Before you go
Sri Lanka travel essentials
The practical things to sort out before and during your trip. Every guide links to its official sources and shows when we last checked it.
- 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.
Checked 22 Oct 2026 - 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.
Checked 23 Oct 2026 - 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.
Checked 22 Oct 2026 - Getting around Sri Lanka
Car and driver, trains, buses and tuk-tuks, with honest journey times and how to book the hill-country train.
Checked 22 Oct 2026 - 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.
Checked 23 Oct 2026