Overview in Negombo

Negombo, Sri Lanka · Day Trips, Animals, Food, Outdoors, Beaches · USD 130

Minneriya safari tours from Colombo or Negombo: private car (1–3, US$130) or van (4–7, US$200), 8 am pickup, elephant safari, back by 7:30 pm. Jeep extra. Our private Minneriya safari tours from Colombo take you to see the wild elephant herds of Minneriya National Park and back in one day. Your English-speaking driver picks you up from your hotel in Colombo or Negombo at around 8:00 am and you reach Minneriya at about 11:30 am. After lunch, your jeep safari runs from about 12:00 to 4:00 pm, and you are back at your hotel by about 7:30 pm. The price covers your private return transport: US$130 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 Minneriya National Park entrance tickets are extra. We can book your jeep for you: a private Minneriya safari is US$60 per jeep for up to 6 people, and you can add it in the booking box. Free stops at Sigiriya and Dambulla On the way back you can stop at Sigiriya Rock or the Dambulla Cave Temple at no extra transport cost. Just tick the stops you want in the booking box. Entrance tickets are paid at each site, and each stop makes you back a little later. Is a Minneriya safari from Colombo worth it? Yes, if you want to see wild elephants in big numbers without staying overnight in the Cultural Triangle. From about July to October, Minneriya is home to The Elephant Gathering, when hundreds of elephants graze on the shore of the ancient Minneriya tank. Our day tour is about 11.5 hours door to door. For a slower pace, add a night near the park and climb Sigiriya Rock the next morning. Minneriya safari from Negombo and the airport We also pick up from any hotel in Negombo or near Bandaranaike International Airport at no extra cost, which makes this a good first or last day in Sri Lanka. How far is Minneriya from Colombo? Minneriya is about 180 km from Colombo, roughly 3.5 hours by road via Kurunegala and Dambulla, with a short break on the way. Read more about the park and The Elephant Gathering on our Minneriya National Park safari page. More day trips from Colombo Minneriya 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 - Minneriya day tour from Colombo or Negombo, back by about 7:30 pm - 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 - Jeep safari in Minneriya National Park, about 12:00 to 4:00 pm - Free optional stops at Sigiriya Rock or Dambulla Cave Temple - Wild elephant herds and The Elephant Gathering (about July–October) - Transport from US$130 · 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. Head north-east through Kurunegala and Dambulla into the Cultural Triangle, with a short break on the way. You reach Minneriya at around 11:30 am. 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 12:00 pm at the park entrance. Follow the forest tracks down to the shore of the Minneriya tank, where elephant herds graze and bathe, and look out for spotted deer, water buffalo, storks and fish eagles. The jeep and entrance tickets are extra; we can book a private jeep for you for US$60. On the way back, stop at Sigiriya Rock or the Dambulla Cave Temple if you wish. There is no extra transport charge; entrance tickets are paid at each site, and each stop makes you back at your hotel a little later. After the safari you meet your driver at 4:00 pm and start the journey back to Colombo or Negombo, arriving at your hotel at about 7:30 pm, or later if you add Sigiriya or Dambulla. 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 - Optional stops at Sigiriya or Dambulla (no extra transport cost) - Fuel, parking fees and highway tolls Not included - Safari jeep (private 4x4 jeep for US$60, can be added when you book) - Minneriya National Park entrance tickets (paid at the gate) - Sigiriya and Dambulla entrance tickets - Meals and drinks - Tips for your driver (optional) FAQs Minneriya is about 180 km from Colombo, roughly 3.5 hours by road via Kurunegala and Dambulla. Yes. Our Minneriya safari tours from Colombo pick you up at around 8:00 am, include a jeep safari from about 12:00 to 4:00 pm after lunch, and have you back at your hotel by about 7:30 pm. It is a day of around 11.5 hours. Private return transport costs US$130 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 Minneriya 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. Usually from about July to October, peaking in August and September. Elephants are seen in Minneriya or nearby Kaudulla through much of the year. Yes. You can stop at Sigiriya Rock or the Dambulla Cave Temple on the way back at no extra transport cost. Entrance tickets are paid at each site, and the stops make you back at your hotel a little later. For a slower pace, add a night near Minneriya.