Ella → Yala → back to Ella
A full Yala safari without giving up your Ella base
Staying put in Ella? Keep your room, skip the packing. We collect you before dawn, run a guided game drive in Yala National Park, and have you back in the hills the same day.
- Keep your Ella hotel — no checkout, no luggage
- Guided 4×4 game drive in Yala
- Door-to-door from your Ella hotel
- Back in Ella the same day
- PickupElla
- En routeYala safari
- Drop-offBack to Ella
7-8 Hours
$120$60/ person
Free cancellation up to 24h · no booking fees
How the day runs
Your journey, hour by hour
One driver, one vehicle, your luggage with you — and a proper game drive in the middle of it.
~03:00
Pickup in Ella
Collected from your hotel in the small hours — door to door wherever the lanes allow, or a short walk to the nearest accessible point if not.
~05:30
Arrive at Yala
At the gate for opening — the best window for leopard sightings.
06:00 – 10:00
Yala game drive
Your guided 4×4 game drive through the park with a licensed tracker.
Late morning
Breakfast
Optional picnic breakfast before the drive back.
Early afternoon
Back in Ella
Dropped at your hotel with the rest of the day to yourself.
What’s included
- Guided 4×4 Yala game drive with a licensed tracker
- Air-conditioned van transfers (small-group, sharing basis) with luggage space
- Door-to-door hotel pickup & drop-off at both ends, where the roads allow
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
Good to know
- National park entrance fees (≈$43pp — add at checkout or pay at the gate)
- Meals & drinks (picnic breakfast/lunch available at checkout)
- Personal expenses & gratuities
- Bumpy off-road terrain — not ideal for pregnant guests, back problems or wheelchair users
- Under-2s ride free; under-12s must travel with an adult
- Weather in Yala can be changeable — bring a light layer
10,000+ five-star reviews
Loved by travellers from every corner of the world
“Our tracker spotted a leopard within the first hour. He knew exactly where to wait — the whole jeep was speechless. Best morning of our Sri Lanka trip.”
“Picked us up in Ella, safari through the park, dropped at our beach hotel by evening. Zero stress and we saw dozens of elephants. Incredible value.”
“Comfortable jeep, flexible timing, and a guide who genuinely loves the wildlife. Booking was simple and the price was honest. Cannot recommend enough.”
Good questions
Route FAQs
Usually early afternoon after a morning game drive — around 7 to 8 hours door to door. Plenty of the day left for Nine Arch Bridge or a rest.
If Ella is your base for a few nights, yes — you skip two hotel changes and a lot of packing. If you're heading to the coast next, our Ella → Yala → coast route saves you a whole travel day instead.
Yes — a midday departure gives you an afternoon game drive, returning to Ella late evening.
Almost always, yes. We pick up door to door wherever the roads allow, and our drivers know Ella's back lanes well. A handful of guesthouses sit up very steep or narrow tracks a vehicle can't safely climb — in that case we'll agree an easy meeting point a few minutes' walk away and confirm it with you the night before, so there are no surprises at 3am.
Our safari jeeps have rain covers, so a passing shower is no problem — Yala is often at its most active just after rain. If the weather turns too severe to safari safely, we'll reschedule your tour or give you a full refund.
Sunscreen, a cap and sunglasses, comfortable shoes and a refillable water bottle. If you're a Sri Lankan resident or from a SAARC country, bring your ID or passport for the reduced park rate. And if you haven't pre-paid your park tickets at checkout, bring cash for the entrance fee at the gate.
Yes — children of all ages are welcome. Under-2s ride free and under-12s travel with an adult. Let us know their ages when you book and we'll make sure the vehicle suits.
Other safari + transfer routes
Going somewhere else?
Every one of these turns a travel day into a safari day, with your luggage carried the whole way.
One day, two places, zero wasted miles
Ella to Yala and back, the wild way
Instant confirmation, luggage carried, free cancellation up to 24 hours before you travel.