On our way home to visit family in Ireland from New Zealand we decided to stopover in Sri Lanka for a 3-week vacation. I’ll be honest I didn’t know too much about Sri Lanka before I visited but the stunning photos I came across on Instagram made me decide to book. And boy am I glad we did!
We had a great time during our 3 weeks in Sri Lanka – we ticked off the country’s biggest cities (Colombo and Kandy) and visited the biggest tourist attractions in Sri Lanka places like Nine Arches Bridge in Ella and the Galle Lighthouse. With 3 weeks in Sri Lanka, we even got to go on a safari in Udawalawe National Park and relax for a few days at an off-the-beaten-path golden sand beach.
So, here’s our ultimate three-week itinerary for Sri Lanka. In this blog post, I’ll share with you how long to spend in each destination, tell you why each place I’ve listed is worth visiting, and list the best hotels, restaurants, and things to do in each spot.
How did we spend three weeks in Sri Lanka?
We flew from Auckland to Colombo with a stopover in Dubai. It was a long flight (over 27 hours flying in total) so we were glad to arrive at a nice hotel in Colombo and get a good night’s rest before embarking on our 3-week adventure through Sri Lanka. From Colombo, we went onto the country’s second biggest city Kandy and then Ella, Udawalawe National Park, Galle, Rekawa Beach, and finally Negombo.
Over the course of three weeks, we worked our way through seven destinations ending the trip in Negombo.
The PERFECT Sri Lanka Itinerary
Colombo (2 Nights)
Colombo is likely where you will arrive on the first day as it is just 35 km from the Bandaranaike International Airport. Colombo is a busy and vibrant city. It is divided into 13 districts, with Colombo 1 or Fort Area being the center of the city.
We booked a transfer from the airport to our hotel and it cost around $20 USD. It was really convenient having it pre-booked seeing as we arrived late at night.
Spend your one full day in Colombo visiting the National Museum, the biggest in the country and the perfect spot to learn about the country’s culture and history before exploring the rest of the country. Then, have lunch in the Old Dutch Hospital – said to be the oldest building in the city, it dates back to 1681! There are lots of stores here and some great restaurants, too. We ate at Harpo’s Colombo Fort Cafe and it was good but a little pricey.
In the afternoon we headed for the very photogenic Temple of Sri Kailawasanathan Swami Devasthanam Kovil. This is the biggest and oldest Hindu temple in the city. It’s dedicated to the Gods Shiva and Ganesh.
In the evening we enjoyed some great street food in the Galle Face Green area.
If you love the hassle-free nature of a guided tour then this Tuk It Easy Colombo tour will be right up your street. It’s a 3-4 hour tour, during which you’ll get to taste delicious Sri Lankan food and get to see ‘true’ Colombo through the eyes of a local. Lunch, and drinks (including alcoholic drinks) are included in the price of $45 USD per person.
Where to stay in Colombo:
We came straight from Colombo Airport to the Colombo Court Hotel & Spa as we arrived late and the staff were really friendly and helpful. Our room was comfortable and spacious and the next morning we loved swimming in their outdoor pool. As I said, this hotel is located close to the Dutch Hospital. A double room here costs around $50 USD per night.
Kandy (3 Nights)
As the second biggest city in Sri Lanka and one of the most beautiful, it’s no wonder Kandy is so popular with tourists. We loved walking around Kandy Lake also known as the Sea of Milk, a stunning spot a short walk from the city center and one of the best spots in the city to watch the sunrise or sunset. The walk around the lake is 3.4 kilometers long.
We took the train to Kandy from Colombo, which took around 4 hours, and departed from Maradana Railway Station.
Best things to do in Kandy
1. Temple of the Tooth Relic
This UNESCO World Heritage Site is where the tooth of Buddha is enshrined. It’s one of the most popular tourist sites in Sri Lanka with an estimated 3,000 visitors every day!
The temple is very important to Buddhists and it’s adorned with intricate carvings. You can find it close to the Royal Palace.
2. Bahirawakanda Temple
This huge white Buddha statue on the hill of Bahirawakanda can be seen from pretty much everywhere in Kandy. It’s called the Sri Maha Bodhi Viharaya and it’s a whopping 25 meters tall. Behind the statue, you can climb a steep flight of stairs to an awesome viewpoint of Kandy.
3. Royal Botanical Gardens
Around 5 km outside the city you’ll find the Royal Botanical Gardens which house over 4,000 plant species. But, it’s most famous for its collection of orchids. We spent around 3 hours here as it was such a relaxing and beautiful place to visit.
