The perfect two week itinerary for Sri Lanka

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Sri Lanka is the perfect place to visit for a two-week holiday. This two-week sri lanka itinerary is perfect for everything you need to know.

It has everything from gorgeous beaches to misty mountains, unique temples, busy cities and tea plantations. It’s the perfect place for adventure, relaxing and embracing culture. It’s the perfect place to escape from your day job and switch off for two weeks.

Two Week Itinerary

Day 1 – Columbo to Sigiriya 

Our flight got into Sri Lanka on the evening, we had our driver met us at the airport and he drove us straight to Sigiriya.

The taxi ride was around 3hours, it was long specially after travelling. You can easily book a taxi or stay in Columbo, but we decided to move out of the city and start our trip in Sigiriya. You can also do this itinerary in reserve and take the train. If you have extra time, consider traveling from Colombo Fort to Galle or Ahangama by train. The journey takes about 3.5 hours and costs 550 rupees for a second-class ticket.

Where we stayed?
We stayed at Panoramic Royal Villa, which was 24 dollars a night and it had a gorgeous view of lion’s rock. It was around 15 minutes walk to the small-town centre. I would highly recommend staying here it was a home stay ran by such a lovely family.

Panoramic Royal Villa. Click here to book.

Day 2 to 3 – Sigiriya

Things to do in Sigiriya:

1. Lions Rock is UNESCO listed World Heritage Site. Lions Rock is very unique, it is an enormous 200-meter-high rock with a fortress on top. Visiting lions rock is pricey for Sri Lanka at 35 dollars per person. However, the views at the top are amazing and it was a nice hike to the top. The fortress was built by King Kashyapa in the 5th century, Lion’s Rock comes from the giant lion statue that once stood at the entrance to the summit, where the king’s palace was located.

A lot of people do Lions Rock for sunrise or sunset, we did it in the daytime as the weather wasn’t great, but we still got some amazing views.

2. Pidurangula rock is a must visit whilst in Sigiriya, it is a short hike up to the top of the rock for breath taking views over the whole of Sigiriya. We did pidurangula rock for sunrise, it is a hard short hike with ropes in some sections helping you get up.

If you plan to visit for sunrise, aim to wake up around 4 a.m. so you can reach the top before it begins. Unfortunately, we set off a bit late, and due to the long queue near the summit, we ended up missing the best part of the sunrise.

I preferred Pidurangula rock to lions rock as the views were better, plus it was 500 rupees per person. It is a temple, therefore you will need to your knees and shoulders covered in some parts.

3. Relax and get a massage at Spa Serendib, perfect for after hiking up Lions & Pidurangula Rock.

4. Visit one of the national parks nearby for a Safari. Minneriya or Wilpattu, Minneriya National Park is a great place to spot herds of elephants which is around 1 hour around from Sigiriya and Wilpattu is around 2 hours away from Sigiriya this national park has leopards. To book click here. Where we stayed at Panoramic Royal Villa – the son offered toursto the national parks for guests at 50 dollars per person.

Restaurants we would recommend:
Liya restaurant
Rastarant Sigiriya
Kenoli restaurant
Lion rock restaurant

Day 3 to 4 – Kandy

The drive from Sigiriya to Kandy is around 3 hours, the traffic coming into Kandy was very busy. On the way to Kandy, we stopped at Dambulla Cave Temple. It was busy however beautiful, we went around 10am after the morning prays, one of the rooms was so peaceful. It is around 2000 rupees to get in, it is so worth it as is a unique temple in a cave.

We heard so many mixed reviews on Kandy, so we didn’t really expect much when we arrived. However, we were pleasantly surprised, we stayed out of the hustle and bustle of the city and stayed at Veraima Hotel, we did have a driver which was easy for us getting to the sites.

Book Veraima Hotel here

Plus, it was such amazing weather in Kandy when we visited, and our hotel was perfect for chilling by the pool. I would highly recommend the hotel, the breakfast was so nice, it had good coffee and served amazing food!

Things to do in Kandy:

1.Explore the city and walk around Kandy Lake. Walk around and enjoy the hustle and bustle of Kandy city. The temple of tooth was right next to Kandy Lake. We walked around the lake and had a look around the Kandy mall. There is a food court in the mall which has loads of options called world spice.

2.Botanical Gardens – The botanical gardens are very pretty, and you can see lots of monkeys. Entry is 1100 rupees.

3. Sri Mada Bodhi – The massive white buddha temple, it was so pretty, and it has a gorgeous views overlooking Kandy. It was 300 rupees to get in, I much preferred this temple compared to Dambulla, but both were amazing.

