Wilpattu vs. Yala National Park: Which Safari Adventure is Right for You?

Flo MBT
Mar 2
3 min read

Updated: Mar 3

Safaris are exciting, but they can also be tiring and a bit pricey (not that we're complaining!), especially if you're on a budget or have limited time in Sri Lanka. With that in mind, we've put together our thoughts on Wilpattu and Yala National Parks to help you decide which one suits your adventure.

During our 4-week journey across Sri Lanka in our trusty tuk-tuk, we had the opportunity to experience safaris in both parks, and we’re excited to share our insights with you!

What to Expect

Safari is a popular activity in Sri Lanka, with many national parks offering incredible wildlife experiences. Most visitors head to Wilpattu or Yala, as these are the top parks where you can spot leopards. In both parks, you can choose between a full-day or half-day safari.

One thing we didn’t expect, though, was how many jeeps are allowed into the park (maybe we were a bit naive!). While the park itself feels less crowded once you’re inside, at the entrance or when stopping for a restroom break, you’ll find yourself surrounded by many other jeeps, which can take away from the solitude you might expect.

Wilpattu National Park, situated in the northwest of Sri Lanka, is the country’s largest and oldest national park, renowned for its incredible wildlife and thrilling safari experiences.
Yala National Park, located in the southeast, is Sri Lanka’s most famous national park, known for its high concentration of leopards, along with elephants, crocodiles, and a wide variety of bird species.

The Best Time to Visit

Wilpattu National Park: during the dry season, from February to October. During these months, the park’s wildlife is easier to spot as animals gather around the waterholes.
Yala National Park: from February to June when the weather is dry, and animals are concentrated around the water sources.

Here is our experience

Wilpattu National Park: Our first safari in Sri Lanka was a full-day adventure from 6 am to 5:30 pm. We had to wait 30–45 minutes in the parking lot while our guide got our entrance ticket (note: park fees are not included in the safari price). Wilpattu was beautiful, and we saw wildlife early on. However, by the end, we were disappointed not to see any leopards or elephants - though of course, that's never guaranteed on a safari.

We spotted wild boar, spotted deer, monkeys, sambar deer, crocodiles, water buffalo, and a wide variety of bird species.

Three monkeys playing around at Wilpattu National Park — Monkeys in Wilpattu National Park

Yala National Park: Our second safari was a half-day in Yala. We left our guesthouse at 4:30 am and waited until 6 am for the park to open. The line of jeeps behind us was endless. Our guide was laser-focused on finding leopards, not stopping for water buffalo or birds. We saw five crocodiles within the first two hours but no leopards.

While we didn’t mind, we realized that as first-time safari-goers, we would have been frustrated not to stop for other wildlife. Just as we were about to leave, we spotted two elephants crossing the road—then another four appeared, including two babies. A magical moment!

So, Wilpattu or Yala?

Overall, we preferred our safari in Yala, mostly because of our incredible encounter with the elephants. We also enjoyed the landscape more.

However, we preferred our experience in Wilpattu. Keeping in mind that we did the full day in Wilpattu and the half day in Yala, the experience in Wilpattu seemed more intimate and respectful of nature and wildlife. Our guide in Wilpattu didn’t rush and made sure to stop and observe various birds and animals along the way. In contrast, our guide in Yala was focused on finding leopards, and we didn’t make many stops for other wildlife.

Information on Accomodation

It seems that many guesthouses around Wilpattu and Yala offer lower room rates, expecting guests to book a safari through them. We read in reviews that some travelers who were just stopping for the night found themselves charged higher rates when they didn’t book a safari. When we arrived at our guesthouse in Yala, the host asked us three times if we wanted to book a safari for the next day (which we did).