This post was updated in July 2020.
Sri Lanka may be a small country, but this beautiful island in the Indian Ocean has a whole lot to offer! There are beautiful beaches, green mountains, even greener tea plantations, ancient and impressive Buddhist temples, colorful and detailed Hindu temples, and much more.
This 1 month Sri Lanka itinerary will help you make the most of your Sri Lanka trip. Even if you don’t have time to spend a month in Sri Lanka, I hope this post will give you plenty of inspiration which places to visit in Sri Lanka.
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1 month Sri Lanka itinerary
- 1 month Sri Lanka itinerary
- How to plan the perfect Sri Lanka trip
- Sri Lanka 1 month itinerary
- Sri Lanka travel itinerary: important facts and figures
- Day 1: arrive at Bandaranaike International Airport in Negombo
- Day 2-3: sightseeing in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka
- Day 4-5: exploring Galle and around
- Day 6-8: diving, surfing and relaxing in Weligama
- Day 9: snorkeling in Talalla
- Day 10-11: safari at Udawalawe National Park
- Day 11-13: hiking in Ella
- Day 14-15: walking through tea fields in Haputale
- Day 16: rainy Nuwara Eliya
- Day 17-18: cultural Kandy
- Day 19-20: iconic Sigiriya
- Day 21: ancient Anuradhapura
- Day 22-23: colorful and quiet Jaffna
- Day 24-26: laid back Kalpitiya
- Sri Lanka travel itinerary: in conclusion
How to plan the perfect Sri Lanka trip
I have written several posts about our trip, together with this itinerary it should provide you with all the information you need to plan your trip to Sri Lanka! My other Sri Lanka posts can be found here:
- Sri Lanka budget breakdown ⇒ our average daily travel budget in Sri Lanka.
- Sri Lanka accommodation guide ⇒ where we stayed during our trip, pros and cons for those accommodations and prices per night.
Sri Lanka 1 month itinerary
In the map below you can find our one month Sri Lanka itinerary.
Click here for the interactive map.
Sri Lanka itinerary
- Day 1: arrive at Bandaranaike International Airport in Negombo
- Day 2-3: go sightseeing in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka
- Day 4-5: explore Galle and around
- Day 6-8: go diving, surfing or just relax in Weligama
- Day 9: snorkel in Talalla
- Day 10-11: go on safari at Udawalawe National Park
- Day 11-13: hike around Ella
- Day 14-15: walk in the green tea fields in Haputale
- Day 16: explore Nuwara Eliya
- Day 17-18: discover cultural Kandy
- Day 19-20: visit iconic Sigiriya
- Day 21: wander around ancient Anuradhapura
- Day 22-23: travel north to colorful and quiet Jaffna
- Day 24-26: relax in laid back Kalpitiya
Sri Lanka travel itinerary: important facts and figures
- I traveled around Sri Lanka with my husband.
- Our 1-month trip started and ended at Bandaranaike International Airport (Negombo).
- We traveled from place to place by public transport. We took trains, tuk-tuks and a lot of colorful old buses. In this post, I will provide as much detail as I can about how we got from A to B.
Day 1: arrive at Bandaranaike International Airport in Negombo
We arrived at Negombo airport in the middle of the night. Luckily the owner of our accommodation, Erandi Holiday Home, picked us up with his tuk-tuk and quickly drove us to his place. We were exhausted and asleep as soon as our head hit the pillow.
How to get from Negombo to Colombo
| From | To | By | Price | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erandi Holiday Home | Negombo Bus Station | tuk-tuk | 250 rupees | owner Erandi tripped us off |
| Negombo bus station | Pattah bus station | bus | 200 rupees pp | |
| Pattah bus station | Fort train station | foot | free | |
| Fort train station | Kirulapona station | train | 10 rupees pp | Platform 10, train to Avissawella |
| Kirulapona station | Siebel Serviced Apartments | foot | free |
Day 2-3: sightseeing in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka
Colombo wasn’t my favorite place in Sri Lanka, but if you have one or two days to spare the city does have some nice places to visit. We did 2 days of sightseeing in Colombo:
- Hotel the Pilawoos ⇒ famous for its kottu, a typical Sri Lankan dish. We had it for breakfast and it was very tasty indeed!
