Planning Guide
The Ideal 10-Day Sri Lanka Itinerary
Our most-recommended first-timer route, day by day: heritage, hill country, a leopard safari and the beach, with timings and costs.
Read the 10-day Sri Lanka itineraryThe Journal
Planning notes we share with our own guests.
Honest, practical Sri Lanka travel guides — ticket prices, opening hours, train times and the best months to visit — written from the road, not a desk.
Planning Guide
The Best Time to Visit Sri Lanka
The two monsoons explained, the best coast for every month, festivals, and which UK school holidays work best.
Read the Best time to visit Sri Lanka
Cultural Triangle
The Ultimate Guide to Sigiriya Rock Fortress
When to climb the Lion Rock, what it costs, and how to reach it from Colombo without losing a day to the road.
Read the Sigiriya Rock Fortress guide
Hill Country
The Ultimate Guide to Ella, Sri Lanka
The Kandy to Ella train, Nine Arch Bridge crossing times, the hikes worth the sweat and the best months to visit.
Read the Ella travel guide
Hill Capital
The Ultimate Guide to Kandy
Temple of the Tooth tickets and puja times, the Kandyan dance show, Peradeniya gardens and the Esala Perahera.
Read the Kandy travel guide
South-East
The Ultimate Guide to Yala National Park
Leopard-spotting odds, safari costs, Block 1 versus Block 5, and how to reach the park from Colombo or Ella.
Read the Yala safari guide
South Coast
The Ultimate Guide to Galle Fort
The Dutch citadel's ramparts, boutiques and museums, the beaches beyond the walls and the coastal train from Colombo.
Read the Galle Fort guide
The Capital
The Ultimate Guide to Colombo
Gangaramaya, Galle Face at dusk, the best crab in the country and how long the airport transfer really takes.
Read the Colombo travel guide