The best time to visit Sri Lanka, month by month

Short answer: there is no bad month for Sri Lanka, only bad routes. The island has two monsoons that hit different coasts at different times, so one side is usually dry.

• December to April: best for the south and west coasts and the hills, and from about February for the Cultural Triangle. This is the main season.
• May to September: best for the east coast, the north and the Cultural Triangle. The south-west has its monsoon.
• October and November: the inter-monsoon months, with heavy showers in many regions. Good for travellers who want low prices and don’t mind rain.

The two monsoons

According to Sri Lanka’s Department of Meteorology, the year has four climate seasons:

Season	Months	What it means
North-east monsoon	December to February	Rain in the north and east; the south-west is dry and sunny
First inter-monsoon	March and April	Hot, with afternoon and evening thunderstorms, especially in April
South-west monsoon	May to September	Rain in the south-west and the western hills; the east and north are dry
Second inter-monsoon	October and November	Heavy showers and thunderstorms across much of the island

Rain in the tropics usually comes as heavy showers, not grey days. Even in the "wrong" season you often have sunny mornings.

Month by month

January and February. The best months for a classic round trip. The south coast and the hills are dry; in the Cultural Triangle the last showers of the north-east monsoon usually end in January. It is high season, so book hotels early.

March and April. Still very good, and hot. Mid-April is the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, when many Sri Lankans travel. Climbing Adam’s Peak is possible until about May.

May and June. The south-west monsoon starts. A good time for the east coast, Trincomalee and the Cultural Triangle. Prices drop on the south coast.

July and August. The European summer holidays. Choose a route with the east coast; see our summer round trip. Elephants gather in large numbers at Minneriya and Kaudulla. In Kandy, the Esala Perahera festival usually takes place in July or August.

September. Still good in the east and the Cultural Triangle. Yala National Park often closes for a few weeks around September and October.

October and November. The rainiest months for much of the island. Travel is possible, with flexible plans and low prices.

December. The season starts on the south and west coasts. Christmas and New Year are the busiest weeks; book months ahead.

Whale watching

• Mirissa (south): November to April, best December to March.
• Trincomalee (east): about May to October.

Read more in whale watching in Sri Lanka.