Ultimate Guide for Travel in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is an incredible island country located in the Indian Ocean, just south of India. I spent three glorious weeks travelling around this beautiful country as a solo backpacker and loved every minute. Here is a guide to some of the best places to visit in Sri Lanka, whilst reassuring how easy it was travelling solo. So, from the ancient ruins in the north, to sandy beaches in the south, here are the best places to go in Sri Lanka!

Sri Lanka Itinerary

There is so much to do in Sri Lanka and I loved how varied each place is! This is a suggested itinerary based on my 3-week trip. I wanted a mix of historical sites, hikes, beaches, nights-out, cities and chill time:

Dambulla – 4 nights (I arrived very late on night one)
Kandy – 1 night
Ella – 5 nights
Mirissa – 4 nights
Weligama – 1 night
Unawatuna – 4 nights
Galle (day trip from Unawatuna)
Colombo – 1 night

Best Places to Go in Sri Lanka

For a small country, there are so many incredible places to visit whilst spending time in Sri Lanka. I wanted a mix of cultural sites, nature, beaches and cities so picked my route accordingly. Landing in the international airport, Colombo Bandaranaike, I started my three weeks in Sri Lanka by heading straight to Dambulla.

Dambulla

Dambulla, a small town tucked away in the Central Province of Sri Lanka, provided an excellent base to explore the cultural north. The main attraction within Dambulla itself is the World Heritage Site The Golden Temple of Dambulla. These are the largest and best preserved cave temples in Sri Lanka and definitely worth a visit.

By staying in Dambulla, I was able to easily do day excursions to Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura. The main bus station in Dambulla has a number of options to get to each place cheaply. However, for these journeys I shared a private taxi with two guys I met in my hotel. This worked out to be approximately £110 in total for 3 days worth of taxis.

This option worked out well for us! We saved time getting between each place and our lovely driver made for an excellent guide, providing us with lots of interesting information for each area.

Polonnaruwa, located in Sri Lanka’s North Central Province, is an ancient city that served as the island’s capital during the 11th and 12th centuries. It is renowned for its well-preserved ruins, including royal palaces, temples, and massive statues of Buddha, such as the Gal Vihara. Polonnaruwa archaeological park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, offers an interesting glimpse into Sri Lanka’s rich history. We rented bicycles to make exploring Polonnaruwa easier!

Anuradhapura is one of the island’s ancient capitals, also renowned for its well-preserved ruins and religious significance. This UNESCO World Heritage Site features impressive stupas, monasteries, and the sacred Bodhi tree, believed to be the world’s oldest living tree planted by humans. As a major centre of Buddhism, Anuradhapura offers insight into Sri Lanka’s early civilisation and spiritual heritage, with its vast archaeological complex spread over several square kilometres. Like Polonnaruwa, you can rent bikes to explore the area. Or even tuktuks!

Sigiriya / Lion Rock

Sigiriya, also known as Lion Rock, is an ancient rock fortress known for its well-preserved gardens and incredible views from the summit. I’ve written a detailed post regarding Sigiriya and my experience climbing Lion Rock here. If you’re limited for time in the North of Sri Lanka, I would personally recommend Sigiriya and Polonnaruwa as must-dos!

I am extremely scared of heights so getting to the top of Sigiriya was quite a feat! But the whole experience going up and seeing the views from the summit were absolutely worth it. Just don’t make the same mistake as me and go on a Sri Lankan public holiday – as you’ll see from the queues going up, it was packed!

After 4 nights in Dambulla, it was time to head down the country. Dambulla has numerous bus routes, which made it easy to travel to my next stop, Kandy. The journey took roughly 2.5 hours in a public bus and was very cheap! For a look into bus routes from Dambulla, check out this post. I relied on this site a lot for bus information. However my hotel were really helpful and flagged the bus for me to jump on, saving me walking a mile to the bus station.

Kandy

Kandy is one of the largest cities in the country and a great place to marvel in some of Sri Lanka’s rich heritage. Some of the best things to do in Kandy include watching a traditional dance show and visiting the UNESCO world heritage site The Temple of the Tooth Relic. Both of these are possible to do late afternoon and in the evening. I spent the day exploring Kandy, sitting by the Lake during the day and enjoying some sites in the evening. I found one night in Kandy to be enough time to everything I wanted.

One of my favourite things to do in Sri Lanka was catch the infamous Kandy to Ella Train. Although it was a long journey – 7 hours – the views were incredible and it was such a unique experience to travel through the country sitting in an open train doorway. I would definitely recommend catching an early train so you’re not spending the bulk of your day travelling.

