Cultural Triangle
Anuradhapura
The first great capital of Sri Lanka, with giant brick stupas, ancient reservoirs and the sacred Bodhi tree, still a living place of pilgrimage.
Lankan.lk Travel
Sri Lanka, planned properly
Small island, slow roads, two monsoons. Our guides and the trip planner are built around those three facts, so your route fits the season and the drives stay sane.
Where to go
Each place comes with its season, the time you need and what to see.
Cultural TriangleDambulla
A crossroads town under the painted cave temple of Dambulla, with prehistoric tombs and a forest arboretum close by and Sigiriya twenty minutes away.
Hill countryElla
A small hill town in a gap between mountains, reached by one of the world's most scenic train rides and surrounded by easy walks and tea country.
South coastGalle
A walled sea fort first built by the Portuguese and rebuilt by the Dutch, still a living town of churches, mansions, cafes and ramparts.
Hill countryKandy
The last royal capital, built around a lake and home to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, Sri Lanka's most important Buddhist shrine.
South coastMirissa
A crescent beach with palm-covered headlands, Parrot Rock and Secret Beach, and whale-watching boats from the harbour in season.
Hill countryNuwara Eliya
The cool, misty heart of tea country at about 1,900 metres, with tea factories to visit and the high plateau of Horton Plains nearby.
Cultural TrianglePolonnaruwa
The medieval royal capital, with palaces, temples and the rock-cut Buddhas of Gal Vihara spread beside a great reservoir.
When each place is at its best
Two monsoons on opposite coasts mean somewhere is always in season.
| Destination | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adam's Peak (Sri Pada)Hill country | January: Best | February: Best | March: Best | April: Good | May: Wetter season | June: Wetter season | July: Wetter season | August: Wetter season | September: Wetter season | October: Wetter season | November: Wetter season | December: Good |
| AhangamaSouth coast | January: Best | February: Best | March: Best | April: Good | May: Wetter season | June: Wetter season | July: Wetter season | August: Wetter season | September: Wetter season | October: Wetter season | November: Good | December: Best |
| AnuradhapuraCultural Triangle | January: Good | February: Best | March: Best | April: Best | May: Best | June: Best | July: Best | August: Best | September: Best | October: Good | November: Wetter season | December: Good |
| Arugam BayEast coast | January: Avoid | February: Wetter season | March: Wetter season | April: Good | May: Best | June: Best | July: Best | August: Best | September: Best | October: Good | November: Wetter season | December: Avoid |
| BentotaWest coast | January: Best | February: Best | March: Best | April: Good | May: Wetter season | June: Wetter season | July: Wetter season | August: Wetter season | September: Wetter season | October: Wetter season | November: Good | December: Best |
| ColomboWest coast | January: Best | February: Best | March: Best | April: Good | May: Wetter season | June: Good | July: Good | August: Good | September: Good | October: Wetter season | November: Good | December: Good |
| DambullaCultural Triangle | January: Good | February: Best | March: Best | April: Best | May: Best | June: Best | July: Best | August: Best | September: Best | October: Good | November: Wetter season | December: Good |
| EllaHill country | January: Best | February: Best | March: Best | April: Good | May: Good | June: Best | July: Best | August: Best | September: Good | October: Good | November: Wetter season | December: Wetter season |
| GalleSouth coast | January: Best | February: Best | March: Best | April: Good | May: Wetter season | June: Wetter season | July: Good | August: Good | September: Good | October: Wetter season | November: Good | December: Best |
| HaputaleHill country | January: Good | February: Best | March: Best | April: Good | May: Good | June: Best | July: Best | August: Best | September: Good | October: Wetter season | November: Wetter season | December: Good |
| HikkaduwaSouth coast | January: Best | February: Best | March: Best | April: Good | May: Wetter season | June: Wetter season | July: Wetter season | August: Wetter season | September: Wetter season | October: Wetter season | November: Good | December: Best |
| HiriketiyaSouth coast | January: Best | February: Best | March: Best | April: Best | May: Wetter season | June: Wetter season | July: Wetter season | August: Wetter season | September: Wetter season | October: Wetter season | November: Good | December: Best |
| JaffnaNorth | January: Good | February: Best | March: Best | April: Best | May: Best | June: Best | July: Best | August: Best | September: Best | October: Wetter season | November: Wetter season | December: Wetter season |
| KalpitiyaNorth-west | January: Best | February: Best | March: Best | April: Good | May: Good | June: Good | July: Good | August: Good | September: Good | October: Wetter season | November: Wetter season | December: Good |
| KandyHill country | January: Best | February: Best | March: Best | April: Best | May: Good | June: Good | July: Good | August: Good | September: Good | October: Wetter season | November: Wetter season | December: Good |
| KitulgalaHill country | January: Best | February: Best | March: Best | April: Good | May: Good | June: Good | July: Good | August: Good | September: Good | October: Good | November: Good | December: Best |
