kim-wassermann Already made plans to travel Sri Lanka? Or not sure if Sri Lanka is the right country for you? Either way I got your back with this detailed 4 weeks Sri Lanka itinerary.
I don’t know what exactly made Sri Lanka my favourite trip. Maybe it was the fact that it was my last pre-Covid adventure. Maybe it was about the people I met. Maybe my first time seeing wild elephants. Maybe the diverse nature from beaches to mountains to jungle. Maybe and most likely a combination of all. Here is how to see the country in 4 weeks. If you have less time no problem I got you as well. I have splitted the 4 weeks into three parts so you can just take out what works for you.
I went to Sri Lanka by myself in January 2020. A last adventure before I planned to start my Master’s degree in February. On my second day I had a girl from South Korea, also traveling solo. And one week in we met a girl from England, currently solo traveling on her world trip and I had the most amazing time with those two! Traveling solo does not mean you are lonely. If you want to, you will always find company.
Important: I only recommend accommodation I was 100% satisfied with. So for some stops, I will not include any hostel recommendations.
Overview of the route
Colombo – Hikkaduwa – Galle – Unawatuna – Mirissa – Udawalawa – Ella – Kandy – Dambulla – Sigiriya – Trincomalee – Jaffna – Colombo
10 days Southern Coast
Day 1 Colombo
Your Sri Lanka trip will most likely start and end in Colombo since Bandaranaike International Airport is the only international airport in the country. I personally did not spend any time in Colombo. I arrived late at night and left early the next morning. I have heard that it is not really worth a visit if you do not have extended time in Sri Lanka. Also I was escaping German winter and therefore in the mood for beach and nature and did not want to discover a hectic city.
Day 2 and 3 Hikkaduwa: see turtles!
Hikkaduwa is famous for its turtles. Even if you do not swim, snorkel or dive you can see them easily since they come close to the beach. However, I was shocked by the tourists running around careless in the shallow water, touching and hugging the turtles and taking pics, and pulling them out of the water. One kid even tried to stand on the turtle. It was my first time ever seeing turtles in the wild and I was so disappointed and sad by the whole scenario that I left after one minute. I will never understand how humans can be so cruel and careless about the nature and its inhabitants.
Apart from the turtle fiasco I still liked Hikkaduwa, the beach was clean and not crowded, I found a lot of great food spots and did a semi-private snorkling tour to see turtles not harassed by tourists at the beach.
Day 4 and 5 Galle: visit the famous fort!
Galle offers way more than just Galle fort, which is the part of the city located inside the fort. Everything in Galle fort is very touristic and expensive. But still worth a visit because the scenario of the fort at the ocean is simply beautiful. Make sure to walk all the way to the lighthouse and get some delicious ice cream at Il Gelato to cool down from the heat.
LIf you feel like a swim there is also a public beach where a lot of Sri Lankan families gather on the weekends. Galle outside of the fort is definitely also worth a visit. There are several cheap restaurants and stores for everything. I especially recommend you to take home some spices from here.
Day 6 and 7 Unawatuna: take a sunset swing at the beach!
I did not stay overnight in Unawatuna, but made a daytrip from Galle with two other solo travelers I met in Hikkaduwa. We visited Jungle beach and the famous beach swing at Dalawella beach. I loved the jungle beach, although it was a big hassle to get there and an even bigger one to leave from there. TukTuks only take you until a specific point, because the way gets to steep and bumpy for the vehicles that you simply have to walk or better climb at some point. But it was absolutely worth it. Empty beach, clear blue water and jungle sounds. Make sure to bring food and water supplies and be prepared to pee in the water since there are no facilities at the beach. Also take care of your belongings, because monkeys might steal them.
The swing is a very famous Instagram spot located at a beach bar at Dalawella beach. Especially during sunset it gets super crowded. But during the entire day travelers make their way. The price was 1000 rupies and you get umlimited swings. After you got your photos there is no need to immediatly leave. You can enjoy a cold beer at the bar and enjoy the rest of the evening. Food is quite expensive. Therefore I recommend to go back to the main street and get some street food. We had an amazing roti there.