Ella

Ella is nestled in Sri Lanka’s Hill Country and is famous for its lush tea plantations, scenic hikes and waterfalls. I LOVED Ella and extended my original stay to 5 nights. I found there was so much to do in Ella and it was easy to meet other backpackers, making excursions and evenings very fun.

The best things to do in Ella were trekking to Ella Rock, climbing Little Adam rock, admiring the waterfalls, visiting Nine Arch Bridge and trying the famous Ceylon Tea. Ella had lots of cute bars, cafes and shops. I also enjoyed a few self-care pamper sessions like massages.

After an incredible stay in Ella, I made my way down to the beaches, with my first stop at Mirissa.

Mirissa

Mirissa, a coastal town in southern Sri Lanka, is renowned for its stunning beaches and vibrant marine life. One of the main things to do here are the whale watching tours, where you see blue whales, dolphins, and other marine species.

I had heard negative reviews on how the whales were treated on the tours, so I decided to skip this. Instead I enjoyed Mirissa Beach for its swimming and snorkelling. For those interested in surfing, this is a good beach for it, but there are other more noteworthy surfing beaches – like Weligama. I also went to the famous Coconut Tree Hill to enjoy the scenic viewpoint and to take pictures.

Additionally, Mirissa has a lively nightlife with beachside bars and restaurants serving fresh seafood. As a solobackpacker, I found Mirissa was a great place to meet other people. We were out most nights at beach parties and I found it to be a very lively area, with lots going on.

Mirissa is about 150km South of Colombo and easily accessible by train, bus or car. I took a shuttle from Ella to Mirissa, which was long but a very cheap option.

Weligama

Weligama is primarily known for its surfing – being a great place for beginners and seasoned surfers alike. Although I did enjoy my surf lesson here, I found the beach here to not be very nice compared to Mirissa and Unawatuna. The beach had a few sun bed areas in one section but these were expensive to rent. There were a few small vans selling juices and snacks by the beach, which were enjoyed after tiring work trying to learn to surf. I stayed for one night in Weligama, but in hindsight, would have preferred to just do a day trip to Weligama for the surf lesson.

However, in recent years, Weligama has become quite a hub for digital nomads. Therefore the beach might be quite different now compared to when I went in 2019. This area could be a great place to base yourself if you’re looking for a more long-term option, in terms of accommodation and meeting other long-term stayers.

Unawatuna

30km west of Mirissa is another coastal town worth checking out, Unawatuna. Unawatuna is home to a huge beach; famous for its clear waters, diving, swimming and snorkelling. The main street here is lined with many cafes, restaurants and shops, making it a great place to base yourself for a few days. I stayed here for 4 nights, choosing to chill in Unawatuna and spend some time exploring surrounding areas. I had a day trip to the nearby Hikkaduwa Beach to see turtles and had another day trip to Galle.

The area is also home to the Japanese Peace Pagoda, offering panoramic views of the coastline. Another beach worth checking out in the area is Jungle Beach. It’s much quieter and perfect for a relaxed day by the sea.

Like Mirissa, Unawatuna had great nightlife, with beachfront restaurants and beach bars. As a solo backpacker, I was able to meet people easily in both beaches and had really fun nights out each evening!

Galle

I had no expectations for Galle, but it turned out to be one of my favourite places in Sri Lanka. Galle can easily be done as a day trip from Unawatuna or you could choose to stay there for a night. As I was based in Unawatuna for 4 nights, I chose to visit Galle for the day. It was really easy, and cheap, to get the local bus from Unawatuna straight to Galle, but you could get a train, tuktuk or taxi.

The best thing to do in Galle is head to the Old Town, walk around the Historic Fort and see the famous Lighthouse. You can easily spend several hours walking around this UNESCO World Heritage Site, and learn more about the old fortified harbour town’s mix of colonial and local traditions.

I also loved walking through the streets of the Old Town, browsing through the boutiques, shops, art galleries and stopping for food in one of the many cafes. I would recommend staying into the evening so you can watch the sunset from the Lighthouse Beach! I’ve written a more detailed post on my time in Galle.

Colombo

Colombo, the capital (and largest city) of Sri Lanka, offers a mix of cultural, historical, and modern attractions. After an incredible three weeks in Sri Lanka, it was time to head home. I took the train from Unawatuna to Colombo for 24 hours in the city before my flight to London.

