A train travels over a bridge in a lush green forest.

Sri Lanka

Leopards, tea country and two coasts with opposite seasons, all within a day's drive of each other.

Best time to visit: Dec–Mar (south & west)
Getting around: Car with driver, plus the hill train
Currency: Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR)
Ideal length: 8–10 days

A small island that needs a smart route

Sri Lanka packs ancient cities, misty tea hills, wildlife parks and beaches into an island you can cross in a day. The catch is the roads: they're slow, so the order you do things in matters more than how many you fit in.

The classic loop runs from the Cultural Triangle to Kandy, the train to Ella, a safari in Yala and a few slow days on the south coast. It works best from December to March. From May to September we move the beach days to the east coast around Trincomalee, where the sea is calm.

The island, area by area

Map of Sri Lanka — Approximate Map & Locations

Climb the lion rock at 7am, then Dambulla's cave temples and the ruins of Polonnaruwa. Anuradhapura, a sacred UNESCO city with ancient temples and a 2,000-year-old tree, makes a good day trip.
The Temple of the Tooth and a lake in the middle of Kandy, then the hill-country train through tea estates to Ella, with Little Adam's Peak and the Nine Arches Bridge. Nuwara Eliya is a cool colonial hill station at 1,868 metres.
Sri Lanka's best chance of seeing a leopard. Two nights and early-morning drives give the best odds. Udawalawe, nearby, has herds of wild elephants.
Colombo is colonial buildings, markets and the Galle Face promenade, worth a night or two around the airport. Galle is a Dutch fort town to walk at sunset, with Bentota's lagoons and Mirissa's blue whales (November to April) along the coast.
East-coast beaches for May to September, when the south and west get the monsoon.

Things worth actually doing

Tap the ones you would like on your trip.

Pick a few and we will build the trip around them.

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Good to know before you go

Apply for the ETA online
Indian passport holders need an Electronic Travel Authorisation before flying. It takes a few minutes online.
Two coasts, two seasons
The south and west are best from December to March; the east coast from May to September.
Hire a driver, don't self-drive
Roads are slow and distances deceptive. A car with a driver-guide is the norm and good value.
Dress for temples
Cover shoulders and knees, take off shoes and hats, and never pose with your back to a Buddha statue.