Yala National Park

Yala National Park, in south-eastern Sri Lanka about 270 km from Colombo by road, is the country's most visited national park and famous for its leopard population. Jeep safaris also see elephants, sloth bears (rarely), crocodiles, deer and many birds. It suits wildlife travellers on the south coast with a morning or a full day.

979 km² across five blocks

The park covers about 979 km² in five blocks. Block 1 (14,101 ha) became a national park on 1 March 1938, after the area was first proclaimed a reserve in 1900; the other blocks were added between 1954 and 1973. Block 1 is the busiest; other blocks are quieter. Kumana National Park adjoins it to the east.

Leopards, elephants and 215 bird species

Yala has one of the highest leopard densities in the world. Forty-four mammal species live here, and 215 bird species have been recorded, several of them endemic. Wild elephants are common, and their numbers rise and fall with the seasons.

Sithulpawwa and Magul Maha Viharaya

Two Buddhist sites lie within the park: the pilgrim temple of Sithulpawwa and Magul Maha Viharaya, said to date from 87 BC. Around 250 people died near the park in the 2004 tsunami.

Jeep jams and the September heat closures

Jeep congestion at leopard sightings is a real problem. Blocks 1 and 2 were closed from 14 September to 15 October 2026 because of heat stress, and closures in this period happen most years; check before booking.