The 6 most popular routes for a Sri Lanka holiday

What would your ideal Sri Lanka trip look like? It is tricky guessing someone’s interests. However, I think it is safe to assume that you would like to have a relaxing Sri Lanka holiday with great weather.

If my assumptions are correct, and if you are on the lookout for a nice Sri Lanka itinerary, take a minute to read this article.

Today we are going to discuss the 6 most popular tour routes for a Sri Lanka holiday with plenty of example itineraries. For your ease of reference, I have categorized them into two groups based on the time that you should take them and specified the number of days required for each tour route.

Note – If you are travelling with young kids, please refer to our article on Sri Lanka family itineraries. You will be able to find tour routes that are more relevant to your needs there.

A few rules of thumb

There are a few unspoken rules when it comes to planning a Sri Lanka itinerary. I think it is a good idea that we discuss them before we get started, so you will have a better understanding why certain things are done in a certain way.

1. Plan the first night or two in Negombo, Colombo or Galle

Unless you are visiting Sri Lanka from one of our neighboring countries, you will not be in a mood for a long drive right after your flight. Therefore, it is recommended spending the first night or two close to the airport.

The closest destinations to the Colombo airport are Negombo and Colombo. However, in some tour routes we also use locations like Galle (which is 2 hours from the airport) for the first stay in Sri Lanka to manage the limited time efficiently.

2. Use a circular path to cover the locations

When planning Sri Lanka itineraries always use a circular path. This way you can reduce the backtracking which helps saving both time and money.

3. Plan the beach stay towards the end of the tour

You might notice all our Sri Lanka itineraries have their beach stays towards the end of the holiday. This is a very intentional choice.

I know from my own experiences and arranging Sri Lanka holidays for over six years that beach stays are more enjoyable after completing the travelling part of a Sri Lanka holiday. So, plan your beach stay towards the end of your Sri Lanka trip. It is the most relaxing way to end your holiday.

Tour routes suitable for the period November to April

November is a rainy month for Sri Lanka. However, weather conditions dramatically improve in December. In fact, mid-December to mid-April is the best time to visit Sri Lanka. You can travel pretty much anywhere in Sri Lanka during this period. The exceptions would be the east coast and the northern Sri Lanka.

During the period November to April the best beaches are in the South and the Southwest coastal areas. We recommend following a clockwise route that will allow you to have a beach stay at the end of the tour in a south / southwest beach.

We have an entire article that covers the monthly weather in Sri Lanka. However, for the purposes of this article here is an image that shows the rainfall data of Sri Lanka from November to April.

Now we have some understanding of the weather patterns in Sri Lanka during the period November to April, let’s take a look at some of the tour routes that are recommended for this period.

Tour route 1 (required time – 6 to 12 nights)

If you are visiting Sri Lanka for 6 to 12 nights, and if you are interested in visiting a few historical sites, a national park, and enjoying a relaxing beach stay, this might be the ideal tour route for you.

• Colombo airport
• Negombo / Colombo (1 to 2 nights)
• Dambulla (2 to 4 nights)
• Kandy (1 to 2 nights)
• Bentota (2 to 4 nights)
• Colombo airport

The tour route starts with a short stay in Negombo/Colombo. Then it takes you to the cultural triangle for excursions like Dambulla Cave Temple, Sigiriya Rock Fortress, Minneriya national park, Ritigala trekking, Temple of the Tooth, and more. Its last destination is Bentota, which is an excellent beach area for relaxation.

To get a better understanding of this tour route please refer to our itinerary, “Sri Lanka with toddlers”. It is designed for young families; however, it is recommended for anyone looking for a slow holiday.

Tour route 2 – If you have 7 to 13 nights

You might be someone that is more interested in exploring the natural beauty of a destination rather than its history and culture. If that is the case, this is a great tour route for your upcoming Sri Lanka holiday.

• Negombo / Colombo (1 to 2 nights)
• Kandy (1 to 2 nights)
• Ella (2 to 3 nights)
• Udawalawe / Yala (1 to 2 nights)
• Unawatuna (2 to 4 nights)
• Colombo airport

Similar to the first tour route that we discussed, this tour route features a stay in Colombo / Negombo for some relaxation. Then it takes you to Kandy where you can visit the Temple of Tooth and Peradeniya Botanical Garden. After that, the tour route takes you to Ella and Yala for nature related excursions. The final nights of the tour are scheduled to be spent in Unawatuna enjoying the pristine beach.

A detailed itinerary for the above route would be our Sri Lanka and Maldives family holiday itinerary. You will notice its last two destinations are Galle and Maldives. Since you are not planning to combine your Sri Lanka holiday with Maldives, replace these two destinations with Unawatuna (or any other down south beach area).

Tour route 3 – If you have 10 to 20 nights

I must admit this is my favourite tour route for a Sri Lanka holiday during the period November to April. You can easily plan a well-balanced Sri Lanka holiday including pristine beaches, verdant tea plantations, iconic ancient monuments, and amazing wildlife using this tour route.

