Sri Lanka Itinerary: A 3 week guide to travelling Sri Lanka
Read for my 3 week Sri Lanka itinerary, which can be shortened or stretched very easily for a 2 or 4 week option.
Being a 10.5 hour direct flight from London, extremely safe for solo travellers or groups alike, & so convenient, Sri Lanka is a dreamy option for your next trip.
December to March are considered the best time to go to Sri Lanka. This is because it is dry & sunny during this time. That said, I went 27th December to 18th January & the weather was a bit hit & miss at times. I encountered a fair bit of rain!
My top takeaways from This Sri Lanka Itinerary:
- Transport is part of the adventure: The trains are iconic but often chaotic, late &/or slow. The buses are a mixed bag, being convenient for anything up to around an hour. TukTuks are fun for short trips & Uber is a sanity-saver for longer haul (more on this later…)
- The people are so helpful: Everyone wants to help you so don’t be afraid of accepting peoples’ directions. Obviously still have your wits about you, but everyone we interacted with was lovely! They pointed us in the right direction, gave history spiels or just wanted to know ‘where are you from’…
- Hotel quality is inconsistent: I used Booking.com for this Sri Lanka itinerary. It is great as you can often cancel 24 hours before, meaning if plans change, you can amend easily. That said, unlike most places I’ve been, the ratings on Booking.com are not really on a level playing field! One place may have a ‘9/10’ rating, be pretty expensive, but not be as nice or good value as your ‘8/10’ place that is a third of the price. Be sure to read through the reviews before booking.
- I highly recommend Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka is safe & absolutely stunning. It has everything from relaxation to full-on adventure, & genuinely offers something for everyone. From myself on a trip with a friend (two females), the solo travellers we encountered to my honeymooning friends (who I crashed) & the many parents with their young children in tow…
Your (mostly) stress-free Sri Lanka itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Colombo
Arriving into Colombo is like diving headfirst into organised chaos. Colombo is the judicial & executive capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is also home to the biggest airport in Sri Lanka, where you will likely fly into; Bandaranaike International Airport.
To get all of my travel out of the way in one hit, I ubered into Colombo centre to meet my friend. We then grabbed a coffee & sandwich (I know, not cultural of me at all) from Java Cafe. We also picked up some snacks from a local convenience store. Then we headed straight to Colombo Fort Station to get the train north to Anuradhapura.
Buying a train ticket for the equivalent of about 900LKR per person. Whilst waiting at the platform, it was pretty clear that the Sri Lankan railway company had different plans for us! The train was an hour late, & once it had arrived, it was packed to the brim with sweaty bodies pressed up against windows, chairs & one another. We did arrive to the station early to try to ensure we got a seat! But, with unreserved tickets, we were unsuccessful during the stampede boarding the train. I would recommend buying reserved tickets from the ticket office at the station.
After a further hour had passed & we had not left the station, the train then edged forwards & proceeded to break down after about 5 seconds of movement. Cue the aforementioned sanity-saviour! My friend & I shared a knowing look & I the words ‘How much would you be willing to pay right now to get an Uber’ were uttered. Knowing that a car would be 4.5 hours (vs. the 6.5 hour train, that was looking like much longer), would promise, at a minimum, slightly more air flow & room to manoeuvre, we jumped off the train. Plus, if we were really lucky, then the car may even feature AC (air conditioning). Our Uber ended up costing 23,000 IKR total & was the best £30 (per person) I have ever spent (2024/2025 conversion rate).
AC, was indeed, included.
Day 2: To start your Sri Lanka itinerary, explore Anuradhapura
Anuradhapura, the capital of Sri Lanka’s North Central Province, was the country’s first ancient capital. Being a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is a major pilgrimage hub for Buddhists. It houses the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi tree. The tree is a fig tree grown from a cutting of the original Bodhi tree under which Buddha attained enlightenment.
Additionally, the city features numerous stupas, believed to enshrine Buddha’s relics.
With its reasonably expansive & flat landscape, Anuradhapura is best explored by bicycle. I would suggest that one day is sufficient to take in the highlights of the area! We rented bikes via our hotel, which cost only 1000LKR per person.
To access the historic sites, you’ll need to purchase a ‘Sacred Area Entrance’ ticket. These can be obtained at the ticket office, which opens at 7.30am & is located here.
If you’re planning a day in Anuradhapura, then use my one-day itinerary. The itinerary features the top 11 places to visit in Anuradhapura here.
Day 3: Travel To Dambulla & Explore Dambulla & Sigiriya
Buses in Sri Lanka can be a bit of a mixed bag! They can often be uncomfortable &/or not run on time. That said, we seemed to have fantastic luck with the bus from Anuradhapura to Dambulla so it is definitely worth a punt! Head to the new bus stand & ask them when the next AC (air-conditioned) bus is heading to Dambulla. The bus cost 470LKR per person. They did, however, charge us for a seat for our bags. So, this ended up being 1400LKR for two people & two backpacks.
Having travelled out of Anuradhapura early, & with the journey only taking 1h15, we started our day of activities as soon as we arrived in Dambulla….
Dambulla & Sigiriya are very close to one another (about 30 minute drive). Either are a great option to stay in to explore the area. See my weigh-up of the two here.
