Places to Visit in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s commercial capital and main gateway city, with colonial landmarks, a seafront promenade and modern shopping and dining.

Home to Sri Lanka’s largest and best-preserved cave temple complex, with 153 Buddha statues and ancient murals.

A walled Dutch colonial fort on the south-west coast, with ramparts, a lighthouse and boutique shops and cafes.

A peaceful base in the Cultural Triangle, convenient for Sigiriya, Dambulla and Polonnaruwa, with lakes and elephant safaris nearby.

A lively south-coast beach town known for surfing, coral reefs and a relaxed, active tropical atmosphere.

A high-altitude grassland and cloud forest famous for the World’s End viewpoint and Baker’s Falls.

A rainforest river town best known for white water rafting on the Kelani River and other outdoor adventure activities.

A 360-degree viewpoint over the hill country’s tea estates, named after tea pioneer Sir Thomas Lipton.

Home to one of Asia’s largest elephant gatherings, drawn to the reservoir’s grasslands during the dry season.

The closest beach town to the airport, with a lagoon, Dutch-era fort and a lively fish market.

A peaceful east coast beach known for its shallow, crystal-clear turquoise waters and soft golden sand.

A 5th-century rock palace and UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of the best-preserved examples of ancient urban planning in Asia.

Home to the iconic Sigiriya Rock Fortress and surrounding gardens, forests and villages in Sri Lanka’s Cultural Triangle.

Sri Lanka’s most famous rainforest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site rich in endemic plants, birds and wildlife.

A historic temple town and the main gateway to Yala National Park, surrounded by reservoirs and ancient Buddhist sites.

Home to Udawalawe National Park, the closest park to Colombo and one of the best places to see wild Asian elephants.

A golden-sand beach close to Galle Fort, popular for swimming, snorkeling and a relaxed tropical atmosphere.

Sri Lanka’s largest national park, known for natural lakes (villus) and one of the country’s best leopard populations.

Sri Lanka’s most visited national park, famous for leopards, elephants and one of the highest leopard densities in the world.

A laid-back surf town on the east coast, with a long curved bay, quiet beaches and the wildlife of Kumana National Park nearby.

A relaxed south-coast beach town, famous for seasonal whale watching, palm-fringed beaches and Coconut Tree Hill.

A long golden beach and river resort area on the south-west coast, popular for water sports, Ayurveda and relaxing after a tour.

The cultural capital of Sri Lanka’s north, known for its Hindu temples, colonial fort, distinctive Tamil cuisine and nearby islands.

A medieval royal capital in the dry zone, with well-preserved ruins, rock-cut Buddha statues and a large ancient reservoir.

Sri Lanka’s first great ancient capital, a UNESCO World Heritage city of enormous stupas, monasteries and the sacred Sri Maha Bodhi tree.

A small hill-country town known for the Nine Arch Bridge, walks up Little Adam’s Peak and Ella Rock, and the scenic train ride from Kandy.

A cool, misty hill-country town surrounded by tea estates, often called Little England for its colonial-era buildings and gardens.

A historic port on the south-west coast, famous for its Dutch-era fort, ramparts, lighthouse and boutique cafés, close to beaches such as Unawatuna.

Sri Lanka’s hill-country cultural capital, home to the Temple of the Tooth, a lakeside town centre and the nearby botanical gardens.

A port city on Sri Lanka’s north-east coast, known for calm white-sand beaches, snorkelling at Pigeon Island, the ancient Koneswaram temple and seasonal whale watching.