| Knuckles RangeHill country | January: Good | February: Best | March: Best | April: Best | May: Good | June: Good | July: Good | August: Best | September: Best | October: Wetter season | November: Wetter season | December: Wetter season |
| MirissaSouth coast | January: Best | February: Best | March: Best | April: Best | May: Wetter season | June: Wetter season | July: Wetter season | August: Wetter season | September: Wetter season | October: Wetter season | November: Good | December: Best |
| NegomboWest coast | January: Best | February: Best | March: Best | April: Good | May: Wetter season | June: Wetter season | July: Good | August: Good | September: Good | October: Wetter season | November: Good | December: Good |
| Nuwara EliyaHill country | January: Best | February: Best | March: Best | April: Best | May: Good | June: Wetter season | July: Wetter season | August: Good | September: Good | October: Good | November: Good | December: Good |
| PasikudahEast coast | January: Wetter season | February: Good | March: Good | April: Best | May: Best | June: Best | July: Best | August: Best | September: Best | October: Good | November: Wetter season | December: Wetter season |
| PolonnaruwaCultural Triangle | January: Good | February: Best | March: Best | April: Best | May: Best | June: Best | July: Best | August: Best | September: Best | October: Good | November: Wetter season | December: Good |
| RatnapuraSabaragamuwa | January: Best | February: Best | March: Best | April: Good | May: Wetter season | June: Wetter season | July: Good | August: Good | September: Good | October: Wetter season | November: Wetter season | December: Good |
| SigiriyaCultural Triangle | January: Good | February: Best | March: Best | April: Best | May: Best | June: Best | July: Best | August: Best | September: Best | October: Good | November: Wetter season | December: Good |
| SinharajaRainforest | January: Best | February: Best | March: Best | April: Good | May: Wetter season | June: Wetter season | July: Good | August: Good | September: Good | October: Wetter season | November: Wetter season | December: Good |
| TangalleSouth coast | January: Best | February: Best | March: Best | April: Best | May: Wetter season | June: Wetter season | July: Wetter season | August: Wetter season | September: Wetter season | October: Wetter season | November: Good | December: Best |
| ThalpeSouth coast | January: Best | February: Best | March: Best | April: Good | May: Wetter season | June: Wetter season | July: Wetter season | August: Wetter season | September: Wetter season | October: Wetter season | November: Good | December: Best |
| TissamaharamaDeep south | January: Best | February: Best | March: Best | April: Best | May: Best | June: Best | July: Best | August: Good | September: Wetter season | October: Good | November: Good | December: Good |
| TrincomaleeEast coast | January: Wetter season | February: Good | March: Good | April: Best | May: Best | June: Best | July: Best | August: Best | September: Best | October: Good | November: Avoid | December: Avoid |
| UdawalaweSouth | January: Best | February: Best | March: Best | April: Best | May: Best | June: Best | July: Best | August: Best | September: Best | October: Good | November: Good | December: Good |
| UnawatunaSouth coast | January: Best | February: Best | March: Best | April: Good | May: Wetter season | June: Wetter season | July: Wetter season | August: Wetter season | September: Wetter season | October: Wetter season | November: Good | December: Best |
| WeligamaSouth coast | January: Best | February: Best | March: Best | April: Good | May: Wetter season | June: Wetter season | July: Wetter season | August: Wetter season | September: Wetter season | October: Wetter season | November: Good | December: Best |
| WilpattuNorth-west | January: Good | February: Best | March: Best | April: Best | May: Best | June: Best | July: Best | August: Best | September: Best | October: Good | November: Wetter season | December: Wetter season |
BestGoodWetter seasonAvoid
Ready-made itineraries
Checked against the same rules as the planner: journey times, opening hours and seasons.
Five days of ancient cities and Kandy
Negombo → Sigiriya → Kandy
Seven days in the Cultural Triangle
Negombo → Anuradhapura → Polonnaruwa → Sigiriya
Seven days of rock, temples and Colombo
Negombo → Sigiriya → Kandy → Colombo
Nine days to Jaffna and the east coast
Negombo → Anuradhapura → Jaffna → Trincomalee
Ten days from Sigiriya to the south coast
Negombo → Sigiriya → Kandy → Nuwara Eliya → Ella → Tissamaharama → Mirissa
Ten days on the south coast beaches
Negombo → Bentota → Unawatuna → Mirissa → Tangalle
Fourteen days around the island
Negombo → Sigiriya → Kandy → Nuwara Eliya → Ella → Tissamaharama → Mirissa → Galle
Before you go
Practical guides, each linked to its official sources.
- Arriving in Sri Lanka, visas and customs
How to get your Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), who it is free for, and what to declare when you land at Bandaranaike International Airport.
- Money, cards and what things cost
Rupees, ATMs and cards, tipping, and realistic daily ranges for planning, with the ticket prices of the big sights.
- SIM cards, eSIMs and mobile data
Where to buy a tourist SIM at the airport, what the main networks charge, and what you need to register.
- Getting around Sri Lanka
Car and driver, trains, buses and tuk-tuks, with honest journey times and how to book the hill-country train.
- When to go, coast by coast
Sri Lanka has two monsoons that hit opposite coasts, so there is always somewhere dry. Here is how the seasons work.