WHERE TO GO
Every destination we build trips around
20 places across the island, from ancient capitals to hill country to the coast. Tap any one to see when to go, what to do, and how long to stay.
Sigiriya
An ancient rock fortress rising straight out of the jungle
200M ROCK · CULTURAL TRIANGLE
Ella
Misty tea hills, hiking trails, and the island's most photographed railway
1,041M · HILL COUNTRY
Galle
A Dutch colonial fort where the ramparts meet the Indian Ocean
SEA LEVEL · SOUTH COAST
Yala
One of the world's highest densities of leopards, alongside elephants and wetland birdlife
30M · SOUTHEAST COAST
Nuwara Eliya
Cool highland air, tea country, and colonial-era architecture nicknamed 'Little England'
1,868M · HILL COUNTRY
Mirissa
A laid-back beach town and one of the world's best spots for blue whale watching
SEA LEVEL · SOUTH COAST
Kandy
The last royal capital, home to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic
500M · HILL COUNTRY
Udawalawe
Grassland and reservoir landscape with some of the island's most reliable elephant sightings
100M · SOUTHEAST
Bentota
A resort beach town built around a river, water sports, and easy reach from Colombo
SEA LEVEL · SOUTH COAST
Arugam Bay
A laid-back surf town with one of the world's best right-hand point breaks
SEA LEVEL · EAST COAST
Jaffna
A distinct Tamil cultural heart, with its own cuisine, temples, and colonial fort
SEA LEVEL · NORTHERN PROVINCE
Trincomalee
One of the world's finest natural harbours, with quiet beaches and offshore reefs
SEA LEVEL · EAST COAST
Anuradhapura
Sri Lanka's first ancient capital, with dagobas that rank among the tallest ancient structures on earth
80M · CULTURAL TRIANGLE
Polonnaruwa
Sri Lanka's second ancient capital, more compact and easier to explore than Anuradhapura
60M · CULTURAL TRIANGLE
Horton Plains
A highland plateau of cloud forest and grassland, ending at a sheer 880-metre cliff
2,100M · HILL COUNTRY
Adam's Peak
A sacred pilgrimage mountain climbed through the night for sunrise at the summit
2,243M · HILL COUNTRY
Dambulla
A 2,000-year-old cave temple carved straight into the rock
150M · CULTURAL TRIANGLE
Colombo
Sri Lanka's commercial capital — colonial streets, markets, and a modern skyline
SEA LEVEL · WESTERN PROVINCE
Negombo
A fishing town by the airport, easing you in or out of Sri Lanka
SEA LEVEL · WEST COAST
Wilpattu
Sri Lanka's largest national park, with natural lakes found nowhere else on the island
50M · NORTHWEST