- National Museum ⇒ I personally didn’t enjoy this museum very much, it was being renovated and a large part of the museum was inaccessible. Also, the collection on display was limited, probably also because of the renovation. The entrance fee was 600 rupees per person.
- Old Town Hall and Vihamaradevi park ⇒ lovely green park for a stroll.
- South Beira Lake ⇒ we walked around this lake on our way to Galle Face Green.
- Galle Face Green ⇒ a great spot to watch the sunset!
- Fort Old District ⇒ we explored the historical district Fort. I especially liked the Clock Tower and the beautifully renovated Dutch Hospital.
- The T Lounge by Dilmah ⇒ one of the best cafes in Colombo, with delicious and refreshing tea!
Where to stay in Colombo
We stayed at Siebel Serviced Apartments for 2 nights.
How to get from Colombo to Galle
| From | To | By | Price | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kirulapona station | Fort train station | train | 10 rupees pp | We took the 8.10 train |
| Fort train station | Galle train station | train | 180 rupees pp | Platform 5, 2nd class (10.30am) |
| Galle train station | The One Apartment | tuk-tuk | 100 rupees |
Day 4-5: exploring Galle and around
We spent 2 days in Galle and I liked this city a lot more than Colombo. It’s quite small and easy to get around on foot.
Galle Fort
We spent one day exploring the historic Galle Fort. While I cannot always be proud of Dutch history (like how we exploited our colonies) the Dutch Fort in Galle is a fine piece of architecture. Plus, it helped to protect (part of) Galle from the terrible tsunami in 2004…
Around Galle
Our second day in Galle we rented a scooter from the owner of our apartment and explored the area around Galle. We visited the Virgin White Tea estate (Handunugoda), drove through green fields and to the villages Hikaduwa and Unawatuna.
Where to stay in Galle
We stayed at The One Apartment for 2 nights.
How to get from Galle to Weligama
| From | To | By | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| The One Apartment | Galle train station | tuk-tuk | 100 rupees |
| Galle train station | Welligama train station | train | 60 rupees pp |
| Welligama train station | Naomi River View Villa | tuk-tuk | 150 rupees |
Day 6-8: diving, surfing and relaxing in Weligama
I liked Weligama a lot, it’s a laid-back place with nice beaches and great for surfing and scuba diving.
Surf lesson
Our first ever attempt at surfing! We took a one hour lesson at ‘My Brothers School’ but didn’t pick a very good day, there were almost no waves! We did get to practice standing up and even caught a couple of very shallow waves!
Relax at the beach
There are many small beaches around Weligama, we found a pretty beach near Fishermans Bay and spent a lot of time there…
Diving
I love diving, it’s one of my favorite travel activities! We did 2 dives with Weligama Bay Dive Center (at Yala Rock and Patch Point). It was so good to be back in the water, I hadn’t dived since Cuba, but for Frank, it had been almost 2 years since his last dive in Koh Tao.
Mirissa
I was glad we were staying in Weligama instead of Mirissa, there were so many loud bars in Mirissa (I know, I’m old and boring). Nevertheless, it was a nice place to spend an afternoon. We found a beach bar with lounge chairs, perfect for a drink and to watch the sunset.
Where to stay in Weligama
We stayed at Naomi River View Villa for 3 nights.
How to get from Weligama to Talalla
| From | To | By | Price | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Naomi River View Villa | Matara bus station | bus | 50 rupees pp | change buses at Matara bus station |
| Matara bus station | Wajirawana Maawatha bus stop | bus | 50 rupees pp | |
| Wajirawana Maawatha bus stop | Seaview Resort | foot | free |
I kept an eye on Google maps (offline, use GPS function) to check where to get off the bus for Talalla. The Wajirawansa Maawatha bus stop is a little past Talalla village, across the bus stop is a small road leading to the beach and several hotels.
Day 9: snorkeling in Talalla
Looking for sea turtles in Talalla
Lovely little village on the South coast of Sri Lanka. There isn’t much to do in Talalla, but there is a beautiful beach and it’s good for snorkeling.
Unfortunately, we didn’t see a turtle, but a fellow traveler at our hotel saw two turtles when he was snorkeling so you never know…
Where to stay in Talalla
We stayed at Seaview Resort for 1 night.
