Sri Lanka · Travel guide
How the island divides, how to choose between the ten destinations, how to plan around the two monsoons and the trains, and what two weeks can realistically hold.
Photo: Dbulathwatta · CC BY-SA 4.0
Sri Lanka packs ancient kingdoms, tea hills, safaris and beaches into a small island. This guide covers how the regions divide, how to choose between the ten destinations, how to travel, when to go, what it costs and three routes that work.
Sri Lanka is about 435 km from north to south, and for a visitor it falls into five zones.
The west and Colombo. Colombo is the gateway city, with an international airport 35 km north.
The Cultural Triangle. Sigiriya, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa hold the ancient kingdoms, with Kandy at the southern edge.
The hill country. Nuwara Eliya and Ella are cool, green and famous for tea and trains.
The south. Galle, Mirissa and Yala offer beaches, whales and wildlife.
Worth knowing: The practical route is a loop: Colombo, the Cultural Triangle, Kandy, the hills and the south coast.
Yala for leopards, Minneriya near Polonnaruwa for elephants, and Mirissa for whales.
Ella, Horton Plains and the tea country.
Mirissa and the south coast, best from December to March.
Roads are slow and winding, so distances that look short on a map can take hours.
Car with driver. Popular, comfortable and affordable. Your driver often knows the best stops.
Trains. The Kandy–Ella line is a highlight. Reserve seats early.
Buses. Very cheap and frequent, but crowded and fast.
Tuk-tuks. For short hops. Use PickMe or agree fares.
Worth knowing: The expressways from Colombo to Galle and Matara save hours on the south coast.
Sri Lanka's two monsoons decide the best place to be.
December to March: the south-west coast, hills and Yala are dry and sunny. This is the peak season.
April to May: hot and humid, with thunderstorms. A quiet time.
June to September: the south-west coast is rough and wet, but the Cultural Triangle, Kandy and the east coast are dry. Minneriya elephant gatherings peak.
October and November: heavy rain nearly everywhere.
Worth knowing: Whales off Mirissa are best seen from December to April.
Sri Lanka is good value. A local meal costs US$2–6, a mid-range hotel US$40–90, and a driver with car US$50–90 per day.
Entrance fees to major sites such as Sigiriya are charged in US dollars and are high for foreigners.
Beware of scams and inflated prices from touts. Use reputable operators for safaris and whale watching.
Take care in the sea, since currents are strong.
Reference
Every place named above has its own detailed guide — attractions, food, where to stay, how to get around and a suggested day-by-day plan.
Central Province, Cultural Triangle
The 5th-century rock fortress of Sigiriya, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with frescoes, water gardens and lion's paw gates, plus Pidurangala Rock and the cave temples of Dambulla.
Don't miss Reaching the summit of Sigiriya Rock, with the ruined palace beneath your feet and the jungle spread to the horizon.
Explore Destination — Sigiriya and DambullaCentral Province, hill country
A hill-country city with the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, Kandy Lake, Kandyan dance, Peradeniya Botanical Gardens and the base for tea country trains.
Don't miss The evening puja at the Temple of the Tooth, with drummers, incense and pilgrims in white.
Explore Destination — KandySouthern Province
A 17th-century Dutch fort that is still a living community, with ramparts, a lighthouse, mosques and churches, boutiques, cafés and the beaches of the south coast nearby.
Don't miss Walking the ramparts of Galle Fort at sunset, with waves crashing below and the lighthouse glowing.
Explore Destination — GalleUva Province, hill country
A small hill-country village with Little Adam's Peak, Ella Rock, the Nine Arch Bridge, Ravana Falls and cafés overlooking the Ella Gap.
Don't miss Watching a blue train cross the Nine Arch Bridge among the jungle and tea bushes.
Explore Destination — EllaCentral Province, hill country
Sri Lanka's tea capital at 1,900 metres, with tea estate tours, colonial architecture, Gregory Lake and the Horton Plains' World's End and Baker's Falls.
Don't miss Standing at World's End on the Horton Plains at dawn, before the mist rolls in, with a 870-metre drop at your feet.
Explore Destination — Nuwara Eliya and Horton PlainsSouthern and Uva Provinces
Sri Lanka's most famous safari park, with one of the highest densities of leopards in the world, elephants, buffalo, crocodiles and birds, explored in jeep safaris.
Don't miss A leopard stretched along a rock in early morning light, watched from the safety of a jeep.
Explore Destination — Yala National ParkNorth Central Province
A UNESCO-listed ancient capital, active as a pilgrimage centre, with the Sri Maha Bodhi tree, the Ruwanwelisaya and Jetavanaramaya stupas, monasteries, ponds and palace ruins.
Don't miss Watching pilgrims in white circle the Ruwanwelisaya stupa at dawn with flowers and lamps.
Explore Destination — AnuradhapuraNorth Central Province
A UNESCO-listed 11th to 13th century capital, with the Gal Vihara Buddhas, Vatadage, the Royal Palace and Parakrama Samudra lake, plus Minneriya elephant safaris nearby.
Don't miss Standing before the Gal Vihara, four colossal Buddha figures carved from a single granite rock face.
Explore Destination — PolonnaruwaSouthern Province, south coast
A relaxed beach town on Sri Lanka's south coast, with whale and dolphin watching, Coconut Tree Hill, Parrot Rock, surfing at Weligama and seafood on the sand.
Don't miss Seeing the vast back of a blue whale rise from the Indian Ocean off Mirissa.
Explore Destination — MirissaWestern Province
Sri Lanka's commercial capital, with Galle Face Green, Pettah market, the Gangaramaya Temple, colonial Fort, the National Museum and a strong food scene, the gateway to the island.
Don't miss Watching kite-flying families and street-food vendors at sunset on Galle Face Green.
Explore Destination — ColomboFAQ
A car with a driver is the easiest and most flexible, and it is affordable. Trains are the best experience for the hill country. Buses are cheap but crowded.
The south and west from December to March, and the east from April to September. The cultural triangle and hills are good most of the year.
Reserved seats on the Kandy–Ella line sell out weeks ahead in season. Book early or use a second-class ticket.
Yes. English is widely understood, people are friendly, and distances are short.
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