Before Day 1. You land north of Colombo, so keep the first evening light.Details
Getting in
Check what your passport needs to enter Sri Lanka, because many visitors need an electronic travel authorization sorted out before they fly. The main airport is north of Colombo, a drive from the center, and traffic into the city can be slow.
The monsoons
Sri Lanka has two monsoons, so the weather depends on where you are and when. The west and south coasts and the hills are usually drier from about December to March. The east and the north follow a different pattern. Check the month for every region before you book.
Roads and trains
Roads are narrow, busy and winding, most of all in the hills, and a short distance on the map is a long day. Trains in the hills run slowly and are often late. Many travelers hire a car with a driver for the whole route and plan little else on a road day.
First evening
Day 1 starts at Gangaramaya Temple, so tonight needs only a light dinner and an early night. For every temple on this trip, cover shoulders and knees and wear shoes that slip off easily, because you leave them at the door.
Day 1. Galle and Unawatuna and the south coast beaches
4 stops · 32.8 km
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
1
MorningWorth the time
Galle Fort
A walled town on a point by the sea, begun by the Portuguese and built up by the Dutch, with ramparts, narrow lanes, old churches and small shops. Walk the walls and the lanes in the cool of the morning.
Go whenMorning, when the lanes are cool, or the evening along the walls.
Local tip Walk the walls first and the lanes after. Wear a hat and take water, since there is little shade on the ramparts. People live in the Fort, so keep your voice low in the quiet lanes.
A white lighthouse at the southern end of the Fort walls, next to the sea, and the oldest light station on the island. It is seen from outside. The point is the short walk along the walls, with the sea beside you.
Go whenMidday or evening, as a rest on the wall.
Local tip It is seen from outside, at the end of the walls, so a short stop is enough. Watch your footing on the wall, and keep back from the edge when the sea is rough.
Lunch
Seafood rice and curry in the Fort
Rice with a fish curry, a prawn or crab curry and a few vegetable dishes, in one of the cafes in the lanes of the Fort. Light and fresh at midday.
Local tip Tell the staff about any shellfish allergy first, and ask what is in each curry.
About 9 min by car7.4 km
3
AfternoonWorth the time
Unawatuna
A curved beach in a bay a short ride from Galle Fort. Rest in the shade, swim only where the sea is calm and the flags allow it, and leave before the light fades.
Go whenAfternoon, when the bay is calm and the shade is long.
Local tip Swim only where the sea is calm and the flags allow it. Rinse off, cover up when you walk back into town and mind your bag on the sand.
A curved beach on the south coast. Sit on the sand with a drink and watch the light fade. The sea can be rough by season, with strong currents, so check the flags and ask locally before you swim.
Go whenLate afternoon, with the beach at its quietest around sunset.
Local tip The sea can be rough by season, with strong currents. Read the flags, ask a local before you swim and keep to the shallow water if you are not sure.
A coastal dish of fish cooked with spices and a sour fruit until dry and dark, served with rice. The south coast is known for it, and small beach restaurants serve the day's catch.
Local tip Tell the staff about any fish or shellfish allergy first. Ask about the heat, and pick a place where the fish is cooked in front of you.
If it rains. Everything today is outdoors, so swap this day with a drier one if you can.
Day 2. Colombo
3 stops · 130.6 km
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
Drive from MirissaAbout 1 h 54 min by car127.2 km
Where Day 1 ended.
1
MorningWorth the time
Gangaramaya Temple
A busy Buddhist temple beside Beira Lake, full of halls, shrines, statues and a crowd of gifts and curios gathered over the years. Cover your shoulders and knees, and take your shoes off at the door.
Go whenMorning, before the heat and the tour groups.
Local tip Cover your shoulders and knees, and take your shoes off at the door. Keep your voice low, and ask before you take a photo of a monk or of anyone praying.
The national museum, in a white colonial building beside a park, with objects from the island's kingdoms, from stone carvings to masks and royal pieces. A cool indoor stop in the middle of the day.
Go whenMidday, when the heat outside is highest.
Local tip Choose two or three rooms rather than all of them. It is a good indoor hour on a hot or wet day, and the park outside is a calm place to sit afterward.