How to get from Talalla to Udawalawe Junction
| From | To | By | Price | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wajirawana Maawatha bus stop | Embilipitiya bus stop | bus | 110 rupees pp | Bus 11 |
| Embilipitiya bus stop | Uda Walawe Junction | bus | 50 rupees pp | |
| Uda Walawe Junction | A to Z Family Guesthouse | foot | free |
Day 10-11: safari at Udawalawe National Park
Safari in Udawalawe National Park
On day 10 we traveled from Talalla to Udawalawe Junction and booked a safari for the next morning (day 11) at our hotel. I had never been on a safari before and it was amazing!
First, we witnessed a beautiful sunrise and once the sun was up we saw lots of animals: elephants, buffaloes, deer, colorful bee-eaters (birds), peacocks, a big lizard and… crocodiles! The safari was definitely one of the highlights of our Sri Lanka trip.
Note: bring a jacket, I found it quite chilly in the early morning (5.30am)! Also be sure to bring some water and food. Our safari took 4 hours and I was very happy we brought something to eat and drink.
Where to stay in Udawalawe Junction
We stayed at A to Z Family Guest Udawalawe for 1 night and also booked our safari there (4500 rupees per person).
How to get from Udawalawe Junction to Ella
| From | To | By | Price | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uda Walawe Junction | Welawaya bus station | bus | 100 rupees pp | Bus 98 |
| Welawaya bus station | Ella (bus stop is nex to the Curd Shop) | bus | 70 rupees pp | |
| Ella | Mount Breezevilla | foot | free |
Day 11-13: hiking in Ella
After the safari we traveled to Ella, a beautiful village in the mountains and my favorite place in Sri Lanka. We stayed in Ella for 3 days and did lots of hiking!
Little Adam’s Peak and Nine Arch Bridge
The views from the top of Little Adam’s Peak are phenomenal, on a clear day you can see all the way to the ocean on the South coast. It wasn’t that clear the day we hiked up, but the views were still amazing.
From Little Adam’s Peak we walked to Nine Arch Bridge and arrived just in time to see the 10.56 train drive over the bridge. The total loop took us around 2 hours and 45 minutes.
Ella Rock
This was another beautiful hike, but a bit longer and steeper than the hike to Little Adam’s Peak. However, it was definitely worth the effort, the views along the way and from the top are gorgeous! The return hike took us 3 hours and 15 minutes.
Where to stay in Ella
We stayed at Mount Breezevilla for 1 night and at Ella Alpine Resort for 2 nights.
How to get from Ella to Haputale
| From | To | By | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ella Alpine Resort | Ella (bus stop next to Curd Shop) | foot | free |
| Ella | Badulla bus station | bus | 50 rupees pp |
| Badulla train station | Haputale train station | train | 80 rupees pp |
| Haputale train station | Bawa Guesthouse | foot | free |
The easiest way is to go directly from Ella to Haputale by train. However, we wanted to cross the Nine Arch Bridge by train… And in order to do that, you have to travel by train from Badulla.
Therefore, we took a bus from Ella to Badulla (1 hour) and boarded the train there. Another hour later we crossed the beautiful bridge and arrived once again in Ella. Needless to say, we stayed on the train until we reached Haputale;-).
Day 14-15: walking through tea fields in Haputale
The trip to Haputale is an activity in itself, the train ride from Badulla to Haputale is one of the most beautiful ones in the world and it costs just 80 rupees (something like 50 cents in €/$)!
Haputale itself is also very nice, the village is located on the ridge of a hill and there are amazing 360 views! We stayed in Haputale for 2 days and did some more hiking.
Adisham Monastery
Unfortunately, we couldn’t visit this lovely looking monastery (it’s closed on weekdays) and only take a peek through the trees. We hiked back to our guesthouse via the tea plantation.
Lipton’s Seat
From the Haputale bus station, we took a bus to the Dambatenne Tea Factory (30 rupees pp). From the factory, it was a beautiful 7 km hike through the vivid green tea fields to reach Lipton’s Seat.
The views from Lipton’s Seat were not bad either…
Fun fact: it’s called Lipton’s Seat because Sir Thomas Lipton used to sit here and look out over his estates.
Where to stay in Haputale
We stayed at Bawa Guesthouse for 2 nights.
