Where to go in Sri Lanka
This page shows the 26 places our tours visit in Sri Lanka, when to go and how long to stay. Each place has its own page with entrance fees, activity prices and hotel rates.
The island by region
Sri Lanka is small on a map and slow on the road. The airport is on the west coast, marked in orange. Hill roads take much longer than the distance suggests, so it pays to keep to two or three regions.
West coast
The airport, Colombo and the nearest beaches.
West coast
Colombo
The commercial capital: markets, temples, food
Usual stay 1 to 2 nights. Good months: Jan to Mar.
West coast
Bentota (Beruwala, Kalutara and Ahungalla)
Resort beach and river close to the airport
Usual stay 2 to 4 nights. Good months: Nov to Apr.
Cultural Triangle
Ancient cities, rock temples and elephant parks.
Cultural Triangle
Anuradhapura
The first capital, a living pilgrimage city
Usual stay 1 to 2 nights. Good months: Jan to Mar, May to Sep.
Cultural Triangle
Sigiriya (Dambulla and Habarana)
Lion Rock and the Cultural Triangle base
Usual stay 2 to 3 nights. Good months: Jan to Apr, Jun to Sep.
Cultural Triangle
Polonnaruwa
Compact medieval capital, cycled in a morning
Usual stay 1 night. Good months: Jan to Mar, May to Sep.
Hill country
Tea estates, cool air and the train through the hills.
Hill country
Kandy
Last royal capital and the Tooth Relic
Usual stay 1 to 2 nights. Good months: Jan to Apr, Aug.
Hill country, rainforest belt
Kitulgala
White-water rafting on the Kelani River
Usual stay 1 night. Good months: May to Dec.
Tea country
Hatton (Adam's Peak and tea country)
Tea estates and the Adam's Peak climb
Usual stay 1 to 2 nights. Good months: Dec to Apr.
Hill country
Nuwara Eliya
Cool tea town at 1,900 metres
Usual stay 1 to 2 nights. Good months: Jan to Apr.
Hill country
Ella
Small hill village with big views
Usual stay 2 to 3 nights. Good months: Jan to Apr, Jun to Sep.
Hill country
Haputale
Ridge-top tea town, quieter than Ella
Usual stay 1 to 2 nights. Good months: Jan to Apr, Jul to Sep.
South coast and deep south
Beaches, Galle Fort, whale boats, the southern parks and the rainforest.
Deep south, inland
Udawalawe National Park
Wild elephants all year, sightings not guaranteed
Usual stay 1 night. Good months: Jan to Sep.
Deep south
Yala (Tissamaharama and Kataragama)
Leopard country, with the jeeps to match
Usual stay 2 nights. Good months: Feb to Jul.
South coast
Tangalle (Rekawa and Hiriketiya)
Long quiet beaches and turtle nesting
Usual stay 2 to 3 nights. Good months: Dec to Apr.
South coast
Mirissa (with Weligama)
Whale-watching port and a lively beach
Usual stay 2 to 3 nights. Good months: Dec to Apr.
South coast
Galle (with Unawatuna)
Walled Dutch fort of cafes and ramparts
Usual stay 1 to 2 nights. Good months: Dec to Apr.
South-west coast
Hikkaduwa
Original beach resort with turtles and surf
Usual stay 2 to 3 nights. Good months: Nov to Apr.
Rainforest
Sinharaja Forest Reserve (Deniyaya and Kudawa)
Lowland rainforest, endemic birds, leeches
Usual stay 1 to 2 nights. Good months: Jan to Mar, Aug to Sep.
East coast
Beaches and surf, with a season opposite to the south-west coast.
East coast
Trincomalee (Nilaveli and Uppuveli)
Calm east-coast beaches in the summer months
Usual stay 2 to 4 nights. Good months: May to Sep.
East coast
Pasikudah (Kalkudah and Batticaloa)
A shallow, calm bay for young children
Usual stay 2 to 4 nights. Good months: May to Sep.
East coast
Arugam Bay
Surf village with Kumana park nearby
Usual stay 3 to 4 nights. Good months: Apr to Sep.
East, inland
Gal Oya National Park
Boat safaris where elephants sometimes swim
Usual stay 1 to 2 nights. Good months: Mar to Sep.
North-west
Kitesurfing, dolphins and Wilpattu National Park.
North-west coast
Kalpitiya
Dolphins, kitesurfing and a quiet peninsula
Usual stay 2 to 5 nights. Good months: Dec to Mar.
North-west
Wilpattu National Park
Leopards and sloth bears, few jeeps
Usual stay 1 to 2 nights. Good months: Feb to Sep.
North
Tamil temples, Jaffna Fort and causeways to the islands.
North
Jaffna
Tamil culture, kovils, islands and crab curry
Usual stay 2 to 3 nights. Good months: Jan to Sep.
Best months for each place
Sri Lanka has two monsoons, so some part of the island is usually in season. Good months are general guidance, not a promise: weather changes from year to year.