The everyday meal of the island: a plate of rice with small bowls of curries, such as dhal, a vegetable, a fish or chicken curry, and a sambol. Small lunch rooms in the city serve it in a banana leaf or on a plate.
Local tip Ask what each curry holds and how hot it is. Tell the staff about any allergy first, since many curries contain coconut, fish or nuts.
A long lawn along the sea in the middle of the city, where families walk, fly kites and buy snacks from the stalls as the day cools. The sea here can be rough, so look at it and do not swim.
Go whenEvening, around sunset, when the day cools and families come out.
Local tip Walk the full length slowly. Keep to the grass and the path, mind your bag in the crowd and look at the sea from the wall, since the surf here is strong.
A street dish of chopped flatbread stir fried on a hot griddle with vegetables, egg or meat, made to the loud rhythm of two metal blades. A Colombo evening meal, filling and hot.
Local tip It is made in front of you, so ask for it mild and with less oil if you like. Tell the staff about any egg or meat allergy before they start.
If it rains. Colombo National Museum is covered, so keep it. Move Gangaramaya Temple and Galle Face Green to a dry day if you can.
Day 3. Ella and Kandy
3 stops · 270.6 kmAbout 4 h 21 min driving
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
Drive from Galle Face GreenAbout 2 h by car134.5 km
Where Day 2 ended.
1
MiddayMind the trains
Nine Arch Bridge
A curved railway viaduct of stone and brick, standing in green forest and tea country near Ella. Trains cross only a few times a day, so check ahead. Stand well clear of the tracks and never walk on them when a train is near.
Go whenMorning, before the tour groups gather.
Local tip The viaduct is a railway. Stay clear of the tracks, check when a train is due and never stand on the bridge as one approaches. Watch your footing on the wet path.
A large botanical garden on a bend of the Mahaweli river, with lawns, palm avenues, orchids and old trees. Flat, shady and easy on the legs. It is a short ride west of Kandy.
Go whenAfternoon, once the heat of the middle of the day has passed.
Local tip Walk the palm avenue and the orchid house, then sit on the lawns. A hat and water help, and an umbrella is useful because showers come quickly in the hills.
A cup of black tea, often with milk, and small savory snacks, such as vegetable rolls and cutlets, from a roadside shop on the way to Kandy. A pause to sit in.
Local tip Short eats can be fried and spicy. Ask what is inside before you buy, and tell the staff about any allergy.
A small peak above Ella, reached by a walk through tea bushes. The top gives a wide look over the valley if the cloud allows. It is an easy walk for most people, but go in daylight and take water.
Go whenLate afternoon, back down before dusk.
Local tip The path is a gentle climb through tea bushes. Carry water, wear shoes with grip and go up in daylight. The view depends on cloud, so do not count on it.
Dinner
Egg hoppers
A bowl-shaped hopper with an egg cooked in the middle, served with a spicy sambol and a curry. A simple supper in a small Ella cafe, light after a long day.
Local tip Tell the staff about any egg allergy first, and ask for the sambol mild.
If it rains. Everything today is outdoors, so swap this day with a drier one if you can.
Day 4. Kandy
3 stops · 68.9 km
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
Drive from Little Adam's PeakAbout 1 h 9 min by car66.6 km
Where Day 3 ended.
1
MorningCheck ahead
Temple of the Tooth
The temple beside the lake in Kandy that keeps a relic said to be a tooth of the Buddha. Worshippers bring lotus flowers, and the main shrine is open at set times, so check ahead. Dress modestly and leave your shoes and hat outside.
Go whenMorning, around the set hour of the ritual, if you wish to see it.
Local tip Dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered, and leave your shoes and hat outside. The main shrine is busy at ritual times, so check ahead. Some people bring white flowers.
The railway climbs from Kandy through tea estates, cuttings and small stations toward Ella. Seats often sell out and trains run late, so check ahead, book early if you can and keep the day free. Views depend on the weather.
Go whenMorning, on a day with nothing else fixed.
Local tip Seats often sell out and trains run late, so check how to book before the day and keep the evening flexible. Do not lean out of an open door, and mind your bag at stations.
