Is a full day or half day safari better in Yala Block 5 and Block 6?

It depends on your goals and how much time you have. A half day safari gives you a genuine experience in one block. A full day covers both Block 5 and Block 6, allowing you to experience the difference in habitats. Most guests who combine both blocks find the full day rewarding, particularly because wildlife activity drops in the midday heat anyway.

What is the difference between Weheragala and Lunugamwehera National Park?

Weheragala National Park is the official name for Yala Block 5, and Lunugamwehera National Park is the official name for Yala Block 6. Both border Yala National Park and are commonly referred to as Block 5 and Block 6. Weheragala (Block 5) is denser scrub habitat, while Lunugamwehera (Block 6) is more open grassland with large tank reservoirs and occasional but memorable elephant sightings.

Yala Safari Packages | Block 5 & 6, Sri Lanka

The packages

Three ways to go slow

All packages are private — your group only. Prices are per person. Both blocks offer the same slow approach, the same honest guide, the same respect for what is here.

Most requested

6 hours · Yala Block 5 or Block 6

From $50 per person

Group	Per person
1 person	$120
2 persons	$70
3 persons	$65
4 persons	$55
5 persons	$50

Not included

Park entrance fees, taxes and service charges
Tips (entirely optional)
Travel insurance
Personal expenses

Signature Safari

Our most popular option. Six hours gives you space to go deeper, wait longer, and cover more ground. Enough time to move through the park slowly and let the wildlife come to you rather than chasing it.

What's included

✓ Private jeep
✓ Naturalist guide (Prasanna, personally)
✓ Less-traveled routes through Yala Block 5 or Block 6, going deeper and slower
✓ Bush lunch picnic inside the park
✓ Bottled water, cool box, snacks and soft drinks
✓ 2 professional binoculars
✓ Photographic Guide to Wildlife of Sri Lanka (Gehan De Silva) to use during the safari
✓ DJI Osmo Mobile 7 for video (download DJI Mimo app beforehand)

✓ Wildlife photography included

Sony a6700 + 200–600mm. While you take in what's in front of you, Prasanna shoots alongside — focused on behaviour, light, and the moments that are hard to catch on a phone. A curated selection shared with you after the safari, so you leave with proper images of what you saw.

Best for: Most travellers. The right balance of time and depth in Yala Block 5 or Block 6.

Full day · Block 5 + Block 6

From $91 per person

Group	Per person
1 person	$205
2 persons	$133
3 persons	$110
4 persons	$97
5 persons	$91

Not included

Park entrance fees, taxes and service charges
Tips (entirely optional)
Travel insurance
Personal expenses

Full Day Safari

Sunrise entry, midday rest, afternoon circuit, sunset exit. Covers both Block 5 and Block 6 in a single day — you'll feel the difference between the two habitats. Parts of Yala most visitors never reach. The kind of day that takes a few days to fully absorb.

What's included

✓ Private jeep
✓ Naturalist guide (Prasanna, personally)
✓ Full circuit of Yala Block 5 and Block 6, going deeper and slower
✓ Bush lunch picnic inside the park
✓ Bottled water, cool box, snacks and soft drinks
✓ 2 professional binoculars
✓ Photographic Guide to Wildlife of Sri Lanka (Gehan De Silva) to use during the safari
✓ DJI Osmo Mobile 7 for video (download DJI Mimo app beforehand)

✓ Wildlife photography included

Sony a6700 + 200–600mm. While you take in what's in front of you, Prasanna shoots alongside — focused on behaviour, light, and the moments that are hard to catch on a phone. A curated selection shared with you after the safari, so you leave with proper images of what you saw.

Best for: Serious wildlife enthusiasts, photographers, and anyone who wants the full Block 5 and Block 6 experience in one day.