Day 8 to 10 Mirissa: relax and eat good food!
Heaven on earth. I fell in love with Mirissa on the first day and actually ended up coming back at the end of my trip for a whole week. My favorite things to do definitely include having food all day long, visiting the palm trees and going out for drinks and party. There are countless great breakfast and lunch spots all over Mirissa. For dinner I recommend you go to the beach and get some fresh local food while watching the sunset.
You can also check out the The Doctor’s House for chilled party and beach club vibes.
Where to stay in Mirissa?
Mister Hostel. Cheap and only a short walk away from the beach. Comes with big, clean rooms, a roof terrace, and its own restaurant. One morning a monkey joined us for breakfast and stole some food from my neighbor’s plate. It was hilarious! What more do you want? About 6€ for a dorm bed excluding breakfast. I could not find it on booking.com anymore so I am not sure if it still exists.
10 days Mainland
Day 11 and 12 Udawalawa: Go on a safari!
If you want to do a safari (which is a must if you come to Sri Lanka) you can the choice between Yala and Udawalawa national park. While in Yala you have the chance to see leopards, Udawalawa has a higher density of elephants. Since I came mainly to see elephants the decision was easy for me. Of course you can also do both parks if you have the time, but in my opinion one is enough.
You can either do the morning or afternoon safari. I decided to do the morning one, even though it ment waking up at 4am, but it was so worth it! Not only did I see three herds of elephants (including babies!), we also got lucky to see water buffalos, monkeys and some really cool birds. I decided to do a group safari, since private ones are overpriced and also not necessary. From the jeep you have a great view at all times and as a solo traveler you can always ask other travelers to take pictures of you.
Where to stay in Udawalawa?
Nature Lovers Safari Resort. Very welcoming and helpful owner, comes with a peaceful garden and outdoor area to simply relax. Vegetarian breakfast and dinner can be ordered and are home cooked. It was a lot and absolutely delicous! The best part is that they offer safari tours so you don’t have to book one with an external party. The safari tour was very respectful with the animals and distance was kept at all times. I paid only 5€ for two nights. Prices have gotten more expensive now, but it is still very achievable.
Day 13 to 16 Ella: Go hiking and explore the nature!
There is so much to do in Ella. You can stay for a whole week without getting bored! Of course famous for the Nine Arch Bridge, Ella brings every Sri Lanka visitor into town. And I have to admit seeing the train passing over the bridge in the middle of nature is a spectacular. Especially if you make it early enough for sunrise. However, Ella has so much more to offer! Hiking up to Little Adam’s Peak, visiting the Ravana waterfalls, taking a cooking class at Ella Spice garden, hiking Lipton seat, visiting a tea factory, having Lion beers in town. Trust me, you will not get bored.
Where to stay in Ella?
Bunk Station Hostel. Great location. Big and clean rooms and a good breakfast. Nice area outside and inside to socialize and meet fellow backpackers. Around 9€ for a dorm bed including breakfast.
Day 17 to 18 Kandy: Take the famous train!
Even though I personally did not find Kandy that special, the train ride from Ella to Kandy definitely was! It takes about 6 hours and it never gets boring with the views. Make sure to sit at the open doors for some time and take amazing pictures. I highly recommend to take the train from Ella to Kandy and not the other way around. The most travelers to the loop the other way around which means that trains can get quite packed.
For detailed information on what you should know before getting on that train I recommend you the blog post by the coastal campaign.
In Kandy me and another solo female traveler hired a tuktuk driver for an entire day. It was about 25€ per person and we booked it over the hostel. If you book it via a tour over the internet it is way more expensive so just ask at the hostel or higher one on the street. He took us to all important sights around the city including a tea factory and the ambuluwawa tower. At night we ended up at a typical Sri Lankan culture show.
Where to stay in Kandy?
Kandy Backpackers Hostel. Located in the city center of Kandy and comes with a rooftop pool! Rooms are small but clean. The best thing is the free cooking class where the owner invites all guests for a homecooked dinner experience with detailed explanations and one of the best dishes I ate during the entire trip!
