The Katagamuwa entrance is a Block 1 boom, 14 km from Kataragama. It opens the same zone as Palatupana. It is not a back door into Block 5, and it is not Block 3. From 14 September to 15 October 2026 that boom does not run Block 1.
Distances for every gate sit on the Yala gate location map. Choosing among Palatupana, Katagamuwa, and Galge is on the Yala National Park entrances page. This page is only the Katagamuwa boom.
Key takeaways
- This boom is Block 1. Galge is the Block 5 gate. We do not sell Block 3 from here.
- Kataragama is the city. Katagamuwa, 14 km from that city, is the boom. The figure is on the park’s own site.
- Blocks 1 and 2 are closed from 14 September to 15 October 2026. In that window we book Galge, not Katagamuwa.
- Official Block 1 hire, tickets excluded, is LKR 21,450 for a half-day. Our private half-day starts from USD 57 per person in a jeep of six, fees in.
On this page
What the Katagamuwa entrance opens
It opens Block 1. An older version of this URL sent the same boom into Block 5 and parts of Block 3. That was wrong. Block 5 is the Galge drive. Blocks 3 and 4 are not a jeep we sell, even on dates when the park leaves them open.
Kataragama is the nearest city, not an entrance. The Yala National Park official site puts Katagamuwa 14 km from Kataragama, Galge 30 km, and Palatupana 41 km. Dates and distances checked 22 September 2026. Palatupana is the other Block 1 boom, used from Tissamaharama, Kirinda, and the lodges beside that gate. You do not get a different park by choosing Katagamuwa. You get Block 1 from the Kataragama side.
Which block is which is on the Yala safari zones page. If the choice is Block 1 or Block 5 as a package, use Block 1 or Block 5.
Who should use this boom
Use the Katagamuwa entrance when the hotel is in Kataragama and Block 1 is open. The 14 km run is why that stay uses this boom instead of crossing back to Palatupana.
Sleep in Tissamaharama, Kirinda, or Palatupana, and Block 1 is open: we use Palatupana. From Tissamaharama our drivers clock 20 to 25 minutes to that boom. That is a drive time, not a kilometre. We do not publish a minute count for the Katagamuwa road.
Do not self-drive a rental car to the fence and expect to hire a jeep there. The permit, the tracker, and the vehicle are one plan. Our driver meets you at the hotel. Pickup for a Kataragama, Tissamaharama, Kirinda, or Palatupana hotel is 5:30 AM, for a 6:00 AM entry.
When this boom is closed
From 14 September to 15 October 2026, Blocks 1 and 2 are closed. Palatupana and Katagamuwa do not run Block 1 in that window. The park site says Blocks 3, 4, 5, and 6 remain open. The entrance we book then is Galge. The notice is a drought rest, and reopening depends on the weather.
The start of that rest is on the September opening page. What happens around 15 October is on the October safari page. If the Department of Wildlife Conservation extends the dates, we stay on Galge or we move the morning.
What we book
On an open date the park hours are 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM. A morning jeep is in the block from 6:00 AM until about 10:30 AM. An afternoon jeep runs from about 1:30 PM to 6:00 PM. A full day uses the same 5:30 AM pickup and stays until 6:00 PM.
Official Block 1 jeep hire, at Palatupana or Katagamuwa, 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 on the official jeep hire page. A private half-day on our packages starts from USD 57 per person in a group of six, with park fees in. A full day starts from USD 72. USD 30 holds the jeep. The permit split is on the Yala safari price guide.
We do not promise a leopard or any other animal at this boom. Bring the passport that matches the booking. When the hotel and the date are known, book on our Yala safari tours page.
FAQs
Is the Katagamuwa entrance Block 1 or Block 5?
Block 1. Galge is Block 5. A quote that sends Katagamuwa into Block 5 or Block 3 is not the permit we cut.
Is Kataragama the same as the Katagamuwa entrance?
No. Kataragama is the city. The boom is Katagamuwa, 14 km from that city, and it opens Block 1.
Is this boom open in September 2026?
Not for Block 1. From 14 September to 15 October 2026 we book Galge. After 15 October, Katagamuwa is the Block 1 boom again for a Kataragama hotel, unless the rest is extended.
Does this gate have a cheaper jeep?
No. Official Block 1 hire is the same LKR 21,450 half-day at Palatupana and at Katagamuwa, tickets excluded. Our from-price is USD 57 per person for a private half-day in a group of six, fees in.
Tell us the hotel. If it is in Kataragama and Block 1 is open, the morning is this boom. If the date falls inside the 2026 rest, the morning is Galge.