Luxury Sri Lanka Vacations & Tours

Sri Lanka has a rather complex climate, affected by two different monsoons on opposite sides of the island. Generally the best time for a first-time tour – taking in the cultural triangle, hill country, national parks, and south coast – would be from October through to May. This is primarily with beach weather on the south coast in mind, as outside of these months – June through to September – it’s much better to visit Sri Lanka’s east coast beaches and reconfigure your itinerary accordingly.

The two rainier periods mean that at any time of year, there will be at least one side of the island that is in season. Furthermore, the central parts of the island – particularly the cultural triangle and hill country – have a more settled climate, and although tropical, with rainfall expected every other day all year round, you should be able to plan an effective tour whenever you visit. For clarity on when is best to plan your trip please see our dedicated ‘When to Visit’ page, or of course ask your knowledgeable travel consultant.

Our private tours of Sri Lanka will see you transported around the island mostly by car in the company of a private chauffeur guide. As all tours of the island will start and finish at Colombo Airport, it is generally the same driver joining you for the duration of your tour, completing the loop together. Should you be looking to cover significant distances in one day – Kandy down to the south coast for instance – then we may organise an internal flight with private transfers arranged at either end. The same is true of train journeys, although for many of these, especially the scenic but slow-going Hill Country routes, road travel is much quicker and your driver will be able to both drop you off and meet you at the other end!

Much of the tour will be facilitated by your chauffeur-guide: they’ll look after minor sightseeing, hotel check-ins, and all the transport, and help with translation and general interaction as you move around the country. At major historical sites, which require a little more expertise, we’ll arrange private English-speaking site guides; in national parks meanwhile, you’ll have private naturalists joining you for any safari drives. We also arrange a variety of one-off hosted activities – such as cooking classes, walking tours, etc – which will be on a private or small group basis.

Sri Lanka is a fabulous wildlife destination and often you won’t need to even be in the national parks to see colorful creatures: kingfishers, egrets, and eagles are common sightings wherever you are in the countryside, and it’s also possible to spot wild elephant grazing in the fields while driving through the more remote eastern and south-eastern regions. Should you plan any safaris – and we very much encourage you to do so – the big-hitting sightings are leopards, elephants, sloth bears, jungle cats, crocodiles, and sambar deer. Day trips from coastal resorts can also bring sightings of blue whales, sperm whales, and dolphins.

A typical first-time loop will start and finish in (or around) the capital Colombo, then travel inland to spend a few days exploring the jewels of the Cultural Triangle, before dropping south to the ancient capital, and gateway to the hills, Kandy. From Kandy, you can track a path through the dramatic upland scenery of the Hill Country, with treks, tea plantations, and train rides along the way, before dropping down to Yala or Uda Walawe National Parks. It’s then out to the south coast, visiting atmospheric Galle before winding out your trip on a beach near Bentota, Mirissa, or Tangalle.

A typical first-time tour demands at least 12 days to cover all the most important locations. Bulking up to around 14 days (or more) gives that precious extra time to pace the trip and allows for chunks of free time to explore locations such as Galle or Kandy independently. Should you have less time available this can be cut short: a common honeymoon itinerary for instance might be just a week in Sri Lanka, with 3 nights’ apiece in the Cultural Triangle and Hill Country, before heading across to the Maldives for the second week. ‘Grand Tours’ of the island can run for three weeks or more, which would provide enough time for a full circuit heading up as far north as Jaffna down to the deep south beaches of Tangalle.

Should Sri Lanka’s culture, wildlife, or beaches not be your primary interest then please speak to your consultant about the wide range of adventure activities on offer. Hikes and treks are available across the island, but especially impressive in the Hill Country: whether it’s easy-going day trips such as Ella Rock or Horton Plains, or challenging extended treks in the Knuckles Range, or up to Adam’s Peak. Kayaking and white-water rafting are available on the rapids of the Mahaweli River near Kandy; mountain biking and cycling are found in the hills or paddy fields of the interior; or a full range of water sports, diving, and fishing trips are available offshore.

It’s hard to know where to start with this one! As an island destination, Sri Lanka is ringed by sandy beaches on all sides. The island’s complicated climate means that not all of these beaches are advised at all times of year, but whenever and wherever you travel you will have some choice on where exactly you kick back and enjoy that beach time. A busy area, packed with bars and shops, such as Negombo or Unawatuna? A secluded cove such as Mawella or Alankuda, where you’ll spend your days in blissful isolation? Family-friendly resort areas (Passekudah, Beruwala) or laidback surf hangouts (Arugam Bay, Hiriketiya)? There’s a lot to get stuck into here, but our specialists will be in hand to ensure whichever beach you choose will be the perfect beach for you.