Best time to visit Sri Lanka
The monsoon transforms villages into a whole other way of being, and our guests love that. We just do yoga by candlelight instead when electricity goes![]()
Just to confuse those of you working out the best time to visit Sri Lanka, there are two monsoons. Heading to the southwest beaches? Stay clear of the southwest monsoon from May to July with sunbathing at its best December to April. Although with climate change 'n' all, May is often lovely. The northeast, however, which is just opening up to tourism, has a monsoon October to January so perfect during European summer. And the rest of the year? Showers happen. It’s the tropics.
Northeast Sri Lanka Weather Chart
MIN °C
MAX °C
RAIN (mm)
JAN
24
26
160
FEB
24
28
100
MAR
24
30
50
APR
25
32
52
MAY
26
33
50
JUN
26
33
20
JUL
26
33
60
AUG
25
33
90
SEP
25
33
100
OCT
24
31
210
NOV
24
29
340
DEC
24
27
370
Our Sri Lanka Holidays
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Sri Lanka highlights holiday
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Wildlife holiday in Sri Lanka, private departure
Wildlife holiday to see Sri Lanka's 'Big Four'
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Sri Lanka; wildlife, landscapes, culture and history
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Sri Lanka family holiday
A fabulous family holiday including the best of Sri Lanka
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Sri Lanka hill country tour
An active 2-week Holiday in Sri Lanka's cooler hill country!
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Sri Lanka luxury camping & wildlife holiday
Exclusive Wildlife Holiday with mobile tented camps
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Tailor made wildlife tour of Sri Lanka
Wildlife tour around Sri Lanka - see blue whales!
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Sri Lanka small group tour, a food adventure
A delicious adventure through this provocative country
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Small group holiday to Sri Lanka
Explore Sri Lanka's natural paradise
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Active Sri Lanka holiday
Bike, raft and hike cultural trip in Sri Lanka
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Family holiday in Sri Lanka, Forts & Monkeys
Sri Lanka wildlife & culture family holiday / private tour.
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£1925
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Cycling holiday in Sri lanka
Discover Sri Lanka on a two-wheeled adventure
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£1795 to £1935
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Sri Lanka holiday, in one week
Private tour visiting classic attractions. Real experiences
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£1260
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Sri Lanka cycling tour
Small group cycling tour of Sri Lanka
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£2667 to £3200
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Sri Lanka holiday with boutique hotels
Boutique Sri Lanka – a superb value tailor-made holiday
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Family volunteering with elephants in Sri Lanka
Family volunteering with elephants in Sri Lanka
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Family highlights of Sri Lanka holiday
Join us on an action-packed family adventure in Sri-Lanka
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£1877 to £2554
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Sri Lanka tailor made tours
An Island odyssey of ancient culture, unique natural beauty
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Sri Lanka small group holiday
Culture, sights & wildlife. No supplement for single rooms.
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£1775
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Yala wildlife tour in Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan bush camp stay with local walks and Yala safaris
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US $684
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Sri Lanka adventure holiday
Now is the time to discover this magical land
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£1590 to £1800
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Honeymoon in Sri Lanka
A mix of relaxation, activity, culture and nature.
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£761
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Sri Lanka walking holiday
Trek through verdant mountains and dense forest
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£2799 to £3649
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Sri Lanka holiday, tea, trains and elephants
Best of Sri Lanka with mixcure of wildlife and culture.
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£1430
11 days
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Sri Lanka coast to coast cycling holiday
Sri Lanka Coast to Coast cycling ride
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US $1750
13 days
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Sri Lanka cycling holiday
Ride the cool highlands, jungle parks and ancient Buddhist cities
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£2799 to £3629
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Culture and history tour of Sri Lanka
A beautiful visit through exotic Sri Lanka
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£1895
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Sri Lanka, month by month
Our top Sri Lanka Holiday
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Tailor made:
Our tailor made Sri Lanka holidays can be arranged at any time to suit you, and adapted to your requirements as necessary although we do not offer trips for under 10 days.
Our tailor made Sri Lanka holidays can be arranged at any time to suit you, and adapted to your requirements as necessary although we do not offer trips for under 10 days.
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Sri Lanka or need help finding a holiday to suit you we're very happy to help.
