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South-west coast

Hikkaduwa

Plan 2 to 3 nights here, and the good months are Nov to Apr. Hikkaduwa is 141 km from Bandaranaike International Airport, about 2 h 15 min by road, and is known for green turtles close to the beach, reef snorkelling and surf.

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Golden sand, white surf and leaning coconut palms along Hikkaduwa beach
Hikkaduwa beachPhoto: Dinusha Chathuranga via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
At a glanceThings to doSights and feesActivitiesDay toursToursHotelsGetting there

At a glance

Hikkaduwa was the island's first beach resort: a long strip of bars and restaurants along the coast road, reef surf breaks, and a marine sanctuary where green turtles feed close to the beach. The coral is badly degraded and the coast road runs straight through the strip. The sea is rough from May to October.

Usual stay2 to 3 nights
Good monthsNov to Apr
From the airport141 kmAbout 2 h 15 min by road
Hotels from$32Double room a night, breakfast included, lowest season at a standard we can name a hotel for

Month by month

  • Good month
  • A real drawback: heavy rain, rough sea or a park closure
  • Blank: neither

Months with a real drawback: May to Oct.

Who it suits

  • Surfers and divers
  • Budget and mid-range beach holidays

The downsides

  • Rough sea from May to October.
  • The coral is badly degraded and the beach has eroded in places.
  • The coast road runs through the town strip: noise and traffic.
Palm-fringed Hikkaduwa beach with boats and a few people under a cloudy sky
Hikkaduwa beach on an overcast dayPhoto: Nilan.iro via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Things to do in Hikkaduwa

  • Snorkel or take a glass-bottom boat in the marine sanctuary
  • Watch turtles at the beach (do not touch or feed them)
  • Surf Main Reef or Benny's (intermediate)
  • Diving
  • Tsunami museum and the Tsunami Honganji Vihara at Peraliya
  • The Madu River boat safari at Balapitiya, 30 minutes away
  • Ambalangoda mask museum
  • Moonstone mine at Meetiyagoda

Sights and entrance fees

Fees last checked 7 November 2026. Tickets are in the price of a tour when its itinerary lists them. Rupee fees converted at LKR 332.5 to USD 1 (XE mid-market rate, 6 Nov 2026). Entrance fees for Sri Lankan residents differ. Message us and we price them for you.

NatureAbout 1 h 30 min on site

Hikkaduwa Coral Sanctuary

A shallow reef just off the main beach at Hikkaduwa where green turtles are seen close to shore on some days, not all, and small fish live among what is left of the coral. The coral is badly degraded; the turtles are the reason to go. Snorkelling from the beach is easy in the calm months.

No fee budgeted

No entrance fee is reported for viewing the reef from the beach. The area is a marine national park on paper, so a small fee could apply; we confirm locally. Glass-bottom boats and snorkel hire are negotiated with the boat owners.

Hours: Open access from the beach; boats run in calm sea, roughly November to April.

  • Do not touch or feed the turtles, and do not stand on the coral.
  • Glass-bottom boat prices are not regulated; agree the price before you get in.
  • The sea is rough and murky from May to October.

Sources

Activities in and around Hikkaduwa

Prices are for the activity only unless the card says a vehicle is included. Last checked 7 November 2026.

  • Blue-ringed angelfish swimming over rocky reef in clear green water at Unawatuna

    Hikkaduwa · about 4 hours

    Two boat dives at Hikkaduwa (certified divers)

    Two guided dives on the reefs and wrecks off Hikkaduwa, the main west-coast dive town. Visibility is lower than on the east coast and depends on the swell. Centres here run from about November to April.

    $89

    per person for two, activity only

  • Green sea turtle swimming over seagrass in shallow water off Sri Lanka

    Hikkaduwa · about 2 hours

    Hikkaduwa reef snorkelling

    Snorkelling from the beach or a small boat over the coral reef in Hikkaduwa's marine sanctuary, where turtles are seen close to shore on some mornings, not all. The reef has suffered from bleaching and boat traffic, so expect patches of dead coral among the fish.

    $25

    per person for two, activity only

  • Sunrise reflected in the still water of the Madu River with reeds and a palm frond in the foreground

    Bentota (Beruwala, Kalutara and Ahungalla) · about 2 hours

    Madu River boat safari

    A two-hour motorboat trip through the mangrove islands of the Madu River (Madu Ganga) wetland at Balapitiya, with a stop at a cinnamon island to see peeling and a temple island. Boats are private to your party. The stretch near the jetty is busy with other boats.

    $30

    per person for two, activity only

  • Aerial view of the whole Galle Fort peninsula with its red roofs, ramparts and surrounding sea

    Galle (with Unawatuna) · about 3 hours

    Paddy and lagoon cycling near Galle

    A guided half-day ride on quiet lanes through paddy fields, cinnamon gardens and village roads inland from Galle and Unawatuna. Mostly flat with short climbs. Early morning is cooler and the roads are emptier.

