How far is Udawalawe National Park from Colombo?

Udawalawe National Park is roughly 160–170 km (100–105 miles) southeast of Colombo, so you’re looking at a drive of about 3.5 to 4 hours, depending on traffic.

The quickest and most direct way is via the Southern Expressway (E01), and then take the exit at Mattala or Barawakumbuka. After that, you continue driving north towards the park entrance. Before the expressway was built, this run usually took more than six hours along the inland A4 highway, passing through Ratnapura and Pelmadulla. With the highway now in place, Udawalawe has become much easier to reach from the capital and also from the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA).