Sri Lanka is simply incredible. There’s no wonder they call it the “hidden treasure of Asia”. We cannot speak more highly about this country and it is now up there with one of our favourite countries in the world.
There is something for every type of traveller in Sri Lanka. There are mountains to hike, scenic trains to board, beaches to relax on, animals to spot, tea fields to admire, food to indulge in and most importantly the friendliest locals to engage with. It’s a country that has it all and it’s one of the most affordable we’ve been to so far.
How long do you need in Sri Lanka
In the hopes of helping you plan your trip to Sri Lanka, we want to share with you some general information about Sri Lanka, along with our 2-3 week itinerary including the places we went & how long we stayed. We felt 3 weeks was a good amount of time to explore the south of the country, but you could easily cut or add days in these places. We would not recommend any less than 12 days to see the best of Sri Lanka and even then, that would be extremely rushed.
What’s the best time to visit Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is close to the Equator which means that temperatures remain fairly constant year-round. However, it is recommended to visit between the months of December to April in order to avoid the south-west monsoon rains.
Visa Requirements for Sri Lanka
Unless you are a citizen of the Maldives, Singapore or Seychelles, you need a visa. The process is simple and easy. Apply online for an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA, shown above) before you travel and your tourist visa is valid for 30 days with 2 entries allowed. It takes about 24 hours to process. For more details and applying for the visa, visit here.
How to get around Sri Lanka
The options are endless. Hired drivers (popular but the most expensive), taxi’s, shared vans, scooters, tuk-tuks, local buses and trains. If you take a taxi/tuk-tuk, don’t forget to negotiate prices before you jump in. For longer distances, ask around before settling on a price. We found the homestays gave the best prices vs the tourist offices.
See here for more detailed information about driving in Sri Lanka and here for detailed information on Sri Lanka’s train network. If you’re pressed for time, avoid the buses, they stop regularly, therefore, adding on extra travel time but they definitely give you the experience.
For all your transport options in Sri Lanka. Book here.
Top Tips for Sri Lanka
- A lot of places don’t take credit card so be prepared to carry a lot of cash around. Larger hotels and some restaurants will.
- Service is often very slow at bars and restaurants, be patient, they haven’t forgotten you.
- Always remove your shoes when you are entering a shop or someone’s home.
- Hire a scooter when you visit the coastal towns, it allows much more freedom to travel between places and works out to be cheaper than tuk-tuks.
- Avoid drinking tap water.
- Allow extra time for travel days, Google Maps is incorrect with driving distances.
- Don’t leave Sri Lanka with any leftover Sri Lankan Rupees. It is a closed currency that doesn’t allow you to change the money over once you’ve left the country nor can you obtain the currency prior to arrival.
Basic Costs in Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka, they use the rupee (LKR). As of now (mid 2017) 150 rupees = $1 USD.
Here is a brief rundown of basic costs. All prices are in USD. Our daily budget for 2 people including everything, was $80 USD but could easily be done under $50 if you avoid the western restaurants.
- Food – Food is affordable, including fresh seafood. If you eat locally, rice and curry can be as low as $1. Western food tends to be higher with an average $5 – $8 for a meal.
- Transport – Local trains and buses are the cheapest way to get around, however, they are also sometimes the slowest. Tuk-tuks are done on a negotiation basis and can be used for longer distances to reduce the cost of a taxi. Hiring a driver is usually $40-$50 USD for the day depending on the distance. Don’t forget, always negotiate! Scooter rentals are 800-1000 LKR ($7 USD).
- Activities – There are a lot of free activities to do in Sri Lanka and some jacked up tourist priced ones too. Certain tourist attractions like Worlds End Walk and Sigiriya are downright a rip off (3000 LKR/$20 USD). Cheaper attractions range from 250 LKR to 400 LKR ($1.60 USD – $3.50 USD).
- Accommodation – A basic room in a guest house is on average $15- $20 and often includes breakfast. The standards are much lower if you dip below $15 and dorm rooms are not very common. $20- $25 gets you A/C.
Our 3 Week Itinerary
As you can see we only covered a small portion of the country over 3 weeks and we did this at a moderate pace. You could cut days at certain places such as the coastal towns we stayed longer at. Sri Lanka still has so much to offer but below is our itinerary which mixes culture, the hills and the coast.
Note: This itinerary is a basic guide and can it be done in the reverse order. Here is a brief summary.
- NEGOMBO (where the airport is) – KANDY
- KANDY – NUWARA ELIYA
- NUWARA ELIYA- ELLA
- ELLA – TANGALLE
- TANGALLA – UDAWALAWE NATIONAL PARK
- UDAWALAWE NATIONAL PARK – MIRISSA
- MIRISSA – UNAWATUNA
- UNAWATUNA – GALLE
- GALLE – COLOMBO
- COLOMBO – AIRPORT
NEGOMBO (2 Nights / 2 Days)
Negombo is the closest city to the Colombo International Airport and is used by many as a transit stop for late or early departures/arrivals. We spent 2 days here getting accustomed to Sri Lanka. Watch the local fisherman early in the morning or enjoy the sunsets in the evening.
- Must Eat: Lords Restaurant Complex & Simply Strawberries
- Stay: Villa Hundaria (mid-range) OR Lakshmi Family Villa (budget)
- Read: 1-3 Days Transit in Negombo, Sri Lanka
To get from NEGOMBO to KANDY: By Private Driver, 6000 LKR/$40 USD
Alternatively, for a much cheaper option, you could take a bus to Colombo and then the train to Kandy.
KANDY (2 Nights / 2 Days)
First thing in the morning, hire a driver (usually through your homestay) and head towards Kandy. We recommend leaving as early as 6 am to beat some of the traffic. Kandy is a bustling city with a man-made lake as the centre of the city. It is best seen if you hire a tuk-tuk for the day and see the sights including the most famous Temple of the Tooth.
- Must Eat: Cool Corner Fried Ice cream Parlour
- Stay: Sweet Lanka Kandy (mid-range) OR Tea Heights (luxury)
- Read: The Top 10 Things to do in Kandy
To get from KANDY to NUWARA ELIYA: Local train: 120 LRK/ $0.80 USD
Top Tours in Kandy
NUWARA ELIYA (3 Nights / 3 Days)
We took the morning train from Kandy (8:47 am) and headed towards Nuwara Eliya. Don’t be alarmed if you are told the train tickets are sold out in the days prior, just head to the station early in the morning (45 minutes – 1 hour before) and you can buy them there. This train journey is not to be missed in any Sri Lankan Itinerary!
Nuwara Eliya is a beautiful village, also known as “Little England”. Come here for the many opportunities to visit the amazing tea plantations/factories, enjoy high tea at the Grand Hotel and the hike World’s End Walk, a moderate hike to an 800m cliff. On a clear day, the ocean can be seen in the distance.
- Must Eat: Indian at the Grand Hotel
- Stay: Perera Home Stay (mid-range), The Train View Hotel (budget) OR Singha Sanasa Luxury Homestay (luxury).
- Read: The World’s Most Scenic Train Journey: Kandy – Ella
- Read: Surviving World’s End & Exploring Nuwara Eliya
To get from NUWARA ELIYA to ELLA: Local train. 120 LRK/ $0.80 USD
ELLA (2 Nights / 2 Days)
Getting to Ella was exciting in itself and this train journey was even more beautiful than the last train. Don’t forget to turn up before the scheduled departure to secure yourself a ticket. The town of Ella is small with a decent selection of restaurants and rooftop bars but the surrounding areas are what draws you to this village. It’s peaceful, green and much cooler than the coast! There are many great hikes to do such as Little Adam’s Peak and Ella’s Rock.
Ella was one of the only stops we had that we wished we could have stayed longer, maybe 1-2 days more. The weather wasn’t on our side 🙁
Note: The train leaving Nuwara Eliya at 9:30 am is a 3rd class train. It takes 4 hours and is very, very old! The train after at 12:45 pm is much more comfortable and takes only 2.5 hours.
- Must Eat: Matey Hut (Make sure you do their cooking class too!)
- Stay: The Chillout Ella (budget) OR The One Ella (mid-range) See Sri Lanka Apartments also.
- Read: Ella Travel Guide For Backpackers, Sri Lanka
To get from ELLA to TANGALLE: Private Driver, 7000 LKR/$46 USD
Note: Rather going straight from Ella to Tangalle, consider stopping at Yala or Udawalawe National Park for a safari. More info on that below.
TANGALLE (4 Nights / 5 Days)
Tangalle is a quiet coastal town that was damaged terribly by the 2004 tsunami. Although it is slowly rebuilding itself, it is not as commonly visited as Sri Lanka’s other beach towns such as Mirissa or Unawatuna, but this is what drew us in. Tangalle is a great stop for a relaxing, quiet beach holiday on a very long sandy beach. There are many great bays and beaches to explore surrounding Tangalle so rent a scooter and see for yourself!
Consider spending a night or two at Hiriketiya Beach (20 minutes from Tangalle). It was beautiful, perfect for beginner surfers & had the nicest water of all the beaches.
- Must Eat: The Lounge (BEST seafood)
- Stay: Coco Beach Villa (mid-range) OR Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle Resort (luxury)
- Read: Tangalle by Scooter – The Best Beaches to Visit
To get from TANGALLE to UDAWALAWE NATIONAL PARK: Private Driver 4000 LRK/$26 USD
UDAWALAWE NATIONAL PARK (1/2 Day Morning Safari Drive)
After a few relaxing beach days, we left Tangalle at 4:45 am and headed towards Udawalawe National Park. This particular park is well known for having the largest amount of elephants in Sri Lanka, as well as water buffalos and a large variety of birds. Leopards are few and far between and you would have to be extremely lucky to see one, especially on only one morning drive. Safari drives are done at 6:30-9:00 am and 3:30 – 6:00 pm.
We chose to do this last minute, therefore, we backtracked a little. If you want to visit the National Parks either Udawalawe or Yala, we recommend going directly after Ella, before you hit the south coast.
Entry to the park is 3500 LKR/ $23 USD each and a jeep costs 3500 LKR/$23 USD total. The more people you have, the cheaper it is.
To get from UDAWALAWE NATIONAL PARK to MIRISSA: Private driver (same driver as above) 3000 LRK/$20 USD
MIRISSA (5 Nights / 5 days)
Our driver waited for us to finish our safari and we continued on to the coastal town of Mirissa. The beach was one of the cleanest, the restaurants plentiful and the chilled atmosphere here was different, in a good way. Be sure to take a whale watching cruise if you’re here in the season (November to April / May), take surfing lessons or rent a scooter and explore the beaches surrounding Mirissa. We could have spent ages beach bumming our way around this town. It was definitely our favourite.
- Must Eat: No 1 Dewmini Roti Shop & Coco Loco
- Stay: Dream Palace Family Guest House (budget) OR Maison D’hotes Sanda Beach (mid-range)
- Read: 6 Reasons Why You’ll Love Mirissa, Sri Lanka
To get from MIRISSA to UNAWATUNA: Public Bus, 60 LKR $0.40 USD
UNAWATUNA (5 nights / 4 Days)
Taking the public bus was cheap and extremely easy. All we had to do was walk out the front of our hotel and the bus stopped every 10 minutes. It cost close to nothing for the 45-minute journey to Unawatuna.
We used Unawatuna as a base to explore it’s surrounding areas such as Dalawella Beach, Talpe and Koggala (where the stilt fishing takes place).
Unawatuna is the busiest, most developed of the coastal towns and not necessarily in a good way. As soon as we arrived we felt the difference immediately. Not only that, it’s very touristic and lacks the real Sri Lankan vibe & hospitality we had received everywhere else we went. Within the space of 10 minutes, people tried to rip us off massively, something we hadn’t experienced once so far in Sri Lanka. Looking back, we would avoid basing ourselves at Unawatuna and stay at Dalawella Beach or Talpe instead.
The beach itself is quite large with plenty of sand. There are lots of restaurants, bars and beach chairs laid out, snorkelling trips to take and water sports. To us, this had a similar touristy vibe to that of Phuket in Thailand. Not our cup of tea. The nearby Dalawella Beach is a must visit, especially for the ‘insta-famous’ swing, it’s located in front of Dream Cabanas.
- Must Eat: Bedspace Kitchen & Hop stars
- Read: 12 Top Foods & Dishes you MUST try in Sri Lanka.
