The world’s greatest leopard safari: Yala National Park Half-day safari!

• You will first meet the Sri Lanka Day Tours crew and your safari guide at the gate entrance to Yala National Park. For the morning half-day tour, your Yala Safari commences at 6:00 a.m. while the afternoon run begins at 2.30 p.m.
• After entering the National Park with your guide in a jeep, keep an eye out for leopards and sloth bears, as well as other mammals and several species of birds which have made their homes in this sanctuary. The guide will explain about the Park’s various interesting attributes as you discover, become more aware and enjoy the flora and fauna of Yala.
• You will be taken through most of the Yala National Park, covering the wetlands, grasslands, forest patches, etc. We will make longer stops at certain watering holes for those quiet photography opportunities.
• After finishing the safari, either around 10 a.m. or around 6 p.m., you will be dropped off at the park entrance.

Designated as a National Park in 1938, Yala is Sri Lanka's most visited National Park and is situated in the dry semi-arid region off the southeastern coast of Sri Lanka, Yala is known for its biodiversity, with over 200 species of birds and over 40 species of mammals.

Consider yourself stepping into Leopard land when you come to Yala National Park, Sri Lanka’s oldest and inarguably most famous Park.

Dry, dusty and hot winds from an arid landscape of savannah grasslands, thorn and dry monsoon forests will make you wonder, if you truly are in a tropical country. But the Park is also home to saltwater wetlands, flaunting her biodiversity and membership of an impressive number of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians.

With a density of least one leopard per square kilometre, and the chances of spotting these formidable big cats enhanced with the trained eye of our guides; these elusive leopards greet the dawn and acknowledge the sun setting.

It is not an uncommon sight to see elephants, buffalo, sloth bears and even leopards crossing the road in front of you, giving you an opportunity to see these big mammals up close.

Yala is also home to a multitude of birds, including the Sri Lanka jungle fowl, peacocks, and endemic species such as Sri Lanka grey hornbill, crimson-fronted barbet and Sri Lanka wood pigeon. Watering holes also attract water birds such as herons and storks.

Among the smaller species of mammals in Yala are hares, foxes, wild boar, toque macaques, golden palm civets, red slender loris, and fishing cats. Take this Yala leopard safari  - you will never forget it.