Day 4 to 5 – Kandy to Adams Peak

The drive from Kandy to Adams Peak is stunning through the mountains, tea plantations, and the forest. The drive is around 3 hours as the roads are very winding roads.

Sri Pada / Adams Pike – Yes that is how high Adams Peak is!

We did this hike on a Monday; we were told if you did this hike on a weekend or school holidays, It would be very busy. You will have a very different experience to what we did. We did this hike on a Monday therefore it will be a different experience, if you are hiking Adams Peak on a weekend or in Sri Lankan school holidays.

We arrived in Sri Pada, in the late afternoon. There isn’t really anything to do around here. You will need a relaxing evening and a good night’s sleep, before getting up for sunrise for Adams Peak.

We were advised to set off at 2am, it is surreal when you start hiking at 2am and all the shops on the way up to the hike are open.

It is 5500 – 5800 STEPS, yes STEPS to the top! It is a leg burner, it is a really hard hike.

You will be hot when you start hiking but the temperature does start to drop the further you go up, bring layers for the sunrise. It only took us 2 and a half hours, which we very pleased with, as we seen a mix of people saying it can take longer but I also think this depends on how busy it is. I would recommend setting off later if you are more physically fit and if it’s during a quieter period. As mentioned, I would try to avoid visiting Adams Peak in the Sri Lankan school holidays and weekends.

Climbing Adam’s peak was such a unique experience. There is a small temple at the summit where you can walk past the sacred footprint. It’s a sacred mountain for the locals and there will be loads of locals hiking for sunrise.

Due to a rock formation at the summit that resembles a large footprint, this peak is a significant pilgrimage site in Sri Lanka. Buddhists believe this sacred footprint belongs to Buddha, while Hindus attribute it to the god Shiva. Muslims and some Christians claim it is the footprint of Adam, and other Christians believe it was made by St. Thomas.

People from all four faiths, along with many tourists, ascend Adam’s Peak daily during the pilgrimage season from December to May. Although you can visit any time of year, the experience varies greatly between the low and high seasons.

It is incredible, the locals do this hike in flip fops. When we did Adams Peak, there were more locals hiking than backpackers/tourists, which made the experience feel more special.

We got to the top for sunrise at 4.30am and sunrise wasn’t until 6.20am, so we waited a long time, but I always think the beautiful pink skies start before the sun has fully rose. We waited at the top of the temple for sunrise, but the views are better on the staircase for sunrise, I would wait on the staircase for a view of the sunrise, clouds and mountains and then I would go to view the temple at the top after and see the footprint.

It took us around 5-6 hours to do the full hike.

Day 5 to 6 – Adams Peak, Nanu Oya to Ella

Once we got back to our accommodation we rested and then drove to Nanu Oya. The drive to Nany Oya is so pretty. You go through the mountains, forest and tea plantations, it is another simply stunning drive.

Many travelers board the train at Nanu Oya, and numerous tourists get off if they’re heading to Nuwara Eliya. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to stay in Nuwara Eliya.

When waiting for the train there’s a food truck for called Dr Chef Believeinns, the food is so good and perfect for getting some food before or after getting off the train.

We had some time to kill before the train, so we went to Edinburgh Tea café and had some tea & cake with a gorgeous view of some of the tea plantations. We also stopped at Nanu Oya Waterfalls which had the train track above the waterfall, so pretty.

The famous Ella to Kandy train is a must do! We did the train from Nanu Oya which I would recommend as the train was only 3 hours instead of 8 hours.

Be prepared that the train to Ella will most likely to be late, we got our tickets on the day, but you can also get them online.

You can get your tickets online through the Sri Lanka government website or we did get our tickets on the day. The tickets were 500-600 rupees, we did sit in third class as we got on the wrong carriage on the train. Personally, I don’t think it matters what class you go on as you can still go to the doors and see out of the windows. First class does have no windows and air con.

In third class there will be more locals, which I thought was great, they were so kind to us. A lot of them offered their seats for backpackers. A lot of people advise seating on the right hand side of the train but the left side is also pretty!

You can also get the Ella Odensey train which is the tourist train and stops at viewpoints. It is a little bit more expensive and takes longer.

Day 6 to 8 – Ella

Ella is a cute little town in the mountains, it was a lot more touristy than I thought it was going to be. The town centre felt a bit like Thailand. We chopped and changed our plans as the weather wasn’t great, so we didn’t book our accommodation in advance for high season.

