Sri Lanka›From Colombo›Yala National Park
Colombo to Yala National Park by bus or road
About 255 km. The private car is fastest at 4.5 h; the bus is cheapest, from ₹220 per person.
Fastest
Private car
Car with driver / PickMe, per vehicle
4.5 h door to door
Cheapest
Bus
Expressway bus to Matara or Hambantota + bus to Tissamaharama
from ₹220 per person
Best value
Bus
Expressway bus to Matara or Hambantota + bus to Tissamaharama
cheapest at mid fares among options within 1.5× the fastest time (or 1 h more on a short ride)
Every option, compared
Door-to-door times (flights include the time at the airports). Fares are typical ranges from the cheapest seat to the premium one.
| Mode | Service | Time | Fare | Runs | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private car | Car with driver / PickMe, per vehicle | 4.5 h | ₹8,180–₹15,500per car (up to 4) | Daily | Rome2Rio ↗ |
| Bus | Expressway bus to Matara or Hambantota + bus to Tissamaharama | 6.5 h | ₹220–₹870per person | Daily | Rome2Rio ↗ |
- Private car, Car with driver / PickMe, per vehicle: Southern Expressway to its end near Hambantota, then 45 minutes to Tissamaharama.
Booking links open the route on the country's transport booking site for trains, buses, boats and transfers, and a flight search for flights, dated about two weeks out; change the date there.
What it costs your group, one way
Fares × people; a private car is priced per car, one car per four people.
| Option | 2 people | 4 people |
|---|---|---|
| Private car · Car with driver / PickMe, per vehicle | ₹8,180–₹15,500 | ₹8,180–₹15,500 |
| Bus · Expressway bus to Matara or Hambantota + bus to Tissamaharama | ₹440–₹1,740 | ₹880–₹3,480 |
Once you’re in Yala National Park
- Best time: February – July
- Typical stay: 2 days
- November: Mixed month: November is outside the recommended season (February – July). Nothing in our data flags November as a problem, but it isn't the season the place is best in.
Related
Plan Colombo and Yala National Park
A day-by-day plan with this journey, the stays and the rest priced in.