How many days needed in Sri Lanka?

Posted on by Sanjeewa Padmal (Seerendipity)

How many days needed in Sri Lanka? One of the very common questions among the toruists. It is one of the very difficult questions to answer. because the duration of the tour is directly involved with what the tourists try to accomplish in Sri Lanka. Depending on the requirement, it can be a 3-day Sri Lanka tour, a 6-day Sri Lanka trip, a 10-day Sri Lanka tour or a 21-day Sri Lanka trip.

Table of Contents

Sri Lanka is one of the smallest countries in the world, measuring only 65610 sq km, however, what Sri Lanka lacks in size, it makes up for in grandeur. The beautiful rural villages, rolling hills, snow-white sandy beaches and picturesque tea gardens with the green-capped mountain in the backdrop make your 6 days in Sri Lanka unforgettable. Venturing on a Sri Lanka itinerary 6 days is one of the best ways to see this fascinating island. This blog post is all about historical places, wildlife reserves, rainforests and many more that introduces you to the tropical island of Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka as a holiday destination

Sri Lanka is one of the smallest countries in the world, measuring only 65610 sq km, however, what Sri Lanka lacks in size, it makes up for in grandeur. The beautiful rural villages, rolling hills, snow-white sandy beaches and picturesque tea gardens with the green-capped mountain in the backdrop make these 6 days in Sri Lanka unforgettable.

Sri Lanka is where land and sea collide on your dining table in culinary delight. The island is full of fertile farmland and produces a wide range of agricultural products such as rice, vegetables, fruits, tea, coffee and many more. These farmlands and catch from the sea provide a palate-pleasing experience. The rich culinary experience is only a part of the of the Sri Lanka holiday experience, for some, it takes center stage, There is so much more to experience within 6 days in Sri Lanka, In this blog about 6 days in Sri Lanka, I will discuss a number of important facts for you to consider.

Is one week Sri Lanka enough in Sri Lanka?

Because Sri Lanka is a tiny island, you can spend four to five days touring its cultural cities. Then, you would have to choose between the stunning hill country scenery and Sri Lanka’s immaculate beaches. Time constraints will force us to overlook a few beautiful locations.

You can spend just a night or two at each of Sri Lanka’s most well-known attractions, like the hill country and cultural triangle. If you have an interest in wildlife, you may also be able to fit in a visit to Minneriya National Park. However, it is not as large nor as striking as national parks such as Yala and Udawalawe. Spending many days in one of these National Parks would be necessary to really experience the area. As an It would be ideal to end your journey along the palm-lined shoreline of an island nation.

While a week might be plenty for you to visit a variety of the popular locations, we advise spending at least 10–14 nights to make the most of your vacation. In this situation, you might also indulge in thrilling adventure activities or immerse yourself in local culture for a while.

Is 2-weeks enough in Sri Lanka?

If you were to ask us how long to stay in Sri Lanka, we would recommend a minimum of four nights. This would allow you ample time to visit the religious and cultural monuments, go hiking in the hill area, and unwind for a few days on Sri Lanka’s white sand beaches. Consequently, you are able to cover a lot more ground in a week than you normally might.

We would suggest that you travel north and first explore Sri Lanka’s cultural triangle after arriving by plane in Colombo. This would cover Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Dambulla, and Sigiriya. It is entirely up to you what websites you visit; you might not visit them all. Popular Buddhist locations like the Golden Temple, Gal Vihara (Buddha’s granite rock sculptures in Sinhalese), and the ancient remnants of vanished civilizations may all be found here. We advise spending roughly three days touring this area, which should include a morning spent climbing Sigiriya’s well-known Lion Rock.

After that, you can continue to tour central Sri Lanka’s stunning hill country. It’s also easier to tour the tea estates if you incorporate a few stops in the hill country. We would advise going on one of the picturesque train rides that pass by mountains and waterfalls. Additionally, it is worthwhile to travel to Hatton, Nuwara Eliya, and Kandy. If you’re the more daring type of traveler, you can incorporate a few hikes into your itinerary.

After some time spent in the country’s center, spend a few days lounging on a beach in the northeast or south of Sri Lanka. Interesting activities include going on a whale viewing tour and participating in various water sports. Before returning to the airport, you might also get the chance to explore Galle, a former Dutch colonial town. You have enough time to engage in the best things Sri Lanka has to offer. Additionally, you wouldn’t need to rush through your vacation in order to see everything.

