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Yala National Park, Sri Lanka
Yala & Udawalawe, Sri Lanka

Yala National Park in July

Good monthBest time: February – July

Good month: July is at the end of the recommended season (February – July). Kataragama Esala festival and the Pada Yatra can fall this month.

The season ends with July.

2 days in Yala National Park in July · from ₹18,802 for two

Stay, food & local travel; getting there extra

See the day-by-day plan

What’s on in July

Timing a trip around these changes what you pay and what you can book.

  • Kataragama Esala festival and the Pada Yatradates shift yearly

    Two weeks of nightly processions at Kataragama, the shrine to Murugan (Skanda) by Yala, sacred to Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims, ending on the Esala full moon with fire-walking. Before it, pilgrims walk the Pada Yatra down the east coast from Jaffna through Arugam Bay and across Kumana, which opens a forest path for them. Tissamaharama and Kataragama fill up.

What it costs

For two sharing a room; 2 days on the ground, getting there not included.

Budget

₹18,802 for two

  • Room a night₹2,300
  • Food a day, each₹1,118
  • Main sight entry, each₹5,150

Mid-range

₹32,429 for two

  • Room a night₹7,170
  • Food a day, each₹2,580
  • Main sight entry, each₹5,150

Luxury

₹62,939 for two

  • Room a night₹18,660
  • Food a day, each₹6,020
  • Main sight entry, each₹5,150

Totals cover the room (taxes included), food, local transport, entry and a 10% buffer: the figures the planner opens on. These are typical rates; Tourisma has no month-by-month rates for Sri Lanka yet, so they don't move with the month.

Getting there

Fly into Colombo (CMB), 173 km away

Then: Transfer · 4h 30m (Car with driver / PickMe, per vehicle)

Flights from India: from 10 cities, one way from ₹9,000

Fly into Jaffna (JAF), 401 km away

Flights from India: from 1 city, one way from ₹7,000

Plan from Colombo airport (CMB)

Routes compared

Entry rules

E-visa before you fly for up to 30 days

  1. Before you fly, apply for the tourist ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) at eta.gov.lk. It is free for Indian passport holders since 25 May 2026, but still required: airlines check it at boarding. Approval usually comes by email; carry the approval.
  2. At immigration in Colombo or Jaffna, show your passport, the ETA approval and your return ticket. The visa is valid for 30 days from your first arrival and allows a second entry within those 30 days.
  3. To stay longer than 30 days, apply for an extension at the Department of Immigration and Emigration in Battaramulla (Colombo) before the 30 days end; a fee applies.

Carry: Passport valid for at least 6 months from the day you arrive, with a blank page; ETA approval (email or printout); Confirmed return or onward ticket; Hotel bookings for the stay; Enough money for the stay (a card or cash).

The ETA is free for Indians only since 25 May 2026, under a scheme for 40 countries, after several changes since 2023. It is still compulsory, and on-arrival visas may no longer be sold, so apply on eta.gov.lk before you fly. Use only the .gov.lk sites (eta.gov.lk; the immigration department's own online arrival card is free and optional): look-alike sites charge for the free ETA and sell "arrival cards".

Checked 2026-10; confirm with the embassy before you fly.

About Yala National ParkSri Lanka month by month

Elsewhere in Sri Lanka in July

Also in season this month.

Nearby in Yala & Udawalawe:

Udawalawe· great month

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