Udawalawe National Park safari tour with elephant sanctuary visit

Three hours in the park where orphaned elephants learn to live wild again

A full-day jeep safari through Udawalawe National Park in Sri Lanka with a stop at the Elephant Transit Home, a rehabilitation facility for orphaned calves. The tour includes pickup from your hotel across multiple regions, an experienced driver-guide, park entry, the safari vehicle, bottled water, and a packed meal. The park spans nearly 31,000 hectares on the boundary between two provinces and sits 165 kilometres south of Colombo, established in 1972 to protect wildlife displaced by the Udawalawe Reservoir and to safeguard the catchment area. You travel by jeep through habitat where Sri Lankan elephants and water birds concentrate, then visit the Transit Home to see how the facility rehabilitates young elephants for eventual release into the wild.

Step-by-step itinerary

Udawalawe Safari and Elephant Transit Home

• Pick up from designated area
• 3-hour Jeep Safari in Udawalawe National Park
• Visit Elephant Transit Home
• Drop off at designated area

The experience

Udawalawe National Park lies on the boundary of Sabaragamuwa and Uva Provinces, covering nearly 31,000 hectares of sanctuary created in 1972 for animals displaced by the Udawalawe Reservoir. The park is the third most visited in Sri Lanka and an important habitat for water birds and Sri Lankan elephants. Your jeep safari lasts three hours, moving through the reserve with an experienced driver-guide who knows where the wildlife concentrates. You'll encounter elephants, and depending on the time of day and season, you may see sambar deer, water buffalo, crocodiles, and various bird species that use the park's water sources.

After the safari, the tour includes a visit to the Elephant Transit Home, a rehabilitation facility established within the park in 1995 by Sri Lanka's Department of Wildlife Conservation. The facility takes in orphaned elephant calves and raises them in a nurturing environment before releasing them back into the wild. Seeing the young elephants and understanding the work of the Transit Home adds a different dimension to the day. You move from observing wild elephants in their habitat to witnessing the care that goes into restoring displaced calves to independence.

Pickup happens from your hotel in one of eight regions across Sri Lanka: Colombo, Bentota, Beruwala, Galle, Weligama, Mirissa, Matara, Hiriketya, Tangalle, Kosgoda, Ahugalla, Hikkaduwa, Hambantota, Yala, Ella, or the Udawalawe area itself. The tour includes entry to both the national park and the Elephant Transit Home, the safari jeep, bottled water, and a packed breakfast or lunch depending on your departure time. An English-speaking guide travels with you throughout.

What’s included

• The tour includes pickup and drop-off from your hotel across eight regions of Sri Lanka.
• entry to both Udawalawe National Park and the Elephant Transit Home.
• the safari jeep with an experienced English-speaking driver-guide.
• bottled water.
• and a packed breakfast or lunch.

Options for this experience

8 options

From Udawalawa AreaGuide in English · 14 departure times: the first at 06:00, the last at 15:00Pickup is included

From Matara/Hiriketya/TangalleGuide in English · 05:00, 05:30 and 11:00Pickup is included

From Hambantota/Yala areaGuide in English · 06:00, 06:30, 12:30 and 13:00Pickup is included

See 5 more options

From Ella areaGuide in English · 5 departure times: the first at 04:30, the last at 12:00Pickup is included

From Galle/Weligama/MirissaGuide in English · 04:00, 04:30 and 11:00Pickup is included

From Kosgoda/Ahugalla/HikkaduwGuide in English · 04:00 and 10:00Pickup is included

Pickup from the Colombo areaGuide in English · 02:30, 04:00 and 09:30Pickup is included

Collection from Bentota/BeruwalaGuide in English · 04:00, 04:30, 09:30 and 10:00Pickup is included

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day19 departure times: the first at 02:30, the last at 15:00

Book up to3h before

AgesAdult (11 and older) · Child (5 to 10 years) · Infant (under 5)

GroupUp to 30

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 11 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical level

Operated by Nature Ceylon Tours - Udawalawe

Is this one for you?Choose your pickup region based on where you're staying (the operator serves eight zones from Colombo to Ella), so the tour fits into your existing itinerary without separate transport logistics. The three-hour safari is the core experience, and the Elephant Transit Home visit afterward adds context to what you've seen in the wild.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 10 years); Infant (under 5).

What animals will I see on the Udawalawe safari?

Sri Lankan elephants are the main draw, and the park is an important habitat for them. You may also encounter sambar deer, water buffalo, crocodiles, and numerous water bird species, though sightings depend on the time of day and season.

How far is Udawalawe National Park from Colombo?

The park sits 165 kilometres south of Colombo, roughly a three-hour drive depending on traffic and your specific pickup location.

What is the Elephant Transit Home and what do I do there?

The Elephant Transit Home is a rehabilitation facility inside the park established in 1995 to care for orphaned elephant calves and prepare them for release into the wild. You visit the facility to see the young elephants and learn how the program works.

Which pickup locations are available?

Pickup is available from eight regions: Colombo, Bentota and Beruwala, Galle, Weligama and Mirissa, Matara, Hiriketya and Tangalle, Kosgoda, Ahugalla and Hikkaduwa, Hambantota and Yala, Ella, or the Udawalawe area itself. Your hotel in any of these zones is included.

What is included in the tour price?

Entry to Udawalawe National Park and the Elephant Transit Home, the safari jeep, pickup and drop-off at your hotel, an experienced driver-guide who speaks English, bottled water, and a packed breakfast or lunch are all included.