3-weeks in Sri Lanka

You may see whatever you want and more if you spend more than three weeks in Sri Lanka! You have time to see temples, go on the greatest hikes (like Adam’s Peak), go to a national park to see elephants bathing in the wild, and end your journey at a beach resort in paradise.

You can add locations like Ella, a hilly town in the hill country, or Anuradhapura, one of the historic capitals in the northern-central region of Sri Lanka, for three weeks. A number of National Parks provide guided safari tours where you can see crocodiles, elephants in the wild, and leopards. Additionally, you can visit unusual locations to get a more authentic taste of Sri Lanka. You can visit a few of them, including Jaffna and the beach in Trincomalee. You won’t need to use a car or public transportation every day during this period. This enables you to take it more slowly and fully appreciate your trip.

How to reach Sri Lanka?

Air transportation is the main source of travel for most foreign travelers, and 90 percent of visitors to Sri Lanka enter the island through the international airport in Colombo. The airport of Colombo is located in the western province of Sri Lanka, near Colombo city. Only a few travellers arrive on the island by cruise ships, the travellers, who arrive travelersby cruise ships lands either west coast (Colombo port) or Galle port of southern Sri Lanka, which are the widely used ports of Sri Lanka today.

If you are coming from far away countries like the UK, Germany and have a long flight, no doubt having a rest is the most important thing just after landing. The beach town of Negombo is just around the corner, a 30-minute drive from Airport to Negombo and it could be the best bet for you.

A large number of hotels that are categorized under many different categories sits along with the Lewis place, which is a narrow road, runs parallel to the beach. Here you can grab something to eat and drink, it is also very suitable for an overnight stay.  

How many days needed in Sri Lanka to expexplore its rich history, cultre and wildlife?

Sri Lanka is a tropical country with an amazing diversity of natural and man-made attractions. Thousands of kilometres of sublime beaches bordering the Indian Ocean and geographic features such as coves, bays, rocks, lagoons, and wetlands are the major attractions along the coastal belt. The sudden upheavals of earth form the mid-elevated areas and high elevated areas of the country. These mountains are shrouded in mist and clouds creating some fantastic unique scenery.

The beauty of Sri Lanka is most evident in the countryside of this tropical island. Sri Lanka, the most popular holiday destination in the Indian subcontinent is bestowed with a large number of forest reserves and national parks. Different elevation of the island shows a totally different climate, vegetation, and scenery.

The attractions in the lowland of the country are dominated by palm-fringed beaches while mid-elevation areas of the country are attractive due to the beautiful countryside. Higher elevated areas of the country rise more than 1400 metres above the sea level and dominated by mountains, escapement, large rock formation, escapements, ravines, and waterfall. Following are some of the areas I believe that should be included in tour packages from Sri Lanka.

When is the best time for Sri Lanka itinerary 6 days

Everyone likes to get the maximum from every penny they spend on holiday packages. That’s why travellers are very concerns about choosing the best place for their dream holiday destination. If you happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, you will not be able to have the best holiday. In fact all your effort, time and money are in vain.

How many days needed in Sri Lanka? is 6 days enough?

Unlike many other holiday destinations, Sri Lanka is a destination suitable for your 6 days tour at any time of the year. However, it does not mean the entire country is suitable for holidays at any time for the year. In other words, only a part of the island can get you the best weather condition for the holiday from November to April and you have to travel elsewhere if you travel to Sri Lanka from May to October.

If you travel to Sri Lanka from November to April head on to the south and western part of the country, sunny, and have warm, less rainy period,. During this period the sea off south-west coast become calm like a lake and water clarity dramatically increases.

If you travel to Sri Lanka during the rest of the year (May to October), it is recommended to travel to the east coast, where you get nice sunny weather.

Choosing the best place for Sri Lanka 6 days beach holiday

When it comes to choosing the destination for the beach holiday, the travellers should be very choosy. Because travellers can use either east coast or west coast for a pleasing beach tour at any time of the year. Either east coast or west coast is under the influence of monsoon at any time of the year.

