Ceylon Lanka Trails Logo

Home / Experiences

Things to do in Sri Lanka

Experiences across the island

Ten things worth building an itinerary around — and the seasons and places that make each of them work.

Wild elephants gathering at Minneriya reservoir
Wild elephants gathering by the hundred on a reservoir bed, the largest annual assembly of Asian elephants anywhere.

June to October for the Gathering

A whale surfacing in the Indian Ocean
Blue whales feed within an hour of Mirissa harbour, the most reliable sightings of the largest animal alive.

South Nov to Apr, east May to Sep

A train crossing the tea country of Sri Lanka
The Kandy to Ella line through tea terraces and cloud forest, in a carriage with the doors open.

Year round, clearest Jan to Mar

Tea being plucked on a Ceylon estate
From two leaves and a bud to a graded cup, on estates 1,900 metres above sea level.

Year round

A villager working a paddy field in rural Sri Lanka
A bullock cart, a catamaran across the tank, a clay hearth and a lunch you helped cook.

Year round

A surfer riding a point break in Sri Lanka
Beginner sand bottoms in Weligama, point breaks at Arugam Bay, and a season somewhere on the island every month.

Nov to Apr south, May to Sep east

A hiker on a ridge above cloud forest
Cloud forest, tea trails and a pilgrimage peak climbed by torchlight to reach the summit at dawn.

Dec to May for Adam's Peak

A spread of Sri Lankan rice and curry dishes
Market first, then a clay pot, a grindstone and eight curries you will try to recreate at home.

Year round

A diver above a coral reef
Live coral at Pigeon Island, a wreck at 45 metres off Trincomalee, and turtles you can snorkel with from the sand.

May to Sep east, Nov to Apr south

Oils and herbs prepared for an ayurvedic treatment
A 3,000-year-old medical system, practised by doctors, in retreats that treat rather than pamper.

Year round

FAQ

Experience questions

Almost always. Cooking classes, village tours, safaris and tea estate visits slot into any itinerary. Whale watching, surfing and diving depend on the season and coast, so tell us early and we will route around them.

Some are already included in our published tours — jeep safaris and village tours usually are. Others are quoted per person when you add them. Every quote shows the breakdown.

Safaris, village tours, cooking classes and train journeys work well from around age four. Diving requires ten and up. Whale watching is rough for small children in a swell — we usually suggest Kalpitiya dolphins instead.

Boat trips are the only ones the weather regularly stops. If the harbour master closes the port you are refunded in full or moved to another day, and your guide will already have a plan B.

Start planning

Build a trip around what you love

Pick two or three of these and we will design the route that makes them all possible in your dates.

A real consultant replies within 12 hours, usually sooner. No deposit needed to get a full itinerary and quote.

Quick inquiry

Tell us roughly what you want

Five fields, one reply from a real consultant within 12 hours.