What happens when
John Beswetherick, Managing Director of our supplier Tikalanka (UK) Limited:
"Although November until April is the key season, I still feel that May is absolutely superb, all around the country, as it is outside both monsoon seasons. And it is the quietest time of the year too, so you can have a really good holiday then, and yet it is still considered low season.”
"Although November until April is the key season, I still feel that May is absolutely superb, all around the country, as it is outside both monsoon seasons. And it is the quietest time of the year too, so you can have a really good holiday then, and yet it is still considered low season.”
Liddy Pleasants is Managing Director at our supplier Stubborn Mule Travel:
"The east coast beaches are starting to open up again since the head of the civil war. The best time to visit these beaches is actually during the European summer, unlike Sri Lanka’s southwest beaches, which are best visited in winter. Which is great for families who want to come here during the school summer holidays. And at the moment, because they are undeveloped, the east coast still has those idyllic tropical beaches. "
"The east coast beaches are starting to open up again since the head of the civil war. The best time to visit these beaches is actually during the European summer, unlike Sri Lanka’s southwest beaches, which are best visited in winter. Which is great for families who want to come here during the school summer holidays. And at the moment, because they are undeveloped, the east coast still has those idyllic tropical beaches. "
Festivals & events in Sri Lanka
Did you know about...?
Rice is considered the giver of life in Sri Lanka and
harvesting the paddy fields happens twice a year and is a wonderful community happening. The villagers all come together to work as a team, celebrating the harvest with rituals and ceremonies to bless the paddy. Some of the first crop is donated to the temple traditionally, and harvesting happens end August or beginning September and then again in February.
More about Sri Lanka
Whether you are following in the footsteps of Paul Theroux and travelling by train, discovering the former colonial world of the tea plantations, wildlife watching in rainforests, or just blissing out at the beach, Sri Lanka has something for everyone. And as for the food – that just ticks everyone’s boxes.
The most glimmering Sri Lanka highlights are the ancient archaeological and sacred wonders of the Golden Triangle. But this teardrop island has so many other glittering gems too.
You can’t really go to Sri Lanka and not touch one of the points on the Golden Triangle. But with beaches, wildlife and Ayurvedic spas, there are endless activities.
White sands, swaying palms and all year round heat in the high 20s makes Sri Lanka beach bliss. There are, in fact, 1,600km of beaches here.
As if Sri Lanka didn’t ooze magic from every pore already, blue whales are jumping out of the ocean to upstage the other natural wonders for a few weeks between February and mid March.
Buddhism is at the heart of cultural holidays in Sri Lanka, whether you are visiting the ancient sites, a contemporary temple or just just meeting local people.
From the Sri Lanka blue magpie to the Sri Lanka leopard, the great Asian elephant to the ginormous blue whale, Sri Lanka has stupendous wildlife.
Sri Lanka is a culinary paradise, where fresh local ingredients, sizzling spices and recipes bequeathed by a history of colonisation create a diverse and delicious culinary scene.
Sri Lanka translates as ‘resplendent island’ in Sanskrit and after years of conflict both north and south are now united and gloriously resplendent.
The British introduced tea to Sri Lanka in 19th century and visiting plantations today is like returning to a slightly archaic genteel age. Where everything is solved with a cuppa.
Not for those with vertigo, Sigiriya is a 200m-tall rock fortress that sprouts out of the plains of northeast Sri Lanka.
Yala National Park steals the show on many a Sri Lanka holiday.
Yala National Park is the key destination that big cat safaris in Sri Lanka focus on, as it's home to a higher concentration of leopards per square kilometre than anywhere else on the planet.
If you want a trip to the tropics that combines culture, history, nature and incredible Indian Ocean vistas then look no further – Sri Lanka and the Maldives are your perfect twosome.
Travelling in Sri Lanka with kids is not only a journey through ancient culture, wildlife central and beach bliss, it is also a wonderful island of wonderfully welcoming families.
Our experts give great where, when, who and why Sri Lanka travel advice. Where to cycle, when to go, whom to meet and guide you and safari wisdom too.
There are many issues to take into account, sadly, when it comes to responsible tourism in Sri Lanka, and we encourage you to read on for more details.
Find all of our Sri Lanka guides in one place, for particular types of holiday we offer such as culture, cycling, wildlife or more. Choose from all our Sri Lanka guides
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