- Colombo city tour.
- Wilpattu National Park for a chance to see sloth bears and other wildlife
- Whale watching at Kalpitiya
- Elephant Transit Home at Udawalawe
- Udawalawe National Park for a chance to spot wild elephants and other wildlife
- Yala National Park for a chance to spot leopards and other wildlife
- UNESCO World Heritage Site of Galle
- Whale Watching at Mirissa
- Sea Turtle Conservation visit
Sri Lanka Wildlife Tour
12 Day – Private tour with air-conditioned car and driver
From £2990 low season & £3390 high season
ABTA and ATOL protected holidays
See a world of natural beauty on this Sri Lanka Wildlife Tour. Sri Lanka is an island which has been blessed with an amazing landscape and wonderful temperate climate where a rich variety of wildlife and birdlife thrives.
In the national parks wild elephants, sloth bears and the leopard are the major attractions, while the numerous lakes and lagoons in the coastal areas are a haven for a wide variety of birds. There’s also a chance to spot blue and sperm whales in the winter months as they travel up to the temperate sea waters around the Sri Lankan coast.
This is a fantastic tour to experience the remarkable wildlife the island has to offer. You will visit the three most popular national parks which are renowned for a high density of leopards, sloth bears and wild elephants. Go dolphin and whale watching on the north west coast and also the southern coast which is a world leading destination to spot whales. Also included are visits to the rich birdlife at the Waikkal biosphere and the delightful sea turtle hatchery at Kosgoda.
The accommodation is a wonderful combination of charming, comfortable jungle lodges and elegant sea front hotels specially chosen to enrich your wildlife adventure.
Please remember all our private tours are designed to meet your exact requirements, and this tour is just an example to help inspire you. If you would like we can also arrange your flights for a fully ATOL protected holiday. Contact the team for more information on 01792 315499 or email info@aitholidays.com
Sri Lanka Wildlife Tour Highlights
Sri Lanka Wildlife Tour Itinerary
On arrival at Colombo international airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel.
After some time to relax, in the afternoon, you can enjoy a sightseeing tour of Colombo. The highlights include the Colombo National and Dutch period museums, the old and new parliament houses, Gangaramaya Buddhist Temple, the Town Hall and Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall. The Pettah area is the heart of Colombo, where you may even find a bargain with one of the pavement hawkers and traders.
Transfer from Airport: About 1 hour, 40 km
Accommodation: Galle Face Hotel, Colombo
Meals included: Half board
After breakfast just sit back and enjoy the scenic drive along the coast to Wilpattu National Park.
The afternoon is at leisure to enjoy the beautiful setting and facilities of your safari camp.
Approximate travel time and distance: 4-5 hours, 175 km
Accommodation: Leopard Trails Tented Camp, Kataragama
Meals included: Half board
Wilpattu National Park is one of the largest and oldest national parks in Sri Lanka. The park’s topography consists of lakes, large grass plains, thick forest and open white sand patches making it one of the most beautiful national parks in the country.
Today you can enjoy 2 safaris one in the morning and another in the afternoon.
As you drive through the park you will notice many small natural lakes or ‘Willu’, peppered between low scrub vegetation and dense forests. Look out for the spotted deer, barking deer, wild boar and wild buffalo that roam amongst the vegetation. If you are lucky, you may be able to spot the Sri Lankan sloth bears and even the elusive Sri Lankan leopard. Wilpattu is also a great place for bird watching with many resident and migratory species
Accommodation: Leopard Trails Tented Camp, Kataragama
Meals included: Half board
It’s an early morning start for the drive to Kalpitiya, across Puttalam Lagoon. Kalpitiya is one of the best locations in Sri Lanka for dolphin and whale watching during the winter season. Your day includes a boat trip and hopefully a sighting of dolphins and whales.
The day continues with the drive to Waikkal and in late afternoon a boat ride on Negombo Lagoon to discover the rich bird life.
Approximate travel time and distance: 3 hours, 140 km
Accommodation: Suriya Resort & Spa, Waikkal
Meals included: Half board
This morning’s drive takes you to Udawalawe National Park with a wonderful stop at the Udawalawe Elephant Transit Home.
The Elephant Transit Home was established in 1995 to care for orphaned elephants. These abandoned elephant calves are nurtured and re-habilitated with the ultimate hope of re-introducing them back into the wild, as soon as they are fit enough to fend for themselves. They are fed daily with rich nutrient milk formula, making feeding time one of the best times of the day to visit. During the day they graze freely under the surveillance of a team of well-trained vets.
Approximate travel time and distance: 4-5 hours, 175 km
Accommodation: Grand Udawalawe Resort, Udawalawa
Meals included: Half board
Today you can enjoy a full day of jungle activities including morning and afternoon game drives.
Whilst Yala is famous for its leopards, Udawalawe National Park is a wonderful place to see wild Asian elephants in their natural habitat. An early morning or late evening visit will rarely disappoint. The park is home to approximately five hundred elephants and during your visit, you are likely to see herds of around 20-30 individuals.
There’s also plenty of undulating countryside to enjoy with open grassland, the teak forest and the Udawalawe reservoir. The tall grass species are a unique feature of Udawalawe and provide important food sources for the elephants.
You may also spot sambar deer, water buffalo, jackals and monkeys including the grey langur and the endemic toque macaque. A total of 183 species of birds have been recorded here including some migratory species.
Accommodation: Grand Udawalawe Resort, Udawalawa
Meals included: Half board
After a leisurely morning, it’s a relatively short drive to Yala National Park where you will stay for 2 nights. The remainder of the day is free to relax and enjoy the hotel facilities such as the swimming pool or restaurant.
