Overview in Negombo

Negombo, Sri Lanka · Animals, Day Trips, Beaches, Food, Outdoors · USD 160

Wilpattu day tour from Colombo or Negombo: private car (1–3, US$160) or van (4–7, US$230) plus an afternoon jeep safari. Jeep and entrance tickets extra. Our private Wilpattu safari from Colombo is a full day out to Sri Lanka’s largest national park and back. Your English-speaking driver picks you up from your hotel in Colombo or Negombo at around 8:00 am, drives you north along the west coast to Wilpattu for an afternoon jeep safari, and brings you back to your hotel by about 9:30 to 10:00 pm. The price covers your private return transport: US$160 for 1 to 3 people in an air-conditioned car, or US$230 for 4 to 7 people in a van. The safari jeep and Wilpattu National Park entrance tickets are extra. We can book your jeep for you: a private half-day Wilpattu safari is US$60 per jeep for up to 6 people, and you can add it in the booking box. Is a Wilpattu day tour from Colombo worth it? Yes, if you have one free day near Colombo and want leopards, sloth bears and quiet forest tracks without the crowds of Yala. Our Wilpattu day tour from Colombo is about 14 hours door to door, with lunch near the park before the safari. If you prefer a slower pace, we can add a night near Wilpattu and a morning safari the next day, or combine the park with Anuradhapura. Wilpattu safari from Negombo and the airport Negombo is the closest beach base to Wilpattu, and many travellers take this safari on their first or last day in Sri Lanka. We pick you up from any hotel in Negombo or near Bandaranaike International Airport at no extra cost. How far is Wilpattu from Colombo? Wilpattu is about 190 km from Colombo, roughly 3.5 to 4 hours by road through Negombo, Chilaw and Puttalam, with a break on the way. Read more about the park in our Wilpattu National Park safari guide. More day trips from Colombo Wilpattu is one of many day trips from Colombo and Negombo that we run with hotel pickup. For more wildlife, see our safari tours in Sri Lanka. See all day trips from Colombo → Highlights - Wilpattu day tour from Colombo or Negombo, back the same evening - Private air-conditioned car (1–3 people) or van (4–7 people) - English-speaking driver and hotel pickup in Colombo, Negombo or the airport area - Afternoon jeep safari in Sri Lanka’s largest national park - Leopards, sloth bears, elephants and natural lakes - Transport from US$160 · add a private jeep for US$60 · entrance tickets extra Itinerary Your driver collects you from your hotel, guesthouse or the airport area in Colombo or Negombo at around 8:00 am. We confirm the exact pickup time after booking. The road follows the west coast through Negombo, Chilaw and Puttalam, past lagoons and coconut country, with a short break on the way. You reach Wilpattu at around 12:30 pm. Lunch at a local restaurant near the park before the safari (lunch is not included). Your driver will take you to a good place nearby. Your jeep safari starts at about 1:30 pm at the main Hunuwilagama entrance. Follow the sandy tracks between the natural lakes in search of leopards, sloth bears, elephants, spotted deer and waterbirds until the park closes at 6:00 pm. The jeep and entrance tickets are extra; we can book a private jeep for you for US$60. After the safari you exit the park at 6:00 pm, meet your driver and start the journey back to Colombo or Negombo, arriving at your hotel at about 9:30 to 10:00 pm. What’s included Included - Private air-conditioned car or van for the whole day - English-speaking driver - Hotel pickup and drop-off in Colombo, Negombo or the airport area - Fuel, parking fees and highway tolls Not included - Safari jeep (private 4x4 jeep from US$60, can be added when you book) - Wilpattu National Park entrance tickets (paid at the gate) - Meals and drinks - Tips for your driver (optional) FAQs Wilpattu is about 190 km from Colombo, roughly 3.5 to 4 hours by road through Negombo, Chilaw and Puttalam. From Negombo and the airport area, Wilpattu is about 3 to 3.5 hours by road, making it the closest major national park to the west coast. Yes. Our Wilpattu safari from Colombo picks you up at around 8:00 am, includes an afternoon jeep safari from 1:30 to 6:00 pm, and has you back at your hotel by about 9:30 to 10:00 pm. It is a full day of around 14 hours. Private return transport costs US$160 for 1 to 3 people in a car or US$230 for 4 to 7 people in a van. The safari jeep (US$60 per jeep if you book it with us) and Wilpattu National Park entrance tickets are extra. No. The price covers your private transport from Colombo or Negombo. You can add a private 4×4 safari jeep for US$60 for up to 6 people in the booking box, and the park entrance tickets are paid at the gate. Yes. We pick up from hotels in Colombo, Negombo and near Bandaranaike International Airport at no extra cost. Yes. Add a night near Wilpattu for a morning safari the next day, or combine the park with the ancient city of Anuradhapura, about an hour away. Message us for a quote. February to October is the main season, when the dry weather brings animals to the lakes.