Currently closed or suspended Yala National Park: Blocks 1 and 2 closed until 15 October 2026 Checked 3 October 2026
Because of drought, the Department of Wildlife Conservation has closed Blocks 1 and 2 of Yala National Park from 14 September to 15 October 2026. Check with the department before booking a safari.
Tissamaharama, usually shortened to Tissa, is a town in Hambantota District in Sri Lanka’s Southern Province and the usual base for safaris in Yala National Park. Its great white stupa and the old reservoir of Tissa Wewa date from the ancient southern kingdom of Ruhuna.
Is Tissamaharama for you?
Go if you are planning a Yala safari and want to stay near the park’s main entrance, or want to combine wildlife with ancient Buddhist sites and the pilgrimage town of Kataragama.
Think twice if neither wildlife nor temples interest you, because the town is mainly a starting point for Yala and Kataragama. Yala can also close in part during drought or after heavy rain, and the top of this page shows any current closure.
Tissamaharama Raja Maha Vihara
The town’s main sight is the Tissamaharama Raja Maha Vihara and its large white stupa. Sri Lanka Tourism lists it among the 16 sacred places of Buddhism in Sri Lanka (the Solosmasthana), because tradition holds that the Buddha visited it.
According to the chronicles, King Kavantissa of Ruhuna built the stupa in the 2nd century BC to enshrine a relic of the Buddha. A large monastery later grew up around it, but it is now mostly in ruins. The present temple buildings date from the 19th century, when restoration of the stupa began. It is a working temple, so dress modestly and remove your shoes where asked.
Tissa Wewa
Tissa Wewa is the large reservoir beside the town. It is believed to date from the 3rd century BC and was built to irrigate paddy fields and supply water to the ancient city. It formed part of an irrigation system linked to the early kings of Ruhuna.
A base for Yala
Sri Lanka Tourism describes Tissamaharama as the gateway to Yala National Park. The park’s main entrance and headquarters are at Palatupana, which you reach from Tissa via Kirinda. That is also where you enter Block I, the most visited part of the park. Safaris are by jeep. You can reach Bundala National Park, a coastal wetland park known for its waterbirds, from Tissa too.
- Closures: the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) can close all or part of Yala during drought or after heavy rain. For example, it closed Blocks I and II from mid-September 2026. The travel update at the top of this page shows any current closure.
- Permits: the DWC issues park permits, and you can reserve a day permit online (see the DWC’s day-permit booking guide).
- Park rules: visitors must stay in their vehicles. In June 2026 five visitors were arrested for walking outside their jeeps in Yala, and they were due to appear before the Tissamaharama Magistrate’s Court.
Sithulpawwa and Kataragama
- Sithulpawwa Rajamaha Viharaya: an ancient monastery inside Yala National Park, on the Tissa–Sithulpawwa road. Researchers have identified it as a monastery founded by King Kavantissa in the 2nd century BC. Some of its rock shelters also carry early Brahmi inscriptions, and it is still a place of worship.
- Kataragama: a pilgrimage town in neighbouring Monaragala District, sacred to Buddhists, Hindus and the indigenous Vedda people. Its main shrine is for the god Skanda-Murukan, while the ancient Kiri Vehera stupa stands nearby. The annual Kataragama festival (15 to 30 July in 2026) draws large crowds of pilgrims.
Travellers often combine Tissa with a trip along the south coast from Galle, or with the hill country around Ella and Haputale.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
What is Tissamaharama known for?
It is the usual base for Yala National Park and has an ancient reservoir, Tissa Wewa. It is also home to the Tissamaharama Raja Maha Vihara, one of Sri Lanka’s 16 sacred places of Buddhism.
Which Yala entrance is closest to Tissamaharama?
Palatupana, the park’s main entrance, which you reach from Tissa via Kirinda. You also enter Block I there.
Is Yala open all year?
Mostly, but the DWC can close all or part of the park during drought or after heavy rain. The travel update at the top of this page shows any current closure, but check with the DWC before you book a safari.
Can you visit Kataragama from Tissamaharama?
Yes. Tissa is a common starting point for Kataragama, a pilgrimage town sacred to Buddhists, Hindus and the Vedda people. In 2026 its annual festival ran from 15 to 30 July.
Sources: srilanka.travel (attractions.php), srilanka.travel (index.php), en.wikipedia.org (Tissamaharama), en.wikipedia.org (Tissamaharama Raja Maha Vihara), en.wikipedia.org (Tissa Wewa (Tissamaharama)), en.wikipedia.org (Kataragama), env.gov.lk, adaderana.lk (cmu0las280006356pjzzscu5f), newswire.lk, adaderana.lk (cmqevs1p20009356qhrv0ho2z), dwc.gov.lk. Header photo: Yashaswin Dineth Bamunusingha / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
