Navigate to sub page

National Parks of Sri Lanka

Nearly a quarter of Sri Lanka has dense forest cover and approximately half of that is devoted to wildlife protection. There are 16 National Parks and two Marine Parks covering the entire range of the island’s eco systems and its flora and fauna. Among these are the Horton Plains National Park which represents the montane wet-zone eco systems and the world famous Ruhunu (Yala) National Park in the southeast popular for watching elephants and leopards.

Other parks open to visitors include Udawalawe in the interior and Wilpattu adjoining the island’s northwest coast. All the parks are reserved for wildlife and people can only visit with a permit issued by the Department of Wildlife Conservation, which can be arranged through Walkers Tours. Walkers Tours can also arrange hotel accommodation near the parks to give guests a chance to stay close to nature, in comfort.

Yala National Park

Yala National Park is also known as the Ruhunu National Park and is one of the biggest jungles in the country

find out more

Kumana National Park, a Premier Bird Sanctuary

Sri Lanka’s sanctuary for endemic and migratory birds, Kumana National Park, is one of the country’s largest protected breeding grounds

find out more

Gal Oya National Park, Centred Around a Reservoir

The Gal Oya National Park was established in 1954 and embraces a reservoir on which outboard boats take tourists for a safari cruise

find out more

Udawalawe National Park, a Nature Reserve

Udawalawe National Park sprawls over 30,000 hectares along the border of Sabaragamuwa and Uva Provinces

find out more

Wilpattu National Park, the Home of Leopards

Wilpattu National Park is located in the north west of the dry zone of the island with a long coastal boundary

find out more