Spectacular  Sri Lanka holidays & tours

Our tours to Sri Lanka have been carefully designed to ensure you really get under the skin of this incredible island. You'll see and do lots, with expert guides on hand to bring each location to life.

Your holiday includes our award-winning VIP door-to-door travel service from anywhere on the UK mainland, and carefully chosen accommodation at every step of your journey. During your trip, your dedicated tour manager works to ensure your holiday is never less than memorable - all you have to do is sit back, relax and wait for one of the world's most incredible countries to come you.

With two monsoon seasons affecting different parts of the island, and different microclimates to take into account, it’s not always easy to choose the best time of year for Sri Lanka holidays. On the plus side, the sun will usually be shining on at least one coast, and temperatures stay at around 30C year-round, unless you head into the hills.  

December to March are the driest months on the south and west coasts but also one of the busiest times to visit Sri Lanka. The Maha monsoon season runs from October to January so it can be humid and rainy in the north, east and around the ancient cities (Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Dambulla) during these months. November to April is also a great month to spot elephants and leopards in the island’s wildlife reserves, although the gathering of elephants at Minneriya National Park is later in the year, between July and September.  

The Yala monsoon runs from May to August, affecting the south, west and hill country, although this is a good time to explore the less-visited north and east. It's also worth considering the shoulder season months between the two monsoons – April can be busy for Sinhala and Tamil New Year, but September and October have good weather across the country without the crowds, and lower temperatures if you’re exploring the hill country or climbing Sigiriya. 

Flight time from London to Sri Lanka is approximately 10 hours 40 minutes.

Sri Lanka’s top tourist attractions are a mix of historic sights, wildlife spotting, glorious beaches and fascinating heritage, with more crammed into one small island than you might expect. If you love history, the ancient cities of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa, as well as the rock palace of Sigiriya, and the temples of Dambulla and Kandy are all an unmissable part of any Sri Lanka tours. There’s also colonial heritage to explore in the Hill Country, along with some great walking in the hills. Yala National Park is one of the best places to see leopards, while Sri Lanka is home to the world’s largest land and sea creatures – the elephant and the blue whale, best spotted off the south coast at Mirissa. You can also explore vibrant Colombo, the country’s capital, and the colonial heritage of Jaffna and Galle. You’re spoiled for choice when it comes to beach time during your Sri Lanka holidays with heavenly stretches of golden sand along the west coast in particular, plus snorkelling at Trincomalee in the east.

UK citizens need a visa for trips to Sri Lanka lasting up to 30 days. You can apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) online at least a few days before departure. Requirements can change, though – for the most up-to-date information on visas, please use the quick-check tool on our visa requirements page.

Violent crime against tourists is rare, although theft, bank card scams and opportunistic crimes such as bag snatching can be an issue. It’s best to avoid wearing expensive jewellery or taking valuable possessions with you, and take sensible precautions. Some areas of northern and eastern Sri Lanka have a high military presence and work is ongoing to clear landmines from the country’s civil war – the majority of tourists will be unaffected though, as they tend not to visit these parts of the country on Sri Lanka holidays. Joining guided Sri Lanka tours is a good option if you’re concerned about travelling independently, with tour managers on the ground to help as needed, and who have a good idea of any risks.

The official currency of Sri Lanka is the Sri Lankan rupee. Notes come in denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1,000, 2,000 and 5,000. You’re unlikely to come across coins because of their small value but these also exist in denominations of 1, 2, 5 and 10. As a closed currency, you can only exchange money within Sri Lanka but pounds sterling, Euros and US dollars are accepted in banks or bureaux de change. Credit cards are becoming more widely accepted, especially Visa and Mastercard, but this is often limited to hotels, high-end restaurants and larger shops in cities and tourist destinations, so it’s a good plan to have cash as well for your Sri Lanka holidays.

Absolutely, Sri Lanka is fantastic for children (we allow children 12 and over to join our tours). As well as being warmly welcomed around the country, the fabulous beaches and the impressive wildlife is a big draw for teens. With colourful temples, statues hidden away in caves, the ruins of a palace atop a giant rock, and ancient cities to fire the imagination further, it’s a perfect family holiday destination.

The two main languages spoken in Sri Lanka are Sinhala and Tamil, with the majority speaking Sinhala. Tamil is less widely spoken, restricted mainly to the northern and eastern parts of the country. English is also spoken to some degree in cities and major tourist centres across the island.

Sri Lankans are generally very welcoming to visitors but politeness and manners are considered very important, so raising your voice too loudly will be frowned upon, along with any overt displays of affection. Culture and dress is generally conservative, so you’ll be expected to cover up at religious sites, as well as removing shoes. It is also considered highly offensive to turn your back on statues of the Buddha, including for photos, with pictures entirely forbidden in parts of some temples and cultural sites.

Tipping is customary in Sri Lanka, although there’s no obligation to do so if you’ve received bad service. In restaurants, you’d normally expect to add around 10% to the final bill in cash. Your tour manager can advise on tips for drivers and guides; you can also find suggested amounts in our useful information sheet, which will be sent to you before you travel. Porterage is included in our guided Sri Lanka tours.