Usually regions under the influence of monsoon experience heavy rain. Same times there are many changes in the ocean making it unsuitable for saltwater activities such as swimming, diving, snorkelling etc. The sea turns to be rough and coming under frequent heavy rain during the monsoon, while underwater current, unclear water also resulted through the monsoons.

Depending on the time you hit the island, the places you choose for 6 days beach holiday either be on the west or east coast. If you travel to Sri Lanka from November to April the destination should be on the west or southern coast of Sri Lanka. If you spend 6 days in Sri Lanka on a beach holiday from May to October, the east coast would be the ideal beach for you.

Still, European travellers make a considerable impact on Sri Lanka’s tourism industry with a large number of tourist arrival. Most European travellers book tours to Sri Lanka from November to April and tourist arrival during the rest of the year is plummeted.

What to see in Sri Lanka on a 6 days tour

There are many reasons why you should travel to Sri Lanka. Beaches, Fascinating wildlife, spectacular underwater world, primaeval rainforest, thousands of years old historical cities… and the list goes on.

By far the beaches are the most prominent attraction on the island, therefore a large number of travellers make tours to Sri Lanka in order to enjoy pristine Sri Lankan beaches, most of these beach holiday lovers gather some knowledge of some other valuable aspects of Sri Lanka too. Unfortunately, some of the travellers have forgotten all the other attractions other than beaches in the country and spend their entire holiday around beach resorts. If you plan tours to Sri Lanka, try to organize a holiday package with several sightseeing tours because Sri Lanka offers sea, and more than sun, sea, sand as a holiday destination.

How many days needed in Sri Lanka during the monsoon?

West coast beaches are not suitable for beach holidays during the months of July and August, due to the monsoon. But East coast is the best alternative during these months. The weather on the eastern coast is most favourable for holidays during these two months. The sea off the east coast is calm, clear and very shallow from April to November. Therefore, the east coast is the destination for sun worshippers during this period.

Exploring the underwater world on you 6 days Sri Lanka tour

Sri Lanka is on the radar of diving enthusiasts for many hundred years. A large number of silver coins were recovered from the seabed, off southern Sri Lanka in the early 1800s. Since then many numbers of shipwrecks are discovered by divers along the Western and Southern coastal belt. Shipwrecks, Coral reefs, sea plants, and exotic fish species are the major attractions of the underwater world of the coastal belt of Sri Lanka. There are many diving hot spots around the country; most of them are located along the southern and western coastal belt.

Climate Zones

Another major attraction of Sri Lanka is the diversity of natural resources across the country. Due to the different weather conditions of the wet, dry and arid climate zones, one can see a big difference across the major climate zones. Forests, landscape, agricultural products, humidity, temperature are some of the most evident differences between these climate zones.

Sri Lanka itinerary 6 days

This Sri Lanka itinerary 6 day has a fascinating blend of nature, culture and wildlife. This customizable 6 days trip includes many UNESCO world heritage sites, that resides in the cultural triangle of Sri Lanka. First 2 days of the trip you will be visiting many iconic historical monuments such as Polonnaruwa ancient city, Sigiriya Rock, Dambulla cave temple and Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy.

Visit tea plantations and factory, waterfalls, spice garden, wildlife reserve and the Royal Botanic Gardens Kandy, plus enjoy a scenic journey from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya. And towards the end of the trip relaxing on the pristine beaches of Bentota.

Map of Sri Lanka itinerary 6 days

Map of Sri Lanka itinerary 6 days

Sri Lanka itinerary 6 days in a nutshell

Day 1 of Sri Lanka itinerary 6 days – Colombo to Sigiriya

Day 2 of Sri Lanka itinerary 6 days-Sightseeing Sigiriya and Polonnaruwa

Day 3 of Sri Lanka itinerary 6 days-Sigiriya to Kandy

Day 4 of Sri Lanka itinerary 6 days-Kandy to Nuwara Eliya

Day 5 of Sri Lanka itinerary 6 days-Nuwara Eliya to Bentota

Day 6 of Sri Lanka itinerary 6 days-Bentota to Colombo

Iconic tourist attraction of Sigiriya rock fortress is included in most Sri Lanka trips such as 2 days Sri Lanka cultural triangle tour and 6 days Sri Lanka road trip package.

