Yala National Park at a glance
Yala is a national park in the south of Sri Lanka, reached from Tissamaharama, Kirinda and Kataragama as well as from Hambantota. A visit needs a permit from the Department of Wildlife Conservation, which is charged on top of any jeep, and day visits happen in blocks that are open for your route. Not every block is open to every visitor on every day.
This is an independent guide. It is not the park's own website and not run by the wildlife department, and the figures below come from government pages where they exist and from providers where they do not. Where sources disagree, the page says so. For jeep options and prices, go to the Yala safari page.
The closure of autumn 2026
One dated event, not an annual rule.
What closed
A drought-related partial closure ran from 14 September 2026 to 15 October 2026. A news report of 13 October 2026 announced that day visitors would return on 16 October 2026, and a safari provider confirmed the reopening in an update that day.
Which areas
One outlet names blocks 1 and 2, another names zones 1 and 1A. Both give the same reopening date. The two sets of names are not interchangeable, so check with your provider which area your route uses.
Park lodges and campsites
Reservations for lodges and campsites in the park are listed to become available again from 1 November 2026. Day visits and overnight stays are separate matters.
Not every year
There is no fixed annual closure period to rely on. Do not carry the 2026 dates over to another year, and look up the current notice before you plan around a closure.
Best time to visit →Our picks: Yala tours
Three ways to see Yala by jeep, with entry extra on two of them and included on one.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Yala jeep safari with entry included
A 4x4 jeep with the Yala entry ticket, water, breakfast, binoculars, taxes and fees included; lunch comes with the full-day option.
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Yala jeep safari: morning, evening or full day
A jeep with guide and binoculars, water, and breakfast or lunch depending on the option. Hotel transfer is included in selected areas, Yala entry is extra.
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Yala jeep safari: half day, 7 hours or full day
A jeep with hotel transfer in selected areas, plus breakfast or lunch depending on the option. Yala entry and the service fee are not included.
Check availability →Yala safaris and day trips
Jeep safaris in Yala and trips from Hambantota, Tissamaharama and the port, with live prices and availability.
Blocks of the park
Traditionally I to V, with a sixth region in newer sources.
| Block | What sources say |
|---|---|
| Block I | The main area of many regular day safaris from Palatupana; Palatupana and Katagamuwa are named as entrances |
| Block II | Limited access, not automatically part of an ordinary day trip; a fee report mentions LKR 5,000 per tourist group |
| Blocks III and IV | Restricted safari and protected areas, according to provider maps |
| Block V | Controlled safaris through the Galge entrance |
| Block VI (Lunugamvehera) | Listed in newer sources and placed in the highest fee category by a 2025 fee report |
Do not read this as a map that is valid for every date. One provider ties Galge to blocks IV and V, another to III and V, so the descriptions are not an administrative map. Say which gate you want, and ask which block the jeep will actually use.
Entrances, hours and the midday pause
Distances are from Kataragama, as listed on an information portal.
Palatupana
41 km from Kataragama. It is the usual start for Block I and the gate behind many regular day safaris. Hotels around Kirinda are an option near the park entrances.
Katagamuwa
14 km from Kataragama and also an entrance for Block I.
Galge
30 km from Kataragama. It is used for other routes, with controlled safaris in Block V.
Hours
The information portal lists 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Provider pickup times are tour times, not park hours: one lists hotel pickup at 5:30 a.m. for the morning drive, and about 1:00 p.m. for an afternoon drive that enters around 1:30 p.m.
Midday pause
One provider describes a daily pause from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m., also on full-day tours. This is a provider statement, so do not assume every visitor must leave at noon. Ask what your full-day program does in the middle of the day.
How the fees add up
The park fee is not the jeep price, and sources differ.
A visit has several cost parts: the individual entry, a vehicle fee, a service charge, tax and sometimes an online fee. A paid jeep does not replace the permit. The department announced a fee revision effective 2 September 2022, and later changes may apply, so confirm before you pay. The two provider pages below are not an official tariff, and they do not agree on the service charge.
| Item | Listing A (June 2026) | Listing B (August 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign adults | USD 25 each, age 13 and over | LKR 26,500 for two adults |
| Children 6 to 12 | USD 15 | LKR 4,950 extra; SAARC children LKR 3,300 |
| Under 6 | Free | Free |
| Vehicle | About USD 1 | LKR 300 |
| Service charge | USD 10 per jeep | LKR 400 |
| Tax | 18% VAT | 18% VAT; total LKR 32,096 for two adults |
A fee report of March 2025 also mentions an online booking fee of 2 percent for large terrestrial parks and 18 percent VAT, with no confirmation for autumn 2026. Tariff seasons and categories are set by the department, so ask which one applies on your date. Book through the wildlife department's ePermit service or let your provider handle it, and check what the ticket covers.
On the track, and Patanangala
Official guidance for safari vehicles asks drivers to stay on marked routes, follow one-way and parking rules, give animals right of way, not feed them and take rubbish out. Vehicles must be registered with the department and carry a valid entry permit. A speed limit of 30 km/h or the lower local value applies, and an operator lists 25 km/h. Follow the lower figure you are given.
Patanangala has a tsunami memorial for the disaster of 26 December 2004, and an information portal says visitors may leave the vehicle at a marked beach stop. That does not make walking around or swimming allowed. Follow your driver and the marked areas.
Plan the rest of your Yala trip
Pages to read next.
Yala safari
Half-day and full-day jeeps, with example prices.
Leopards in Yala
Habitat, old density studies and sighting limits.
Best time to visit
Rain by month and the difference from a closure.
Where to stay
Tissamaharama, Kirinda or Hambantota as a base.
Safety
Wildlife rules, roads and government advice by date.
Yala National Park: frequently asked questions
Is Yala open?
Day visits were announced to resume on 16 October 2026 after the partial closure from 14 September to 15 October. Closures can recur and the affected areas can differ, so confirm with your provider the day before.
Does Yala close every year?
There is no fixed annual period to rely on. The dated closure on this page belongs to 2026 only.
Does the jeep price include the entrance fee?
Often it does not. Two providers list jeep hire without tickets, and the park fee is a separate bill. A paid jeep never replaces the permit.
Which entrance should I use?
Palatupana and Katagamuwa lead into Block I, and Galge serves other routes. Hotels around Kirinda are near the park entrances, and Tissamaharama is a common base for Yala.
Must I leave the park at midday?
One provider describes a pause from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. on all its tours. Whether it applies to you depends on the tour and the block, so ask before you book.