Lunugamvehera National Park | AmazingLanka.com

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A leopard very close to the Galge Entrance seen at about 6.30 AM

Size	23,499 hectares
Main attraction	Large herds of Elephants, Deer, Wild boar, Bear, Birds and Fish

The Lunugamvehera National Park in Monaragala District was opened to the public on February 01, 2005.

The Lunugamvehera National Park was established for protection as a corridor for elephant migration from the Yala National Park to the Udawalawe National Park’s Western region and for the protection of the catchment areas of the Lunugamvehera Reservoir. Even though the Lunugamvehera National Park, covering an extent of 23,498.8 ha, was established on December 08, 1995, it had not been opened to the public until 2005. The Lunugamvehera Reservoir within the park covers 3,283 ha.

Located in the Moneragala District of the Uva Province, Lunugamvehera extends to Thanamalwila, Wellawaya, Kataragama, Buttala and the Hambantota District in the South. Rich in biodiversity, the park is a habitat for a large number of wild elephants and wild buffaloes. In addition, other species of animals such as Leopards, Fishing Cats, Grey Mongoose, Bears, Wild Boar, Spotted Deer, and Mouse Deer are found here. Being a dry-mixed evergreen forest, Lunugamvehera Park has a variety of tree and plant species which provide ample food stocks for herbivores.

The Yala Gal-ge Entrance at Lunugamvehera National Park entrance provides access to Yala blocks III, IV and V. The Lunugamvehera National Park has two access roads, while the headquarters and the entrance to the park is located on the Hambantota-Wellawaya road near Thanamalwila (see map below).

The other entrance is from the Gal-ge on Sella Kataragama – Buttala Road. This entrance is more suitable to access the Veheragala Reservoir or the Ruins. There is very little traffic from this entrace since most prefer Yala over this National Park but this area too is filled with wildlife. See the album below for some of the wildlife captured from this entrance.

Lunugamvehera National Park Ticket Prices

Description / Category	Price
Local – Adults	LKR 150
Local – Children (6-12 years)	LKR 100
Local – Student	LKR 20
Local – Children (below 6 years)	FOC
Local – Group Fee (per vehicle)	LKR 400
Foreign – Adults	USD 25
Foreign – Children (6-12 years)	USD 15
Foreign SAARC Countries – Adults	USD 20
Foreign SAARC Countries – Children (6-12 years)	USD 10
Foreign – Children (below 6 years)	FOC
Foreign – Group Fee (per vehicle)	USD 10
Taxes on total cost	18%
Entrance Fee per vehicle	LKR 300

Ticket Price Schedule for 2025

For example, 2 foreigners with 1 child between 6-12 will have the cost of

Description	Cost
2 adults	USD 50.00
1 child	USD 15.00
Group Fee	USD 10.00
Total	USD 75.00
Tax (18%)	USD 13.50
Total	USD 88.50

The above calculation applies only to individual entry tickets as gazetted in 2022 and remain valid for 2025. The vehicle entry ticket, as listed separately, must be purchased in addition to the personal tickets.

Foreign visitors may make payments in USD or the equivalent amount in LKR. For the most up-to-date ticket prices, the Government Information Centre can be contacted on 1919. If a private safari jeep is hired for a land safari, rates generally range from LKR 7,500 to LKR 10,000 for a half-day excursion of about four hours, depending on the national park. A full-day safari is typically charged at twice the half-day rate.

Visiting Hours

All national parks in Sri Lanka operate daily throughout the year, remaining open from 6.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. Entry ticket counters open at 6.00 a.m. and close at 4.00 p.m., and all vehicles are required to exit the parks strictly by 6.00 p.m.

Eagles on lookout @ Lunuamvehera National Park

A leopard very close to the Galge Entrance pf the Lunuamvehera National Park seen at about 6.30 AM

Two leopards hiding inside a thicket very close to the Galge Entrance of the Lunuamvehera National Park seen at about 6.30 AM

Veheragala Reservoir @ Lunuamvehera National Park

A herd of deer below the dam of the Veheragala Reservoir @ Lunuamvehera National Park

A very large herd of deer below the dam of the Veheragala Reservoir @ Lunuamvehera National Park

Ruins of the ancient Ruhunu Civilization inside the Lunugamvehera National Park

Ruins of a ancient civilization in Lunugamveherea

Inscriptions of ancient Magama civilization near Weheragala Reservoir in the Lunugamvehera National Park

Ruins of ancient Magama civilization near Weheragala Reservoir in the Lunugamvehera National Park

Also See

Map of Lunugamvehera National Park

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