Discover Sri Lanka

Discover Sri Lanka is a complete travel guide to Sri Lanka for 2027, from Sigiriya and the ancient cities of the Cultural Triangle to Kandy and the Temple of the Tooth, the tea country of Nuwara Eliya and Ella, leopard and elephant safaris in Yala, Wilpattu and Minneriya, blue whales off Mirissa, Galle Fort, the surf of Arugam Bay and the temples of Jaffna.

Sri Lanka is a teardrop island in the Indian Ocean with eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites, twenty-five centuries of history and two monsoons, so one coast or another is always in season. It is a country of misty tea hills and waterfalls, rainforest at Sinharaja, the pilgrim climb of Adam's Peak, hoppers at dawn and kottu at night. This fact-checked guide explains how the island and its seasons work, then takes you region by region with practical advice on what to see, where to stay, what it costs and how to plan your trip.

INSIDE THIS SRI LANKA TRAVEL GUIDE

• Understand Sri Lanka: hills, rivers and two monsoons, twenty-five centuries of history, the Sri Lankans, and wild Sri Lanka
• Monsoons and festivals: the east coast season, the south and west coast season, and Perahera and the poya year
• Colombo and the west coast
• Galle and the south coast: Galle Fort, Unawatuna, Mirissa and Weligama
• Kandy and the central hills, with the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic and the Esala Perahera
• The Cultural Triangle: Sigiriya, Pidurangala, Dambulla, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa
• Tea country: Nuwara Eliya, Ella and Haputale, with the Nine Arch Bridge and Horton Plains
• The Kandy–Ella train, with what is running as of November 2026
• Yala and the deep south, with Udawalawe
• Arugam Bay, Trincomalee and the east, including Pigeon Island and Kumana
• Jaffna and the north, with the Nallur Kandaswamy Temple
• Safaris and national parks: leopards, elephants and sloth bears
• Whales and dolphins, and how to choose a responsible operator
• Beaches and surf
• Sacred sites and UNESCO heritage
• Hiking: Adam's Peak, Horton Plains and the Knuckles
• Diving and snorkelling, from Hikkaduwa to Pigeon Island
• Tea, spice and Sri Lankan food: rice and curry, hoppers, kottu and Ceylon tea
• 25 unmissable Sri Lanka experiences and a month-by-month calendar

PLAN YOUR TRIP

Ready-made Sri Lanka itineraries, getting there via Bandaranaike International Airport, entry and visas including the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), getting around by train, bus, tuk-tuk and car with driver, money and costs in Sri Lankan rupees, where to stay, health and safety, and preparing for remote areas. You will also find tips on travelling responsibly, a little Sinhala and Tamil, emergency and useful contacts and full sources.

Whether you are planning a classic Cultural Triangle and hill-country tour, a wildlife safari, a whale-watching trip, a surf or beach holiday, a tea-country escape or your first visit to the island, Discover Sri Lanka is the guide to read before you go and use while you are there.