The main things I did during my time in Colombo were; visiting the National Museum – home to artefacts from Sri Lanka’s history. I walked along the Galle Face Green which is a popular seaside promenade – it was bustling with people! In the morning I visited the Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque, one of the oldest mosques in Colombo. Although it was interesting to see, there were MANY scammers in the area trying to make me get into tuk-tuks to another mosque. Nearby is the famous Pettah Market which I’d be recommended by other travellers for some shopping. I would say it was fairly overwhelming given how busy it was and all the shouting to look into stalls/shops. But it was interesting to see.

I only stayed for one night but it seemed like there was good nightlife, with numerous restaurants and bars scattered across the city. Cinnamon Gardens and Fort were the areas recommended to me for nightlife.

Other things I had on my list, but didn’t have time to see were the Gangaramaya Temple (for insight into the country’s Buddhist heritage) and the Old Dutch Hospital – a shopping/dining area that shows the colonial history. Although I enjoyed exploring Colombo, I would say you don’t need very long here. I used it as a base before flying home, so spent a night and two days there.

Weather in Sri Lanka

Like many Asian countries, Sri Lanka’s peak season is between December and mid-April. However different parts of the island are hit by monsoons at times of the year. It’s important to keep this in mind if you’re going for the beaches or hikes.

South-West – Monsoon Season: May – Sept, Dry Season: Dec – March
North, East Coast – Monsoon Season: Oct-Jan, Dry Season: May-Sept
Whole Island – Inter-monsoonal: October – November

For a detailed look into weather in Sri Lanka, check out this site.

Getting to Sri Lanka

Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) is the main international airport serving Sri Lanka, so it’s likely you’ll be starting your journey here. Many people choose to stay in Colombo (the capital) or Negombo when they first arrive. Both are easy to get to from the airport and are a good place to relax in after long flights.

BIA has a number of bus routes if you’re wanting to save money and immerse yourself into public transport immediately. However, I was travelling solo and landed late in the evening, so opted for a private taxi. It was easy to get one from the airport and only cost £34 for a 4 hour drive to my first stop, Dambulla.

Other Places to See in Sri Lanka

There were many places I didn’t have time to see in Sri Lanka. Here are a few I’d visit if I got the chance to go back:

Jaffna

Jaffna is the capital city of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka and is home to the countries’ vibrant Tamil culture. Visit ancient temples, stroll along pristine beaches and immerse yourself in a side of Sri Lanka that is largely untouched by backpackers.

National Parks of Sri Lanka

There are a number of national parks throughout the country to choose from;

Udawalawe National Park – huge nature reserve most famous for its elephants. Although you’ll also see wild buffalos, sambars, spotted deer and more.
Yala National Park – a wildlife sanctuary known for its conservation of elephants, leopards and aquatic birds.
Sinharaja Forest Reserve – a reserve protecting the last viable remnants of tropical rainforest in Sri Lanka. Home to 139 endemic plant species, two types of forest, insects, birds, reptiles and amphibians.
Bundala National Park – famous for migrating water birds; home to 197 species of birds, lagoons and waterways.
Wilpattu National Park – the largest and oldest national park in Sri Lanka and known for its leopard population.

Adam’s Peake

Adam’s Peak (Sri Pada) is a prominent pilgrimage site in Sri Lanka. Located in the central highlands, it stands at 2,243 metres and is revered by multiple religious communities. To reach Adam’s Peak, it’s best to start from Hatton (135km SW of Colombo), which is accessible by train or bus from Colombo. From Hatton, a further journey by bus or taxi will take you to the trailhead at Dalhousie, the most common starting point for the ascent.

Adam’s Peake is a challenging 5,000 step climb that typically takes 3-5 hours. From what I heard from other travellers, it’s a fairly well-maintained path with lots of tea shops along the way for refreshments. The climb is often done at night to reach the summit in time for sunrise, which offers stunning views of the surrounding landscape. I imagine this also makes it easier given how hot Sri Lanka can get during the day. At the peak, there is a footprint-shaped rock formation, which is considered sacred. Pilgrims and visitors alike appreciate both the spiritual significance and the natural beauty of the site.

Nuwara Eliya

Nuwara Eliya is located in the Central Highlands at 1,868m and is known for its cool climate and colonial charm. It’s about 170km east of Colombo and can be reached by train or bus – I definitely recommend taking the Kandy to Nuwara Eliya train as the route is unbelievably stunning! (it’s the same train route as Kandy to Ella). The area is popular for its tea plantations and nearby Horton Plains National Park, with a highlight being the World’s End Trek. The World’s End Trek is a 9km hike offers views of grasslands, forests, and a dramatic cliff drop. Nuwara Eliya also offers other activities like golfing, boating on Gregory Lake, and exploring local gardens. I met a lot of people heading that way so I imagine there’s a good community of travellers around there.