10 Day Sri Lanka Itinerary for First Timers

A 10 day Sri Lanka itinerary through Colombo, Anuradhapura, Sigiriya, Kandy, tea country, the train to Ella, Yala, Mirissa and Galle, with drive times.

Day 1: Colombo, Sri Lanka

Arrive, settle in and ease into Sri Lanka with an easy afternoon in Colombo and a sunset on the seafront.

9:00 AM — Most flights land at Bandaranaike International Airport near Negombo. Get a local SIM and some rupees at the airport before you leave, and keep the first day light after the flight.
10:00 AM — Airport to Colombo: Bandaranaike International Airport → Colombo. About an hour on the airport expressway, longer in heavy traffic. App taxis like PickMe and Uber work well in Colombo.
11:30 AM — Stay at Hotel in Colombo (Fort or Kollupitiya). A central base near the seafront, close to Galle Face Green and the temples.
3:00 PM — Gangaramaya Temple: One of Colombo's best known Buddhist temples, a mix of temple, museum and learning centre packed with statues and gifts from around the world. Dress with shoulders and knees covered. The Seema Malaka meditation pavilion on Beira Lake is a short walk away.
5:30 PM — Galle Face Green: A long seaside promenade in the heart of Colombo where families fly kites and food stalls open as the sun goes down. Come for sunset, then try isso vadai (crispy prawn fritters) and other street food from the stalls along the promenade.
7:30 PM — Eat at Dinner in Colombo. A first taste of Sri Lankan rice and curry, with several small curries, sambols and papadum around a plate of rice.

Day 2: Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

Drive north to Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka's first great capital, and spend the afternoon among its giant stupas and sacred sites.

7:00 AM — Colombo to Anuradhapura: Colombo → Anuradhapura. Around 4 to 5 hours by road. Intercity trains and buses also run if you are travelling without a car.
12:00 PM — Stay at Hotel in Anuradhapura. Stay near the sacred city so you can visit the main sites in the cooler late afternoon.
2:30 PM — Sri Maha Bodhi: A sacred fig tree grown from a cutting of the tree under which the Buddha found enlightenment, and one of the oldest planted trees in the world. Wear white or light clothing that covers your shoulders and knees, and take off your shoes and hat. Pilgrims come all day with flowers and offerings.
4:00 PM — Ruwanwelisaya: A huge white stupa built more than 2,000 years ago, ringed by a wall of carved elephants. The stone terrace gets very hot in the midday sun, so late afternoon is much kinder to bare feet.
5:15 PM — Abhayagiri Dagoba: One of the largest stupas in the ancient world, at the centre of a great monastery complex in the forest. The ruins are spread out, so a tuk tuk or a bicycle makes it easy to move between sites. One ticket covers the main archaeological areas.
7:00 PM — Going to Jaffna? It is about 3 hours further north, so add two extra days for the north, its Tamil culture, temples and food, rather than squeezing it into this day.

Day 3: Sigiriya, Sri Lanka

Head into the Cultural Triangle, settle near Sigiriya and catch the sunset from Pidurangala Rock.

9:00 AM — Anuradhapura to Sigiriya: Anuradhapura → Sigiriya. About 2 hours by road. On the way you can stop at Mihintale, where Buddhism is said to have arrived in Sri Lanka.
11:30 AM — Stay at Hotel or guesthouse in Sigiriya. Staying close to the rock means you can be at the gate when it opens tomorrow.
12:30 PM — Village tour and lunch (Villages around Sigiriya) Ride a bullock cart or a canoe across a tank, see how rice is farmed and eat a home cooked lunch with a local family. Optional, but a lovely change from sightseeing.
4:30 PM — Pidurangala Rock: Sigiriya's neighbour, with a short, steep climb past a temple and an ancient reclining Buddha to the best view of the rock fortress. Allow 30 to 45 minutes up, with a scramble over boulders at the end. Cover shoulders and knees at the temple, bring a torch for the walk down and wear proper shoes.

