Last updated: September 2026
Key takeaways
- The Yala National Park map sits 260 km southeast of Colombo. Official coordinates are 6°22’22N 81°31’01E.
- The park lists 378 sq miles. The published nearest city is Kataragama. Tissamaharama is where we actually pick hotels.
- From Kataragama: Katagamuwa 14 km, Galge 30 km, Palatupana 41 km. From Tissa, Palatupana is 20 to 25 minutes.
- The 2026 map update is the rest window: Blocks 1 and 2 close 14 September to 15 October 2026. We run Galge then.
- A private half-day jeep on our packages starts from USD 57 per person in a jeep of 6.
The Yala National Park map is the southeast corner of Sri Lanka, 260 km from Colombo, with Palatupana and Katagamuwa opening Block 1 and Galge opening Block 5. Pin Tissa for the hotel. Pin the boom for the ticket. Do not pin Battaramulla and drive there at 5:00 AM.
This page is the location spoke. Use the complete Yala tour guide for safari types and ticket rules. Here we place the park on the island, name the blocks you can actually enter, and say which pin we use at 5:30 AM.
What this yala national park map covers
- Where the park sits on the Sri Lanka map
- Which city to use as the base
- Blocks versus gates
- The 2026 rest-date update
- Gate distances we actually drive
- Season and jeep price
- Wilpattu and Udawalawe
- FAQ
Where is Yala National Park on the map?
Yala National Park location is the southeast dry zone, hugging the Indian Ocean. The official fact sheet puts it 260 km southeast of Colombo. The published coordinates are 6°22’22N 81°31’01E.
The park lists 378 sq miles on that same sheet. It became a national park on 1 March 1938. Those figures sit on the Yala National Park official site. Last updated: September 2026.
Google will still drop a pin in the bush. We do not follow that pin to the ticket desk. The clerk sits at Palatupana, Katagamuwa, or Galge. Save the yala national park map for the island view. Save the boom for the morning.
Which city is Yala located in?
The official nearest city is Kataragama. The hotel town we use most is Tissamaharama. Kirinda and Palatupana lodges sit closer to the main Block 1 boom.
| Pin | What it is | Who we send there |
|---|---|---|
| Kataragama | Official nearest city. Temple town | Sleep here, then Katagamuwa or Galge |
| Tissamaharama | Usual safari hotel base | Most of our 5:30 AM pickups |
| Kirinda / Palatupana | Coastal strip by Gate 1 | Shortest run to the Palatupana boom |
| Colombo | 260 km northwest | Fly or drive the day before. Not a same-morning start |
Do not type âYala townâ into a taxi app and hope. There is no one civic centre with a park office on the high street. Tell us the hotel name. We set the clock from that door.
Blocks on the 2026 yala national park map
The public yala national park map is not one open grid. It is a set of blocks with their own booms. Mix the block and the gate and you queue at the wrong fence.
| Block | Usual gate | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Block 1 | Palatupana or Katagamuwa | Main leopard circuit. Busiest tracks |
| Block 5 | Galge | Fewer jeeps. Rest-date default |
| Block 2 | Closed with Block 1 in the 2026 rest | Not a public same-morning add-on |
Block 1 holds one of the highest recorded densities of Sri Lankan leopard. The parkâs own homepage puts that density higher than anywhere else. That is why Palatupana is the default pin if the cat is why you booked.
Block 5 is still Yala. Leopards live there too. The bush is thicker. The jeep count is lower. We still track pugmarks and alarm calls. We do not sell a guaranteed cat on either block.
Gates versus the map pin
The map pin is not the boom. From Kataragama, Katagamuwa is 14 km, Galge is 30 km, and Palatupana is 41 km. From Tissa, Palatupana is 20 to 25 minutes. Those Kataragama distances are the official ones we use.
| Gate | From Kataragama | Block | Who we send there |
|---|---|---|---|
| Katagamuwa | 14 km | Block 1 | Kataragama hotels, or Palatupana already jammed |
| Galge | 30 km | Block 5 | Second safari, quieter tracks, Block 1 rest dates |
| Palatupana | 41 km | Block 1 | Tissa, Kirinda, Palatupana stays. First leopard jeep |
Park hours are 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Head office hours are 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Our local pickup is 5:30 AM. Do not self-drive to a dropped pin hoping to hire a cab at the fence. Permit, tracker, and jeep are one plan.