4. Get the train from Kandy to Ella
Regularly dubbed as the ‘most beautiful train journey in the world’ by the media. The Kandy to Ella train is certainly a train ride that is not to be missed. As a result, of its famed status this train is typically packed to the rafters. The best spots on board are the public areas between carriages. Here you can hang out of the doorways (be cautious though) to get that all-important Instagram photo!
My only advice is to book first-class or second-class tickets to avoid the sweaty jam-packed journey in third class like we did.
BOOK your reserved seats on the train from Kandy to Ella here (we highly advise advance booking this)!
Where to stay in Kandy:
We stayed at the Hotel Suisse, a historic hotel located right on Kandy Lake. It boasts over 2.5 acres of landscaped gardens and has a gorgeous outdoor pool. Our room was spacious and very regal looking and the breakfast was exceptional.
Ella (4 Nights)
A small town with chilled-out vibe, Ella was one of our favorite places to visit in Sri Lanka. Four nights in Ella is the perfect amount of time as it will allow you to relax and tick off the area’s best things to do. We spend our three full days here hiking to Adam’s Peak, snapping photos of the social-media-famous Nine Arches Bridge, and visiting a tea factory.
What to do in Ella
Hike to Adams Peak
It’s a steep 7 km climb to Adam’s Peak that involves no less than 1,500 steps but the views from the top are so worth it. It’s one of the most popular hikes in the country because there’s a rock that looks like a footprint at the summit which is very important to many religions. Buddhists believe the footprint belongs to Buddha while Hindus believe it is from the god Shiva. And many Christians say the footprint is that of Adam, hence the name.
This hike is best climbed early in the morning when you can see the first light of the day catching the surrounding mountain ranges from the top.
Nine Arches Bridge
The Nine Arches Bridge just outside of Ella is one of the most famous things to do in Sri Lanka. It’s on this glorious colonial-era viaduct bridge that the train from Kandy to Ella chugs across a couple of times a day and most people come here to the viewpoint which overlooks the bridge – to snap a photo!
There are two options for you to get to Nine Arches Bridge – you can walk or get a tuk-tuk. A tuk-tuk from Ella town costs approx. 300 LKR, ask them to drop you at the tunnel and walk a little way to the bridge itself. Luckily, there are a few walking routes from Ella town to the bridge. But the quickest way is to walk the main ‘Nine Arches track’ towards the tunnel. Note – this is the busiest walking route.
Uva Halpewatte Tea Factory
This was a unique highlight of our Sri Lanka itinerary. We visited the Uva Halpewatte factory hidden high in the hills surrounding Ella. A tuk-tuk here from Ella town costs just $7 USD one-way. You can also pay your driver a little extra for him to wait for you & bring you back to Ella. We learned so much about the tea-making process. The views from the balcony are crazy-beautiful.
Where to stay in Ella:
We spent 4 nights at Villa Nature Hights on the outskirts of town, it was around a 10-minute walk into the town but we loved its hillside location because the views (as you can see from the photo above are epic). Our room was cozy and traditional in style, the staff were helpful and friendly and it was great value for money at around $35 USD per night.
Udawalawe National Park (2 Nights)
My favorite part of our Sri Lanka trip was seeing elephants in the wild at Udawalawe National Park. Sure, there are lots of amazing national parks in Sri Lanka but I did my research before arriving and decided on Udawalawe because it has the highest number of elephants (over 500). Udawalawe is also less crowded than the more famous Yala or Minneriya national parks.
This is one of the smallest national parks in the country – it’s around 119 square miles and because it’s quite small your chances of seeing elephants is higher. As I said, there are over 500 elephants in Udawalawe.
To get here, we had two get two local buses, the first from Ella to Wellawaya and the second from Wellawaya to Udawalawe from here we caught a tuk-tuk to our hotel. A very cheap way to do it – max. $15 each.
So, if you love elephants (like me – they’re my favorite animal) Udawalawe just HAS to be added to your Sri Lanka bucket list.
As for tours of Udawalawe, we did this 3 hour tour and really rate it. As I said, it’s 3 hours long and you can choose an early morning departure time (around 7 am) or an afternoon slot (around 3 pm) as those are the best times to see the elephants. It costs from $61 USD.
BOOK the same Udawalawe tour that we did here!
Where to stay in Udawalawe:
We stayed at the lovely Elephant Trail on the outskirts of the park. And we loved it. Our room was light-filled and spacious and looked out into the lush countryside. There’s also a lovely wraparound outdoor pool and we ate in the restaurant for breakfast and dinner as there’s no town within walking distance. The food was great, though – so we didn’t mind at all.
Galle (4 Nights)
Galle is a fortified city in the Southwest of the country. It was built by the Portuguese and many of its buildings show the influence of Portuguese architectural style on Sri Lankan traditions. It is certainly a unique place and so inherently different to other cities in Sri Lanka.