We stayed at Ella Feeston which was abit far out from ella town. The hotel was lovely, and the family were so friendly. I would recommend staying somewhere closer to the town or nearer the hiking spots. It was okay for us as we had a driver.

Things to do in Ella:

· Nine Arches Bridges – Get here EARLY. We went at 9.30am and it was already so so busy! Check train times or ask the locals near the bridge what time the train is coming if you want to see it come across the famous bridge. It is about a 1km walk down to the bridge from the road.

· Little Adams Peak – Be Careful of the Leeches! Try wear long trousers/gym leggings and long socks. Lots of people do it for sunrise or sunset. We didn’t and went around 11am and it was super busy. The hike takes around 25 -30 minutes to get to the top, the views are incredible.

· Ravana Beach Club is on the way to Adams Peak. It was a lovely hot day when we did little Adams peak. 19,500 for a bed plus need to spend 5500 which isn’t too bad if there is around 4 of you. As there was only two of use, we just paid for entry which was 1000 rupees and can you redeem the entry at the bar.

· Waterfalls – Ravana Waterfall is on the way into or out of Ella. It’s on the side of the road, you are advised not to swim in this waterfall.

Diyalums falls – this is around a 50 mins drive away from Ella, Diyalum is the second highest waterfall in Ella. Once you’ve reached the base, you can drive 30 minutes to the top and hike 45 minutes along the trail to reach the pools. Without a tuk-tuk, the entire hike from bottom to top is around 2 hours.

· Ella Rock – The walk starts at Nine Arch Bridge, You can follow a trail on all trails or you can get a guide for around 3000 rupees between the two of you or a couple of you.

· Sunset meditation with monks at the monastery (we never did, but really wish we did)

You can mediate with the monks in Ella at sunset, I noticed you could do this after we went, but I would have loved to do this, it would have been so relaxing and a beautiful unique experience. It is free, but Its recommended to give a donation.

· Ella Town – there’s so many good restaurants and cute shops to buy things from.

My recommendations are below:

There is a lot of western restaurants to choose from in Ella, here are some of our recommendations.

MozzerElla (pizza restaurant)
Rainbow Café (good for vegans and veggies)
Matey Hut
Café Chill – If you are with a driver they can eat here for free, if you do!
Isle of Gelato for ice cream and coffee.

Day 8 to 9 – Yala National Park

The drive from Ella to Yala National Park was around 2 and a half hours. Once you leave Ella and head to Yala, you need to drive down ‘elephant road’ which is a road which goes through the national park. The road is B35, the elephants will be in the road. Please please be careful and mindful. Do not feed the elephants. There has been a lot of accidents on this road.

When doing a safari in Yala, people stay in Tissamaharamara, we stayed at Saman Resort Yala $30 dollars a night. The staff were so friendly and couldn’t do enough for you, and the hotel was so nice for the price.

Book hotel here.

We did a morning safari at 5am, the tour picked us from the hotel and then drove us to the national park, as we went in January in high season. There were so many jeeps in the national park plus it was raining, therefore we didn’t really see many animals as there was a que to see a leopard and by the time we got there it had left.

I would recommend doing Udawalawe National Park or do a national park near Sigirya if you are visiting in high season or I would do an afternoon safari or maybe all day safari to have the best possible chance of seeing the wildlife. But remember it is wildlife, so seeing animals is never guarantee.

We still saw a lot of wildlife such as peacocks, mountain buffalos, deers, eagle, monkeys, elephants in the bushes, eagle and lots of cool birds.

You can book your safari via Get your guide or we booked ours through a driver. I would highly recommend booking one through get your guide as you can view the reviews.

We wish we had stayed at Cinnamon Wild, a hotel located within the national park that offers exciting night safaris. Book Cinnamon Wild here.

Day 9 to 12 – Mirissa

Our next stop was Mirissa on the south coast. The drive from Yala to the Mirissa is around 2-3 hours, you can get the local buses to Mirissa, but I do believe this can take around 4hours. This was our final stop with our driver Ramesh.

Mirissa was a great base for us, as it’s close to Weligama and other places on the south coast. Although Mirissa was crowded with tourists during high season, as we expected, the beaches are beautiful and the atmosphere remains relaxed, with some lovely restaurants to enjoy.

Where to stay – we stayed at Coastal Villa Retreat it wasn’t on the beach, it was actually around 10-15 minute away, but I preferred it as it was out of the way and really quiet which was perfect for escaping the business of the beach. It was around 30 dollars a night between us. We booked our scooter hire through the hotel and it was 2000 rupees a day.