How to get from Haputale to Nuwara Eliya
| From | To | By | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bawa Guesthouse | Haputale train station | foot | free |
| Haputale train station | Nanu Oya train station | train | 80 rupees pp |
| Nanu Oya train station | Nuwara Eliya (T-junction at Lake Gregory) | bus | 25 rupees pp |
| Nuwara Eliya (T-junction at Lake Gregory) | The Cottage | foot | free |
There is no train station in Nuwara Eliya so we had to change to a bus at Nanu Oya station. We got out at the T-junction at Gregory Lake and walked to our accommodation.
Day 16: rainy Nuwara Eliya
The Grand Cafe
I didn’t like Nuwara Eliya very much, but that was probably because it was grey and rainy… We spent most of our time indoors drinking cups of cute cat coffee.
Where to stay in Nuwara Eliya
We stayed at the Cottage for 1 night, but I wouldn’t recommend this place.
How to get from Nuwara Eliya to Kandy
| From | To | By | Price | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Cottage | Nuwara Eliya (T-junction at Lake Gregory) | foot | free | |
| Nuwara Eliya (T-junction at Lake Gregory) | Nanu Oya train station | bus | 25 rupees pp | |
| Nanu Oya train station | Peradeniya train station | train | 160 rupees pp | change at Peradeniya |
| Peradeniya train station | Kandy train station | train | (same ticket) | |
| Kandy train station | Katugasthota bus stop | bus | 12 rupees pp | Bus 602 |
| Katugasthota bus stop | Travellers Home | foot | free |
Our original plan was to go to Dalhousie and hike Adam’s Peak. Unfortunately, the weather was terrible throughout the duration of our stay in Nuwara Eliya. It’s a lot less fun to hike in the rain so we went directly to Kandy instead.
Day 17-18: cultural Kandy
Walk around the lake and hike up to the viewpoint
We strolled around the Bogambara Lake and spotted many turtles and large lizards! A little uphill we found a nice viewpoint overlooking Kandi city center.
Sri Mahabodhi Maha Viharaya
Instead of the famous Temple of the Tooth we visited this much quieter temple on a hill in Kandy.
Where to stay in Kandy
We stayed at the the Travellers Home for 2 nights.
How to get from Kandy to Sigiriya
| From | To | By | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travellers Home | Katugasthota bus stop | foot | free |
| Katugasthota bus stop | Dambulla bus station | bus | 100 rupees pp |
| Dambulla bus station | Sigiriya bus stop | bus | 35 rupees pp |
| Sigiriya bus stop | Pathum Homestay | foot | free |
Day 19-20: iconic Sigiriya
Walk around the famous Lion Rock
We arrived late in the afternoon and took a quiet stroll around the moat of the famous Lion Rock. We even saw a crocodile, very cool!
Climb Pidurangala Rock
For the best views of the Lion Rock we climbed up Pidurangala Rock (entrance fee is 500 rupees per person). It was very hot and sweaty but so worth it…
Read more about the famous rock formation of Sigiriya
Where to stay in Sigiriya
We stayed at Pathum Homestay for 2 nights.
How to get from Sigiriya to Anuradhapura
| From | To | By | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pathum Homestay | Sigiriya bus stop | foot | free |
| Sigiriya bus stop | Dambulla bus station | tuk-tuk | 400 rupees |
| Dambulla bus station | Anuradhapura Colombo bus station | bus | 190 rupees pp |
| Anuradhapura Colombo bus station | Hanoi Palace (Jaffna junction) | foot | free |
Day 21: ancient Anuradhapura
Anuradhapura temple tour
There are so many Buddha statues and temples in Anuradhapura… We checked out 8 sites, including the famous Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi tree and beautiful white Ruwanwelisaya stupa. However, this colorful statue in the lesser-known Isurumuni Viharaya temple was my favorite!
Where to stay in Anuradhapura
We stayed at Hanoi Palace for 1 night but I wouldn’t recommend this place.
How to get from Anuradhapura to Jaffna
| From | To | By | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hanoi Palace (Jaffna junction) | Anuradhapura train station | bus | 10 rupees pp |
| Anuradhapura train station | Jaffna station | train | 340 rupees pp |
| Jaffna station | Park Hotel | foot | free |
Day 22-23: colorful and quiet Jaffna
Rent a scooter and explore!
