When is the best time to travel in Sri Lanka?

February 2, 2017

Are you planning to travel to Sri Lanka this year? Are you wondering when is the best time to visit?

When we start planning a custom made itinerary to Sri Lanka for our clients, one of the first questions they often ask us is just that – when should we travel, what are the best months to visit Sri Lanka?

A big factor on when to go is the weather.

To help you plan your trip we’ve listed some of things to consider when travelling in Sri Lanka including weather and hotel rates.


Galle Face Hotel

Sri Lanka’s Weather

Generally speaking, January to September inclusive is the best time to visit Sri Lanka. It’s likely that you will see some rain at some point during your trip. That’s what keeps the country so lush and green.

June is a period when the weather is comfortable and there are not many travellers. You’ll get some rain, but it’s quite nice to experience a tropical country such as Sri Lanka when there is rain around. 

Try to avoid October and November when the weather is unpredictable and there can be heavy rainfall.

Leopard-Sri-Lanka-shutterstock_300401588-RF

Rates and Seasons

There are many regional and local exceptions relating to weather in Sri Lanka, so it’s worth checking with us regarding the particular area you plan to visit – you might be surprised to find suitable weather at a time of year that you don’t expect.

Generally speaking – the following can be used as a guide of hotel rates and seasons.

October and November, as mentioned, has unpredictable weather. Not surprising then, the hotels have off-season rates during these months.

In April, May, June and September the weather is manageable (it may be warm or wet at times), but hotels in Sri Lanka still offer off-season rates during these months.

For the remainder of the months, the hotels apply regular rates. The only exception is at Christmas and New Year when high/peak rates apply. Hotels will also levy a surcharge on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve.

Aditya Rathgama

Book Early

At the moment we are also noticing strong interest and demand for travel to Sri Lanka – with many of the better or popular hotels well booked for the entire year ahead already. Given the popularity of this destination currently we strongly recommend planning and booking your visit to Sri Lanka early to avoid disappointment.

You may also be interested to read our Top 5 Places to Visit in India and Sri Lanka in 2017. You may want to add some of these destinations we have recommended in to your Sri Lanka holiday plans.

Sigiriya Sri Lanka