9 Wilpattu Safaris in Anuradhapura Worth Getting Up For

1.Wilpattu National park – Morning or Afternoon Safari

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 57 reviews · 4 - 10 hours · from $30Our pick

Join Tiger Safaris for a 4 to 10 hour morning or afternoon jeep safari in Wilpattu National Park. An English-speaking guide takes you through scrub, grassland, and lake country in search of leopards, elephants, sloth bears, deer, monitor lizards, and birds. Pickup is available from selected locations, while park entry costs extra.

“Wilpattu safari from Colombo. Our transport and driver to and from Colombo was very good. Everything else was awful. Having being on a wonderful safari at Udawalawe the previous week we had high expectations. Sadly we were disappointed. The safari was more like a Toyota truck rally with 30 vehicles in convoy for the entirety of the time. Consequently there was so much noise that we saw very few animals. There was a constant jostling for people to be able to see the few animals we saw (largely deer, fowl, monitor lizards and birds). The entire convoy waited 40 minutes because one driver said there was a sloth bear in…”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.All Inclusive Full Day Safari at Wilpattu

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 50 reviews · 12 hours · from $117

You leave Anuradhapura around 5:00 am for a private, 10 to 12-hour safari in Wilpattu National Park. The park is known for leopards, natural *willus* lakes, sloth bears, elephants, crocodiles, deer, pigs, monkeys, and birds. Breakfast, packed lunch, water, fuel, parking, and hotel transfers are included, but confirm the entrance fee before booking.

“We had a very nice day. We saw many animals, but you have to be lucky to see them all. We had a very good safari guide.”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Wilpattu National Park: Private Safari

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 38 reviews · 5 hours · from $35

Spend five hours in a private jeep exploring Wilpattu National Park, Sri Lanka’s largest park. An English-speaking driver takes you among rain-filled willus, elephants, birds, monkeys, and possibly leopards. Pickup is included within 5 km of the gate, while park entry fees and food cost extra. Ask for Pasindou if available.

“Excellent safari! Everything was brilliant, saw so many animals!”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Full-Day Wilpattu All Inclusive Private Safari

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 24 reviews · 10 - 12 hours · from $90

Travel from Anuradhapura, Mihintale, or Nochchiyagama to Wilpattu for a 10 to 12 hour private safari. Your English-speaking driver-guide takes you through forest trails, open plains, and natural lakes in search of leopards, sloth bears, deer, wild boar, crocodiles, birds, and possibly elephants. Breakfast, picnic lunch, park entry, refreshments, and transfers are included.

“Our guide was just great. lovely guy, brought good food and enough water. But also he just knew the spots... we've seen everything there is, so just a great experience! 10/10.”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Wilpattu Full-Day Wildlife Safari.

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 19 reviews · 1 day · from $121

Travel from Anuradhapura to Wilpattu National Park for a private, full-day 4x4 safari. Pickup, breakfast, lunch, drinks, snacks, and hotel return are included. Drivers such as Prasanna handle the road transfer, while a park ranger leads the game drive. Expect long hours, rough tracks, and a real chance of seeing leopards, elephants, crocodiles, birds, and more.

“This safari was by far the best I’ve ever been on. Our driver, Prasanna, picked us up from Anuradhapura and drove us safely to Wilpattu. The Sri Lankan traffic can be tricky, but Prasanna handled it with ease. After that, our ranger picked us up and we hopped into the 4x4 car to begin our safari. He went above and beyond to show us all the animals, always being careful not to disturb them, which is crucial for the park’s sustainability. We were on the lookout for the elusive leopard, which is highly sought after in the park. And guess what? We even spotted two leopards at the end! It…”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Wilpattu National park Safari

★★★★★★★★★★3.8 · 14 reviews · 7 - 14 hours · from $65

Travel from Anuradhapura to Wilpattu National Park in an air-conditioned vehicle, then spend about four hours in a 4x4 jeep among lakes, forests, and grasslands. An English-speaking guide and driver help you search for leopards, elephants, sloth bears, deer, crocodiles, and birds. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included, but the park entrance fee is extra.

“Transfert hôtel au parc très bien rien à dire. On été présent 10min avant l’ouverture du parc ce qui nous a permis d’être la première jeep à rentrer dans le parc. Le safari a durée presque 5h de 6h à 11h. L’entrée du parc nous a coûtée 11 000 LKR/p. Il me faisait pas beau temps donc nous avons pas vu bcp d’animaux. Le chauffeur de la jeep était très bon. Notre guide lui a bcp dormi pendant le safari… Nous recommandons tout de même cette expérience.”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Wilpattu National Park Half-Day Safari

★★★★★★★★★★3.1 · 7 reviews · 7 hours · from $95

From Anuradhapura, you’ll ride an open-top jeep through Wilpattu National Park for seven hours, searching for leopards, elephants, sloth bears, water buffalo, birds, and reptiles around the park’s natural villus lakes. An English-speaking guide joins you, with hotel pickup, drop-off, and bottled water included, though park entry costs extra.

Check availability →Read our full review

8.All Inclusive Wilpattu National Park Day Tour From Anuradhapura

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · from $156Top rated

Start at 6:30 am with private pickup in Anuradhapura, then explore Wilpattu National Park by jeep with an English-speaking tracker. Look for leopards, sloth bears, elephants, crocodiles, birds, and animals around the park’s villus. Your package includes park fees, water, a Sri Lankan rice and curry lunch, and return transport.

“We actually did a 7 day tour of Sri Lanka visiting 3 national parks many temples and our guide Sanjeewa was absolutely magnificent. Saw elephants, crocodiles including one taking a bird, a sloth bear and many many birds. Anyone thinking of visiting Sri Lanka should use blue Lanka and ask for Sanjeewa.”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Wilpattu Half Day Safari From Anuradhapura

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · from $73

Leave Anuradhapura at 5:00 AM in an air-conditioned vehicle, then spend about four hours in a safari jeep inside Wilpattu National Park. An experienced English-speaking driver-guide tracks leopards across open plains and scrub. The private format suits couples, families, and small groups, but park entry fees are extra.

“Conseguimos ver un leopardo y fue increíble!! Es verdad que luego se juntaron muchísimos jeeps alrededor del leopardo pero imagino que todo el mundo va a lo mismo...Por lo que es la organización del tour genial! El conductor estaba esperaRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review