North-west coast
Plan 2 to 5 nights here, and the good months are Dec to Mar. Kalpitiya is 136 km from Bandaranaike International Airport, about 3 h 15 min by road, and is known for dolphin boat trips, its kitesurfing lagoon and Bar Reef.
Kalpitiya is a flat, sandy peninsula north of Puttalam known for spinner-dolphin pods, a kitesurfing lagoon and the Bar Reef. Infrastructure is basic and there are few restaurants outside the hotels. The sea is rough during the south-west monsoon, so dolphin boats run from about September to April, calmest from November; kiters come for the wind from May to October.
Months with a real drawback: Oct to Nov.
Prices are for the activity only unless the card says a vehicle is included. Last checked 7 November 2026.
Kalpitiya · about 3 hours
Outboard dinghies launch from the beach at dawn to find spinner dolphin pods off the Kalpitiya peninsula, sometimes in the hundreds. The ride is wet and bouncy. Dolphins are seen on some mornings, not all, and whales occasionally; neither is guaranteed.
$94
per person for two, activity only
Kalpitiya · about 1 hour
One hour of private tuition on the flat Kalpitiya lagoon with an instructor, billed on time on the water. Most people need 9 to 12 hours to ride on their own. Wind is reliable in two seasons and absent between them.
$74
per person for two, activity only
Round tours with a night or more here. You can change the route, the nights and the hotels in the planner.
21 days · Comfort hotels
Negombo, Kalpitiya, Wilpattu National Park, Anuradhapura, Jaffna, Trincomalee (Nilaveli and Uppuveli), Sigiriya (Dambulla and Habarana), Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Ella, Yala (Tissamaharama and Kataragama), Galle (with Unawatuna)
Three weeks: Jaffna, Trincomalee and the classic loop
$2,411
per person for two, 21 days, comfort hotels, shoulder season, tickets included, Udawattakele forest ticket and temple-run sites paid there
Planning rates for a double room per night, taxes and service included. They run from $27 to $280 depending on standard and season. Rates checked 7 November 2026.
| Standard | Low | Shoulder | Peak | Christmas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simple | $27 | $30 | $40 | $45 |
| Comfort | $55 | $60 | $80 | $90 |
| Superior | $85 | $95 | $140 | $170 |
| Luxury | $135 | $150 | $230 | $280 |
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.
Few hotels here, so the superior and luxury rates are rough figures. Kalpitiya has two kitesurfing seasons (mid-May to mid-October and mid-December to mid-March), so May to October is busier here than our west-coast low season suggests. If a named hotel costs more than the rate shown then, we book one of the same standard in the same area at this rate.
clean guesthouses and small hotels
Or similar.
3-star or good boutique
Or similar.
4-star
Or similar.
5-star or top boutique
Or similar.
Where the figures come from
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.
| To | Distance | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Wilpattu National ParkRoad via Puttalam to the Hunuwilagama gate; a boat across the lagoon to the Gangewadiya side is a separate option | 110 km | 2 h 30 min |
| AnuradhapuraVia Puttalam and the A12 | 120 km | 2 h 45 min |
| NegomboA3 coast road | 128 km | 2 h 45 min |
| AirportA3 coast road to Palavi, then B349 up the peninsula | 136 km | 3 h 15 min |
| ColomboA3 coast road | 163 km | 3 h 45 min |
Mirissa boats run daily November to late April, USD 60 per adult with Majeste; Trincomalee roughly May to August, USD 60 per adult too. Checked 7 Nov 2026.
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.
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.
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.
