Things to do in Sri Lanka
Gorge on culture
Don't panic about which site to see in Sri Lanka. Follow the example of the Buddhist pilgrims who come in their thousands, and get more Zen about it.![]()
Tourists love to debate over which archaeological site is the best in Sri Lanka. But they are all amazing in their own way really. The Cultural Triangle is the starting point for most people on cultural tours in Sri Lanka, which is the ancient artery of Sinhalese civilisation, with the vast palaces of Anuradhapura, the ruins of Polonnaruwa and the citadel at Sigiriya, the three main points.
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Sri Lanka highlights holiday
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Bike, raft and hike cultural trip in Sri Lanka
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Immerse yourself in Ayurveda
This ancient art of healing the mind and body is part of Sri Lankan life and there are Ayurvedic pharmacies everywhere. An ancient Hindu form of traditional medicine, it is not considered alternative medicine as it is in the Europe. Brought to the island in 6th century BCE from India by Prince Vijaya who then went on to become the first king of the island. As it merges philosophy, psychology, spirituality along with plant and herbal medicines you can immerse yourself totally at retreats that not only offer escape from the world landscapes, but greet you with yoga experts, healers, meditation masters and nutrition experts, all of whom play important roles in Ayurveda. You can have a ‘drop in’ Ayurvedic massage at many places in Sri Lanka, as well as other traditional therapies such as steam baths, saunas and herbal baths.
Our top Sri Lanka Holiday
Sri Lanka holidays, tailor made
Independent tailor made holidays to Sri Lanka
From
£1995
14 days
ex flights
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
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Ride bikes not elephants
It feels less invasive arriving at Sri Lanka's sacred sites on a bike somehow.![]()
Sri Lanka is famous, now sadly infamous, for being a place to ride elephants. Stick to vehicles designed to be ridden and cycle your way around tropical backroads, up through tea plantations around Ella or through cultural highlights such as Anuradhapura. There is nothing like approaching Sigirya Rock by bike. Pootle along coastal wetlands of Bundala National Park, with cool off sessions on Sri Lankan beaches such as Mirissa.
The Big Blue
Although Sri Lanka is not famous for its whale watching, it's the icing on the cake for many visitors. You can see up to ten different species including fin whales, Bryde's whales, minkes, humpback, sperm whales, long-nosed spinner dolphins, long-beaked common dolphins, common bottlenose dolphins, striped dolphins and, best of all, blue whales. Whale watching is becoming big business here, especially around Mirissa and Galle, so be careful whom you go out on the seas with, as it is important for you and the whales that your whale watching experience is a responsible one. See, for example, if the trip is accredited by the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) and if it has a responsible tourism policy.
At the moment there is almost no government regulation in place with regards to whale watching, so the more people who ask for responsible whale watching, the better. See our guide to whale watching for more details. The best time for whale and dolphin watching is late November to mid-April – with blue whales closest to shore from late February to mid-March.
More about Sri Lanka
The best time to visit Sri Lanka is between November and April in the south-west and February to September in the north-east.
Whether you are travelling by train, 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.
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 often 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.
Read about tea plantations in Sri Lanka, including which hill towns to visit, why you should give tea picking a miss, and what else there is to do in marvellous, misty Hill Country.
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
