Sri Lanka looks small, but mountain roads mean 100 km can take 3 hours. The best routes keep driving days short and put the long transfers where they make sense. These itineraries start and end at Colombo Airport and are the shapes travelers book most. Every one can be changed.
5 days: culture and hill country
- Day 1: Airport to Kandy, with a stop at Pinnawala.
- Day 2: Kandy: Temple of the Tooth, the lake, and the botanical gardens at Peradeniya.
- Day 3: Kandy to Sigiriya via the Dambulla cave temple; climb Sigiriya or Pidurangala at sunset.
- Day 4: Sigiriya to Nuwara Eliya through the tea country, with a tea factory visit.
- Day 5: Nuwara Eliya back to the airport, or on to Ella by train with your luggage in the car.
7 days: the classic loop
- Day 1: Airport to Sigiriya or Dambulla.
- Day 2: Sigiriya rock and the ancient city of Polonnaruwa.
- Day 3: Sigiriya to Kandy via a spice garden at Matale.
- Day 4: Kandy to Nuwara Eliya, then the scenic train to Ella while your driver brings the bags.
- Day 5: Ella: Nine Arch Bridge, Little Adam's Peak; drive to Yala in the afternoon.
- Day 6: Early safari in Yala, then on to Mirissa.
- Day 7: Galle Fort, then the Southern Expressway to the airport.
10 days: add time to slow down
Take the 7-day loop and add a second night in Kandy, a second night in Ella for the hikes, and two beach days in Mirissa or Unawatuna. With 10 days, no single day needs more than 4 or 5 hours in the car.
14 days: the whole island
Two weeks allow Anuradhapura in the north of the Cultural Triangle, Trincomalee on the east coast (best from May to September), or Arugam Bay for surfing (April to October), plus slow days in the hill country and on the south coast. Check the destination pages for distances from Kandy.
Typical driving times
| Route | Approximate time |
|---|---|
| Colombo Airport to Kandy | 3 to 3.5 hours |
| Kandy to Sigiriya | 2.5 to 3 hours |
| Kandy to Nuwara Eliya | 2.5 to 3 hours |
| Nuwara Eliya to Ella | 2.5 hours |
| Ella to Yala (Tissamaharama) | 2.5 to 3 hours |
| Mirissa to Colombo Airport | About 3 hours by expressway |
When to go
Sri Lanka has two monsoons on opposite coasts. December to April is best for the south and west coast and the hill country; May to September is best for the east coast. The Cultural Triangle and Kandy work most of the year. Your driver can rearrange the route around the weather.