    $25

    per person for two, activity only

  • Six carved and painted wooden masks with cobra, flame and peacock designs on a white wall

    Bentota (Beruwala, Kalutara and Ahungalla) · about 3 hours

    Mask carving workshop, Ambalangoda

    Ambalangoda is where the painted wooden masks used in southern dance and healing rituals are made. In this workshop you carve and paint a small mask of your own with a craftsman, and see the museum collection. The carving is slow and the paint takes time to dry, so allow three hours.

    $120

    per person for two, activity only

Day tours from Hikkaduwa

Day tours with transport and the listed tickets included. Each price shows who it is for.

More day tours

Tours that stay in Hikkaduwa

Round tours with a night or more here. You can change the route, the nights and the hotels in the planner.

  • Herd of wild elephants grazing on grass beside Minneriya reservoir with low hills behind

    10 days · Comfort hotels

    Family Sri Lanka, 10 days

    Sigiriya (Dambulla and Habarana), Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Ella, Udawalawe National Park, Hikkaduwa

    Pool hotels, bicycles, elephants and a shallow sea

    $1,053

    per person for two, 10 days, comfort hotels, shoulder season, tickets included

  • Surfer holding a longboard looks out at small waves on Weligama beach

    8 days · Comfort hotels

    Surf and beach, south coast, 8 days

    Mirissa (with Weligama), Tangalle (Rekawa and Hiriketiya), Hikkaduwa

    Weligama lessons, whales, Hiriketiya, Hikkaduwa

    $824

    per person for two, 8 days, comfort hotels, November rates, tickets included, one activity paid there

Hotels in Hikkaduwa

Planning rates for a double room per night, taxes and service included. They run from $32 to $440 depending on standard and season. Rates checked 7 November 2026.

Planning rates per double room per night in Hikkaduwa, in US dollars
StandardLowShoulderPeakChristmas
Simple$32$35$45$55
Comfort$58$65$85$100
Superior$100$115$185$230
Luxury$185$220$350$440

Seasons here: Low 1 May to 31 Oct. Shoulder 1 Apr to 30 Apr and 1 Nov to 20 Dec. Peak 10 Jan to 31 Mar. Christmas 21 Dec to 9 Jan.

Bed and breakfast unless the itinerary says otherwise. These are planning rates built from public prices. Choose your dates and the booker shows the price for them; if a rate changes while you are booking, nothing is booked and you see the new price first. Once you book, your booking keeps its price. On a multi-day trip our 8% planning fee is added to the hotel and vehicle cost, as its own line.

The reef and the beach are busy and the main road runs close behind the hotels, so sea-facing rooms are quieter than road-facing ones. Riff Hikkaduwa costs about twice the luxury rate, and our prices do not cover it.

Simple

clean guesthouses and small hotels

  • Avon Villa (guesthouse)
  • Scenery River Star Hotel (guesthouse)
  • Villa Kaya (guesthouse)

Or similar.

Comfort

3-star or good boutique

  • Saffron Robes Living (boutique)
  • Temptation (boutique)
  • Hikka Regent Hotel (3-star)

Or similar.

Superior

4-star

  • Sea Star Boutique Hotel (boutique)
  • Neevana Hotel Hikkaduwa (4-star standard)
  • Hikka Tranz by Cinnamon (4-star)

Or similar.

Luxury

5-star or top boutique

  • DORMERO Hotel Sri Lanka Hikkaduwa Beach (5-star)
  • Crystal Sands Hikkaduwa (5-star)

Or similar.

Hotels are named as examples of the standard you will get. If a named hotel is full we book one of the same standard in the same area and tell you which.

How hotel standards work

Where the figures come from

  • Majeste planning rate table, checked 7 Nov 2026
  • Booking.com city landing pages, snapshot 7 Nov 2026, checked 7 Nov 2026

Getting to Hikkaduwa

Planning times for a private car in daylight, with one short stop and no sightseeing. Add 20 to 40 minutes to leave or enter Colombo at rush hour, and 10 to 20 percent in heavy rain or after dark in the hills.

Road distance and planning time from Hikkaduwa
ToDistanceTime
Galle (with Unawatuna)A2 coast road20 km30 min
Bentota (Beruwala, Kalutara and Ahungalla)A2 coast road37 km60 min
ColomboE01 Southern Expressway, exit Baddegama111 km2 h
AirportE01 Southern Expressway, exit Baddegama141 km2 h 15 min
Sinharaja Forest Reserve (Deniyaya and Kudawa)Estimated via Galle and Akuressa to the Deniyaya entrance from the Hikkaduwa to Galle and Galle to Deniyaya legs102 km2 h 45 min

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Add Hikkaduwa to a trip

Nothing to pay now. You pay in cash when the trip starts: to your driver when the booking includes our vehicle, otherwise to the person we name with the meeting point. No deposit, no card details online.

Add Hikkaduwa to a trip