Colombo Airport (CMB)
Colombo Airport to Tissamaharama & Yala Taxi
From arrivals at Katunayake to your hotel in Tissa or near the Yala gate — one car and one driver the whole way.
Airport transfer
Straight from the Airport to Yala Country
Tissamaharama — Tissa — is the base town for Yala National Park, with Kirinda and the park entrance a short drive beyond it. From Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) it is around four to four and a half hours by car, most of it on the Southern Expressway.
Our base in Ambalantota is under an hour from Tissa, so this is a route we drive constantly. Land in the evening and you can be at your Tissa hotel tonight, ready for a game drive in the morning.
- We track your flight
Send us the flight number when you book. If you land late, the driver is still there — the wait costs you nothing extra.
- Timed around your safari
Tell us when your game drive is and we plan the arrival around it — including a same-day afternoon safari if your flight lands early.
- One price for the whole vehicle
Agreed on WhatsApp before you travel, with fuel, the driver, tolls and parking in it. Four of you pay what one of you would.
Routes & drive times
Other Drops Around Yala
Colombo Airport (CMB)
Colombo Airport (CMB)
Colombo Airport (CMB)
Colombo Airport (CMB)
Colombo Airport (CMB)
Drive times are door-to-door estimates on real Sri Lankan roads, and vary with traffic and stops. Every quote is for the whole vehicle.
Timing It with Your Yala Safari
Morning game drives in Yala set off from Tissa before sunrise, so most travellers arrive the evening before. If your flight lands early in the day, we can plan the drive so you reach the park for an afternoon safari instead.
We run our own safari jeep, so the transfer and the game drive can be booked together in one message.
Consider Mattala Airport
If you have a choice of flights, Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI) is only about 45 minutes from Tissa. Far fewer airlines use it, but when one fits your trip it saves most of this drive — and we cover transfers from there too.
Questions
Good to Know
Around four to four and a half hours by car, most of it on the Southern Expressway, depending on traffic near Colombo.
Yes. If your flight lands early enough, we can plan the drive to reach Yala for an afternoon game drive. Otherwise we drop you at your hotel and pick you up for the morning drive.
We track the flight and wait. A delay costs you nothing extra.
No — per vehicle, including fuel, the driver, tolls and parking.