From Yala (Tissamaharama and Kataragama) · about 8 hours
Bundala bird safari and Kirinda
Wetland birds at dawn, then a temple on the rocks by the sea
$83
per person for two, from Yala (Tissamaharama and Kataragama), tickets included
Kataragama evening puja
Kataragama evening puja is Majeste's private day tour from Yala. It takes about 4.5 hours door to door and costs $23 per person for two, including your own car with an English-speaking driver. Prices checked 7 Nov 2026. Nothing to pay now.
A pilgrimage town shared by four faiths, at the 18:30 service.
At a glance
About this tour
Kataragama is the pilgrimage town 25 to 30 minutes from Tissamaharama, sacred to Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and the Vedda people. You walk across the Menik Ganga with the pilgrims, past the Kiri Vehera dagoba and the mosque, to the Maha Devale for the 18:30 puja with drums, smashed coconuts and fruit offerings. There is no ticket; dress modestly and go barefoot inside.
- Kiri Vehera dagoba and the Maha Devale shrine
- The 18:30 evening puja with drummers and offerings
- Pilgrims bathing in the Menik Ganga before the service
Your day
Planning times from Yala, not promises.
Pickup in Tissamaharama.
Tissa Wewa tank and the Tissamaharama dagoba on the way.
Kataragama: walk across the Menik Ganga with the pilgrims and buy a fruit tray if you want to make an offering.
Kiri Vehera dagoba and the sacred precinct.
Evening puja at the Maha Devale, about 45 minutes.
Drive back; drop-off at about 20:00.
What is in the price
Included
- Private air-conditioned car or van with an English-speaking driver for the day
- Fuel, expressway tolls and parking
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in Tissamaharama, Kirinda or Kataragama
Not included
- Fruit trays and donations, paid directly
- Dinner
- Tips for the driver and any local guide, at your discretion
- Drinks, snacks and personal spending
Tickets and fees
This tour has no tickets to buy.
Entrance fees last checked 7 November 2026. Activity prices last checked 7 November 2026. Rupee fees converted at LKR 332.5 to USD 1 (XE mid-market rate, 6 Nov 2026).
Good to know
- During the Kataragama Esala festival (about two weeks ending on the Esala Poya; 2026 ran 15 to 30 July, and the 2027 dates are not yet announced but are expected in early to mid July) the town is packed and the roads close; we re-time the evening.
- Shoes off and shoulders and knees covered inside the precinct; no photos of the shrine interior.
- This evening is priced at our full-day car rate, because the car and driver are reserved for you.
Good months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, December.
Harder months: October, November.
Read more
- Sri Lanka entrance fees 2026: Sigiriya and parks
Sigiriya is USD 35, Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura USD 30, the Temple of the Tooth LKR 3,000; a park ticket for two is USD 71.86. Checked 7 November 2026.
- Best time to visit Sri Lanka: month by month
January to March is driest on the west and south coasts, in the hills and the Cultural Triangle; May to September suits the east. Checked 7 Nov 2026.
Where the figures come from
- Majeste rate card, checked 7 Nov 2026
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