15 places in Sri Lanka that are really worth the trip

Sri Lanka is small, about the size of Bavaria, but it packs in eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites, mountains, rainforest, safari parks and more than 1,300 km of coast. Here are the places we would put on any first route, and a few we love that most people miss.

Culture and history

1. Sigiriya. The Lion Rock, with the ruins of a royal palace on top, is the image most people have of Sri Lanka. Climb at opening time, before the heat.

2. Dambulla cave temple. Caves full of Buddha statues and painted ceilings, still used for worship. Close to Sigiriya, so easy to combine.

3. Polonnaruwa. A medieval royal capital that you can explore by bicycle. Don’t miss the Gal Vihara, Buddha figures carved into one granite rock face.

4. Anuradhapura. The oldest capital, with enormous white stupas and the sacred Bodhi tree. Calm and spiritual, especially in the evening.

5. The Temple of the Tooth in Kandy. Sri Lanka’s holiest Buddhist shrine. Go to an evening ceremony, when drums and pilgrims fill the halls.

6. Galle Fort. A Dutch-era fortified town on the sea, with old streets, cafés and ramparts to walk at sunset.

Hills and nature

7. Tea country around Nuwara Eliya. Rolling tea estates, waterfalls and cool air. Visit a tea factory and taste fresh Ceylon tea where it is grown.

8. Ella. A village in a gap between the hills, with easy walks to Little Adam’s Peak, the Nine Arches Bridge and, for the fit, Ella Rock.

9. The hill-country train. One of the most beautiful train rides in the world, through tea estates and tunnels. Parts are being repaired after Cyclone Ditwah; the Nanu Oya to Ella section runs again. See the train to Ella.

10. Horton Plains and World’s End. A high plateau walk to a cliff edge with a huge view, if you are there before the clouds.

11. Adam’s Peak (Sri Pada). A sacred mountain climbed at night by pilgrims to see sunrise from the top. The season runs from about December to May.

Wildlife

12. Yala National Park. Your best chance to see a leopard in the wild, plus elephants, crocodiles and birds.

13. Udawalawe and Minneriya. Wild elephants, often many at once. Udawalawe is reliable all year; Minneriya and Kaudulla are spectacular from July to September.

14. Whales off Mirissa. From November to April, blue whales feed off the south coast. Boats leave at dawn.

Beaches

15. The right beach for the season. From December to April: Unawatuna, Mirissa, Tangalle or a quiet bay further east. From May to September: Trincomalee, Pasikudah and Arugam Bay on the east coast.

Places most visitors miss

• Jaffna in the north, with Hindu temples, Tamil food and islands.
• The Knuckles range, for real hiking in cloud forest and remote villages.
• Sinharaja, the island’s last large lowland rainforest, with rare birds.

How to fit it all in

You won’t see all 15 in one trip, and you shouldn’t try. In two weeks you can comfortably see numbers 1–3, 5–8, 12 and a beach. Our 14-day round trip does exactly that.