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A day trip inland from the south coast to Udawalawe, the most dependable elephant park in Sri Lanka, including the Elephant Transit Home feeding.
Highlights
- Around 600 resident elephants on open grassland, reliably in sight
- A park created in 1972 whose displaced farmland is why the animals are visible
- The Elephant Transit Home, which releases its orphans back into the wild
- Crocodiles, buffalo and exceptional birding along the reservoir
- Hotel pickup from anywhere on the Galle to Mirissa strip
Udawalawe Safari Day Trip from Galle, Mirissa or Hikkaduwa: Key Facts
| Price | From $82 per person |
|---|---|
| Duration | 5-9 hours |
| Languages | English |
| Tour type | Guided Tour |
| Booking | Direct with the local operator — no OTA markup |
Choose from 3 available options
From Udawalawe: Udawalawe National Park Safari
From Tangalle/Mirissa/Galle: Udawalawe National Park Safari
From Hikkaduwa: Udawalawe National Park Safari
Full description
Udawalawe is about two and a half hours inland from the Galle-Mirissa strip and it is the park to choose if you want to see elephants rather than gamble on a leopard.
It was created in 1972 to protect the catchment of a new reservoir, and the farmland that was displaced became open grassland. That history is why the animals here are visible in a way they are not in forested parks: around six hundred resident elephants on open ground with nowhere to hide, usually in sight within twenty minutes of the gate.
Alongside them, water buffalo, spotted deer, jackals, mugger crocodiles along the reservoir edge, and exceptional birding — serpent eagles, changeable hawk-eagles, painted storks, and a heavy influx of migrants in winter.
The Elephant Transit Home on the park boundary is a rehabilitation centre rather than an orphanage, and the distinction matters: orphaned calves are raised with minimal human contact and released back into the wild in groups. Several hundred have gone back. Feeding is viewed from a platform at a distance, and there is no riding, no bathing and no contact — which is the point.
Back on the coast by evening.
Sri Lanka's national parks are seen from an open jeep, and each has one thing it is best for. Yala, in the south-east, has the highest density of leopards anywhere, most often seen in the early morning on the rocks and roads of Block 1; it is closed for part of September and October each year. Udawalawe is elephants, reliably, in open grassland around a reservoir, with the Elephant Transit Home for orphans nearby. Minneriya and Kaudulla, near Sigiriya, host the Gathering from about July to October, when several hundred elephants come to the shrinking tanks in the late afternoon. Wilpattu, in the north-west, is the largest park and the quietest, with leopards, sloth bears and villus, the natural lakes. Safaris run at 6:00 and 14:30, take three to four hours, and the park ticket is paid at the gate in addition to the jeep.
Tour Itinerary
The schedule below is a suggested plan and can be adjusted to suit your preferences.
Pickup on the coast
An early start for the drive inland.
Udawalawe gate
Permits and entry.
Game drive
Three hours among the herds.
Elephant Transit Home
The feeding session from the platform.
Return drive
Back towards the coast.
Drop-off
At your hotel.
Detailed Itinerary
Hotel pickup
Two and a half hours each way. Sleep on the first leg.
In the park
Open grassland around the reservoir; elephants are usually in sight within twenty minutes.
Transit Home
Viewing from a platform. No contact with the animals, which is how it should be.
The coast
Drop-off at your hotel.
Includes
- Transport from your south coast hotel, a 4x4 safari jeep with driver and tracker, the game drive, drinking water.
Excludes
- The national park permit and Transit Home entrance, paid at the gate, meals, gratuities.
Important information
Meeting point
Hotel pickup in Galle, Mirissa, Unawatuna or Hikkaduwa; confirmed after booking.
Weather
This runs outdoors, so the operator can call it off for rain, wind or sea conditions, and that decision is usually made on the day. If they cancel, you choose: another date, or your money back in full. We do not keep a booking fee on a tour that did not run.
Know before you go
- Free cancellation available up to 24 hours before the activity starts
About this activity
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Traveler Reviews
Great trip to Udawalawa. Long journey from Galle and weaving mopeds and tuc tucs safely and skilfully negotiated by our driver. Our guide Batu was excellent , very knowledgeable and eagle eyed , spotting birds monkeys and lizards we would have missed. Lots of close encounters with elephants and we saw buffalo, mongoose, crocodiles, wild pigs, monkeys and loads of birds. A great trip and highly recommended!
We had an amazing trip to the National Park! Both our driver and jeep driver at the park were very friendly and helpful. Would definitely recommend this trip to anyone! Especially if you want to see elephants!
Excellent tour to the safari park. We saw lots of elephants which was the highlight, and crocodiles, buffalo, deer, monkeys, peacocks, jungle fowl, eagles and lots of other birds. Our guide was great and really good at spotting things that we would have missed.
We had a great tour and can definitely recommend it! Our guide made a big effort and was able to show us many animals that we probably would have never spotted on our own. We also had a lot of fun the whole time. A really wonderful experience!
An amazing experience in Sri Lanka! The highlight was seeing many elephants up close, including families with small baby elephants- truly unforgettable. Our guide was friendly, professional, and very knowledgeable, which made the safari even more enjoyable. The comfortable safari jeeps offered great visibility and made it easy to take beautiful photos. A must-do experience for anyone visiting Sri Lanka and a paradise for elephant lovers!
We seen a lot of animals and we had a great time with our guide. The transport was efficient, always on time. I really recomend this trip. It was even better than Yala Block 5&6 Safarii which we took 2 days later.
The day out was amazing. The driver at the safari was knowledgeable and told us lots about the animals we saw. We were able to see water buffalo’s, loads of elephants, crocodiles, monkeys, eagles, peacocks and chameleons. He was able to spot animals that we would definitely have missed if he hadn’t pointed them out. The driver who took us there and back from Mirissa was efficient and friendly.
We had amazing views of the elephants after a very easy pick up! We would definitely recommend to anyone as the wildlife is all incredible