Not many travelers make it this far north but I am glad we did, Jaffna was one of the highlights of our 1 month Sri Lanka trip! We rented a scooter and drove around roads less traveled on the beautiful islands Velanai and Karainagar.
The roads are peaceful now, but this area suffered severely from the Sri Lankan civil war which ended only in May 2009…
Where to stay in Jaffna
Something went wrong with our booking at Hotel Blue Whale and we had to stay at the Park Hotel for our first night (not recommended). Luckily we could change to Hotel Blue Whale the next day.
How to get from Jaffna to Kalpitiya
| From | To | By | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Whale Hotel | Jaffna station | foot | free |
| Jaffna station | Anuradhapura train station | train | 340 rupees pp |
| Anuradhapura train station | Puttalam bus station | bus | 140 rupees pp |
| Puttalam bus station | Kandakuli Junction | bus | 70 rupees pp |
| Kandakuli Junction | Nathu Villa | tuk-tuk | 300 rupees |
Day 24-26: laid back Kalpitiya
More scooter exploring
Our accommodation was located a bit out of town so we rented a scooter for 2 days to get around. And to do some more exploring of the Kalpitiya peninsula!
On our last day, we watched the most amazing sunset… A perfect way to say goodbye to beautiful Sri Lanka!
Where to stay in Kalpitiya
We stayed at Nethu Villa for 3 nights.
How to get from Kalpitiya to Bandaranaike International Airport in Negombo
| From | To | By | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nathu Villa | Kalpitiya bus station | tuk-tuk | 500 rupees |
| Kalpitiya bus station | Negombo bus station | bus | 250 rupees pp |
| Negombo bus station | Airport bus station | bus | 50 rupees pp |
Sri Lanka travel itinerary: in conclusion
We had a really great time in Sri Lanka and like I said at the start of this post: it’s a really varied country! We covered a lot of ground in 1 month, but there is still much more to see. We didn’t go to the East coast of Sri Lanka as it was monsoon season at the time of our visit (February 2017). Perhaps another time…
Anyway, below you can download a table with the transport information and a table with the activities listed in this itinerary.
If you have less time available to explore Sri Lanka, check out this 2-week itinerary! Planning a family trip to Sri Lanka? Read this guide how to travel Sri Lanka with a baby.
Enjoy your trip to Sri Lanka!
Mark
What an inspirational journey! Ella looks like a particularly stunning place to go hiking. I love hiking; I find that its a way of challenging my body in the best way possible. Thanks for sharing!
Lotte
Thanks Mark! Ella was amazing, a really beautiful village… I love hiking too, both for the exercise as well as for the amazing views!
Ryan Biddulph
Great review Lotte! We stayed in Colombo for a month. LOVED The Commons; a fab breakfast spot where we feasted on American Brekky every Sunday. Amazingly tasty food. Sri Lanka has much to offer all travelers.
Ryan
Lotte
Wow, a month in Colombo, you must know the city very well! Food in Sri Lanka is great indeed, as is pretty much everything else;-)
Heather
Your itinerary looks amazing! I hope I have the chance to replicate it one day. And I love that you have included the routes for each place–so helpful.
Lotte
Thanks for your kind comment Heather, happy to hear you like to post and transport information tables! I hope you get to visit Sri Lanka one day, it’s a beautiful country…
Jet Reece
Hi Lotte,
Thanks – looks amazing! We have only 2.5 weeks – what would you recommend in that time?
Lotte
Hi Jet,
Sri Lanka is absolutely amazing and so colorful! If you have 2,5 weeks I would probably skip the North. As beautiful as Jaffna and the surrounding islands are, it takes a day to get there and another one to get back (to Anuradhapura). My favorite part was Central Sri Lanka (Ella and Haputale in particular). Colombo was interesting but it is a big city so if you have limited time you may want to skip that too. And depending on how much relaxing time you need, Kalpitiya was lovely but the beaches on the South coast are beautiful too and are easier to get to. Altogether I would recommend:
Day 1: arriving at Bandaranaike International Airport in Negombo + travel to Galle
Day 2: explore Galle
Day 3-4: Welligama
Day 5-6: Udawalawe National Park (you only need 1 morning here, but you have to travel from the South coast which takes time)
Day 7-8: hiking in Ella
Day 9-10: walking through tea fields in Haputale
Day 11-12: visit iconic Sigiriya
Day 13-14: wander around ancient Anuradhapura
Day 15: travel back to Negombo
Hope this helps! Enjoy your trip:-)
Lotte
Cindycky
Hi,
I am planning about 21 days in Sri Lanka. Any tips on which cities I can skip or cut short?