• Colombo airport
• Negombo / Colombo (1 to 2 nights)
• Dambulla (2 to 4 nights)
• Kandy (1 to 2 nights)
• Nuwara Eliya (1 to 2 nights)
• Ella (2 to 3 nights)
• Udawalawe / Yala (1 to 2 nights)
• Bentota (2 to 5 nights)
• Colombo airport

There is no better way to introduce you to this tour route than showing you an itinerary that is based on this tour route. Please refer to our itinerary, “Sri Lanka culture trip”. It is a modestly active tour itinerary that showcases the real beauty of Sri Lanka.

Tour routes suitable for the period May to October

If you check the rainfall data, you will notice there is a general high prevalence of rainy weather in May and October in Sri Lanka. In June, July, August and September there is some rain in the southwest coastal areas of Sri Lanka, but you can have pleasant weather in the cultural triangle, north and the east coast of Sri Lanka.

During the period May to October the best beaches are on the east coast. Since you have to travel all across the country to reach them, the recommended itineraries for this period usually are of a slightly longer duration.

Below are the tour routes that we recommend for Sri Lanka holidays during the period May to October.

Tour route 4 – If you have 8 to 15 nights

This tour route mainly focusses on the cultural triangle and the east coast, which are the regions that are most likely to have beautiful weather from May to October. You can easily incorporate historical sites, jeep safaris, beautiful hikes (E.g. - Pidurangala or Knuckles) to this tour route and design a well-balanced itinerary.

• BIA (Colombo airport)
• Negombo (1 to 2 nights)
• Dambulla (2 to 4 nights)
• Nilaveli / Pasikuda (3 nights to 5 nights)
• Kandy (1 to 2 nights)
• Colombo (1 to 2 nights)
• BIA (Colombo airport)

In order to get a feel of this tour route, you may refer to our itinerary, “Sri Lanka babymoon”. We made it an easy going itinerary, as it was intended for expecting parents. If you like you may add a few more excursions to make it a bit more active.

Tour route 5 – If you have 12 to 22 nights

If someone came to me and asked my help to put together a two to three week long Sri Lanka holiday (for the period May to October) that covers most of the must-sees in Sri Lanka, this would be the tour route that I use for his/her tour.

• BIA (Colombo airport)
• Galle (1 to 2 nights)
• Yala (1 to 2 nights)
• Ella (2 to 3 nights)
• Kandy (1 to 2 nights)
• Dambulla (2 to 3 nights)
• Nilaveli / Pasikudah (3 to 6 nights)
• Anuradhapura (1 to 2 nights)
• Colombo / Negombo (1 to 2 nights)
• BIA (Colombo airport)

If you look closer, you will notice this tour route has been designed reversing the third tour route that we discussed in this article. To make this tour route more appropriate for the period May to October, the beach stay has been shifted to the east coast. Also, it has more time in the cultural triangle where you are likely to get wonderful weather during the period May to October.

We are yet to publish a detailed itinerary that follows this exact tour route on our website. If you would like to see a detailed itinerary that is somewhat similar to the above, please refer to our Sri Lanka family adventure itinerary.

Tour route 6 – If you have 20 to 29 nights

The last tour route that we discuss in this article is excellent for someone hoping to travel the entire country during their Sri Lanka holiday.

The only noteworthy destinations that are not included in this tour route are Deniyaya (for the Sinharaja rainforest visit), Arugambay (for surfing) and Mannar (for kitesurfing). If you have enough time, these destinations can be also included into the tour route amending it a little bit.

• Colombo airport
• Negombo (1 to 2 nights)
• Anuradhapura (1 to 2 nights)
• Jaffna (2 to 3 nights)
• Trincomalee (4 to 6 nights)
• Dambulla (2 to 3 nights)
• Kandy (1 to 2 nights)
• Ella (2 to 3 nights)
• Yala (1 to 2 nights)
• Tangalle (3 to 4 nights)
• Galle (1 to 2 nights)
• Colombo airport

You will notice there are two beach stays included in the above route. This is mainly to allow you to enjoy the holiday without being exhausted by the road travel.

If you are curious to see a detailed itinerary for this, you may refer to our tour itinerary, “Sri Lanka in three weeks”.

Summary

Sri Lanka is one of the most diverse countries that you will ever come across. Picturesque cascades, amazing national parks, verdant tea plantations, scenic nature trails, pristine beaches, great food, enchanting temples, historical monuments; there is so much to enjoy in this small island nation.

I hope you will find this article helpful when deciding a tour route for your Sri Lanka holiday and planning your itinerary. Please leave a comment if you have any questions. I am more than happy to answer them all.

If you like you may also contact us to get a tailor-made Sri Lanka itinerary for your holiday. Simply drop us a message specifying your requirements. One of our team members will get back to you with a beautiful itinerary right away.