From Trincomalee (Nilaveli and Uppuveli) · about 5.5 hours
Whale and dolphin watching from Trincomalee
Blue whales off the east coast, roughly May to August
$83
per person for two, from Trincomalee (Nilaveli and Uppuveli), activity included
Pigeon Island snorkelling and Koneswaram at sunset
Pigeon Island snorkelling and Koneswaram at sunset is Majeste's private day tour from Trincomalee. It takes about 11 hours door to door and costs $96 per person for two, including your own car with an English-speaking driver, and the boat from Nilaveli, the park tickets and a mask and snorkel. Prices checked 7 Nov 2026. Nothing to pay now.
Snorkelling at Pigeon Island in the morning, the temple on Swami Rock in the evening.
At a glance
About this tour
The first boat of the morning from Nilaveli to Pigeon Island, where blacktip reef sharks and turtles are seen by snorkellers in shallow water on some mornings, not all, then a rest through the heat and Fort Frederick and Koneswaram temple in the late afternoon. The coral near the shore is damaged and the island is crowded by 10:00, which is why the boat leaves at 08:00. Season is roughly May to September.
- Pigeon Island snorkelling with boat, park tickets and mask included
- Blacktip reef sharks and turtles on some mornings, not all
- Koneswaram temple and the deer of Fort Frederick at sunset, free entry
Your day
Planning times from Trincomalee, not promises.
Pickup at your hotel.
Boat from Nilaveli beach, ten minutes.
Snorkelling on the reef, two to three hours. No touching coral or chasing turtles.
Back on the beach; lunch at Nilaveli, paid directly.
Back to your hotel for the hot hours.
Fort Frederick and the deer, then Koneswaram temple on Swami Rock. Shoes off, modest dress.
Sunset from the rock, then drop-off at about 18:30.
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 Trincomalee, Uppuveli or Nilaveli
- Every entrance ticket and activity listed under tickets and fees
Not included
- Lunch is at a local restaurant, paid directly, about USD 5 to 15 a head
- Fins (hired on the beach)
- Tips for the driver and any local guide, at your discretion
- Drinks, snacks and personal spending
Tickets and fees
Koneswaram Temple
Free entry
Free. A working Hindu temple; no ticket.
Source
- MySLTravel entrance fee list 2025-2026 (free entry), checked 7 Nov 2026
Pigeon Island snorkelling
$116.45
About LKR 15,000 (USD 45) per boat for up to 6 people, a 2025 figure, plus Category I park tickets with the gazette's boat fee of LKR 150: about USD 71 for two adults.
Source
- AmazingLanka Pigeon Island page (2025 fee schedule and boat rate), checked 7 Nov 2026
- Department of Wildlife Conservation fee schedule (Gazette 2292/11 of 8 Aug 2022, as reproduced in the Centre for a Smart Future report of 12 Mar 2025), checked 7 Nov 2026
- ABTA Animal Welfare Guidelines, unacceptable practices, checked 7 Nov 2026
Amounts are for two adults. Entrance fees for Sri Lankan residents differ. Message us and we price them for you.
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
- Boats do not go out in rough sea; from November to January the east coast is wet, so we do not sell this tour in those months.
- The boat fee is priced from a 2025 figure of about LKR 15,000 per boat. It is in the total you book, which does not change.
- Kanniya hot wells can be added on the way back; any entry fee is paid at the gate.
- Snorkellers must be able to swim; the boat operator takes children from six.
Good months: May, June, July, August, September.
Harder months: February.
Optional extras
Not in the price. Add them in the price box.
- Discover Scuba try-dive at Trincomalee
+$150 for two
USD 75 per person, the operator's current price (listed at USD 100, charged at USD 75).
Read more
- East coast in summer: Trincomalee to Arugam Bay
From May to September the east coast is the right beach: June averages 25 mm of rain at Trincomalee against 205 mm at Colombo. Checked 7 November 2026.
- 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
- MySLTravel entrance fee list 2025-2026 (free entry), checked 7 Nov 2026
- AmazingLanka Pigeon Island page (2025 fee schedule and boat rate), checked 7 Nov 2026
- Majeste rate card, checked 7 Nov 2026
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