Thanks in advance!
Lotte
Hi Cindy,
I’m sure you’ll love Sri Lanka, it’s a beautiful country with very friendly people and delicious food. If you have 3 weeks you can see lots of things, but if I had to choose I would probably skip Colombo. It’s an interesting place, but still a big and busy city, I preferred the more quiet places in Sri Lanka. And instead of visiting Kalpitiya as well, I would only visit to the South Coast, the beaches there are beautiful too and are easier to get to.
Hope this helps! Enjoy your trip:-)
Lotte
Larissa
Hi
Thank you so much for your interesting blogpost!
My boyfriend and I wil spend 1 month in Sri Lanka departing the 18th of January 🙂 I’m actually a little worried about the weather due to the fact that a cyclone just passed through the south of the island although it seems to be the best time to travel in Sri Lanka. It looks like you had perfect weather. When did you go there?
Larissa
Lotte
Hi Larissa,
I hope you and your boyfriend have a wonderful time in Sri Lanka, it’s such a fun and friendly country! We spent the entire month of February there so fairly similar to your travel plans. Of course the weather remains something beyond anyone’s control but usually your travel period should be dry and sunny:-).
Have a great trip!
Lotte
Claire
Hello, I have enjoyed reading about your experiences in Sri Lanka. You have included details that have been hard to find in other places.
My partner and I have 35 days planned in Sri Lanka in Feb/March. We love hiking and plan to do as much as we can. I am wondering if you found the hills easy to navigate yourself or did you use a guide? Are there maps or easy to follow walking trails? I am always cautious when trekking in an unknown country. Did you learn about any other hikes that you would have like to go on if you had more time?
Thanks for the information! Claire
Lotte
Hi Claire,
I’m so happy to hear you like my Sri Lanka posts:-). About your hiking question: we found the hikes we did well-marked and easy to follow. Nevertheless, I do always download the map of the country we are in on my phone (maps.me app). That way I can see the trails and our position during the hikes. I do have to add we mostly did rather popular hikes (Ella Peak, Little Adam’s Peak, Pidurangala Rock) so we never were the only ones on the trails. I would have loved to do Adam’s Peak but unfortunately the weather was terrible so we skipped that one…
Have a wonderful trip!
Lotte
Tom
Hello Lotte, I enjoyed your tour of Sri Lanka. Hopefully my month in march/April will be just as amazing. How much time did you book in advance for your hotels? And any recommendations of sites. Are there many laundry shops. Thank you, Tom
Lotte
Hi Tom,
Thanks, I’m happy to hear that! I’m sure your month in Sri Lanka will be amazing, it’s such a lovely country:-). About your questions, I booked my hotels 1 or 2 days ahead and never had any issues to find good accommodation. You can find all the places we stayed at in this post: https://www.phenomenalglobe.com/where-to-stay-in-sri-lanka-accommodation-guide/. Laundry can often be done by your accommodation, if not, it’s easy to find a place to do laundry pretty much anywhere in Sri Lanka! Have a great trip!
Lotte
Zita
Hi Claire,
Me and my boyfriend are planning on going to Sri Lanka in July. But we’re not sure if July is the best time to go. We don’t have an option to go in any other month, would you still recommend going?
Hope to hear from you, thanks in advance!
Lotte
Dear Zita,
While I haven’t been to Sri Lanka in July myself I think it’s still very much worth a visit. in general your best bet would be to visit lots of places on the East Coast, which has the best weather between April and September. The cultural triangle should also be fine weather-wise. The West and South Coast tend to be a bit wetter during these months. Hope this helps, have a great trip!
Lotte
Hang Rai
Wow! What an inspirational journey!
