Add dates

Anuradhapura Outdoor sports

Our most recommended Anuradhapura Outdoor sports

Minneriya: Minneriya National Park Safari

1. Minneriya: Minneriya National Park Safari

Explore pristine tropical dry forest settings on a safari through Minneriya National Park. See wandering elephants, spot swinging monkeys, and enjoy a view of the Minneriya reservoir. Meet your driver at your hotel and head to the Minneriya National Park. As you drive through the grassland, keep an eye out for the giant elephants who have wandered over in search of food from neighboring national parks. Enter the forest, and enjoy the flicker of monkeys swinging through branches. Search the woods for an astonishing array of wildlife, including elephants, leopards, sloth bears, mongooses, spotted deer, sambar deer, wild buffalo, porcupine, and Indian pangolins. Stop for a stunning view of the Minneriya reservoir before returning to your hotel.

From Anuradhapura: Full-Day Wilpattu National Park Safari

2. From Anuradhapura: Full-Day Wilpattu National Park Safari

Discover the unique landscape of the Wilpattu National Park as you look out for its resident leopards and other wildlife. Enjoy a fantastic full-day safari on a private tour from Anuradhapura. Get picked up at your hotel and relax in air-conditioned comfort on the journey to the park. Enjoy breakfast, then hop into a jeep to start your game drive through a reserve known for its large leopard population. Ride along forest trails as you look out for animals and admire the natural lakes that give Wilpattu a genuine wilderness feeling.  A delicious picnic lunch will be served at a scenic location. After lunch, continue to explore the dense woodland, looking out for birds, sloth bears, spotted deer, wild pigs, and crocodiles. Visitor numbers are low, even in high season, so you can see incredible wildlife without the crowds.

Minneriya: Minneriya National Park Private Safari

3. Minneriya: Minneriya National Park Private Safari

With the grace of majestic giants and pristine tropical dry forest settings, Minneriya National Park is a perfect spot to spend a few hours witnessing one of the most astonishing wildlife spectacles on earth.  Renowned as a prominent stopover for wandering elephants searching for food during the August and September the dry season, Minneriya National Park attracts up to 300 giants from the neighboring national parks. Enjoy the flicker of monkeys swinging through the branches and search the forest for the sight of majestic elephants, leopards, sloth bears, mongooses, spotted deer, sambar deer, wild buffalo, porcupine and Indian pangolins. Do not miss out on this quintessential safari destination in a strikingly beautiful forest.

All-Inclusive Minneriya National Park Afternoon Safari

4. All-Inclusive Minneriya National Park Afternoon Safari

Begin with an afternoon pickup from your hotel or residence and make your way to Minneriya National Park to begin the safari.  Minneriya National Park comprises about 21,000 acres (8,889 hectares), and contains a vast abundance of wildlife species. Take the opportunity to observe the large herds of magnificent Sri Lankan elephants in their natural habitat at close range. Also, be on the lookout for two rare species of monkey endemic to Sri Lanka, namely the Purple-faced Langur Monkey and the Toque Macaque. Other rare and endangered species such as Sri Lankan leopard and Sri Lankan sloth bear inhabit the park, as well as saltwater crocodiles and Indian pythons, which you may be lucky enough to spot! After a 3-hour safari spotting these various rare animals, your transport will return you to your accomodation.

Hurulu Eco Park: 3-Hour Morning or Evening Safari

5. Hurulu Eco Park: 3-Hour Morning or Evening Safari

Sneak along the narrow tracks of Hurulu Eco Park on a 3-hour morning or evening jeep safari searching for the best sights of majestic elephants and leopards. Overlooking the dense shrublands and forests, this is the ideal place for spotting wild animals in their natural habitat.  Each year during the months of July to September large groups of elephants are found in the Minneriya National Park. They then migrate to Kaudulla National Park during the months October to November due to high rains and lakes filling up. The elephants then move on to Hurulu Eco Park for the final leg of their migration during the months of December and January. Playing a dominant role in the park’s wildlife, see the majestic Sri Lankan elephants — a very common sighting that safari-goers never tire off. The Hurulu Eco Park assures you a feast of sightings of leopards, rusty-spotted cats, star tortoise, jungles fowl, parrots, and hawks. Explore the land of 10,000 hectares of mysterious wilderness that plays a precious role in the dry ecosystem in Sri Lanka, supporting the wildlife as an evergreen forest. Look for the phenomenal wildlife sightings around the scenic Hurulu Wewa reservoir, right in the heart of the park.

Kaudulla National Park: Private Safari

6. Kaudulla National Park: Private Safari

Witness Sri Lankan wildlife up close on this three-hour safari through Kaudulla National Park. Located near the city of Galoya, this park provides ample opportunities to spot majestic elephants and other animals in their natural habitat.   Pass by the reservoir, the lifeblood of the park, which attracts herds of elephants from nearby parks. In addition to elephants, you’ll get the chance to see Sambar deer, Axis deer, chevrotains, wild boar, Asian spoonbills, painted storks, and more. You may even be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of leopards or sloth bears in the forest.   As you drive along, admire the green line of trees in the distance, the blue sky, and emerald green grasslands. Breathe in the fresh air and cross an amazing safari off your bucket list.

