Minneriya National Park Entrance Tickets

Minneriya National Park sits in Sri Lanka's North Central Province and is one of the country's most celebrated wildlife reserves, built around an ancient reservoir that draws an extraordinary concentration of wildlife. The park is best known for "The Gathering", a seasonal event during the dry months when hundreds of elephants converge on the reservoir's exposed shoreline to graze, socialise, and bathe — one of the largest such congregations of Asian elephants anywhere in the world. Beyond the elephants, the open grasslands and surrounding forest support deer, water buffalo, and a rich variety of birdlife.

A typical visit runs to around three hours, covering the reservoir shoreline and the park's grassland circuits by 4x4 jeep. Your driver also serves as your tracker, reading the landscape and locating wildlife while keeping a respectful distance from the animals. Entrance tickets are arranged in advance, so there is no queuing at the gate on the day.

The minimum age for participation is five years. For those staying within 5 km of the park gate, pickup and drop-off is included as part of the booking.

• Public transportation nearby
• Infants must sit on laps