How to Visit Udawalawe National Park, Sri Lanka’s Wild Elephant Safari

I fell in love with the wild beauty of Udawalawe National Park. In this guide, I’ll show you how to plan the perfect visit. From the park’s history and amazing wildlife to where to stay and the best time to go, I’ve covered everything you need for an unforgettable Sri Lanka safari adventure.

How to Visit Udawalawe National Park, Sri Lanka’s Wild Elephant Safari

Did you know that in the South East of Sri Lanka, not too far from the country’s famous south coast beaches, you can see elephants in the wild?

Visiting Udawalawe National Park is a magical experience. It was a true highlight of my 3-week Sri Lanka itinerary! It’s such an amazing privilege to be able to see these beautiful creatures in the wild, where they truly belong.

You’ll be transported by private jeep right into the heart of Udawalawe National Park, where you will see countless elephants grazing and chewing on tasty branches. I even saw quite a few baby elephants!

Seeing wild elephants at Udawalawe gives you the chance to witness their natural behaviour and interactions with each other, rather than the cruel unnatural behaviours imposed by sham “sanctuaries”. See also: Is It Ever Ok to Visit Elephant Sanctuaries?

Read on for my guide on how to visit Udawalawe National Park to see the elephants!

Why Visit Udawalawe National Park in Sri Lanka?

Udawalawe National Park is specifically for elephant lovers. There are other animals in the national park: you’ll also find crocodiles, water buffalo and deer (plus I saw some beautiful birds), but elephants are definitely the main attraction.

These gentle giants are quite used to seeing the safari jeeps, so you can get fairly close to them without scaring them.

With the number of elephants in the park estimated between 250 and 600, sightings are almost guaranteed. Watch as these majestic creatures roam freely through the park, using their trunks to find food or throw mud over themselves to protect their skin from the scorching heat.

History of Udawalawe National Park

Udawalawe National Park was created in 1972 to provide a safe home for the wild elephants displaced by the construction of the Udawalawe Reservoir.

The protected area is located between Sri Lanka’s wet and dry areas, and includes grasslands, marshes and forest.

Unlike Sri Lanka’s more famous rainforests, Udawalawe has open plains and scattered scrubland, which make it perfect for spotting the elephants. 

Today, Udawalawe is one of the best places in Asia to see wild elephants in their natural habitat, and it plays a crucial role in protecting these gentle giants.

What to Expect When Visiting Udawalawe National Park?

You can book either a 3 1/2 hour, half day or full day safari. Personally I think the 3 1/2 hour option is enough time.

I was picked up from my accommodation at 5:30am to drive to Udawalawe National Park for opening time. I then spent a few hours being driven around the national park by my own personal safari guide as he pointed out elephants and native birds.

→ Book: Udawalawe National Park | Private Safari Tour

The safari guiding experience is good but basic. You will be shown the elephants but don’t expect that much in-depth information about them.

I’ve visited wildlife experiences in the past where they will tell you all about the animals, their behaviours, their conservation status and the issues facing them, but don’t expect that here, unless you book a more premium tour.

Driving around and watching the elephants as they foraged for food was still a beautiful experience and I’d happily do it again.

How Much Does it Cost to Visit Udawalawe National Park?

There are two pricing elements:

• Udawalawe National Park entrance fee: You pay this at the park gate upon entry. Entry fees differ for local and foreign visitors. The price for foreign visitors is US$40.
• Jeep and driver: This is what you’ll pay to hire a jeep and driver for your safari. You can book ahead online, or turn up at the park and try negotiating the price in person. I organised this and paid for it via my accommodation. Prices vary from US$40 – 100 depending on the number of hours (full day or half day).

On average, the total cost should be around US$80-140, depending on whether you’re doing a full day or half day.

Tipping your guide is optional, but if you’ve had a great experience it’s a good way to show your appreciation.

For a stress-free experience, I recommend booking your safari in advance, either via your accommodation or using an agent like Viator:

→ Book: Udawalawe National Park | Private Safari Tour

If your hotel or safari operator has bundled the entry fees into your booking, you’re all set. If not, don’t forget to bring cash for the park admission.

What Time of Year Should I Visit Udawalawe National Park?

Udawalawe National Park does experience quite a bit of rainfall. This is mostly between the months of October to January and March to May.