Day 4: Sigiriya, Dambulla and Kandy

Climb Sigiriya first thing, see the painted caves of Dambulla and continue to Kandy for the evening.

7:00 AM — Sigiriya Rock Fortress: A 5th century palace on top of a sheer rock nearly 200 metres high, with water gardens, frescoes, the Mirror Wall and giant lion's paws. A UNESCO World Heritage Site. Be at the gate when it opens to beat the heat and the crowds. Around 1,200 steps, some on narrow metal stairways, so allow two to three hours and carry water.
11:30 AM — Dambulla Cave Temple: Five caves under a huge rock, filled with Buddha statues and painted ceilings that have been sacred for over 2,000 years. A UNESCO World Heritage Site. About 30 minutes from Sigiriya. It is a climb of a few hundred steps to the caves, and shoes and hats come off at the entrance.
1:30 PM — Dambulla to Kandy: Dambulla → Kandy. Around 2.5 hours. Many drivers stop at a spice garden near Matale on the way.
4:00 PM — Stay at Hotel in Kandy. A hotel near the lake keeps the temple and the town within walking distance.
5:30 PM — Kandyan cultural dance show (Kandy town) Drummers, acrobatic dancers and fire walkers in an evening show near the lake. Arrive a little early for a good seat.

Day 5: Kandy and Nuwara Eliya

The Temple of the Tooth in the morning, then a winding drive up into tea country with a waterfall and a tea factory on the way.

8:00 AM — Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic: The temple that houses Sri Lanka's most sacred Buddhist relic, believed to be a tooth of the Buddha, beside the lake in Kandy. Time your visit for the morning ceremony, when drums play and the inner chamber opens. Shoulders and knees covered, shoes off at the entrance.
10:00 AM — Kandy Lake: The calm lake in the middle of Kandy, with a shady path all the way around and views back to the temple. A gentle walk of about an hour around the full lake before you leave town.
11:00 AM — Kandy to Nuwara Eliya: Kandy → Nuwara Eliya. About 3 hours of mountain road plus stops. Trains between Kandy and Nanu Oya were still suspended for repairs in October 2026, so this leg goes by road.
1:00 PM — Ramboda Falls: A tall, three tiered waterfall right beside the Kandy to Nuwara Eliya road. A good lunch stop: several cafés along this stretch look straight out at the falls.
2:30 PM — Pedro Tea Estate: A working tea estate just outside Nuwara Eliya where you can see how leaves are withered, rolled and dried into Ceylon tea. Take the factory tour, then a cup of tea on the terrace looking over the plantation.
4:00 PM — Stay at Hotel or bungalow in Nuwara Eliya. Nights are cold up here, so many hotels light a fire in the evening. Bring a warm layer.
5:00 PM — Gregory Lake: A lake on the edge of Nuwara Eliya with boat rides, pony rides and a lakeside park. Lovely at sunset. Walk into town afterwards to see the old colonial post office and Victoria Park.

Day 6: Nanu Oya to Ella

Ride the most scenic part of the hill country railway to Ella, then see a train cross the Nine Arches Bridge.

8:00 AM — The Nanu Oya to Badulla line reopened on 20 June 2026 after Cyclone Ditwah. Check the current timetable and reserve seats early with Sri Lanka Railways, as the scenic trains sell out.
9:00 AM — Nanu Oya to Ella by train: Nanu Oya station (near Nuwara Eliya) → Ella station. Roughly 3 to 3.5 hours through tea estates, pine forest and tunnels, past Pattipola, the highest station on the island, and Haputale. Sit on the right side going to Ella for the best valley views.
1:00 PM — Stay at Guesthouse in Ella. Many guesthouses have balconies looking out over the Ella Gap.
3:00 PM — Nine Arches Bridge: A stone railway viaduct with nine arches crossing a jungle valley outside Ella. Trains only pass a few times a day, so ask your guesthouse or Ella station for the times. Never walk on the tracks when a train is due.
7:00 PM — Eat at Dinner in Ella town. Ella's main street is full of relaxed cafés and restaurants serving kottu, curries and western food.

