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A leopard resting on a rock in Yala National Park

Deep south

Tissamaharama and Yala

A town of ancient tanks and stupas on the edge of Yala National Park, the island's best-known place to look for leopards.

Plan a trip with Tissamaharama
Time to spend
1 night
Best months
February to July. Yala usually closes for part of September and early October.
Getting around
Safari jeeps pick you up from your hotel. Book a half-day or full-day safari the evening before.
Good to know
Morning safaris leave at about 5:00 to reach the gate when it opens at 6:00. Bring a hat, water and a light jacket for the early start.

Tissamaharama was the capital of the old southern kingdom of Ruhuna. Its large reservoir, Tissa Wewa, and the restored white stupa date back more than two thousand years, and the town is still a calm, green place to stay.

Most visitors come for Yala National Park, about 30 minutes away by jeep. Block 1, entered at the Palatupana gate, has one of the highest densities of leopards in the world, along with elephants, sloth bears, crocodiles and a great many birds. Sightings depend on luck and patience.

Yala can close at short notice. Blocks 1 and 2 were closed from 14 September to 15 October 2026 because of drought, as they are in most years around September, and reopened on 16 October. Bundala National Park, a wetland famous for birds, is a good alternative nearby.

What to see and do

  • Yala National Park safari (Block 1) Must see

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    A half-day jeep safari (about 06:00 to 10:00, or 14:30 to 18:00) from the Palatupana gate, looking for leopards, elephants, sloth bears and birds across scrub, lagoons and rocky outcrops.

    3 hr 30 min · Morning · 06:00 to 18:00LKR 12,000 to LKR 25,000to confirm

    Per person estimate: park fees for foreign adults (about US$42 to 45) plus a share of a half-day jeep, which costs about LKR 21,000 for the vehicle.

    Usually not running or closed: Sept.

  • Bundala National Park

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    A Ramsar wetland of lagoons and dunes west of Yala, with flamingos in winter, crocodiles and many wading birds. Quieter than Yala.

    3 hr 30 min · AfternoonLKR 10,000 to LKR 20,000to confirm

    Per person estimate for park fees plus a share of a jeep.

  • Kataragama temple complex

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    A sacred site for Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and the Vedda people, about 30 minutes north. The evening puja is the time to go.

    1 hr 30 min · EveningFree entryCover shoulders and knees

  • Tissa Wewa and Tissamaharama stupa

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    An ancient reservoir with birdlife and a lakeside road, near the restored Tissamaharama dagoba.

    1 hr · SunsetFree entry

Also consider

Nearby places to stay

Photos

Elephants gathered at a waterhole
Elephants gathered at a waterhole
A wild elephant in dry scrub
A wild elephant in dry scrub
A Sri Lankan leopard at the forest edge in Yala National Park
A Sri Lankan leopard at the forest edge in Yala National Park
A young female leopard in Yala National Park
A young female leopard in Yala National Park
The entrance arch to the temple complex at Kataragama
The entrance arch to the temple complex at Kataragama
The long path towards Kiri Vehera stupa at Kataragama
The long path towards Kiri Vehera stupa at Kataragama

Ready-made trips that include Tissamaharama

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