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Minneriya National Park
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Overview
Minneriya National Park stages one of Asia’s greatest wildlife spectacles: The Gathering. Each year between August and September, as the ancient Minneriya tank shrinks in the dry season, up to 300 wild elephants converge on the fresh grass at its edge — the largest concentration of Asian elephants anywhere in the world.
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Ready for an Elephant Safari?
The Gathering at Minneriya National Park
A late-afternoon jeep safari across the open grassland brings you close to herds with calves, along with water buffalo, spotted deer, crocodiles and an abundance of birdlife. The park sits in the Cultural Triangle, an easy add-on to a day at Sigiriya or Polonnaruwa.
Timing matters, because the elephants follow the water. The Gathering peaks at Minneriya in August and September; from October to December, and again from May to July, the herd moves to neighbouring Kaudulla; and from January to April it disperses, when Hurulu Eco Park with its resident elephants is the reliable choice. Our guides take you to whichever park holds the elephants in the month you travel.
Things to Do in Minneriya National Park
- The Gathering (Aug–Sep), up to 300 elephants
- Late-afternoon jeep safari
- Herds with calves on open grassland
- Prolific birdlife around the tank
Good to Know
- Entrance fee: about USD 25 + service charge & VAT (2026)
- Best time: August to September for The Gathering
- Getting there: about 1 hr from Sigiriya
- Also consider: Kaudulla (Oct–Dec) & Hurulu (Jan–Apr)
An elephant safari features on most of our Cultural Triangle and classic round tours. Our private Minneriya, Kaudulla & Hurulu elephant safari is routed to the right park for your month, with the jeep, tracker and all park fees included, from Sigiriya, Dambulla or Habarana.
Minneriya National Park highlights: The Gathering (Aug–Sep), up to 300 elephants, Late-afternoon jeep safari, Herds with calves on open grassland, Prolific birdlife around the tank.
Best time to visit: August to September for The Gathering. getting there: about 1 hr from Sigiriya. Lanka Itinerary can include Minneriya National Park in a private, fully customisable Sri Lanka tour with a local chauffeur-guide. Contact us to plan your trip.
Key Tour packages based on Minneriya National Park
Key Activities
August and September, when The Gathering peaks and up to 300 elephants come to the receding tank. Outside those months the herd moves: to Kaudulla from October to December and May to July, and elephants disperse from January to April, when Hurulu Eco Park is the reliable choice. We take you to whichever park holds the elephants when you travel.
Park entry is about USD 25 per foreign adult, and once the group service charge and VAT are added the government fee comes to roughly USD 40 to 45 — separate from the jeep hire. On our safaris the jeep, tracker and all park fees are included, so there is nothing to pay at the gate.
Afternoon, for elephants. They come down to the open grassland to feed in the late afternoon, and the light between 4 and 6 pm is far better for photographs.
No wild-animal sighting can be guaranteed, but in the Gathering season at Minneriya you are close to certain to see large herds. Our guides check current reports the day before and take you to the park where the elephants actually are, rather than to a fixed one on the itinerary.
They are three parks in the same area and the elephants move between them with the water. Minneriya is best in August and September, Kaudulla from October to December and May to July, and Hurulu Eco Park has resident elephants year-round, making it the fallback from January to April.