10 Days Sri Lanka Itinerary

This Sri Lanka itinerary is only for 10 days but I can already tell you that you can easily spend 3 months in Sri Lanka and not get bored!

After hearing incredible stories about travel in Sri Lanka from other travellers over the years, I finally made it to this seemingly small country in South East Asia and the high expectations were met and surpassed.

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Among the many things I loved about my 10-day Sri Lanka tour was that it combines lush nature, delicious food, an incredible mix of mountains and beaches, and most importantly, some genuinely kind people that are friendly by nature and not looking to scam tourists.

With so many places to visit in Sri Lanka, you will not be able to see it all in 10 days but here’s my recommended itinerary with a few options depending on how much you want to be moving around or what kind of activities you’d like to experience.

I always travel low cost so this itinerary is without joining any tours and travelling with public transport, which is super cheap and fairly efficient.

10 Days in Sri Lanka Itinerary at a glance

Day 1: Arrive to Negombo
Days 2-3: Sigiriya
Day 4: Kandy
Days 5-6 Ella
Days 7-8: Hiriketiya
Days 9-10: Colombo

Alternative Sri Lanka itinerary:

Day 1: Negombo
Day 2: Kandy
Days 3-4: Ella
Days 5-6 Yala National Park
Day 7: Hiriketiya
Day 8-9: Galle
Day 10: Colombo

Before going deeper into all these places to visit in Sri Lanka, let’s go with some basic information you need to know when you travel there.

How is the public transport in Sri Lanka

I found the country really well connected with public buses and trains. The tariffs are super cheap for both of them although buses tend to be faster.

You can also use Uber and Pick Me, which can also be a cheap way to travel around, even for long journeys.

If you’re feeling adventurous, you can rent a TukTuk and drive it yourself all over the country.

Some sample prices for transport in Sri Lanka

TukTuk (via Pick Me app) from Airport to Negombo: 900LKR
Public buses (intercity) from 100 to 300LKR per journey
Train Kandy to Ella 300-600LKR (3rd or 2nd class)
TukTuk inside a town-village: 100-500LKR
Train from Weligama to Colombo 550LKR
TukTuk Colombo to Airport: 1500-2000LKR

Do you need a visa to travel in Sri Lanka?

Most likely you do if you come from Europe or the Americas. Check the official government website to get a Sri Lanka e-Visa, the site looks old but it was effective, I got my visa approved in a matter of minutes.

What’s the language in Sri Lanka?

There are two official languages in Sri Lanka, Sinhala and Tamil. But a lot of people has a really good command of English. I didn’t find any language barriers even when taking public buses.

Is Sri Lanka safe?

Although there have been very sad episodes of terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka not so many years ago, I found the country to be very safe, with polite people that wouldn’t bother tourists, and I heard the same from some solo female backpackers I met around the country.

Places to visit in Sri Lanka

This is not an exhaustive list of places but those that you will be able to fit on a 10 day Sri Lanka itinerary so it doesn’t go either too far east or north.

Negombo

Although it’s easier to think that you need to start your trip in the capital of Colombo, I recommend you to go straight to Negombo, which is a beach town closer to the airport and has a more relaxed vibe.

You will be able to find lots of restaurants, hostels and nightlife in Negombo but I’d suggest you just stay on your first night after arrival as I consider it more of a stopover before going to other more spectacular places to visit in Sri Lanka.

I stayed at the Ceylon Glory Hostel which had a nice location and was decent for just spending a night.

Sigiriya

The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Sigiriya is stunning but in all honesty, you could skip it if you’re short on time.

The Lion’s Rock of Sigiriya is definitely an incredible sight but comes at a price tag of US$30 per person. If you don’t want to pay that, you can hike the nearby Pidurangala mountain which only costs 1000LKR (US $3) and you get the views of Lion’s Rock.

The village itself is pretty small so you only need a day over there. I spent two nights as I arrived in the late afternoon as I travelled there by public bus from Negombo which can take about 4-5 hours via 3 different buses.

Kandy

The most famous sight in Kandy is the Temple of the Tooth Relic where one of Buddha’s alleged tooths is kept. The temple is a cool place to visit, the entry fee is 2000LKR but don’t get your hopes up as the tooth is not actually on display to the public.

Apart from that, Kandy is ok for chilling but if you’re on a short vacation just stay one night there and go straight away to Ella by taking the amous train ride from Kandy to Ella, which is considered one of the most beautiful train journeys in the world.

