From Ella · about 7.5 hours
Little Adam's Peak, Nine Arch Bridge and Ravana Falls
Ella's three sights and a tea factory before lunch
$47
per person for two, from Ella, activity included
Yala morning safari from Ella
Yala morning safari from Ella is Majeste's private day tour. It takes about 12.5 hours door to door and costs $131 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.
A 04:00 start for a dawn drive in Block 1.
At a glance
About this tour
Leave Ella at 04:00, meet your jeep in Tissamaharama at 06:30 and spend four hours in Yala Block 1, where leopards are seen on some drives, not all. Lunch in Tissa, a stop at Kataragama if you like, then the climb back up to Ella. About five and a half hours in the car; a night in Tissamaharama is more comfortable and gives you two drives.
- Private 4x4 jeep in Block 1 with park tickets included
- Leopards, elephants, sloth bears and crocodiles are all possible; none is promised
- Optional stop at the Kataragama sacred city
Your day
Planning times from Ella, not promises.
Pickup in Ella; A23 to Wellawaya, then the A2 to Tissamaharama.
Jeep pickup in Tissamaharama; 30 to 40 minutes to the Palatupana gate.
Yala morning safari, about four hours.
Lunch in Tissamaharama, paid directly.
Kataragama sacred city, a 30-minute walk across the Menik Ganga (free; modest dress).
Start the drive back.
Arrive in Ella.
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 Ella
- 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 box from your hotel
- Tips for the driver and any local guide, at your discretion
- Drinks, snacks and personal spending
Tickets and fees
Yala morning safari (private jeep)
$160.86
USD 89 per jeep (up to 6) plus park tickets: about USD 72 for two adults, USD 36 each.
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. 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.
- Block 1 is known for jeep jams at sightings. Block 5 from Galge is quieter, but this trip goes to Block 1.
- Dusty and bumpy; children under about six find four hours long.
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
- 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
Similar day tours
From Ella · about 8 hours
Horton Plains and World's End from Ella
A 04:30 start for the view before the cloud
$74
per person for two, from Ella, tickets included
From Ella · about 8 hours
Lipton's Seat and the Dambatenne tea factory
Early light over the tea, then the factory Lipton built
$47
per person for two, from Ella, activity included