, elephants, crocodiles and sloth bears are all possible; none is guaranteed
- Southern Expressway almost all the way to the park
Your day
Planning times from Colombo, not promises. From another start town the times change.
Pickup in Colombo; E01 Southern Expressway to the Hambantota exit.
Lunch in Tissamaharama, paid directly.
Jeep pickup in Tissamaharama; 30 to 40 minutes to the Palatupana gate.
Yala afternoon safari until the park closes at 18:00.
Start the drive back. Dinner stop on the expressway if you want one.
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
- Tips for the driver and any local guide, at your discretion
- Drinks, snacks and personal spending
Tickets and fees
Yala afternoon safari (private jeep)
$160.86
USD 89 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
- The main blocks usually close for several weeks in September and October (2026: 14 September to 15 October). If part of your plan cannot go ahead, we offer another date or a substitute and show any price difference. You decide whether to take it. In a closure that is Udawalawe or Bundala.
- Nine hours in the car and a late return. Two nights in Yala with a dawn drive is what we recommend.
- Dusty, bumpy and crowded at sightings.
Good months: February, March, April, May, June, July.
Harder months: September, October, November.
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
- 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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