Day 1 of 6 Days in Sri Lanka- Colombo to Sigiriya

The 6 days Sri Lanka trip kicks off in Colombo as most Sri Lanka tour packages. The tour goes in a clockwise direction and you will be travelling to northern-central Sri Lanka from Colombo and explores the cultural triangle on the first day. The drive from Colombo to cultural triangle takes around 5 hours and due to the long, the Pinnawala elephant orphanage is the only major tourist attraction included on the program for the day.

Day 1. From the airport and Negombo, head north-east, toward cultural triangle of Sri Lanka. Along the way stop by:

Cashew nut village- (as the name suggest the small hamlet is popular for cashew nuts and here you can buy fresh cashew nuts at any time of the year, in the month of April, May, June the prices reduces due to the main harvesting season).

Pinnawala elephant orphanage-this safe house for elephant keep you busy for many hours. It is a safe house for elderly, wounded and orphan elephants found in the jungle. This is a place with a number of elephants that need the support of human to survive, here you can have a closer look into these jumbos but they are always under the supervision of caretakers and visitors are not allowed to have any form of contact with the animals.

From Pinnawala elephant orphanage head to further inland on Colombo-Trincomalee main road, passing Kurunegala and Dambulla to Sigiriya, where you have the first overnight stay on these 6 days in Sri Lanka trip.

Day 2 of 6 Days in Sri Lanka-Sightseeing Sigiriya and Polonnaruwa

If the previous night was your first overnight stay, it could have been the rest you wanted to have after the long flight. Sigiriya had been a laid-back city in the past; however, it had turned into a touristy locality with the opening of many hotels, guest house, restaurants and many shops selling textiles, souvenir, and artefacts. Today it is a popular hideout for foreign travellers and you will encounter hordes of tourist throughout the year, especially from November to April.  

Sigiriya rock fortress is the most important tourist attraction in Sigiriya and almost every traveller that head on to cultural triangle of Sri Lanka visits the rock. Perhaps travellers can miss the historical places like Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura but they never fail to visit Sigiriya and Dambulla. Some travellers make long trips from destinations like Bentota beach and Galle in order to witness this 5th-century palace complex.   

After hiking the rick fortress make a rest in a nearby restaurant before heading to Dambulla golden cave temple, which is the next activity for the day and the trip takes around 30 minutes. The trek to Dambulla is not as strenuous as the hike at Sigiriya, the hike at Dambulla lasts only about 30 minutes, depending on your age and fitness. Later proceed to hotel in Sigiriya.

Making a jeep safari in the Minneriya national park is also on today’s program and you will set off on the jeep tour after the lunch. This Sri Lanka safari tour lasts around 3 hours and you will be able to see a large number of animals including wild Elephants, Jackal, crocodile, deer, wild buffaloe and bear.

Day 3 of 6 Days in Sri Lanka-Sigiriya to Kandy

As you have visited Sigiriya rock and Dambulla golden cave temple, which are the most popular tourist attraction in the area, today you are heading to Kandy. However, it is highly recommended to visit Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa historical cities if you can find some additional time for your 6 days trip. Because Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa are important UNESCO world heritage sites and dates back to 3rd century BC.  

Kandy is the cultural hub of the island and one of the most visited cities on the island. This picturesque city is surrounded by a ring of mountains and it sits in flat terrain. Kandy is surrounded by dozens of tourist attractions; however, due to the time constraints, we talk about only a few places in this article.

Tooth relic temple-Most sacred Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka, which is dedicated to Buddhism.

Royal Botanical garden-Most popular and most visited botanical garden on the island with more than 4000 of trees and plants well maintained and picturesquely located along the Mahaweli River is a major tourist attraction in Kandy.  

Udawattekele sanctuary– Udawattekele sanctuary sits behind the tooth relic temple and harbours a large number of trees and plants. This tropical forest is a popular sanctuary, where you can observe many native avian fauna species.

Kandy Lake- A few hundred meters from tooth relic temple and Udawattekele sanctuary is the lake, better known as Kirimuhuda (Milk Sea), which is another popular attraction in the city. Take a walk on the bank of the lake; it gives you the opportunity to see many animals such as turtles, water monitors, ducks, kingfisher, cormorants and many other animals and bird species.

