With a year-round tropical climate, the most beautiful white sandy beaches, incredible landscapes and hiking trails, delicious cuisines, water sports galore and a wildlife hotspot, it is easy to see why this beautiful country has started to become an increasingly popular tourist destination. Located in the Indian Ocean, south of India and the Bay of Bengal, Sri Lanka is a relatively small country. It is a very easy country to travel around, extremely cheap and safe for solo backpackers.
Oh and the locals are the friendliest people you will ever meet, English is widely spoken and people will go above and beyond to help you!
My 4-week guide is my day by day exact itinerary, offering suggestions of what to do, where to stay and how to get from place to place. Sri Lanka has so much to offer and whether you spend one month, two months or two weeks here, you will fall in love with the country and the people. As you can see from the itinerary, I travelled pretty fast at the beginning and spent more time on the coast. You can adapt this itinerary to your liking and choose the best spots you want to visit.
If you only have a couple of weeks, I would recommend a week at the hill country and a week at the coast. Remember that travelling from place to place can take a while, so ensure to account for this.
Contents
Colombo (2 nights)
After landing in the late afternoon, I arrived at the hostel in MT Lavina at approximately 4pm. I spent the afternoon exploring Mt Lavina beach, trying the local cuisine and relaxing with a few beers in the hostel.
Where to stay? I stayed at Mount Lavina Beach hostel which was a 5-minute walk from the beach.
The following day we explored the capital, Colombo. I would say that one day is more than enough to explore the sights of Colombo city.
Here are some must ‘sees’ whilst you’re in Colombo:
- Red Mosque (Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque)
- Walk at Galle face green
- Visit Gangaramaya temple
- Kailawasanathan Temple
- Colombo National Museum
- Go up the Lotus Tower
- Visit the markets
Kailawasanathan Temple
Where next? The following morning, we took the local bus to Sigiriya. It took around 6 hours and cost £2 per person.
Sigiriya (2 nights)
Sigiriya is a must-see destination when visiting Sri Lanka. Famous for its ancient rock fortress ‘Lions rock’ offering spectacular views of the beautiful surroundings, this place is not to be missed.
Adjacent to the ‘Lions rock’ is the Pidurangala rock; a much smaller climb which offers 360 views off the valleys and great views of the Lions rock.
Read more here: Sigiriya and Pidurangala rock hike
Where to stay? Green House Resort Sigiriya offer dorm rooms and private. £6.50 for a private room with an ensuite. (Hostel world link)
Where next? The next day we took the local bus to Kandy. This took approximately 3 hours and again was less than £2.
Kandy (2 nights)
Kandy is the second biggest city in Sri Lanka after Colombo. A picturesque city, surrounded by mountains and tea plantations. Situated in the centre is a beautiful lake surrounded by many cultural and historic sites.
Temple of the Tooth Kandyan dance show
Places to visit/ what to see:
- Temple of the sacred Tooth- beautiful temple which is said to house Buddha’s tooth. Visit in late July or August and see the famous ‘Tooth relic festival’; a 10 day cultural parade.
- Kandy Lake- artificial lake in the heart of the city. Nice for a couple of hours walk or to watch the sunset.
- Sri Lankan dance show- Takes place every night at the Kandyan cultural centre. Tickets cost less than £5.00 and it lasts around 1 hour and 30 minutes. Great cultural dance show with lots of very talented entertainers and dancers.
- The Soaring Buddah- 243m high white Buddha monument is situated on top of a steep hill overlooking the city of Kandy.
- Ambuluwawa tower- A 48 metre winding tower that resembles a Buddhist stupa. It is approximately 1 hour and a halves drive away from Kandy, however I would totally recommend you to rent a bike/scooter or hire a tuk tuk driver to take you here. A relatively easy climb taking no more than 10minutes, you will have 360 views. The views en-route are also awesome of the mountains and villages.
Where to stay? Kandy Backpackers hostel. Dorms and private rooms, swimming pool, breakfast included, scooter/motorbike hire and free cooking class and evening meal every evening.
Where next? We then took the famous Kandy-Ella train and got off at the stop named ‘Hatton’ in order to climb Adam’s Peak. From the train station you will need to take the bus, tuk tuk or taxi to Dalhousie. The whole train journey from Kandy- Ella is picturesque, however I believe the next journey was the most beautiful leg. Read my blog about ‘The famous Sri Lankan train journey‘.