Lotte
Thank you:-)
Carol
Hi Lotte
Fabulous blog; from accom, expenses, what to see and how to travel! My sister and I are going to Sri Lanka for 18 days from mid-May (can’t wait). We plan arrive Colombo, day trip to Galle, train to Jaffna, train & bus to cultural triangle, bus to Kandy, train to Ella then back to Colombo. Re bus travel we will probably have a small roll-on plus a modest back pack each – any difficulty with these on board? Re train travel – any need to book in advance during May? We prefer either 2nd or 3rd class reserved?
Thanks again
Carol
Lotte
Hi Carol,
Thanks, I’m glad you like my blog! Awesome you’ll be going to Sri Lanka, it’s a beautiful and colorful country. Your itinerary sounds great! Regarding your luggage, it can get very busy in buses and trains but the upside: they are never ‘full’. People will always make room for you, even when you think it’s not going to possible to squeeze one more person in. I wouldn’t worry about it! About the train travel, I’m not sure how you would go about booking the train. We just showed up at the train station and bought tickets for the same or the next day. I hope this helps, have a wonderful trip!
Lotte
Jennifer
Hi Carol,
I am planning to go to Sri Lanka this year from mid May too and im just wondering how was the weather when you went? I plan to stay for about 3 weeks and I really want clear skies and sun but I am afraid from reading online that there might be a lot of rain?
Jennifer
Lotte
If only we could choose the weather for our holidays;-)
Mani
Thank you so much for sharing your one month Sri Lanka trip plan with us. I am going there for a month and follow your plan. I am also gonna start my Sri Lanka exclusive travel blog and I hope in month I will have enough time to explore Sri Lanka. Again thanks.
Lotte
Hello Mani,
Thank you for reading and I hope you have a great time in Sri Lanka! Good luck with your travel blog:-)
Lotte
Elly Baldock
We have just retired and are off on our 5 month adventure round India, spending a month at least during December travelling around Sri Lanka. All our vaccinations are up to date, apart from Japanese Encephalitis. There is varying information out there and it’s difficult weighing up the risks vs side effects of the jab, so I am wondering if you and your family had the inoculation against Japanese Encephalitis? Many thanks! 🙂
Lotte
Hi Elly,
Wow that sounds wonderful! I’m very curious about India as I haven’t been there yet and it must be such an overwhelming and intense country… Regarding the vaccine, we didn’t have an inoculation against Japanese Encephalitis but I’m not a medic so I’d check with your doctor or the organisation in your country in charge of traveler health/advice.
Happy travels!
Lotte
Iga
Wow, amazing blog post. I really appreciate the work done here on how to get from A to B, as I really lack that information in the internet. I actually found that most people choose to hire a car with a driver instead of using the public transport. And unfortunately this option is soo expensive 🙁 We’re travelling to Sri Lanka in March and will be there for 15 days. Hopefully we will manage to commute with buses and trains as well.
Could you maybe please advise on how much time those transfers between cities / region took? This is something that worries me quite much that from our 15 days there we will spend so much time commuting.
Lotte
Hi Iga,
Apologies for my late reply! Happy to hear you’ve found this post helpful, I’ve tried to include as much useful information as possible:-) If you’ve got 15 days, I’d choose a couple of areas instead of trying to cover the entire country. Personally I loved the mountains (Ella, Haputale) and the ancient sites (Sigiriya and Anuradhapura), these are all relatively close to each other. That would mean you’d have to skip the beach in the South, but you can always come back for a second trip;-) Unfortunately, I don’t remember the exact travel times anymore but if you base your itinerary around the places I mentioned above, you definitely wouldn’t spend all your time commuting!
Enjoy your trip!
Lotte
Adam
Hi Lotte.. I appreciate your blog so much, full of great info. I’m heading to SL next week and keen to go diving there. How would you rate your diving experience there – were there lots of corals and marine life? Did you see anything unusual or exciting? Are there many places to dive in SL?
Many thanks for your help.
Adam
Lotte
Hi Adam,
Thanks for reading and happy you like the blog:-) Regarding your question, I thought diving was good, though not as good as in Malaysia and the Philippines. We went to 2 dive sites: Yala Rock and Patch Point. We saw a banded sea krait (sea snake) which was pretty cool and lots of colorful fish, but no turtles or rays. There are more places to dive and I’ve heard good things about Batticaloa. We didn’t visit the East coast as it was monsoon season on that side of Sri Lanka at the time of our visit and many dive schools are closed during that time. Hope this helps, have a great trip!
Lotte