To get from UNAWATUNA to GALLE: Rent a Scooter for the day 800 LRK $5 USD)
GALLE (1 Day)
Galle, located 6km from Unawatuna is the capital of the Southern Province and has a heavy Dutch influence. We hired a scooter for the day (you can also take the bus) and headed there for the afternoon from Unawatuna. During the day the temperatures are hot and are best spent at one of the beaches.
The old part of Galle is known as the Galle Fort and is surrounded by a big city wall. Originally built in 1663 by the Dutch, the streets are colourful with lots of boutique stores, courtyards and a magnitude of restaurants, however, they are considerably more expensive (x2) than any other town we visited. To finish off the day in Galle, take a stroll along the wall during sunset. It’s beautiful!
Must Eat: Chambers Restaurant & Poonie’s Kitchen
To get from GALLE to COLOMBO: Local train (120 LKR / $1) or Taxi (7000 LRK / $47) or bus but you’ll have to change 2 or 3 times depending on where your accommodation is.
COLOMBO (1 Night / 1 Day)
Colombo was the last stop on our 3 weeks through Sri Lanka and we were extremely disappointed we had to leave! Unfortunately, we were in Colombo during the Sri Lankan New Year and almost everything was shut. The streets were considerably quieter than we had prepared ourselves for and it was difficult to get the real vibe of the city. Instead, we went on the search for a Vegetable Roti to have ‘one last one’. If you’ve read prior posts, you’ll understand the love we have for these 🙂
From what we did see, it isn’t a must visit when visiting Sri Lanka. We wouldn’t recommend more than 1 night/1 day. Use your time in one of the above towns instead 🙂
Must Eat: Not very local of us, but considering everything was closed we were limited with our options. If you feel like a buffet, head to ‘The Kingsbury’ for lunch/dinner. One of the nicest buffets we’ve ever had and only 3000 LKR ($20 USD)!
- Read: One day in Colombo
Top Tours in Colombo
What would we have done differently?
- Stayed in Ella 2 extra days + done a cooking class at Matey Hut
- Stopped in Yala/Udawalwe National Park on the way to Tangalle from Ella as opposed to after.
- Based ourselves in Dalawella Beach / Talpe instead of Unawatuna.
- Spent a few nights at Hiriketiya Beach (see our Tangalle by Scooter for reference).
- Taken more public buses, but it was just SO hot.
What else could you add in?
There’s never enough time to do everything but should you have longer or have other interests, here are a few things we didn’t get around to doing.
- Sigiriya Rock (shown above)
- Hike Adam’s Peak (Hatton)
- Yala National Park (Largest amount of Leopards in Sri Lanka)
- Hikkaduwa Beach (North of Galle, turtles, busy & touristic)
Conclusion
We left Sri Lanka after our 3 weeks with not only sun-bleached hair, tanned skin, mosquito bites and curry bellies but with a whole new love for a country that originally, we knew very little about.
If you’re considering Sri Lanka for your next holiday destination, stop thinking and start doing! Whilst you’re at it… why not visit the Maldives for a little piece of heaven, just a 1-hour flight from Sri Lanka. See our experience of the Maldives. I’m sure it won’t take long to book that flight.
Married Days Survived; 766
Awesome guide. Thanks for posting. Would you mind giving me feedback on our itinerary, and whether its feasible?
We were thinking
1) 5 days at Mirissa or Tangalla for beach
2) 2 days Nurawa Eliya
3) 3 days Dumballa
4 ) 5 days Kalipitya
5) 3 days Maldives
Hey Evan!
So sorry for the delayed response, somehow this comment was lost in cyberspace and I have only just seen it! The trip sounds good, however, we have not been to Dumballa or Kalipitya before so I cannot give you an accurate answer to these two places. I would also spend at least a day in Ella. Are you planning to take the train from Kandy – Ella or vice versa?
I would also spend 4 days in the Maldives, especially if you are taking a seaplane there as it does take up a good chunk of the day!
thank you. really interessant. we are livng in 3weeks! you give me a lot of usefull information!
You’re welcome! Enjoy, you’ll love it 🙂
Love your posts! Especially “What would we have done differently?” is a good addition! Planning a trip with my boyfriend to Sri Lanka based on your highlights. Loving the idea of Ella, Tangalle and Hiriketiya Beach. This way we could enjoy hiking & great views (my favourite!) and some paradise beach time.
