Sri Lanka travel guide

Whales, rolling tea hills, the most beautiful train ride in the world and sunsets over the ocean.

Cities and regions

• 🌊South Coast 11 places
• 🍃Hill Country & Centre 10 places
• 🌅The North 1 place

What to see

🏰Galle Fort

A 17th-century colonial fort by the ocean: a lighthouse, ramparts, boutiques and cafés. A UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Insider tip Walk the ramparts at sunset: that's when locals come out too, playing cricket and flying kites.

🏖Unawatuna Beach

A sheltered bay with calm water, one of the few beaches in the south where even beginners can swim comfortably.

Insider tip Right next door is Jungle Beach: a tiny cove you reach on a path through the jungle.

🐋Whale Watching in Mirissa

Head out to sea at dawn to spot blue whales and dolphins.

Time Season: roughly November to April

Insider tip Take a seasickness pill beforehand, and choose an operator with good reviews for treating the whales responsibly.

🌴Coconut Tree Hill

That palm-covered hill above the ocean you've seen in every Sri Lanka Instagram post.

Insider tip Come at sunrise or an hour before sunset: midday is hot and crowded.

🎣Stilt Fishermen

Fishermen perched on poles out in the surf, the classic image of the island's south.

Insider tip These days they usually ask for money for photos, so agree on the amount first.

🏄Ahangama

The south coast's trendiest spot: beginner-friendly surf breaks, design-led cafés and villas, and a laid-back vibe.

Insider tip Want to learn to surf? Book your lesson in the morning, when the waves are gentle.

Don’t miss

What to eat

• 🍛
  Rice and curry A plate of rice with 5–10 different curries: vegetables, dal, chicken or fish. The island's staple meal. Where to try it: Any local café at lunchtime
• 🥘
  Kottu Chopped flatbread stir-fried with vegetables, egg and meat. You'll hear it before you see it: the clatter of cleavers on the griddle. Where to try it: Street cafés in the evening
• 🥣
  Hoppers Crispy bowl-shaped pancakes made from rice batter, often with an egg inside. Served with fiery sambol. Where to try it: Breakfast or dinner
• 🫓
  Roti Stuffed flatbreads: with vegetables, egg, or sweet with banana and chocolate. Where to try it: Beach stalls
• 🍵
  Ceylon tea Try it right where it's grown. Locals drink it with milk and sugar. Where to try it: Tea plantations in the hills
• 🥥
  King coconut An orange coconut with the sweetest water. Better than any energy drink in the heat. Where to try it: On every corner

Day-by-day itinerary

When to go

greatOKoff season

Entry & documents

Apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) before you fly, at eta.gov.lk. A tourist ETA usually gives you 30 days; it's currently free for many nationalities, while others pay a fee. Check the current rules for your passport before you travel.

Local etiquette

• 👟
  Take off your shoes and hat at temples, and cover your shoulders and knees. Go in the morning: by midday the stone courtyards are scorching underfoot.
• 🤝
  Use your right hand to eat, shake hands, and pass or receive things: the left is considered unclean.
• 🙏
  Greet people with "Ayubowan" and your palms pressed together at your chest: locals love it when visitors do this.
• 📸
  Don't pose with your back to a Buddha statue, an altar or a sacred bodhi tree: it's seen as deeply disrespectful.
• 💋
  Save the kissing and cuddling for later: Sri Lanka is conservative, especially around children and older people.
• 🪑
  Never sit on a seat draped in white cloth: it's reserved for monks. Don't sit higher than a seated monk or walk ahead of one either; step aside and let him pass.

Did you know

• 👩‍💼In 1960 Sri Lanka, then still called Ceylon, elected the world's first woman prime minister, Sirimavo Bandaranaike.
• 🌳The Sri Maha Bodhi in Anuradhapura is said to have grown from a cutting of the very tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment. Planted in 288 BCE, it's the oldest human-planted tree in the world with a known planting date.
• 🍵In 1867 a Scotsman, James Taylor, planted the first tea estate at Loolecondera, and when coffee leaf rust wiped out the island's coffee plantations soon afterwards, tea took over the hills. The country became Sri Lanka in 1972, but its tea is still sold as "Ceylon".
• 🌿True cinnamon, Cinnamomum verum, comes from here: Sri Lanka holds around 85% of the world market. Much of the "cinnamon" on supermarket shelves is actually cheaper cassia.

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