Sinharaja rainforest walk from Colombo

Sinharaja rainforest walk from Colombo is Majeste's private day tour. It takes about 13 hours door to door and costs $78 per person for two, including your own car with an English-speaking driver, and the entry ticket and the compulsory local guide. Prices checked 7 Nov 2026. Nothing to pay now.

Endemic birds, leeches and rain in the last big lowland rainforest.

Small waterfall pouring over rock ledges into a calm pool, surrounded by Sinharaja forest
Photo: Thawsheeb Photography via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

At a glance

StartColombo
Hoursabout 13 hoursDoor to door
Distance245 kmRound trip
Also from these towns
StartHoursKmPer person for two
Negomboabout 14320$95
Airportabout 13.5310$93
Bentotaabout 12.5165$60

About this tour

A guided walk of three to four hours in Sinharaja from the Kudawa entrance, with the compulsory Forest Department guide. The draw is birds, mixed-species flocks, frogs and lizards; large mammals are rarely seen. It rains on most days, there are leeches all year, and the last kilometres of road are narrow and slow. From Colombo it is about four hours each way.

  • Guided rainforest walk with entry ticket and the compulsory guide included
  • Endemic birds, giant squirrels, frogs and lizards; mammals are rarely seen
  • UNESCO World Heritage lowland forest

Your day

Planning times from Colombo, not promises. From another start town the times change.

  1. Pickup in Colombo; via Horana, Kalawana and Weddagala.

  2. Kudawa entrance: tickets, guide and leech socks.

  3. Guided forest walk, three to four hours on muddy trails.

    About Sinharaja rainforest guided walk

  4. Lunch at a village restaurant near Kudawa, paid directly.

  5. Start the drive back.

  6. Arrive in Colombo.

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 Colombo, Negombo, the airport or Bentota
  • Every activity listed under tickets and fees

Not included

  • Lunch is at a local restaurant, paid directly, about USD 5 to 15 a head
  • Leech socks (bought or hired at the entrance)
  • Tips for the driver and any local guide, at your discretion
  • Drinks, snacks and personal spending

Tickets and fees

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

  • The entry fee is budgeted from conflicting sources (USD 15 per person plus the guide).
  • A long day for a four-hour walk; a night at a lodge near the forest is better for birders.
  • Expect to get wet. Bring a change of clothes.

Good months: January, February, March, April, August, September.

Harder months: May, June, October, November.

Read more

Where the figures come from

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