- Good month
- A real drawback: heavy rain, rough sea or a park closure
- Blank: neither
| Place | JJan | FFeb | MMar | AApr | MMay | JJun | JJul | AAug | SSep | OOct | NNov | DDec | Good months |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West coast | |||||||||||||
| Negombo | January: good | February: good | March: good | April: good | May: real drawback | June: real drawback | July: real drawback | August: real drawback | September: real drawback | October: real drawback | November: neither | December: good | Dec to Apr |
| Colombo | January: good | February: good | March: good | April: neither | May: real drawback | June: neither | July: neither | August: neither | September: neither | October: real drawback | November: real drawback | December: neither | Jan to Mar |
| Bentota | January: good | February: good | March: good | April: good | May: real drawback | June: real drawback | July: real drawback | August: real drawback | September: real drawback | October: real drawback | November: good | December: good | Nov to Apr |
| Cultural Triangle | |||||||||||||
| Anuradhapura | January: good | February: good | March: good | April: neither | May: good | June: good | July: good | August: good | September: good | October: real drawback | November: real drawback | December: real drawback | Jan to Mar, May to Sep |
| Sigiriya | January: good | February: good | March: good | April: good | May: neither | June: good | July: good | August: good | September: good | October: real drawback | November: real drawback | December: neither | Jan to Apr, Jun to Sep |
| Polonnaruwa | January: good | February: good | March: good | April: neither | May: good | June: good | July: good | August: good | September: good | October: real drawback | November: real drawback | December: neither | Jan to Mar, May to Sep |
| Hill country | |||||||||||||
| Kandy | January: good | February: good | March: good | April: good | May: neither | June: neither | July: neither | August: good | September: neither | October: real drawback | November: real drawback | December: neither | Jan to Apr, Aug |
| Kitulgala | January: neither | February: neither | March: neither | April: neither | May: good | June: good | July: good | August: good | September: good | October: good | November: good | December: good | May to Dec |
| Hatton | January: good | February: good | March: good | April: good | May: neither | June: real drawback | July: real drawback | August: real drawback | September: real drawback | October: real drawback | November: real drawback | December: good | Dec to Apr |
| Nuwara Eliya | January: good | February: good | March: good | April: good | May: neither | June: neither | July: neither | August: neither | September: neither | October: real drawback | November: real drawback | December: neither | Jan to Apr |
| Ella | January: good | February: good | March: good | April: good | May: neither | June: good | July: good | August: good | September: good | October: real drawback | November: real drawback | December: real drawback | Jan to Apr, Jun to Sep |
| Haputale | January: good | February: good | March: good | April: good | May: neither | June: neither | July: good | August: good | September: good | October: real drawback | November: real drawback | December: neither | Jan to Apr, Jul to Sep |
| South coast and deep south | |||||||||||||
| Udawalawe | January: good | February: good | March: good | April: good | May: good | June: good | July: good | August: good | September: good | October: real drawback | November: real drawback | December: neither | Jan to Sep |
| Yala | January: neither | February: good | March: good | April: good | May: good | June: good | July: good | August: neither | September: real drawback | October: real drawback | November: real drawback | December: neither | Feb to Jul |
| Tangalle | January: good | February: good | March: good | April: good | May: real drawback | June: real drawback | July: real drawback | August: real drawback | September: real drawback | October: real drawback | November: neither | December: good | Dec to Apr |
| Mirissa | January: good | February: good | March: good | April: good | May: real drawback | June: real drawback | July: real drawback | August: real drawback | September: real drawback | October: real drawback | November: neither | December: good | Dec to Apr |
| Galle | January: good | February: good | March: good | April: good | May: real drawback | June: neither | July: neither | August: neither | September: neither | October: real drawback | November: real drawback | December: good | Dec to Apr |
| Hikkaduwa | January: good | February: good | March: good | April: good | May: real drawback | June: real drawback | July: real drawback | August: real drawback | September: real drawback | October: real drawback | November: good | December: good | Nov to Apr |
| Sinharaja | January: good | February: good | March: good | April: neither | May: real drawback | June: real drawback | July: neither | August: good | September: good | October: real drawback | November: real drawback | December: neither | Jan to Mar, Aug to Sep |
| East coast | |||||||||||||
| Trincomalee | January: real drawback | February: neither | March: neither | April: neither | May: good | June: good | July: good | August: good | September: good | October: neither | November: real drawback | December: real drawback | May to Sep |
| Pasikudah | January: real drawback | February: neither | March: neither | April: neither | May: good | June: good | July: good | August: good | September: good | October: neither | November: real drawback | December: real drawback | May to Sep |
| Arugam Bay | January: real drawback | February: real drawback | March: real drawback | April: good | May: good | June: good | July: good | August: good | September: good | October: real drawback | November: real drawback | December: real drawback | Apr to Sep |
| Gal Oya | January: real drawback | February: neither | March: good | April: good | May: good | June: good | July: good | August: good | September: good | October: neither | November: real drawback | December: real drawback | Mar to Sep |
| North-west | |||||||||||||
| Kalpitiya | January: good | February: good | March: good | April: neither | May: neither | June: neither | July: neither | August: neither | September: neither | October: real drawback | November: real drawback | December: good | Dec to Mar |
| Wilpattu | January: real drawback | February: good | March: good | April: good | May: good | June: good | July: good | August: good | September: good | October: neither | November: real drawback | December: real drawback | Feb to Sep |
| North | |||||||||||||
| Jaffna | January: good | February: good | March: good | April: good | May: good | June: good | July: good | August: good | September: good | October: real drawback | November: real drawback | December: real drawback | Jan to Sep |
Every place page shows its downsides too: crowds, long drives, rough sea and rain.
Ready to choose?
Pick your places in the planner. You see the full price before you ask us anything, and nothing is paid online.