The length of Galle town is 36 hectares of fort walls, and it is along these walls that the famed Galle lighthouse stands proud. In fact, the lighthouse is top of most people’s Galle itinerary and for good reason – it’s eye-catching! Did you know the original lighthouse was burned down in 1936 and had to be rebuilt?! Be sure to get here for sunrise (and avoid the crowds) or sunset for the best photo opps.
We took a taxi from Udawalawe to Galle, this was arranged through our hotel. The journey took under 3 hours and cost us $60. You can ask your accommodation to arrange a shared taxi, for a cheaper price.
Best things to do in Galle
Some of the other best things to do in Galle can also be found along the fort which runs the length of the town on the coast – here, be sure to check out the Galle Fort Clock Tower and Flag Point. Not too far from the Galle Lighthouse, you’ll find the Dutch Hospital an old hospital that now houses some of the best restaurants and boutique stores in Galle.
Where to stay in Galle:
We stayed at Mango House Boutique Hotel by the fort in Galle (the best area to stay in Galle, in my opinion). It’s excellently rated and has a gorgeous light-filled courtyard where you can eat your meals or enjoy a drink from the bar. And I loved our room – it was very chic. It had a 4 poster bed!
Rekawa Beach (3 Nights)
Instead of choosing the crowded beaches of Tangalle or Mirissa, we suggest spending a lazy 3 days on Rekawa beach in the South (close to the more popular Tangalle). The 4 km golden sand beach here is pretty much deserted save for a few local fishermen and through the months of October to April you may be lucky enough to witness baby turtles hatch.
It’s a wildlife lover’s heaven here, during our three days here we saw turtles, monkeys, kingfishers, peacocks, and more.
We got a tuk-tuk from Galle to Rekawa for approx. $20 USD. It took 1.5 hours.
On a related note, if you’re looking for something unique and fun to do in Sri Lanka, why not try a yoga retreat there? For this revitalizing activity, you can head to the well-known beach haven of Hikkaduwa in the South. This 7-day retreat includes 6 nights of accommodation and guests will participate in wellness workshops, sound healing, and more.
Where to stay in Rekawa:
We stayed at the gorgeous Seven Turtles Resort and every morning and evening walked the length of the beach out front. It is here we spotted the colorful fishing boats and the colorful characters who own them.
Negombo (2 Nights)
Your final stop on your 3 week Sri Lanka itinerary should be the coastal city of Negombo, which is in fact the closest city to the airport (at just a 15-minute drive away!)
Negombo – not too far from the capital Colombo is renowned for its epic beach sunsets. We spent every evening in Negombo watching the sunset from our hotel balcony. Bliss! To us, Negombo is the best spot to watch the sunset in Sri Lanka.
Some of our favorite things to do in Negombo include –
- Walking through the small fishing villages on the outskirts of Negombo
- Visiting Angurukaramulla Temple – the city’s largest temple that houses a huge and colorful painting of Buddha
- Going shopping on Beach Road – We picked up lots of unique souvenirs in the stores along Beach Road. The jewelry is especially beautiful.
Where to stay in Negombo:
We spent the last days of our three weeks in Sri Lanka at the Goldi Sands Hotel right on Negombo Beach. It’s a huge hotel with two swimming pools, a spa and, two restaurants. Our room had a big balcony and we loved watching the sunrise and sunset from it. The hotel is also within walking distance of many stores and restaurants along Beach Road. FYI, we loved Greek Grill – one of the best Greek restaurants outside of Greece, in my opinion!
Is three weeks enough in Sri Lanka?
Yes, three weeks is the ideal amount of time to spend in Sri Lanka. In 3 weeks in Sri Lanka, you’ll get to explore the country’s most famous tourist attractions – spots like Galle Lighthouse, Udawalawe National Park, and the Nine Arches Bridge in Ella. But, most importantly with that length of time, you’ll be able to take your time and really immerse yourself in Sri Lankan culture.
Our three weeks in Sri Lanka itinerary – A summary
To summarize, spending 3 weeks in Sri Lanka is definitely worth it! For one, it’s one of the most beautiful countries in Asia and it’s cheap too – your money will go a long way! Plus, there are heaps of bucket-list-worthy things to do in Sri Lanka with my favorite things to do in Sri Lanka being a safari in Udawalawe National Park and the train journey between Kandy and Ella.
Your next read is below –
How to Spend Two Weeks in Vietnam (2 Different Itineraries)
Which Halong Bay Cruise Should I Choose?
Best Things to Do With 24 Hours in Hong Kong
Hong Kong Layover Guide: Things to Do in 6, 10, and 12 Hours
PIN THIS for later!
Last Updated on October 2, 2024 by snaphappytravel