I stayed at Villa Shady Nook in Kandy which had a great location by the lake. You can also buy discounted tickets directly from them for the traditional Kandyan dance which is a nice thing to do in Kandy in the evening. The tickets cost 2000LKR but the guesthouse sells them for 1500LKR.

Tip for taking the train from Kandy to Ella:
The tickets are super cheap and they sell out online weeks in advance, but fear not, the 2nd and 3rd class tickets don’t have a cap so you can always buy on the very same day of your travels (you cannot buy them one day in advance).
Buy the 2nd class for the most authentic experience as the 1st class carriages don’t have open windows so the visibility is restricted and the 3rd class is really cramped.
Don’t be afraid to just board the last one and that way you can sit by the open door of the carriage and get the best experience and views of all the tea plantations, waterfalls and villages.

Ella

After taking the incredibly scenic train, the mountain town of Ella surely feels touristy immediately but there’s a good reason for that. It’s beautiful!

In Ella you can join several tours to take you to waterfalls and caves, but if you’re like me and prefer more independent travel then you can head up to two short but scenic hikes that will make you break sweat but not so much as to need to prepare too much for them.

The hike up to Little Adam’s Peak and the hike to Ella Rock can take anything between 30min and 2h depending on your pace. I recommend you to go with actual shoes rather than flip flops as there are leeches in the area. Apparently also snakes but I didn’t see any.

One of the best things to do in Ella is to join a Sri Lankan cooking class, there are lots of places where you can do this and the prices vary a lot. I did my class with Ella Green Grow and it was fantastic, with most of the ingredients sourced from the garden and we prepared lots of different dishes for only 5000LKR!

I stayed at Cozy House Hostel which had a lovely family taking care of us backpackers and a big breakfast to get you ready for the hikes!

Lastly, don’t miss out on visiting the nine arches bridge, ask in your accommodation about the train times so you get the best views!

Yala National Park

There are quite a few national parks in Sri Lanka where you can see wildlife, from elephants to crocodiles, deers, water buffalo and lots more.

I personally didn’t make it to Yala as I was running out of time and I have seen already lots of elephants in my life so I was not gutted about it but other backpackers I met told me good things about the place and you can find some really affordable tours if you decide to make it there for a night or two.

It’s not too far from Ella and also on the way to Hiriketiya Beach which was my next destination!

Hiriketiya Beach

I made it to Hiriketiya Beach on a public bus from Ella, this little beach village is getting quite popular with tourists but I didn’t find it too crowded.

You can join a surf lesson or rent a board although be ready to share the waters and the waves with many others.

I found Hiriketiya to be going on a Bali direction as you can still find some traditional restaurants but there are quite a few westernised places that come at a much heftier price tag for Sri Lankan standards.

Still, if you want to add a day or two by the beach on your 10 day of travel in Sri Lanka then go for it!

Weligama

Weligama is another famous spot in the south coast, with quite a long beach and lots of surfboard rental places you can be sure to have a quieter time trying to catch a wave compared to Hiriketiya.

There are also lots of seafood restaurants by the beach which are not super expensive and you can negotiate a little bit the price of the fish you choose.

I stayed at the Beau Beach Weligama which was a super cheap but very clean and comfortable private room at a great location.

If you’re not interested in surfing, swimming or being too long by the beach, you can give Weligama a pass as I didn’t find it as beautiful as Hiriketiya.

Galle

This is another place I didn’t make it myself, apart from passing by on the train, but from some stories I heard it sounds good if you want to learn a little bit more of Sri Lanka’s colonial past.

The fortified city contains the UNESCO-listed Galle Fort and lots of European architecture as it has been occupied by several countries over its history.

Colombo

Finishing this 10 days in Sri Lanka itinerary, go and spend a day in the capital of the country to be near the airport.

I stayed just a night in the C1 Colombo Fort Hotel which was a perfect location to explore some nearby sights such as the floating market and the lotus tower.

This is also a good final opportunity to buy some souvenirs before flying back home.

Colombo is quite a large city and can be chaotic so if you want to relax don’t be afraid to skip it completely. It does have some interesting places to visit but you could easily go back to Negombo or even go directly from the south coast to the airport if you have a late flight.

Are you ready to travel in Sri Lanka?

I definitely know I’ll be going back someday to explore more of this beautiful country and go to those places I couldn’t visit so this is one country that now I recommend to everyone, it’s beautiful, it has delicious food, lovely people and it’s super cheap to travel. What else do you need!

If you have been already and have other recommendations for places to visit in Sri Lanka please do drop a message below and help other fellow travellers plan their trip!

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