I guess the current plan would then be Colombo – Ella – Tangalle + Hiriketiya Beach + (Bentota) – Colombo. Would you recommend stopping at NUWARA ELIYA, if it would mean cutting days off from Ella?
Should we also add Mirissa, or spend more time in Hiriketiya Beach? We like to do water activities and enjoy relaxing places. Not really people who lay on the beach very long!
Thanks!
Hey Jenni.
Apologizes for the delayed response, somehow these comments were lost!
Thank you for reading our posts, Sri Lanka was an amazing country, I loved writing this post.
How long do you have in total? I would spend more time in Hiriketiya Beach. We really liked this beach and regretted not spending a night or two here. Don’t get me wrong, Mirissa was beautiful too and the beach there also, but Hiriketiya was stunning and a really great beach to learn to surf too!
As for Nuwara Eliya, the town itself wasn’t that appealing to us however we stayed just outside of the town and enjoyed the peace and quiet. We mainly stopped here just to break up the train trip, especially if you are coming from Colombo, it will be a long journey directly to Ella. You could spend just one day in Nuwara Eliya to visit the tea plantations, do a hike to break up the trip but it isn’t essential, especially if you want to spread the time on the coast.
I hope this is helpful! Let me know if you have any other questions!
this was exactly what I needed, very informative and compact. We decided last minute to add Sri Lanka to our Maldives trip and it looks like I can just copy your trip minus some beach days 😉 Thank you so much!
You’re very welcome Sanne. Enjoy the Maldives, we’re jealous!
Hey there,
Thanks for the handy tidbits about Sri lanka. I’m travelling there this December for around 2 weeks. Staying in and around Tangalle. I bookmarked Mirissa as a must see for a few days too.
I didn’t quite understand why you said, you would have gone to Yala/Udawalwe National Park on the way to Tangalle from Ella? I was going to do the same.
I might take a miss on Sigriya/Ella. But I’ve heard so much about the train trip from Ella to Kandy that I might try to squeeze that in somehow.
Hey Natalia!
Jealous you are heading to Sri Lanka! We absolutely loved this country (mainly for the food, be sure to check out our top things to eat in Sri Lanka!). Tangalle is beautiful and very relaxed compared to Mirissa but I would definitely recommend Mirissa too.
If you’re just looking for a beach holiday, then skipping Ella and Sigriya would be totally fine, however, the train trip is beautiful so if you can fit that in then I would definitely try too.
Sorry if there was any confusion in the post, we essentially meant that rather than passing over Udawalawe National Park on the way to Tangalle, we would stop there, then continue on to the coast so we didn’t backtrack. Both ways are fine, you just have to backtrack a little bit to do so.
Enjoy and apologizes again for the delayed response.
Thank you for this post! Can’t tell you how helpful this was – all the information I was looking for in one place. You could put Lonely Planet’s disaster of a website out of business 🙂 Appreciate all the info, especially the “Things I Would Have Done Differently”!
Thanks so much Sarah! What a lovely thing to say. My idea is always to try and put everything everyone needs into one post so I am very glad to hear it has helped!!
You’re very welcome Sarah. Enjoy your time in Sri Lanka!
Thanks for the lovely and detailed post. It’s really handy since I just booked my air tickets on an impulse an hour ago to travel to Sri Lanka next week for about 9 days. It’s meant to be a chillax holiday and I’m very keen to take the scenic train ride (Kandy to Ella), spend a few days at the tea plantation and then a few days at the beach (Hireketiya beach sounds perfect!). Rough itinerary would be:
Colombo (2 days) – [Kandy + Nuwara Eliya + Ella (4 days)] – [Tangalle + Hiriketiya Beach + Galle (3 days] – Colombo (departure)
Is this too ambitious? Would you advise skipping Kandy except to take the scenic train ride? Would like to give more days in the tea plantation and also at the beach.
Lastly, any recommendations on ayurveda spa/massage that you tried along any of the routes?
Many thanks in advance! 🙂
Hello Hazel,
I would reduce your time in Colombo to 1 day or even just a half day as there are better places to visit in Sri Lanka, plus allow for a more relaxing time. You could even do one night in Kandy that way. You only need a few hours, if that, at a tea plantation – tea is literally everywhere, as well as factories as it’s a major tourist attraction there.