There are 3 key activities in the area: Climb Pidurangala Rock, climb Sigiriya Rock (also referred to as Lion Rock), & visit the Dambulla Cave Temple Complex. If you are interested in climbing one of the rocks, then I have weighed up the differences between Pidurangala & Sigiriya here.
Or if you would like to read a one-day itinerary for Dambulla & Sigiriya, then you can do so here.
Day 4-5: Travel to Kandy & Explore Kandy
Take the bus to Kandy, which is about a 2 hour journey. We got the blue bus from the Dambulla Bus Station. Just ask someone & tell them you want to go to Kandy & they will point you in the right direction! No AC on this bus unfortunately, but we did manage to get a seat, which we were very grateful for with our early start.
Use these two days to explore the key sites in Kandy. If you’re pushed for time, then you can definitely cover Kandy in one day as it is a pretty small city! It is safe to walk around by foot, although it is very busy & the roads can be pretty hard to cross.
There are 5 main attractions you can do/see in Kandy, which you can find here. I have also comprised a list of the top restaurants & bars in Kandy here.
Day 6-7: Knuckle Mountain Range Hike
If you are keen on doing a hike through the Knuckles Mountains during your Sri Lanka itinerary, then I strongly advise doing an organised tour. The routes are not that clearly mapped & parts of the hike were pretty tricky (even as someone that enjoys hiking…). Despite saying this, I was comfortable doing the hike in running trainers! Beware, though, that parts are very slippery, especially close to waterfalls.
We booked the trip via Overa Tours. We opted for the 2 day hike, & it cost 140USD per person. The hike included accommodation, all food & water, & a transfer to & from Kandy. I recommend the trip, & you can read more about it here.
Days 8-10: Kandy to Ella Train & Explore Ella
The train from Kandy to Ella is often referred to as the most scenic train ride in the world. I highly recommend taking the train but be warned that it does take a very long time! Our trip took around 9 hours in total in the end! If you want more information on how to get tickets, the route & about the journey, I have a full blog on the journey here.
If you have followed my itinerary of heading north so far, which is very authentic, then Ella will be a pretty big culture shock. Despite being in the mountains, it is so touristy! It has a Bangkok-strip vibe at night. There is one main street that houses all of the main restaurants, cafes, bars etc. Top restaurants here for you.
Based on the time the train takes, most of your first day will be spent on the train. I would, therefore, recommend 2-3 days in Ella to explore. There are two main hikes you can do (Ella Rock & Little Adam’s Peak), some nice walks, viewing the famous Nine Arches Bridge, & tea factory visits. Here is a list of the top things to see in Ella.
Days 11-12: Udawalawe Safari
Now, if you are fortunate enough to have experienced an African safari in your lifetime, then be prepared that there is much less wildlife on Sri Lankan safari. That said, Udawalawe is still a very beautiful & serene area. It is a great place to unwind & spot of lot of elephants & birds, plus a croc or two. Another option for this leg of the trip is to hit Yala instead for safari, where you are more likely to spot a leopard. I weigh up the two safaris here.
We stayed for two nights in Udawalawe so that we could have some time to unwind by the pool on the afternoon of our safari, as the morning safari slots are 5.30am. We stayed at Kottawatta Village, which is just on the border of the park. Kottawatta offers their own safari tours (like many do). I highly recommend this place as it was clean, beautiful & you have your own tent-like-rooms. Very cute, very romantic & complete with personal outdoor bathroom too! Though the monkeys can pop by occasionally (we had our bar of soap stolen by one)…
I would also recommend visiting the Elephant Transit Home to see orphaned elephants at feeding time. This was a highlight!
My full Udawalawe two night itinerary is here.
Days 13-15: Hit the beaches during your Sri Lanka itinerary, & head to Hiriketiya
Head to the south coast, to Hiriketiya, which is a dreamy & laid-back beach town. Hiriketiya is perfect for surfing, sunbathing & enjoying a sundowner or two.
Hiriketiya gives Bali vibes, with beach bars lining the coast, an abundance of brunch spots, yoga classes by the bucket load, & holiday-makers scantily clad in their surf & beach attire. It is the perfect spot to unwind at the end of your trip.
You can find my 3 day itinerary here & some of the main cafes & restaurants I recommend here.
Days 16-19: Weligama, Galle & Mirissa
For the final leg of my trip, I based myself in Weligama, as I wanted to work from a co-working hotel… Of which Weligama has many. There are multiple cute towns along the beach where you can base yourself. Some town options being: Weligama, Mirissa, Ahagama or Unawatuna. Each of these places are easily TukTuk-able, so day trips are also an option.
Weligama is a huge bay which, whilst much less pretty than the other beaches, offers a huge amount of spaced-out surf! This is great for beginners as you are not on top of other surfers.
Basing myself in Weligama, I had two days chilling & surfing, a daytrip to Galle Fort to wander the town, & a day trip to Mirissa to see turtles, whale watch & watch the sunset at Coconut Tree Hill. Full itinerary breakdown here.
Day 20: Back to Colombo to head home
On your final day, depending on flight times, squeeze in a beach walk or morning surf before heading to Colombo. Then, in Colombo, there are a few sites that you can hit if you so wish (although I preferred to hang out in Weligama for longer to protect my beach-zen)…
Finally, bid farewell to this stunning country & make your way to the airport.
I hope you enjoyed this Sri Lanka itinerary & do let me know if you have any questions or decide to follow my trip by emailing me on hello@bucketlisting.co.uk 🙂
