Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage is an orphanage, nursery and captive breeding ground for wild Asian elephants located at Pinnawala village, 13 km northeast of Kegalle town in Sabaragamuwa Province of Sri Lanka. Pinnawala has the largest herd of captive elephants in the world.

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage is one of Sri Lanka's most popular animal attractions.

How to Reach?                                             

From Colombo to Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage 93.6km Far away. You can choose easy way to reach Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage.

What You Can Do Here?

If you visit in Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, there are lots of things to do for your enjoying. You can sightseeing, take photos, watch elephant bath, watch elephant playing, visit Pinnawala zoo, worship Sri Dalada Maligawa & many more.

Here is a long list of major things to do in Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. Which the first time travelers can visit and experience.       

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage Open hours & Entrance fee

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage is daily open 8.30am to 5.30pm. In the meantime you can visit here. And you can enter with reasonable price here.

Watch Elephant Shows

If you visit Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, you can see the elephants playing & dancing. Most of tourists visit here to see these activities.

Watch Elephants Bathing Ritual

The chains are most confronting for visitors during the bathing sessions, which happen a few times each day. This is where tourists normally get the closest to the animals – and it’s also the location where most photos on social media are taken from.

The elephants are walked down from the large area where they roam, past shops and restaurants, to the river where tourists gather around and take photos. Although it’s not officially allowed, the mahouts (elephant keepers) will often ask for tips from tourists to let them touch or pose with the animals.

Visit Pinnawala Zoo

Pinnawala Open Zoo is a zoological garden in Pinnawala, Sri Lanka, which is situated closer to the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. The zoo was opened for public on 17 April 2015. This is the first open-air zoo in Sri Lanka and second zoo in Sri Lanka after Dehiwala zoo.

If mention pinnawala zoo entrance fee,you can enter with reasonable price. And pinnwala zoo open daily 8.30am to 5.30pm.

Visit Iperanigama Theme Park

The Pinnawala Iparenigama Theme Park is a brand new and unique theme park in Sri Lanka, which opened its gates to the public in March 2016. It depicts traditional village life in the 17th and 18th centuries, and functions as a live folk museum. The park shows culture, cultivation methods and economic system of that prosperous era over three centuries ago. Visitors get to see the many important locations in the typical village of that period and engage in many fun activities.

If you visit here, you can see there attractions,

  • The Indigenous Doctor’s House (Weda Gedara)
  • The Headman’s House (Arachila Gedara)
  • The Gypsy Family (Ahikuntaka Janawasa)
  • The Paddy Field (Kuburu Yaya)
  • The Lake (Wewa)
  • Aquatic Plants
  • The Head Farmer’s House (Maha Gamaralage Gedara)
  • The Coffee Bar (Kopi Kade)
  • The Potter’s House (Kubal Gedara)
  • The Carpenter’s House (Wadumaduwa)
  • The Blacksmith’s House (Kammala)
  • The Weaving Center
  • The Souvenir Shop

Take Photos

You can take lots of pictures of Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage surroundings. There is suitable place for photo-shoots.