Custom · Yala Block 5 & 6

Pricing Custom

Priced around

Your camera gear and style
Golden hour windows, both ends of day
Target species and habitats
Your travel schedule

Photography Tours

Purpose-built for photographers. Golden hour timing, remote sections of Block 5 and Block 6, and a guide who understands light and animal behaviour. Built around your camera, not a tourist schedule.

What's included

✓ Private jeep
✓ Wildlife photographer as guide
✓ Golden hour access at both ends of the day
✓ Prasanna's current knowledge of wildlife patterns

Built for

✓ Camera enthusiasts and professionals
✓ Multi-day options available
– Not for those in a hurry

Best for: Photographers who want the full story, not just the sighting.

Not included in your safari price

National park entrance fees.

Park entrance tickets are paid separately at the gate and are not included in your safari package price. Fees are set by the Sri Lanka Department of Wildlife Conservation and include 18% VAT. Use the table below to estimate your group's cost before you arrive.

How ticket prices are calculated

Tourist season

Category I parks

Adult ticket $25

Child (6–12) $15

Children under 6 free

Service charge $10 / jeep

Jeep entry fee ~$1

18% VAT included

Max 6 guests per jeep

Adults	Children	Total guests	Group total (USD)	Per person
1	0	1	$42.48	$42.48
2	0	2	$71.98	$35.99
2	1	3	$89.68	$29.89
3	0	3	$101.48	$33.83
3	1	4	$119.18	$29.80
4	0	4	$130.98	$32.75
4	1	5	$148.68	$29.74
5	0	5	$160.48	$32.10
5	1	6	$178.18	$29.70
6	0	6	$189.98	$31.66

Figures are approximate and based on tourist-season foreign visitor rates for Category I national parks in Sri Lanka. Fees are subject to change by the Department of Wildlife Conservation. Prasanna will confirm exact amounts before entry.

Before you book

A few honest things.

No deposit needed

You don't pay anything upfront. We just talk on WhatsApp, sort out the details, and you pay on the day. No card numbers, no booking forms, nothing complicated. I'd rather we start with a bit of trust between us.

Always your own jeep

Every safari is just your group. I never put strangers together in one jeep to fill the seats. If it's just the two of you, the whole jeep is yours. It makes the morning quieter, and it's easier to stop and sit wherever you like.

No promises on sightings

Wildlife is wild, and nobody can promise you a leopard. What I can do is take you to the right place at the right time, with someone who really knows how to read the park. Most days, that turns out to be enough.

You talk to the person in the jeep

All communication is directly with Prasanna on WhatsApp. No agents, no booking systems, no automated replies. If you have specific goals for your safari, tell him before you book — he will be honest about whether those goals are realistic in Blocks 5 and 6, or whether you should look at other options.

Common questions

Questions about booking

A half day safari in Yala Block 5 takes 4 to 5 hours. A full day safari covering both Block 5 and Block 6 takes 8 to 9 hours with a midday break during the heat of the day when most wildlife rests.

It depends on your goals and how much time you have. A half day gives you a genuine experience in one block. A full day covers both Block 5 and Block 6, allowing you to feel the difference in habitats. Most guests who combine both blocks find the full day rewarding, particularly because wildlife activity drops in the midday heat anyway and the afternoon session in the second block is often very productive.

Yes. Block 5 has excellent conditions for wildlife photography, particularly during the golden hour at first light. Prasanna is a wildlife photographer himself and can position the vehicle for optimal light without other jeeps in frame. The photography safari package is specifically designed around this — entry before dawn, positioning at the right spots, staying in place rather than chasing.

Weheragala National Park is the official name for Yala Block 5, and Lunugamwehera National Park is the official name for Yala Block 6. Both border Yala National Park and are commonly referred to simply as Block 5 and Block 6. Weheragala (Block 5) has denser scrub habitat, while Lunugamwehera (Block 6) is more open grassland with large tank reservoirs and occasional but memorable elephant sightings.

Ready to ask about dates?

Prasanna replies personally. Tell him your dates, group size, and what you are hoping to see.

Chat on WhatsApp