As for the spa, we just went to those convenient to our hotels, as they are also everywhere. TripAdvisor lists the top ones but there are tons not on there. Have fun!
My spouse and I came over here coming from a different web address and thought I should check things out. I like what I see so i am just following you. Look forward to looking into your web page repeatedly.
One of the best blog guide I’ve read, thank you! I’ll be travelling to Sri Lanka next week for 3 weeks with my fiance, so exited and will definitely consider most of your tips!
Thanks for reading and for your awesome comment Fytra! It’s such a cool country, I’m so excited for you! Have a great trip and let us know if you have any questions!
So funny. Googled the Poon Hill Trekk and found your site.
Arrived in Nepal today, from Sri Lanka. Did the same route as you guys (Well, almost. Less time, less beaches). Maybe not so funny, its quite popular. For the obvious reasons.
Great info on Poon Hill! Will continue reading. Thank you!
/Per, Sweden
Best itinerary I’ve seen so far! Planning my trip for April with my husband and 22-month-old. Can’t wait to visit these places. Thanks for all the detailed info!
Hey Bekah! That’s awesome to hear. Thanks for commenting 🙂 Have a great time!!
Hi Emily,
Thanks for the great insight into Sri Lanka. I know you say 2 weeks is barely sufficient time, but my friend and I are planning a trip for only 11 nights to Sri Lanka in August (we just don’t have any more time off and we’re from Australia so its 2 days for travelling there and back, so we’ll get only 11 days excluding our flight days in Sri Lanka itself). Can your recommend us an itinerary – we like beaches, nature, hiking, local culture, local food + markets but not hugely keen on sightseeing (maybe just a sprinkle)
Would be so appreciative of your insights!
Hello Sonali,
11 days is doable to be honest, it’s a little rushed but it can be done. Skip the cities and focus on the beach towns (we’ve listed our favourites) and then the area of Ella. Have fun!
This was great to read
We are looking to book our honeymoon out open anywhere in world to go.
Shi Lanka then maybe Maldives if not to expensive is one of our thoughts.
We are looking to book to go Xmas and new year.
Due to more days with things closed ect eorh that time of year. We don’t want to be stuck. Would you say to follow your intenary more the other way round so at the beaches for Xmas and new year? Then head to ella after.
Or from all your places you have been would you suggest a whole other country lol.
Want 2 weeks backpacking then finish week of luxury.
Thankyou
Mia
Hello, if you’re on budget then places in SE Asia is a good place to start as you get more bang for your buck. Sri Lanka as a lot of diversity although I would not say it is as romantic as some other destinations. It also depends on your interests and what you plan to do. Is it an active honeymoon or relaxing or both? The Maldives is just so pretty and if you want to do luxury then that is a good choice, although much more expensive. We stayed at Sun Aqua Vilu Reef when we went.
What an amazing and a fascinating place to visit. I really didn’t know much about Sri Lanka but after reading this post I will surely visit one day. Thanks for sharing such an amazing post.
Awesome to hear Kim. It is definitely worth the visit. In fact, it’s one of our favourite countries in Asia!
This actually answered my drawback, thanks!
Hello. We are planning our trip to Sri Lanka this January. 3 weeks in Sri Lanka and 1 week in Maldives. Looking for beautiful unspoiled nature and quite clean beach. Not interested in crowdy beaches. Hoping to relax, eat well, and enjoy the nature and nice comfortable resorts. Which places you recommend to visit and how many days to stay? Thanks in advance!
Hi Lina,
That sounds like a great trip and very similar to what we did. If you read through the post you have commented on, it will give you a great idea of the places we went as well as where we stayed and for how long.
Let me know if you have any other questions. Have a great trip!
Emily, this is a great post. Yes, you can find a lot of miracles to see in Sri Lanka apart from the places you roamed. Mesmerizing beaches, Misty mountains, adventures safaris, historical monuments etc. When you are coming next time to this magical island please let me know. I may be able to show you some hidden wonders of this small island
Thanks so much Mani! We will hopefully get back to Sri Lanka one day and explore more of the beautiful country!
