Sri Lanka›Yala & Udawalawe›Yala National Park›September
Yala National Park in September
Better avoided: Yala's Block 1, the main safari zone, closes every year in the dry season, from about 1 September to mid-October (the Department of Wildlife Conservation announces the dates). Some outer blocks may stay open; otherwise go to Udawalawe or Bundala instead.
The season opens in February, 5 months away. Yala National Park reopens in October, next month.
Yala National Park is closed in September
Open October – August.
Before you book September
Closures, crowds and rules at Yala National Park this month.
Plan around this
Yala Block 1 Closed
⚠️ Yala's main safari zone (Block 1) closes every year in the dry season, from about 1 September to mid-October; the Department of Wildlife Conservation announces the dates. Go to Udawalawe (open all year, elephants guaranteed) or Bundala instead.
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
Routes compared
Entry rules
E-visa before you fly for up to 30 days
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Elsewhere in Sri Lanka in September
Instead in season this month.
- Udawalawe · great month
- Kalpitiya · good month
- Anuradhapura · good month
- Arugam Bay · good month
- Jaffna · good month
- Pasikudah · good month
- Polonnaruwa · good month
- Sigiriya & Dambulla · good month
Nearby in Yala & Udawalawe:
Want this as a real plan?
Yala National Park in September, day by day, priced for your group.