Book Coastal Villa Retreat.

Things to do and the places and beaches to visit:

Secret Beach – the water is insane here, a gorgeous small beach with clear turquoise blue water. You will need to get a tuk tuk or scooter here.

Mirissa Beach – we got a sunbed at Lava Restaurant, they are free as long as you buy lunch. You can also get a sunbed on the beach for 2000 at a place near parrot rock, included in the cost you get water, iced coffee and a cold coconut.

Parrott Rock – gorgeous view of the beaches in and on Mirissa beach.

Day Trip to Weligama – Weligama Beach is perfect for beginner surfs, we did a morning surf lesson here at Surf Paradise. The number of our instructor is below, he was so good. After this, we then went to Nomad for breakfast and coffee. The coffee here was the best we had in Sri Lanka.

Here are some of my recommendations for food, fitness and relaxing in Mirissa:

Restaurants:
Curry Gedara – 2500 for a curry buffet!
No. 1 Dewmini Roti Shop
Bella Restaurant near Mirssia Beach for lunch. Chicken Kottu here with curry sauce was amazing.
Western Food –Restaurant JOINT was such a good burger!
Hima for Ice Cream

Brunch:
Café Mamba
Shady Lane – this was our fav!
Café Extreme
Maco

Fitness places:
SILA gym
Yoga at hangover hostel every morning and evening

Relaxing – Go for a massage at Ahasya spa – it was around 7-8 dollars for a full body massage, perfect for when its raining!

Paradise hotel on mirissa beach – 2000 rupees to use pool and sunbeds.

Day 12 – 14 Ahangama

To get to Ahangama we booked a tuk tuk on pick me, it was around 400 rupees and took around 20-30 minutes.

We stayed at Crystal Palace in Ahangama which is around a less than 10 minute walk to Kabalana beach. I would highly recommend staying here the breakfast was amazing.

We loved Kabalana beach, it’s the perfect spot for sunset and great for surfing. There is surf schools on Kabalana beach where you can pay around 4000 rupees for a surf lesson. As we were beginner surfers, we preferred surfing in Weligama as when we surfed in Ahanagama we didn’t have great conditions. We surfed with Briza surf school.

Ahanagama was my favourite spot on the coast, you can also see why its named the wellness area of the Sri Lankan south coast. It has such a relaxed surfing atmosphere, with so many cute cafes, restaurants and bars. The places I would recommend are below.

Fitness:
Nuga House (yoga studio)
ULU pilates – reformer pilates

Cafes & Coffee
Marshmellow
Black Honey
Catcus
Soul Temple Coffee Therapy & Surf shop

Where to stay which is budget friendly too?
Crystal Place
Crystal Oceanic

Book hotels here.

Restaurants
A La Carte Restaurant
Machan Curry Pot
Crust
Rajas curry
For ice cream – Isle of Gelato

Beaches & Relaxing:

• You can use the pool at Marshmallow Bay Hotel for a $1, if you don’t want to go the beach.
• Kalabana Beach – our favourite!
• Coconut beach – there’s a lovely hotel called Catch 99, it was quite fancy and abit expensive, but we had lunch, and it was really nice. Coconut beach is in-between Midigama and Weligama.
• Midigama Beach
• We did Day Trips from Ahangama to Galle and Unawatuna. You can easily get a Tuk Tuk or rent a scooter to get to Galle or Unawatuna which is around 25 – 30 minutes.

We went to Galle and Unawatuna in the same day, we explored Galle Fort which I would highly recommend, and then chilled on the beaches in Unawatuna on the afternoon, we went to Dalawella Beach and there’s huge turtles here which people can feed. Please be mindful of the turtles, some people were chasing and touching them, which it is highly advised not to do.

Day 14 – 15: Back to Columbo

We didn’t spend any time in Columbo as we aren’t big city people. Therefore, we only stayed the night for travelling out of the airport. We did get the train from Ahangama to Columbo Fort in the afternoon at around 2.30pm. Once we got off the train, we went to Oldfort Café which is around 10 minute walk from the station for some food before heading back to the hotel.

We stayed very close to the airport as we had an early morning flight, we stayed at Silina Airport Residence who organised a taxi for us early morning. The cost of the hotel and taxi was around 35 dollars between two of us.

Book hotel here.

Sri Lanka offers an abundance of activities and sights, making it a destination where we could easily have spent a few more weeks. We wish we had more time to explore the eastern and northern regions. This just means we’ll have to return!

Please feel free to ask any questions about my Sri Lanka itinerary in the comments or via email.