What the 2026 yala national park map update actually changes
The live map update is the rest window, not a new Google layer. From 14 September to 15 October 2026, Blocks 1 and 2 are closed. Blocks 3, 4, 5, and 6 stay open. Palatupana and Katagamuwa do not run Block 1 in that window.
Phone maps still highlight Palatupana in September. Guests still arrive at a shut Block 1 boom. We do not. Galge is the pin we use in that stretch. Confirm the night before. If DWC extends the rest, we stay on Galge or we reschedule at no extra charge.
Print the rest dates. Then ignore the cached yala national park map on your phone until we tell you the boom. The tracker in our jeep is the map that matters after 6:00 AM.
Season, rest dates, and what the jeep costs
February to July is the driest window. June and July are the peak months for leopards in Block 1. The northeast monsoon runs from about September to December. Grass is higher then. Sightings take more patience.
| Months | Map and jeep plan |
|---|---|
| FebâJul | Book Palatupana ahead in JunâJul. Dry tracks. High jeep count |
| Augâ13 Sep 2026 | Block 1 still open. Palatupana or Katagamuwa |
| 14 Sepâ15 Oct 2026 | Blocks 1 and 2 closed. Galge / Block 5 only |
| NovâJan | Northeast monsoon. Confirm the block the night before |
A private half-day jeep on our packages starts from USD 57 per person in a jeep of 6, with park fees in. Full-day private jeeps start from USD 72 per person in a group of six. A USD 30 deposit holds the jeep.
Official Block 1 jeep hire, tickets excluded, is LKR 21,450 half-day and LKR 31,350 full-day. Galge jeep hire is LKR 23,100 half-day and LKR 32,900 full-day. Foreign adult permits start at about USD 25 before service charges and VAT.
Last updated: September 2026. Those LKR hire lines sit on the park safari-ride page. Permit totals move with the dollar. That is why our from-price wraps the ticket.
Do not use a Wilpattu or Udawalawe map for a Yala ticket
Each park has its own map, boom, and permit. A Wilpattu ranger cannot clear Palatupana. An Udawalawe desk cannot hold a Yala jeep. Stay with Yala if leopards are the trip.
| Park | Where it sits | Pick it for |
|---|---|---|
| Yala Block 1 | Southeast. Palatupana or Katagamuwa | Leopards, Tissa logistics |
| Yala Block 5 | Galge boom. Same park, different gate | Fewer jeeps. Rest dates |
| Udawalawe | West of Yala. Separate park | Elephant herds. Weak cat odds |
| Wilpattu | North of the island. Not a Palatupana add-on | Quieter forest. Needs a spare night |
If you want the permit, the 5:30 AM pickup, and the jeep in one quote, book a private jeep on our Yala safari tours. Send the hotel name and the date on WhatsApp. We lock the cab with a USD 30 deposit and tell you which boom the map is using that morning.
FAQ
Where is Yala National Park on the map in 2026?
Yala National Park sits 260 km southeast of Colombo, at 6°22’22N 81°31’01E. The official nearest city is Kataragama. Tissamaharama is the usual hotel base we pick from at 5:30 AM.
Which city is Yala located in?
The official nearest city is Kataragama. Most safari hotels sit in Tissamaharama, Kirinda, or Palatupana. There is no single âYala townâ with a public ticket office on the high street.
What did the 2026 yala national park map update change?
Blocks 1 and 2 close from 14 September to 15 October 2026. Blocks 3, 4, 5, and 6 stay open. We use the Galge boom in that window, not Palatupana.
Can I follow Google Maps to the safari?
You can use Google Maps to reach Tissa or Kataragama. Do not follow a bush pin to the ticket desk. We collect you at 5:30 AM and take the live boom.
How far is Palatupana from Tissa on the map?
From Tissa, Palatupana is 20 to 25 minutes. From Kataragama, Palatupana is 41 km. Katagamuwa is 14 km from Kataragama. Galge is 30 km from Kataragama.
How much is a private jeep once I know the pin?
A private half-day on our packages starts from USD 57 per person in a jeep of 6, with park fees included. Official Block 1 jeep hire, tickets excluded, is LKR 21,450 half-day. A USD 30 deposit holds our cab.