Adam’s Peak (1 night)
Located at 2243m above sea level is Adam’s Peak. Adam’s peak is said to be situated on the most sacred mountain in Sri Lanka and at the peak lies an important pilgrimage site. The religious significance of this site differs depending on the religion.
Not going to lie, it is a challenging hike and even more so that you begin it in the middle of the night, however… it is so worth it when you reach the top and experience the breath-taking sunrise.
Read more here about Adam’s Peak.
Where to stay? We stayed at Subash hotel which was located next to the Masekeliya reservoir, a 15 minute drive to the start of Adam’s Peak. The hotel owner can organise a tuk tuk to pick you up and take you to the start.
Where next? After finishing the hike, we were back at the hotel to have breakfast and collect our belongings before noon. We then took a tuk tuk back to the train station and boarded the train to Nanuoya – the closest station to Nuwara Eiley.
Nuwara Eliey and World’s End, Horton Plains National Park (1 night)
We arrived in Nurwara Eiley in the afternoon. Hearing that the city was famous for being named ‘Little England’, I was eager to spend the rest of the day exploring why. Biggest similarity- the weather! Situated 2000m above sea level, Nurwara Eiley climate is quite alike that of England- bring a jacket!
No rest for the wicked… onto the next hike! The next morning was another early start. We organised a van to take us to Horton Plains National Park to hike the ‘World’s End’. Great views and a beautiful national park. You can follow the loop around observing the nature, views and visiting the waterfall. If you’re lucky you may also be able to spot some of the parks wildlife!
Where to stay? Laughing Leopard hostel, situated a couple of minutes’ walk from the centre. Hostel offers dorms and private rooms, kitchen facilities, breakfast and home cooked food. Great to meet other solo travellers.
Where to next? We returned back to the train station to continue our journey to Ella. The journey takes around 4 hours and goes over the famous Nine Arches Bridge- have your camera ready!
Ella (4 nights)
Ella is a very chilled laid back village filled with western style restaurants and bars. With so much to do and see, it is a very popular tourist spot and you could easily spend a few days here. I spent 4 but could have spent longer.
Little Adam’s Peak
Things to do in Ella:
- Visit the Nine Arches Bridge
- Hike the famous Ella Rock
- Climb Little Adam’s Peak at sunset
- Explore the waterfalls -Diyaluma falls and Ravana falls
- Lipton’s seat
- Tea plantation tour
Nine Arches Bridge
Where to stay? At first we stayed at a hotel with the most amazing views of the mountains. It was a 5-minute scooter ride from the town and included a brilliant breakfast, the best breakfast I had received in Sri Lanka.
We then moved to a more central hotel- Hotel City Grand Ella. It was located directly in the centre of the town offering private rooms, breakfast included, motorcycle rental and tours.
Other recommended places: Hangover Hostel.
Where to next? From Ella we took the local bus to Udawalawe. There were no direct buses so we had take the bus from Ella to Wellawaya and the second one from Wellawaya to Udawalawe. It will take around 2.5-3 hours and cost less than £1.
Udawalawe (1 night)
A trip to Sri Lanka is not complete without adding a safari into your itinerary. If you love Elephants and want to see them roaming free in their natural habitat, Udawalawe national park is a fantastic place to do this. We choose the half day trip beginning early in the morning. In addition to the elephants, we were able to spot crocodiles, birds, buffalos, monkeys, deer’s and peacocks. If you’re lucky, you may also spot cheetahs!
Where to stay? We stayed at an awesome homestay (Leisure House Udawalawa) which offered private and family rooms for £3 per night and included a delicious Sri Lankan breakfast. The homestay organised the half day safari jeep tour for a group of us. It cost approximately £35.00 per person.
Where to next? After the safari we took a tuk tuk to Embilipitya and then took a local bus to Matara. From Matara we changed onto another bus to Mirissa. This should take around 2.5 hours. You can also organise a transfer with the homestay to take you to the coast.
Mirrisa and Weligama (9 nights)
Finally after all the early morning alarms and hikes, we arrived at the beach and were ready to relax and enjoy some well needed ‘vitamin sea’. Mirrisa is a small up-and-coming town with restaurants, bars and plenty of things to do. I had planned to spend a couple of nights here and loved it so much it turned into nearly 10 days!
