Overview in Negombo

Negombo, Sri Lanka · Animals, Day Trips, Food, Family Friendly, Literature · USD 150

Udawalawe day tour from Colombo or Negombo: private car (1–3, US$150) or van (4–7, US$200) plus an afternoon elephant safari. Jeep and entrance tickets extra. Our private Udawalawe safari from Colombo is a full day out to Sri Lanka’s best park for wild elephants and back. Your English-speaking driver picks you up from your hotel in Colombo or Negombo at around 9:00 am, drives you south to Udawalawe for an afternoon jeep safari, and brings you back to your hotel by about 9:00 pm. The price covers your private return transport: US$150 for 1 to 3 people in an air-conditioned car, or US$200 for 4 to 7 people in a van. The safari jeep and Udawalawe National Park entrance tickets are extra. We can book your jeep for you: a private half-day Udawalawe safari is US$60 per jeep for up to 6 people, and you can add it in the booking box. Is a Udawalawe day tour from Colombo worth it? Yes, if you have one free day and want to see wild elephant herds with their calves in the open. Udawalawe is the most reliable park in Sri Lanka for elephants, so sightings are almost certain on an afternoon safari. Our Udawalawe day tour from Colombo is about 12 hours door to door, with lunch near the park before the safari. If you prefer a slower pace, we can add a night near Udawalawe and a morning safari the next day, or continue to Ella or the south coast instead of returning. Udawalawe safari from Negombo and the airport We also pick up from any hotel in Negombo or near Bandaranaike International Airport at no extra cost. From Negombo the drive takes a little longer, so we confirm your exact pickup time when you book. How far is Udawalawe from Colombo? Udawalawe is about 170 km from Colombo, roughly 3.5 hours by road with a short break on the way. Read more about the park, its wildlife and the Elephant Transit Home on our Udawalawe National Park safari page. More day trips from Colombo Udawalawe 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 - Udawalawe 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 best park for wild elephants - Elephant herds with calves, water buffalo, crocodiles and birds of prey - Transport from US$150 · 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 9:00 am. We confirm the exact pickup time after booking. Leave the city behind and head south-east through rubber estates and paddy fields towards the edge of the hill country, with a short break on the way. You reach Udawalawe 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 2:00 pm at the park entrance. Drive the open grassland and the edges of the reservoir, where elephant herds with young calves feed and bathe, and look out for water buffalo, spotted deer, crocodiles and birds of prey 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 9:00 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) - Udawalawe National Park entrance tickets (paid at the gate) - Meals and drinks - Tips for your driver (optional) FAQs Udawalawe is about 170 km from Colombo, roughly 3.5 hours by road with a short break on the way. Yes. Our Udawalawe safari from Colombo picks you up at around 9:00 am, includes an afternoon jeep safari from 2:00 to 6:00 pm, and has you back at your hotel by about 9:00 pm. It is a full day of around 12 hours. Private return transport costs US$150 for 1 to 3 people in a car or US$200 for 4 to 7 people in a van. The safari jeep (US$60 per jeep if you book it with us) and Udawalawe 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. From Negombo the pickup may be a little earlier; we confirm the time when you book. Almost certainly. Udawalawe has several hundred wild elephants, and family herds are seen on nearly every safari, in every month of the year. Yes. Add a night near Udawalawe for a morning safari the next day, or continue to Ella, Yala or the south coast instead of returning to Colombo. Message us for a quote.