Sri Lanka experiences two monsoon seasons each year, each bringing rain to different sides of the island at different times.

This makes January – February and June – September the best times to visit.

No matter when you visit, aim to book your safari for early morning or late afternoon. These are the hours when the elephants are most active and the park truly comes to life.

Is Udawalawe National Park Ethical?

As far as I can tell, yes. There is no elephant riding, bathing, touching or any of that nonsense. (See also: Is It Ever Ok to Visit Elephant Sanctuaries?). These are truly wild elephants.

It is thought that Sri Lanka has the highest density of elephants in all of Asia. Unfortunately this means that human – elephant conflict is an issue, due to demand for land for farming and human habitation.

This makes it incredibly important for the elephants to have protected areas to live in. Thankfully ivory poaching is fairly rare in Sri Lanka as not many Sri Lankan elephants have tusks, but it’s not unheard of.

Visiting national parks such as Udawalawe National Park creates a financial incentive for the country to keep protected areas for wildlife.

Can I Feed the Elephants?

Absolutely not. It’s bad for their health. Unfortunately, even though feeding the elephants is banned, some of the less responsible safari guides have been known to let passengers feed elephants.

Feeding elephants from jeeps is incredibly dangerous as it teaches the animals to associate the vehicles with food and get far too close and put their trunks inside the car to have a rummage around. They might pick up your bags and trample on them. The elephant could ram the jeep causing it to overturn.

Luckily this behaviour is very rare as the national park does have strict guidelines for drivers, but it’s not unheard of. Please don’t be one of the silly people who encourages this sort of behaviour.

How to Get to Udawalawe National Park?

Udawalawe National Park is located in the South East of Sri Lanka. It is between the south coast beaches and the hilly tea plantation region of Ella and Nuwara Eliya. This makes Udawalawe very easy to reach from either of these locations.

Personally I took a bus to Embilipitiya followed by a connecting bus to Udawalawa Junction, the closest town to Udawalawe National Park.

It’s also possible to book private transfers from Ella, Colombo and various towns on the South Coast.

Some people even book tours that take you to both Udawalawe and Yala National Parks on the same day.

There is plenty of accommodation available in Udawalawa Junction. Many of these offer very cheap room rates as they hope to make their money from the safari bookings.

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🇱🇰🐘 Specific Tips for Sri Lanka 🐘🇱🇰

🛺 PickMe: Download the PickMe app before you go to Sri Lanka. This is Sri Lanka’s rideshare app (like Uber) and you can use it to get cars, scooters and tuk tuks – definitely the easiest way to get around!

✈️ AIRPORT: Most international flights to Sri Lanka will arrive in Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB). This is actually closer to Negombo than Colombo itself, so I recommend booking your first night’s accommodation in Negombo (which also has nice beaches!).

💶 LOCAL CURRENCY: The currency in Sri Lanka is the Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR). Although you can pay by card in bigger hotels and businesses, most homestays and small businesses only accept cash. I recommend getting a WISE card before your trip.

📳 SIM CARD: I picked up a local SIM card with 50GB data at the airport and it worked absolutely fine. If you want more peace of mind you can sort an eSIM before your arrive with Airalo.

🚂 TRAIN TICKETS & TIMETABLE: The trains in Sri Lanka are excellent, and definitely the best way to travel. You can check train timetables and book tickets in advance via the Sri Lanka Railways website. Tickets are available 30 days in advance. Alternatively, unlimited tickets are always available on the day for the unreserved carriages.

🚌 BUSES: Travelling by bus in Sri Lanka is incredibly easy (and quite a fun experience!). Just rock up at the bus stop and someone will point you in the right direction. You pay in cash on the bus after sitting down. Note that the times/routes in Google Maps are not always accurate – just ask locals instead!

🚂 🚌 BUS, TRAIN & FERRY TICKETS: If you want to book your transportation in advance online you can do so using 12Go. Note that this will be more expensive. However it is recommended for some of the more popular routes like the Kandy -> Ella train if you want a reserved seat.

🛂 VISAS: And finally, remember to check if you need a visa for Sri Lanka!

Plan Your Trip to Sri Lanka: Useful Travel Resource Links

Planning your next trip? These are my travel tools I use to book fast, travel safer and stress less.

✈️ Pro tip: Set these up before your trip so you can hit the ground running.

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