Must do’s whilst in Mirissa/Weligama:
- Go whale watching. We were lucky enough to spot several blue whales and dolphins. There are lots of tour companies offering tours for around £20-25 per person including breakfast. (Tip- take sea sickness tablets it’s a choppy ride!)
- Rent a tuk tuk or scooter/motorbike (So much fun!)
- Watch the sunset at coconut hill. (Probably the most ‘Instagramable’ spot on the coast, you can easily see why this place is so picturesque. Come early in the day to avoid crowds or to get the perfect spot for sunset.
- Experience the party/nightlife! (It is no doubt Mirissa has the best nightlife on the island, with different bars hosting parties and events every night, look out for the bright lazer light to guide you to the party!
- Visit secret beach- Not so secret anymore, but less crowded than the other beach. Follow the signs from the main beach, it should take you around 10/15 minutes’ walk.
- Try surfing- Whether you are a beginner or a pro, Sri Lankas coast offers a variety of surf sports. We explored lots of beaches searching for the best spots and found that Weligama beach was the best for beginners. With a vast array of surf shops offering lesson and board rentals, you shouldn’t miss the opportunity to try out surfing here.
Where to stay? Why not backpackers hostel is the most popular hostel in the town. If you want to meet other travellers and have a great time, this is the place! Perfect for party people and solo travellers.
Sanovin Guest House– Located in the centre of town, next door to the supermarket this guest house offers private rooms for very affordable backpacker budgets. Clean and spacious rooms, scooter/bike and tuk tuk rental and tour bookings and an amazing breakfast included in the price. Ended up extending and extending.
A one calm place– Great location, very close to the town and beach. Swimming pool.
Where to next? We ended up staying in Mirissa for a long time and renting a scooter to explore the other beaches/towns as they were only a short ride away from one another. When we finally decided to leave, we took the local bus heading to Colombo and got off at Pitiwella.
Unawatuna (2 nights)
Unawatuna is another spot popular with tourists due to its beautiful white sandy beaches.
Some things to do here:
- Relax at Unawatuna beach.
- Swing at Dalawella beach swing. (Iconic picture spot)
Where to stay? Damith Guest House
Pitiwella (2 night)
This place is much less touristy, so was a nice break to chill out and relax after lots of partying, but still close to the other towns and easily accessible by bus/scooter/motorbike. Ended up staying here with some friends for a couple of nights. There was very little there so we ended up renting scooters and visiting the other towns from here.
Places to visit from here:
- Rent a scooter/motorbike and ride along the coast. You can spot the stilt fisherman and pay a small amount to take a picture of them.
- Pitiwella beach- surfing
- Take a yoga class overlooking the beach.
Where to stay? Just chillin’ beach hostel– cute little bungalows overlooking the beach. Live music, happy hour, daily yoga, surf board rentals.
Hikaduwu (3 nights)
Want to swim alongside the giant green sea turtle? Hikaduwu is the place. Another coastal town and probably the biggest on the coast with a huge variety of restaurants, coffee shops, bars and shops. It is only 92 km from Colombo so a great place to soak up the sunshine and enjoy the last few days of your trip!
Things to do:
- Snorkelling with turtles. Head to the beach in front of Hikka Tranz by Cinnamon Hotel to spot the giant sea turtles. This spot can get very crowded but they are easy to spot here, even from the beach. You could also try snorkelling next to coconut hill in Mirissa, but be careful of the coral.
- Surfing
- Watch the sunset and enjoy a cocktail at the many restaurants on the beach.
- Visit Galle Fort and lighthouse. From cobbled streets, colonial history and quirky restaurants you will feel like you’re in a European city. Galle is a great place to go shopping- lots of shops and independent boutiques and jewellers. I did not end up staying here but wish I had because it was a very pretty place.
Where to stay? Villa White– clean, modern hotel with a swimming pool and breakfast.
Where to next? From Hikaduwu we took two buses to Negombo. The first bus was from Hikaduwu to Colombo fort and then from here we changed to Negombo. The journey in total took around 5/6 hours. You can also take this journey by train.
Negombo (1 night)
Negombo is a town 10km from the airport in Sri Lanka.
We ended up staying only one night before our flight the following day so did not have the chance the explore the city.
Where to stay? Airport eco chalets. Beautiful chalets offering private ensuite rooms, swimming pool, free breakfast and shuttle to the airport.