Day 4 of 6 Days in Sri Lanka-Kandy to Nuwara Eliya

Today the journey continues deep into the interior of the island and you will visit the beautiful city of Nuwara Eliya that wits 1800 meters above sea level. Nuwara Eliya is the most popular health resort on the island which is the most visited city in the mountains.

Nuwara Eliya is also known as the tea country, where the tea is a most dominating agricultural product, and the tea industry keeps millions of people busy every day. Visiting a tea factory and plantation is a unique experience for most travellers. Green capped mountains, cascading waterfalls, a large tract of tea gardens, perennial waterways, isolated forests are main ingredients of breathtaking scenery in the mountains.

If you make an overnight stay in Nuwara Eliya you may consider doing a horse ride or pony ride, young people are providing horses and ponies for riding and you can get and a horse for an hour or two, and it is a perfect way to explore the fantastic city of Nuwara Eliya.

Make horse ride along the Gregory Lake and take a glimpse of the picturesque tea plantations and vegetable plots. The view of the Pidurutalagala Mountain, which is the highest mountains of Sri Lanka, is simply fantastic.

There are many other parks such as Victoria park to explore around the city and often festival and farmers market to explore and the best way to do it on foot.

You can also do kayaking, paddle-boating, motor-boating, house-boating, angling in the Gregory Lake, which occupies a plot of land the city overlooking the gorgeous Victorian-styled mansions built by wealthy British planters in early 18s.  

After exploring Nuwara Eliya it is time to take a ride downhills to Nanuoya, where you take the train to make the rest of the journey. The train ride from Nanu Oya to Ella lasts around 1 hour and is considered being one of the most scenic train journeys in the world. This fascinating train journey takes you between mountains, valleys, patches of forests, tea plantations while circling around the jagged mountains.    

Ella is a popular holiday destination, however less touristy compared to Kandy, Sigiriya and Nuwara Eliya. Ella is an eco-holiday destination, where the visitors can enjoy many thrilling adventures like mountain climbing, trekking, hiking, waterfall abseiling and many other adrenaline-pumping activities.

Day 5 of 6 Days in Sri Lanka-Nuwara Eliya to the west coast beach

Today you are going further down the hills, leaving the chilly mountains and ended up in the warm, tropical coastline. You will encounter a few beautiful waterfalls on the trip, while tea plantations and mountain forests make the beautiful scenery.

If there is one thing you have to do on the trip today, it is the whitewater rafting in Kitulgala. There are many other activities to do in Kitulgala such as rainforest trekking, kayaking, bird watching, waterfall abseiling, mountain climbing, and mountain climbing. You will be enamoured by this area and will want to spend half a day here, so if you like to engage in few other thrilling adventures, plan an overnight stay in Kitulgala and head to the beach next day.

However, we have planned to drive to Beach on the 5th day of this 6 days tour and enable you to explore the fabulous beaches in the south, in the beaches, you will want to not rush. The beauty is so awe-inspiring, and the setting, so peaceful.

Day 6 of the 6 days in Sri Lanka – Bentota to Colombo

Usually, the travellers are allowed to stay in the rooms until noon, and if you stay a few more hours the guests need to pay and supplement room charges. So plan your day accordingly, if you have time you can have a calm and quiet rest on the beach.  You can spend many days on the beach still not bored because there are many interesting activities on the beach that can keep you entertained. Water sports, boating, snorkelling, diving, whale watching, are some of the popular activities here.  

Why you should choose Seerednipity tour for your 6 Days Sri Lanka tour

Seerendipity Tour is an entirely locally owned travel company with a head office in Colombo. The highly experienced local staff is a key strength of Seerendipity Tours, and they can plan your dream holiday to Sri Lanka.

The best price guaranteed for you srilanka 5 days trip

When you book a tour with us, you directly book the tour with the local company, which means there are no middlemen and therefore you can guarantee the best price. Simply get in touch with us and let us know when you travel and what you like to see.

Plan your best srilanka 5 days trip with expert

Our staff makes a personalised programme for you, which you can change until you find the best package for you. You can also browse our existing tour packages for inspiration; all our ready-made tour packages are customizable and can be tailored to meet all your expectations. Write to us at admin@seerendipitytours.com, tel. 0094-77-440977, WhatsApp 0094-77-4440977

Please support us

We have put a lot of time and effort into compiling this blog post. Please be kind enough to leave your very own comments.