Day 19 to 20 Dambulla and Sigiriya: Visit the famous rock!
Where to stay in Sigiriya?
New Sigiri Terrace Hotel. They only have private rooms and no dorms, but since I was traveling together with the South Korean girl we decided to share a room for two nights. The hotel had the most welcoming and friendly family. I really don’t know why they got such a bad ranking. The father took us very early to the Lions rock so we could enjoy the sunrise from above. Pro Tip: Do not go up the Lion’s rock but Pidurangale rock instead. It was cheaper, less crowded and you can actually see the Lion’s rock, which is impossible if you are standing on it.
7 days East and North
Day 22 to 24 Trincomalee: Beach off the beaten path
Mid-January it was absolute low season in Trincomalee. I did not see any other tourists during the two days me and my friend spent there. Because we were very lucky with the weather we spent one entire day at the beach. The second day we woke up very early to experience the hectic trading at the famous fish market and just strolled through the small city.
Day 25 to 27 Jaffna: Taste Indian culture
I have not been to India yet, but Jaffna was exactly what I imagined India to be. Curry, temples, and free-walking cows best describe my three days up north. Hinduism is the main religion in Jaffna and therefore cows walk around freely and even enter restaurants sometimes to get a snack.
Make sure to check out the many markets around the city and visit the colourful temples Jaffna has to offer.
Where to stay in Jaffna?
D`Villa Guest House. We could not find any good hostels so we decided to stay in a Guest House close to the center. The landlord was a super nice guy and we even had breakfast included. They also offer bike rental at the guest house which is the best way to get to know the city if you don’t feel comfortable on a scooter.
Sri Lanka as a solo female traveler
First of all: Yes, Sri Lanka is safe for female solo travelers! I always stick to several safety rules. Check out my blog post (INSERT NAME) for more information!
But for Sri Lanka specifically, I felt safe 95% of the time! Because of the short distances, there was no need to travel during the night so I only took buses and trains during the day. There is a night train available from Jaffna to Colombo, but this one I would definitely not recommend if you are traveling solo.
If you go out to party, never leave your drink unattended and do not walk home alone. But this goes for every other country as well.
During low season you might be one of only a very few tourists, so it can get pretty lonely at the beach. So if you want to avoid that rather travel to the beaches during high season (way safer anyway to avoid monsoons).
If not at the beach I usually walk around in long skirts or trousers and a tshirt. It not only protects you from the sun, but also saves you catcalling and unwanted glances. Of course, and I insinst, a woman never is to blame because of how she looked or what she wore!!! I love to walk around in shorts and crop tops as well. Do what feels comfortable for you! However, from my personal experience in Sri Lanka (and Asian countries in general) you fit in better if you cover up a bit more.
My personal bad experience
There was one situation in Kandy where we stopped at an ecological garden/ spa place and got offered a free massage to try out some of their products. While my friend had a female masseuse, I got a male one. In general this was not a problem for me, because we kept our clothes on, where all in the same room and only got massaged legs and upper back. (And yes I was wearing long pants and a tshirt). However while massaging my legs the man went up very far and touched me in between my legs a couple of times. Back then I thought it happened by accident, however today 3 years later I know it was absolutely not an accident but sexual harassment.
I don’t want to scare you with my story. I experienced Sri Lanka to be a very warm, welcoming and safe country. Just travel with common sense, be alerted and ask other women for help if needed.
Best time to travel Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is divided into two different climate zones. So there is no “ideal time” to travel the entire island. From May to end of September you have heavy rainfalls and monsoons in the South- and West of the island while from October to April the North- and East of Sri Lanka are affected. I traveled during the month of January which was the perfect time for the Western- and Southern coast as well as the mainland. It was also not overloaded by tourists since the majority comes in December. But even in Trincomalee and Jaffna we were lucky with the weather and did not experience any monsoon. However, most of the hostels and restaurants are closed there since it is low season. So you might be very limited in your selection.
