Travel Guide

Sri Lanka Travel Guide

Sigiriya at sunrise, tea on a mountain, elephants in the wild — and you've barely started.

About

Why Visit Sri Lanka?

Sri Lanka is the neighbour that most Indians still haven't visited — which makes it one of the region's best-kept secrets. A teardrop island the size of Tamil Nadu containing everything: Sigiriya's ancient rock fortress rising 200 metres from jungle, tea plantations that roll over cool Nuwara Eliya hills, the UNESCO heritage city of Galle with its Dutch fort and surf scene, wild elephants in Minneriya National Park gathering in hundreds at dusk, and beaches on every coast from flat Arugam Bay breaks to quiet Mirissa coves. Sri Lanka does cultural immersion and beach relaxation in equal measure, at a pace and price point that no other Indian Ocean destination matches.

Best Time to Visit

When to Go to Sri Lanka

Click any month for a detailed Sri Lanka travel guide for that time of year.

Must-See

Top Highlights of Sri Lanka

Bucket List

Sigiriya Rock Fortress

A 5th-century royal palace built on top of a 200-metre vertical granite rock — complete with ancient...

Nature

Nuwara Eliya Tea Country

The Hill Country of central Sri Lanka — cool, misty and carpeted in manicured tea estates that produ...

Wildlife

Yala & Minneriya Wildlife

Yala National Park has the world's highest density of leopards and is where visitors actually see th...

UNESCO

Galle Dutch Fort

A perfectly preserved 17th-century Dutch colonial fort on Sri Lanka's southern coast — bastioned wal...

Spiritual

Temple of the Tooth Relic, Kandy

Sri Lanka's most sacred Buddhist site — a 4th-century temple housing a tooth of the Buddha, the isla...

Wildlife

Whale Watching off Mirissa

Mirissa's whale-watching season (November–April) is among the world's most reliable for blue whales ...

Practical Tips

Before You Go — Sri Lanka Essentials

FAQs

Sri Lanka Travel Guide — Common Questions

More Sri Lanka Resources