Yala National Park entrances that we book are three booms, not a long list of parks. Palatupana and Katagamuwa both open Block 1. Galge opens Block 5. From 14 September to 15 October 2026, Blocks 1 and 2 are closed, so the entrance we use is Galge.
Kilometres, and which hotel should use which boom, are on the Yala gate location map. This page only chooses the entrance. Gates, safari types, and the month table sit in the complete Yala tour guide.
Key takeaways
- Palatupana and Katagamuwa are both Block 1. Switching them does not change the zone.
- Galge is the Block 5 entrance, and the only boom we use while Blocks 1 and 2 are on rest.
- From Kataragama the park lists Katagamuwa at 14 km, Galge at 30 km, and Palatupana at 41 km.
- Kataragama is the nearest city, not an entrance. We do not sell Blocks 3 or 4.
On this page
- The three entrances
- Palatupana
- Katagamuwa
- Galge
- Entrances we do not sell
- Which entrance for your hotel
- FAQs
The three Yala National Park entrances we book
The park’s public fact sheet names two entry points: Palatupana, Gate 1, and Katagamuwa, Gate 2. Galge is the third boom, because it is how we enter Block 5. A tracker and a permit are issued for one block. The wrong boom cannot drive you across to the other.
Those distances are on the Yala National Park official site. Nearest city is Kataragama, not Tissamaharama. Head office is 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. The safari booms run 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
| Entrance | Block | From Kataragama | When we use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palatupana | Block 1 | 41 km | First jeep from Tissa, Kirinda, or Palatupana, when Block 1 is open |
| Katagamuwa | Block 1 | 14 km | Same block, from a Kataragama hotel |
| Galge | Block 5 | 30 km | Second drive, or every morning during the Block 1 rest |
From Tissamaharama, our drivers clock 20 to 25 minutes to Palatupana. That is a drive time, not a kilometre we are inventing. Galge adds about 20 to 30 minutes against that Palatupana run.
Palatupana
Palatupana is the usual Block 1 entrance from Tissamaharama, Kirinda, and the lodges beside that boom. It is the same zone as Katagamuwa. You do not get a different park by choosing it. You get the shorter queue road from the Tissa side.
Pickup from those hotels is 5:30 AM, so you are in the line before the 6:00 AM boom. Do not self-drive a rental car to the fence and expect to hire a jeep there. The ticket, the tracker, and the vehicle are one plan. Our driver meets you at the hotel.
Official Block 1 jeep hire at Palatupana is LKR 21,450 for a half-day and LKR 31,350 for a full day, tickets excluded, for up to six people. Prices checked 22 September 2026. Our private half-day starts from USD 57 per person in a group of six, with park fees in.
Katagamuwa
Katagamuwa is still Block 1. It is not a Kataragama city gate, and it is not a second park. Kataragama is the city. Katagamuwa, 14 km from that city, is the boom, which is why a Kataragama hotel uses it instead of backtracking to Palatupana.
The first tracks differ. That permit is still Block 1. If a quote calls this the Kataragama entrance, ask whether the permit says Block 1. If it names another block, it is not this boom.
Galge
Galge is the Block 5 entrance. Kataragama to Galge is 30 km. The Tissa run is the longer of the three public drives, so the 5:30 AM pickup already includes the extra 20 to 30 minutes and still aims for 6:00 AM.
From 14 September to 15 October 2026, Palatupana and Katagamuwa do not run Block 1. The park notice says Blocks 3, 4, 5, and 6 remain open. The entrance we book in that window is Galge. Official Galge hire is LKR 23,100 for a half-day, tickets excluded. What happens after 15 October is on the October safari page.
Leopards live in Block 5. We track pugmarks and alarm calls. We do not sell a guaranteed sighting, and we do not rank the gates against each other with a sighting number. The zone explanation is on the Yala safari zones page.
Entrances we do not sell
Yala National Park entrances on a hotel flyer are not all jeeps we run. Block 2 has limited public access and is not a standard quote. It closes with Block 1 during the 2026 rest. Blocks 3 and 4 are not a safari we offer, even on dates when the park leaves them open.
Some older notes name a Block 3 boom and sell it as a quiet bird drive. That is not a booking we make. If a quote says Block 3, Block 4, or a gate we have not named above, ask which permit you are buying before you pay. The drives a guest can book with us are Block 1, when it is open, and Block 5.
Which entrance for your hotel
Yala National Park entrances follow the hotel and the date. Sleep in Tissamaharama, Kirinda, or Palatupana, and Block 1 is open: use Palatupana. Sleep in Kataragama, and Block 1 is open: use Katagamuwa. Any hotel, from 14 September to 15 October 2026: Galge, unless the Department of Wildlife Conservation has moved the dates.
We confirm the entrance the night before. If the rest is extended, the hotel can stay and the boom stays Galge, or we reschedule at no extra charge. A Block 1 ticket is useless at Galge. A Galge ticket is useless in the Palatupana queue.
If the only question left is Block 1 or Block 5 as a package, use the Block 1 or Block 5 page. The cab split is on the Yala safari price guide. When the hotel and the date are known, book on our Yala safari tours page.
FAQs
How many Yala National Park entrances do you use?
Three. Palatupana and Katagamuwa for Block 1, and Galge for Block 5. We do not add Block 2, Block 3, or Block 4 as a standard jeep.
Is Kataragama an entrance?
No. Kataragama is the nearest city. The boom on that side is Katagamuwa, 14 km away, and it opens Block 1.
Which entrance is open in October 2026?
Until 15 October, Galge. Palatupana and Katagamuwa do not run Block 1 from 14 September to 15 October 2026. After that date we book Block 1 again if the rest has ended.
Can I drive my own car to the entrance and hire a jeep?
No. A rental car does not enter the blocks. The permit, the tracker, and the jeep are booked together. Our driver collects you at the hotel.
Does the entrance change the price?
On our packages, no. The from-price is USD 57 for a private half-day per person in a group of six, fees in, at either Block 1 or Galge. Official park hire is LKR 21,450 at Palatupana or Katagamuwa and LKR 23,100 at Galge, half-day, tickets excluded.