Where we go

Seven regions, one small island.

Sri Lanka fits inside most European countries, but the weather, the food and the landscape change every few hours of driving. These are the regions we plan around — and when to be in each.

Two monsoons run at once, on opposite sides of the island. Pick the right coast for your dates and the weather usually does the rest.

Where we go

Seven regions, one small island.

Sri Lanka fits inside most European countries, but the weather, the food and the landscape change every few hours of driving. These are the regions we plan around — and when to be in each.

Two monsoons run at once, on opposite sides of the island. Pick the right coast for your dates and the weather usually does the rest.

Beira Lake at dusk, with swan pedal boats on the water and Colombo's lit skyline beneath a pink and orange sky.

Where most journeys begin

Colombo & the West

A working city with a good table and a short memory of empires. Spend a day in Pettah’s markets, eat a proper rice and curry lunch, and watch the sun drop behind Galle Face before the road turns inland.

Best months: November to April
Don’t miss: Pettah marketsGangaramaya TempleGalle Face at sunset

Journeys here

Sigiriya rock lifting out of flat forest at dusk, photographed from the neighbouring outcrop of Pidurangala.

Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya, Dambulla

The Cultural Triangle

Four thousand years of irrigation, rock fortresses and cave temples, all within a few hours of each other. The trick is timing: Sigiriya before eight, Polonnaruwa by bicycle, and Dambulla once the school groups have gone.

Best months: December to April
Don’t miss: Sigiriya at sunrisePolonnaruwa by bicycleDambulla cave temples

Journeys here

Fishing boats drawn up on the sand beneath a magenta-to-orange sunrise over the sea at Trincomalee.

Trincomalee, Nilaveli, Pigeon Island

The East Coast

Three hours east of Sigiriya the weather changes sides. Trincomalee is the anchor: a deep harbour, a temple on the headland and a fort above it, with Nilaveli’s long beach a few kilometres north and Pigeon Island a short boat ride offshore. This is the coast to choose while the south-west is wet and the east is at its calmest — quiet towns, warm water and room on the sand.

Best months: May to September
Don’t miss: Koneswaram TempleNilaveli beachThe reef at Pigeon Island

Journeys here

The white Temple of the Tooth beside Kandy Lake, with wooded hills and a hilltop Buddha statue behind the town.

Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Ella, Haputale

Hill Country

Tea estates, waterfalls, and the train from Kandy to Ella — three hours of the best window seat in the country. Nights need a blanket, mornings need a jacket, and the walking is as good as the tea.

Best months: December to April
Don’t miss: Kandy to Ella trainTea estate walksLittle Adam’s Peak

Journeys here

The white Galle Fort lighthouse rising behind palms, with the old rampart wall below it.

Galle, Unawatuna, Mirissa, Tangalle

The South Coast

A Dutch fort, a string of bays, and whales offshore between November and April. It is the easiest part of the island to sink into: long breakfasts, short drives, and a bay that’s usually yours by late afternoon.

Best months: November to April
Don’t miss: Galle FortWhale watching from MirissaQuiet bays near Tangalle

Journeys here

A huge, weathered tree leaning out over the still water of Tissamaharama's tank, with a green reed island and a wooded far shore.

Yala, Udawalawe, Tissamaharama

Yala & the Deep South

Leopards if you’re patient, elephants if you’re not. We work with a handful of trackers who know the blocks well enough to skip the convoy, and we build in a second drive so one quiet morning doesn’t define the journey.

Best months: February to June
Don’t miss: Dawn game driveElephants at UdawalaweTissamaharama’s tanks

No Journey is scheduled for this region yet. Tell us when you can travel and we’ll plan one around your dates.

Enquire about Yala & the Deep South

Two stitched-sail fishing boats hauled onto the sand near Jaffna, their wide sails spread in the sun.

Jaffna, Delft, Point Pedro

Jaffna & the North

The other Sri Lanka. Palmyra plains, a fort that changed hands more than once, wild horses on Delft island, and a food culture that owes as much to Tamil Nadu as to Colombo. It rewards people who go the extra four hours.

Best months: May to September
Don’t miss: Jaffna FortDelft islandNorthern Tamil cooking

Journeys here

Ceylon Misty & Golden Beaches7 nightsNegombo – Jaffna – Trincomalee – Kandy – Nuwara Eliya – Bentota

Plan with a local

Not sure where to begin?

Most journeys combine two or three of these regions. Tell us the dates and we'll tell you which side of the island the weather is on.

Ask a planner WhatsApp us

We reply within one working day

Plan with a local

Not sure where to begin?

Most journeys combine two or three of these regions. Tell us the dates and we'll tell you which side of the island the weather is on.

Ask a planner WhatsApp us

We reply within one working day