Rice with a cashew curry, a pumpkin or brinjal curry and a dhal, often a lunch of the hill country. Small cafes near the temple and the lake serve plates like this.
Local tip Cashew curry is common here, so tell the staff about any nut allergy before you order.
An artificial lake in the middle of the town, with a path around it and the temple on its shore. A slow walk at the end of the day, as the light drops over the hills and the town quiets.
Go whenEvening, as the light drops over the hills.
Local tip Walk a stretch of the path rather than the full circle. The path is shared with traffic in places, so keep to the side and watch for vehicles.
A devilled dish of sweet, hot stir fried vegetables or meat in a thick sauce, a favorite of Sri Lankan restaurants, with a pot of black tea to finish. A warm evening in the hills.
Local tip Devilled dishes are hot and often fried. Ask for it mild, and tell the staff about any allergy.
If it rains. Everything today is outdoors, so swap this day with a drier one if you can.
Day 5. The culture triangle
2 stops · 91.8 km
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
Drive from Kandy LakeAbout 1 h 16 min by car75.2 km
Where Day 4 ended.
1
MorningGo early, steep climb
Sigiriya
A steep rock rising from the plain, with the ruins of a royal fortress and gardens on and around it. The climb is a long stair with open stretches, and the heat builds fast. Go early, take water and rest at the landings.
Go whenFirst thing in the morning, before the heat and the crowds.
Local tip The stair is long, steep and open to the sun. Take water, wear shoes with grip, rest at the landings and turn back if you feel dizzy. Check the opening times and the weather ahead.
A hillside of cave shrines, a short climb above the road, with painted ceilings and many Buddha statues, some seated and some reclining. Leave your shoes at the foot, cover shoulders and knees, and ask before you pose with a statue.
Go whenLate afternoon, after the road, when the stone has cooled.
Local tip Leave your shoes at the foot and wear socks if the stone is hot. Cover shoulders and knees. Never turn your back to a Buddha statue for a photo, and ask before you pose beside one.
Simple restaurants along the highway serve rice with a few curries, fresh and quick. Travelers on the road to the middle of the island pause at them, and a driver will often know a clean one.
Local tip Choose a place where the food is hot and busy, and ask your driver. Tell the staff about any allergy first.
Dinner
Dhal and vegetable curries
A plain evening meal of lentil curry, green beans, pumpkin or jackfruit, with rice and a coconut sambol. Light and easy after a long road, and widely available near Dambulla.
Local tip Ask for little chili. Tell the staff about any allergy first, since coconut and nuts are common.
If it rains. Everything today is outdoors, so swap this day with a drier one if you can.
Departure day
After the last day. You end on the south coast, far from the airport north of Colombo.Details
Getting to the airport
Day 7 ends near Galle, a long drive from the airport north of Colombo. Take the highway if you can, fix the plan the evening before and leave much more time than the map suggests, because traffic near the city slows everything.
The last morning
Keep the last morning free of fixed plans. A walk along the Fort walls or one more cup of Ceylon tea is enough. Many hotels will hold your bag if you ask, which helps if your flight is in the evening.
Taking things home
Tea and spices are easy to carry home. Check your own country's rules before you buy them, and do not buy anything made from turtle shell, ivory or other animal parts, which many countries ban at the border.
Questions people ask
How many days does this plan cover?
It covers 5 days in Colombo, planned for early February. Each day is built around a small number of stops, with room to rest.
Who is this plan for?
It was planned for most travelers. The pace and the places reflect that, so check it fits how you travel.
Is anything on this plan booked?
No. Places marked "book ahead" need a reservation. Hours, prices and availability change, so confirm before you go.
Can I plan my own days like this?
Yes. Archie drafts a day by day plan for your dates and takes your pace, the weather and who is travelling into account. You can start one from the Archie app.
Can I change this plan?
Yes. It is a starting point you can change to fit your own trip: swap a place, add a day or move the pace.
How much walking is there?
Each day has about 2.3 to 136.1 kilometers between its stops, and 191.2 kilometers in all across 5 days. A short hop is a walk and a longer one a ride. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
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