Approximate travel time and distance: 2 hours, 80 km
Accommodation: Cinnamon Wild Yala
Meals included: Half board
Today it’s time to enjoy a full day of jungle activities including morning and afternoon game drives.
Yala is one of Sri Lanka’s oldest and largest national parks. If you’re lucky, you may be able to spot three of Sri Lanka’s Big Five endangered animals on one single safari, as the Sri Lankan leopard, sloth and elephant can all be found here. While sightings can never be guaranteed the park is known to have one of the highest populations of leopards in the world.
The park is home to various wildlife including spotted deer, crocodiles, wild boar, wild buffaloes, langurs, peacocks and over 200 species of birds.
There is also an option to undertake a short night safari using night-vision infra-red lights which can be good fun.
Accommodation: Cinnamon Wild Yala
Meals included: Half board
This morning’s drive takes you to the historic city of Galle, and a chance to discover this UNESCO World Heritage site.
The city offers an exciting mix of the exotic and the colonial. The impressive Fortress, originally built by the Portuguese and then by the Dutch, still exists in almost its original form. It is a living example of the interaction between European architecture and South Asian traditions during the 16th to 19th Centuries. There will be time to explore the Galle at your own pace, perhaps visiting the Maritime Museum, the Old Dutch Reformed Church, the Sun and Moon bastions, the lighthouse and the array of trendy souvenir shops.
Approximate travel time and distance: 4-5 hours, 190 km
Accommodation: Radisson Blu Resort, Galle
Meals included: Half board
The adventure continues today with an excursion to Mirissa for a whale-watching expedition. The Mirrissa area is one of the world’s top places for sperm and blue whale sightings. Wildlife sightings cannot be guaranteed, but blue whales are frequently seen off the south and west coasts of Sri Lanka between December and March due to their migration patterns. Whilst out at sea if you’re lucky, a pod of acrobatic spinner dolphins may also accompany the boat.
Whale Watching by Catamaran
Sri Lanka’s shoreline lies unusually close to the continental shelf, which means the deep waters where whales congregate may be easily reached by boat. Good sightings occur on nine out of ten trips. We recommend taking a luxury catamaran out of Mirissa, complete with the chef to whip up a delicious full breakfast and a three-course lunch. En route back to port, the crew will anchor for paddle boarding and swimming. All equipment is provided.
Whale watching by Air
Climb aboard a 3 seater plane for an hour whale spotting flight over the beautiful coast of southern Sri Lanka. Aerial watching ensures you have the best views while causing no disturbance to the waters below. The flights take off from Koggala Airfield, which will also allow you to get a bird’s-eye view of the lush countryside inland. Keen photographers particularly enjoy this option.
Approximate travel time and distance: 45 minutes, 35 km each way
Accommodation: Radisson Blu Resort, Galle
Meals included: Half board
Today it’s a short drive to Kosgoda to visit the Sea Turtle Conservation Project. Started in 1988, this project monitors and conserves local nesting sites to help protect the sea turtle population. Here, rescued turtle eggs are hatched in a safe environment and hatchlings are released into the sea.
You will taken back to your hotel where the remainder of the day will be at leisure to enjoy the hotel facilities or maybe do a bit of last-minute souvenir shopping.
Accommodation: Radisson Blu Resort, Galle
Meals included: Half board
You will be transferred to Colombo airport to board your return flight home. Alternatively, if you have a bit more time and would like to relax on the beach this can easily be arranged.
Approximate travel time and distance: 2 hours, 110 km
Sri Lanka Wildlife Tour Images
Places on the Sri Lanka Wildlife Tour
Sri Lanka Wildlife Tour Hotels
Pricing and Inclusions
The price guide for this Sri Lanka Wildlife Tour is:
- £2990 in low season (September – October inclusive)
- £3390 in high season (November – April inclusive)
The prices do not include flights.
Authentic India Tours is a member of ABTA and ATOL. All the holidays on this website are ABTA protected. If you would like us to arrange your holiday including flights we will be happy to provide a quote and your holiday will also be ATOL protected.
This is a private tour and can be tailor-made to meet your exact requirements. Prices will vary depending on the number of people, length of tour, accommodation & season. Reductions are normally available for groups of three or more. Some hotels operate an additional peak pricing rate during busy times which is normally from mid December to mid January.
Please get in touch with your dates and we will be pleased to provide you with your personal itinerary and accurate quote.
Included within this tour are the following:
- Authentic India Tours meet & greet assistance on arrival
- All internal transfers and sightseeing tours using an air-conditioned vehicle
- Accommodation for 11 nights on twin sharing basis
- Standard category rooms at all hotels unless otherwise mentioned
- Meal plan: Half Board
- Entrances at all national parks, museums and monuments as per the itinerary
- Mineral water on all days of travel
Price does not include:
- International flight tickets
- Travel insurance and visa
- Expenses of personal nature like laundry, tips, beverages etc
- Meals other than mentioned in the above meal plan
- Camera & video fees at national parks, museums & monuments
Prices mentioned above are per person based on two people sharing a twin room. The prices which were valid at the time of publication may be subject to change, based on your date of travel and local market fluctuations. You will be informed of any price differences prior to booking.
For a quote based on your dates of travel, any alternative accommodation or changes to this itinerary, please call us on 01792 315499 or email us at info@aitholidays.com
Please remember all our private tours are designed to meet your exact requirements, and this Sri Lanka tour is just an example to help inspire you.
This tour can be combined with a range of options such as an extended tour of Sri Lanka, a visit to some of the World Heritage Sites or a beach extension in the Maldives. For more information please email info@aitholidays.com or call our India specialists on 01792 315499.