Day 7: Ella and Yala

A sunrise walk up Little Adam's Peak, then down from the hills to Yala for an afternoon jeep safari.

6:00 AM — Little Adam's Peak: An easy hill walk through tea gardens to a grassy summit with wide views over the Ella Gap and Ella Rock. About 45 minutes up on a good path, so it suits most fitness levels. Early morning has the clearest views.
9:30 AM — Ella to Tissamaharama: Ella → Tissamaharama. About 2.5 to 3 hours down out of the hills, passing Ravana Falls just outside Ella.
12:30 PM — Stay at Hotel or safari camp near Tissamaharama. Most safaris pick you up from your hotel, so stay close to the park entrance.
2:30 PM — Yala National Park: Sri Lanka's most famous national park, known for leopards, elephants, sloth bears, crocodiles and huge numbers of birds. Afternoon jeep safari until the park closes at dusk. Sightings are never guaranteed. The park usually closes for a few weeks around September and October, so check the dates with the Department of Wildlife Conservation.

Day 8: Mirissa, Sri Lanka

Drive along the south coast to Mirissa for beach time and sunset from Coconut Tree Hill.

9:00 AM — Tissamaharama to Mirissa: Tissamaharama → Mirissa. About 2.5 hours, most of it on the Southern Expressway.
11:30 AM — Stay at Beach hotel in Mirissa. Two nights here: one for the beach and one before the early whale watching boat.
1:00 PM — Mirissa Beach: A curve of golden sand with palm trees and calm water in season, with Parrot Rock just offshore. The sea is calmest from around November to April. Swim where others swim and watch for the red flags.
5:30 PM — Coconut Tree Hill: A small headland covered in tall coconut palms above the sea, one of the most photographed views on the south coast. Walk over from the beach for sunset, and come back down before it gets fully dark.
7:30 PM — Eat at Seafood dinner on the beach. Restaurants set tables on the sand at night and display the day's catch to choose from.

Day 9: Mirissa, Galle and Unawatuna

Whale watching at dawn, then the old walled town of Galle and a night by the beach at Unawatuna.

6:30 AM — Mirissa Whale Watching: Boat trips into deep water off the south coast to see blue whales, sperm whales and spinner dolphins. Season is roughly November to April. Boats leave very early and are back by late morning. Choose an operator that keeps its distance from the whales, and take seasickness tablets if you need them.
12:30 PM — Mirissa to Galle: Mirissa → Galle. About an hour along the coast road, past Weligama and the stilt fishermen at Koggala.
2:00 PM — Galle Fort: A walled old town built by the Portuguese and Dutch, with colonial streets, churches, cafés and ramparts above the sea. A UNESCO World Heritage Site. Wander the lanes in the afternoon, then walk the ramparts to the lighthouse and Flag Rock for sunset.
7:00 PM — Stay at Beach hotel in Unawatuna. Unawatuna is only 15 minutes from the fort and has a sheltered bay that is good for swimming.

Day 10: Unawatuna and departure

A last swim in Unawatuna, then the expressway back to the airport.

8:00 AM — Unawatuna Beach: A crescent of sand in a sheltered bay near Galle, with calm water in season and cafés along the shore. A short walk over the headland takes you to the quieter Jungle Beach and the Japanese Peace Pagoda.
12:00 PM — Unawatuna to the airport: Unawatuna → Bandaranaike International Airport. About 2.5 to 3 hours on the Southern Expressway and the airport expressway. Leave plenty of time for your flight.
3:00 PM — Travelling between May and September? Swap the south coast for the east, where the sea is calm then: Trincomalee for beaches, snorkelling and whales, or Arugam Bay for surfing. Both are a long drive from the south and the airport, so plan them as a separate leg rather than a last day.