Wilpattu National Park: Leopard Safari Experience

7. Wilpattu National Park: Leopard Safari Experience

This tour starts with a pickup from the park entrance, where you'll then drive into Wilpattu National Park on a modified game viewing safari Jeep, then start your game drive at the National Park. Wilpattu is situated in North part of Sri Lanka, comprising a range of habitats including scrub jungles, water reservoirs, brackish lagoons, and riverine habitats. Wilpattu has one of the highest leopard sightings in the world. Its elephant heard is about 300. After a bit of exploring, your guide will deliver the picnic lunch to a location where you will enjoy a bite to eat. Unwind for a while after lunch and get ready to enjoy your second round of the game drive. Hop in to the Jeep and start the afternoon game drive by searching for leopards. If you are really lucky, you may be able to witness a few of them during this game drive. In addition to leopards, elephants, as well as mammals such as sloth, bears, black-naped hare, wild buffaloes, spotted deer, sambar deer, anuman, langur or toque monkeys, stripe-necked and ruddy mongooses, wild oar, and golden jackal can be found in Wilpattu National Park. You can also see reptiles like the water and land monitors and marsh crocodile.

From Kandy: Sigiriya Rock, Village Tour and Minneriya Park

8. From Kandy: Sigiriya Rock, Village Tour and Minneriya Park

Start your tour at 6:30 AM with pickup from your hotel in Kandy. The first stop on your itinerary will be the Sigiriya Rock Fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. which you will reach at approximately 9:00 AM. Rising from the central plains, the iconic rocky outcrop of Sigiriya is perhaps Sri Lanka's single most dramatic sight. Near-vertical walls soar to a flat-topped summit that contains the ruins of an ancient civilization, where you will discover spellbinding vistas across mist-wrapped forests in the early morning. Climb a series of vertiginous staircases attached to sheer walls to reach the top of the ruins. Pass a series of frescoes and a pair of colossal lion's paws carved into the bedrock. Marvel at the surrounding landscape of lily-pad-covered moats, water gardens, and quiet shrines that surround the site. After visiting the fortress, proceed to a local village in Sigiriya to experience a village tour. Get a chance to go on an oxen cart ride, and experience the world from the view of a local farmer. Afterwards, take a relaxing catamaran safari through a calm lake. Stroll through the golden fields ripe with their harvest of paddy. Watch a traditional cooking demonstration, that teaches you the basics of Sri Lankan cuisine. Delight your taste buds with a home-cooked lunch; made over a wood-fire and served on fragrant lotus leaves placed over woven trays.  After experiencing the village life of Sri Lanka, travel onwards to Minneriya National Park to go on safari. See the famous Sri Lankan elephants, rare bird species, saltwater crocodiles, Indian pythons, and an abundance of flora and fauna. On completion of the jeep safari at approximately 6:00 PM and return to your hotel in Kandy, stopping along the way for dinner, at your own expense.

Sri Lanka: Western Province Highlights Day Tour and Safari

9. Sri Lanka: Western Province Highlights Day Tour and Safari

The tour lasts about 12 hours, a large part of which is dedicated to sightseeing at Sigiriya, Dambulla and Minneriya. This is a perfect opportunity to encounter Sri Lanka's fascinating wildlife while visiting the most most popular historical monuments in the cultural triangle of Sri Lanka. This private tour with a car or van start in the western province (Colombo, Negombo, Kalutara, Bentota) and takes you through the picturesque countryside amidst patches of forests, rice paddies and laid-back villages to the cultural triangle. During the day you will be visiting Sigiriya rock fortress, Dambulla golden temple and Minneriya national park. This is one of the very rare opportunity for travelers to many important tourist attractions within a few hours time. Our guide/driver will be assisting with tickets, provides you with information. The tour is private, it means it can be done at your own pace. Our luxury air-conditioned vehicle provides you a very comfortable and safe journey. The tour can be customized to meet your specific requirement, please inquire.

16 activities found
Sort by:

Other Sightseeing Options in Anuradhapura

Want to discover all there is to do in Anuradhapura? Click here for a full list.

What people are saying about Anuradhapura

The day was well organised. Transport to and from the park worked well. Our driver, in the park, was knowledgeable about a wide range of the wildlife and sensitive to our interests, meaning we saw and identified over forty species (mostly birds), but including elephant, leopard and sloth bear. A very good breakfast and lunch were provided. We ate breakfast in a peaceful spot with a panoramic view of one of the lakes. Would highly recommend this trip.

Enjoyed the safari and managed to see elephants close up - there were over 50! A couple of the elephants charged at the numerous jeeps when they got too close, but the jeep guides seemed able to anticipate this and made a quick getaway! We also saw a hornets nest, monkeys, a giant squirrel, crocodile, eagle, so the trip very worthwhile to see the animals in their natural environment.

We attended the afternoon safari and had the most amazing time. We were fortunate enough to see over 120 elephants, including lots of babies at the watering hole. Jeeps were fantastic for viewing.

saw sooooo many elephants!!! worth every penny! memories for a lifetime