With 26 national parks, Kaudulla National Park is one of the best places in Sri Lanka to spot elephants and many other animals. We saw hundreds of elephants, monkeys, crocodiles, and colorful birds on a safari – a highlight on our Sri Lanka itinerary. The beautiful park features grasslands and can be visited year-round to see the spectacular wildlife. There’s even the chance to see leopards! Discover our top tips for visiting Kaudulla National Park in Sri Lanka, including tickets and where to stay.
Safari in Kaudulla National Park
We’ve not been to a better place in Sri Lanka to spot elephants than Kaudulla National Park. There are over 200 here, even with small babies. Although the dry season is the best time to visit (more below), we booked a Kaudulla safari in March and saw lots!
Kaudulla National Park Entrance Fee
We paid an entrance fee of 2700 LKR (18 USD) per person. This is usually on top of your safari cost.
Our tour (and most others) took about 4 to 5 hours. We visited in the afternoon, but you can also choose to go in the morning. Tip: The afternoon safaris are less busy, but better for spotting elephants.
Tours include a private jeep, pick-up, and drop-off at your hotel in Dambulla or Sigiriya. We chose a tour that cost us about 6250 LKR (40 USD) per person, but prices can vary.
Best Time to Visit
The best time to visit Kaudulla National Park is between July and December, especially in August and September. During this dry season, the number of elephants is much higher, as they migrate from other parks to drink water from the reservoir in Kaudulla.
Did you know? This is called the ‘Great Elephant Gathering’, and it’s said to be the largest gathering of elephants in Asia.
However, the park is truly a year-round destination. All the photos in our article were shot during our trip there in March, when we saw plenty of incredible wildlife.
Kaudulla is close to the world-famousย Sigiriya Lion’s Rock. Don’t miss this on your trip!
Why Visit Kaudulla?
Kaudulla lies right next to Minneriya National Park, its popular big brother. While we loved Minneriya, we found far fewer jeeps in Kaudulla. In fact, it was probably the quietest of all the national parks we visited in Sri Lanka.
Besides elephants, there is so much more to see. We saw peacocks, sloth bears, crocodiles, deer, many monkeys, and beautifully colored birds. And while the park is not visited to see leopards, our driver said that the day before us, they spotted one with two babies crossing the road!
So, Kaudulla National Park isn’t at all touristy. The wildlife is fantastic, and you can’t sleep inside the park, which means it feels very untouched. When we headed back to our hotel, we even got lucky and saw elephants walking along the road!
Tip: If you want to experience sleeping inside a national park under the stars, you can goย glamping in Yala National Park.
Where to Stay Near Kaudulla National Park?
Kaudulla lies between Dambulla and the coastal city of Trincomalee. We stayed in Sigiriya, which, just like a stay in Dambulla, is about an hour’s drive away from the park.
If you’re short on time, a day trip from Trincomalee is also possible. You can get to Kaudulla by joining a safari tour from Trincomalee, booking a private driver, or hiring a car.
By purchasing through our links, you support us at no additional cost.
Thank you for your support. โฅ๏ธ
- Find Hotels via Booking.com
- Find a Rental Car via Sunny Cars
- Find Flights to Sri Lanka via Skyscanner
- Get a Travel Insurance via Heymondo
- Book Tours & Attractions via GetYourGuide
- Book a Bus/Train/Transfer via 12Go
Looking for more travel information? Plan a chat with us for personalised travel advice or get an answer from the Salt in our Hair Travel Community on Facebook.
Iโm very very very sorry but LKR 2.700 is nรณt $18. Itโs $ 8,40
Hi Wim, thanks for noting this. We will update the guide. The prices were correct but Sri Lanka has seen an enormous decline in value of the LKR. ๐
On September 19 I payed LKR 11.500 for a ticket a person.