Hey, love this post – and all the other Sri Lanka blogs, it’s been a great help in planning my trip in December. Quick one, so do you think it’s best to stop off at Udawalawe National Park on the way to Mirissa? My girlfriend and I had planned on visiting during a three-night stay at Ella and then head to Mirissa, but perhaps it makes sense to do it the morning of us going from Ella-Mirissa. Below is our plan, do you think that’s OK?
2 nights in Kandy
3 nights in Ella
3 nights in Mirissa Beach
3 nights Hikkaduwa Beach
Cheers,
Matt
Hey Matt,
You’re welcome. I am glad it has been helpful in planning your trip to Sri Lanka. Do you plan to have a driver? If you are using public transport then it will take you forever. If you’re using a driver then it is possible to stop at the National Park in the morning, my only recommendation would be to leave Ella as early as possible so you don’t waste too much of the best part of the day in the car 🙂
Enjoy!I’m jealous, I love Sri Lanka so much.
Hi Emily,
awesome guide, we’ve recently just got home after backpacking through Sumatra & starting to plan our next adventure. You’re tips & pics have pretty much confirmed that Sri Lanka, here we come!
Our itinerary at this stage is pretty similar to your trip, taking on board your tips (thank you). We’re planning our trip around Aug/Sept, not the ideal time it appears due to weather but do you think it will have a huge impact?
Thank you & hope all goes well in your next adventure at home 🙂
Hey Tracey,
Thanks for your comment! You’ve made the right choice to go to Sri Lanka, it’s the best! It’s always so hard to say with the weather, whilst it isn’t the ideal time, you can always try and make the most out of what you have and it’s not guaranteed that it will ruin your trip any way 🙂
Have fun!!!
I love your itinerary for Sri Lanka! I am heading to Ella in December and I shall definitely be using this!
Excellent! Clear , unbiased review and effective advices. Abt the railways – does it worth to take the full ride Kandy to Ella ( thrs) or Nuwara to Ella is quintesential (and shorter)? In the second choice Negombo ti Nuwara is doable at the same price maybe? And a last one: I plan to stop on my way from ella to Tangalle for several days at Ashram Sri Lanka, some 80-100 KM north the south Coast. Have you come across other yoga centers on your intinerary?
Hello.
I would do the whole train ride from Kandy to Ella and unfortunately, we didn’t come across any yoga studios as we weren’t really looking out for them!
Hey Emily!
Thanks for this great post, it inspired me and I am actually doing exactly the same itinerary starting next week! 🙂 I’m taking into account your tips and I have researched a lot. Looking forward to!
All the best,
D
Hello! So awesome 🙂 Have the best time. Thanks for reading!
Hello,
My friend and I are going to Sri Lanka for around 23 days – We don’t want to go to too many places but would rather spend at least 3/4 nights in each place – do you think this is reasonable? Your itinerary looks amazing, was just wondering the places which you think we should definitely go to?! and in which order?
Thank you!
Hi Lily!
Thaks for your comment. Sri Lanka was so amazing we absolutely loved it!
Firstly, how do you plan on getting around? It is definitely reasonable and a great amount of time!
Definitely have to visit Galle, Mirissa, Tangalle, Ella, Kandy and then back to Colombo. You could skip Unawatuna. It’s too touristy and Colombo is just a busy chaotic city. Hiriketiya Beach was very relaxing although we didn’t stay but we wish we had!
Pretty! This was a really wonderful post. Thanks for supplying this info.
You’re welcome!
Thank you so much for the effort and detail you have put into your site, I am currently working out an itinerary for our 18 day trip in April – me, husband and two teens. You have given me loads of really helpful information and I am starting to feel organised and excited about the trip!
You’re welcome Sally! I know how overwhelming it is planning a trip so I definitely try and make it easier for people 🙂 Enjoy!
Your blog on Sri Lanka 2-3 Week Itinerary: The Ultimate Guide | Just Globetrotting is very good. We hope you can continue writing many more article in the future. Long live justglobetrotting.com
Thank you for your blog article.Really looking forward to read more. Will read on…
Thank you for this post! Can’t tell you how helpful this was – all the information I was looking for in one place. You could put Lonely Planet’s disaster of a website out of business ???? Appreciate all the info, especially the “Things I Would Have Done Differently”!
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