Wildlife & Nature route · November to April
Sri Lanka Itinerary: 8 Days - South Coast Beaches and Yala Safari
The southwest coast in season, ending on safari. Bentota and Mirissa carry the beach half, with Galle Fort between them and whale boats available November to April. From Tissamaharama, the lake town that serves as Yala's gateway, you take a dawn and an afternoon game drive; the park's Block 1 holds one of the highest recorded leopard densities anywhere. The final morning starts early; the run back to the airport is long but straightforward.
- 8 days
- Wildlife & Nature
- November to April
- 635 km
The trip on the map
Every overnight stop, and the roads between them.
Days
8
Driving
12-16 h total
Distance
635 km
Season
November to April
Yala National Park's Blocks 1 and 2 close annually for a dry-season maintenance break, typically from around mid-September (dates set annually); this itinerary runs November to April, which also covers the Mirissa whale watching season.
Route at a glance
- Airport → Bentota113 km · 2-3 h
- Bentota → Galle56.4 km · 1.5-2 h
- Galle → Mirissa35.9 km · 1-2 h
- Mirissa → Yala / Tissamaharama129.4 km · 2.5-3 h
- Yala / Tissamaharama → Airport299.9 km · 5-6 h
The journey, day by day
Bentota
Land at the airport and transfer to Bentota, a beach town on the west coast known for its river estuary, about 2h15 past Colombo on the expressway. Afternoon free on the beach.
Bandaranaike Airport → Bentota113 km · 2-3 h · E03, E01Around Bentota - everything on offer, you choose
Activities
- Bentota Beach Water Sports (Jet Ski, Banana Boat, Water Skiing)2h
- Madu Ganga Mangrove Boat Safari (Balapitiya)2h
Bentota, at your pace
Full day in Bentota: a boat safari up the mangrove-lined Bentota Ganga river, or a stop at the Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery, which releases hatchlings from five endangered turtle species.
Galle
Transfer to Galle via the reef town of Hikkaduwa, about 1h45. Spend the afternoon walking the ramparts and old town of Galle Fort, a 17th-century Dutch stronghold.
Bentota → Galle56.4 km · 1.5-2 h · A2passing Hikkaduwa (reef beach)Around Galle - everything on offer, you choose
Galle Fort
A Dutch colonial fort built in 1663, enclosing a 400-year-old town of 400 buildings within 36 hectares on a rocky peninsula in Galle city.
Galle Lighthouse
A working 18m Dutch-era lighthouse inside Galle Fort, first lit in 1848, marking the entrance to Galle Harbour — the oldest lighthouse in Sri Lanka.
Activities
- Galle Fort Guided Walking Tour2h
- Koggala Lake Boat Safari (Cinnamon Island)1.5h
Mirissa
Mirissa is next, a short run via Unawatuna beach and the surf bay at Weligama, about 1h15. Afternoon at the beach.
Galle → Mirissa35.9 km · 1-2 h · A2passing Unawatuna (beach bay), Weligama (surf bay)Around Mirissa - everything on offer, you choose
Parrot Rock (Mirissa)
A large flat-topped rock at the eastern end of Mirissa Bay, reachable by a short swim at low tide, popular for cliff jumping into 5m water below.
Coconut Tree Hill (Mirissa)
A small rocky headland east of Mirissa beach planted with tall coconut palms, offering a 270-degree ocean panorama 20m above the water — one of Sri Lanka's most photographed viewpoints.
Mirissa Beach
A 1km crescent bay 150km south of Colombo, Sri Lanka's primary departure point for blue whale watching (November to April), with a calm swimming beach and a growing restaurant scene.
Activities
- Mirissa Whale and Dolphin Watching Boat Tour4h
Mirissa, at your pace
Full day in Mirissa: a boat trip to spot blue whales in season (November to April; boats leave around 6:30am and are usually back by midday, so book a day or two ahead in high season), or a walk up Coconut Tree Hill and out to Parrot Rock.
Yala / Tissamaharama
Transfer to Tissamaharama via the quiet beaches of Tangalle, about 2h45. Afternoon safari at Yala National Park, home to one of the highest recorded leopard densities anywhere.
Mirissa → Yala / Tissamaharama129.4 km · 2.5-3 h · E01, A2Around Yala / Tissamaharama - everything on offer, you choose
Sithulpawwa Rock Temple
A monastic rock temple over 2,100 years old inside the Yala buffer zone, with painted cave shrines and a 3m seated Buddha on a granite boulder 300m above the surrounding plains.
Bundala National Park
A Ramsar-listed coastal wetland in Hambantota District with 200+ bird species, flocks of greater flamingos from October to March, and resident elephants, crocodiles, and nesting sea turtles.
Yala National Park
Sri Lanka's most famous wildlife park in Hambantota District, with the highest recorded leopard density per unit area of any protected area in the world, plus elephants, sloth bears, and crocodiles.
Activities
- Tissa Wewa Sunset Birdwatching Boat Ride1.5h
- Yala National Park Jeep Safari4h
Reading before you go
Yala / Tissamaharama, at your pace
Dawn game drive at Yala National Park, or Bundala National Park for flamingos and other waterbirds, then rest of the day at leisure beside the Tissa tank.
Fly home
Early start for the direct transfer to the airport via Tangalle and Colombo, about 4h50, for your flight home.
Yala / Tissamaharama → Airport299.9 km · 5-6 h · E01, A2, E03passing Tangalle (quiet beaches)
Every day on this route is driven by your own driver and car; see how private driver hire works. Check the visa requirements and when to go before you fix dates.
Make it yours
This route is a starting point, not a fixed product. Open it in the trip planner and rework it yourself, or send it to our Kandy team and get a customized version with a quote. No payment until you confirm the final plan.