Popular Sri Lankan travel routes

Though the country has far more to offer than its immaculate, palm-fringed beaches, Sri Lanka is most well-known for those. Sri Lanka is a tropical country with sharp mountain peaks, millions of years-old jungles, wildlife reserves brimming with wild animals, medieval cities that appear to have remained undisturbed by time, and storybook castles. There is much to keep your interest here, with walking paths to explore Sri Lanka’s natural wetlands and animals as well as intriguing historic cities, folk museums, and rustic villages reflecting the nation’s traditional culture.
We meticulously trawled the history of Sri Lanka travels and created this blog post with the top Sri Lankan travel routes for your holiday package in Sri Lanka. Consider one or more of the following as a Sri Lanka route or routes for your trip if you are thinking about doing a Sri Lanka vacation.

Choosing the Sri Lankan travel routes for getting around in Sri Lanka

While some tourists decide to tour Sri Lanka on scooters or motorcycle rentals, hiring a car with a driver is the most practical option. Most drivers speak English well and are knowledgeable about all there is to know about driving in the nation, including where to find the best roadhouses to stop for more fiery rice and curry. Should you hire a driver for a longer trip, don’t be shocked if they invite you to dinner at their house before your visit ends. To get you going, consider these driving routes in Sri Lanka.

The main form of transportation in Sri Lanka is a road network that is focused on Colombo, the nation’s business hub. A rail network in Sri Lanka helps to meet some of the country’s transportation needs. Three international airports are located at Katunayake, 35 kilometers (22 miles) north of Colombo, Hambantota, and Jaffna. There are also navigable rivers and harbors.
Ninety-three percent of Sri Lanka’s ground transportation is on the streets. There are 151.8 km (94.3 mi) of expressways and A- and B-class streets making up Sri Lanka’s around 12,000 km (7,500 mi) road network. Buses, passenger automobiles and motorcycles are the primary forms of transportation in Sri Lanka.

GradeDescriptionSpeed limit
EHigh-speed, high-traffic expressways duplicating heavily travelled A-Grade routes100 km/h (62 mph)
AThe national highway network70 km/h (43 mph)
BMajor provincial roads used as feeders for A- and E-Grade roads60 km/h (37 mph)
CLocal residential roads50 km/h (31 mph)

Expressways

NumberNameStartEndLength (km)LanesCost (USD)Cost/km (USD)
 E01 Colombo–Matara ExpresswayKottawaMatara1264 (provision for 6)765.4 million6.07 million
 E02 Outer Circular ExpresswayKottawaKerawalapitiya2961.12 billion38.6 million
 E03 Colombo–Katunayake ExpresswayNew Kelani BridgeKatunayake25.86,4 (provision for 6)291 million11.28 million
 E04 Colombo–Kandy ExpresswayKadawathaKatugastota98.94,64.5 BillionUnder construction

Sri Lanka’s national highways are graded A or B. A-Grade roads are subdivided as AA, AB or AC.

Road gradeLength
A4,221.37 kilometres (2,623.04 mi)
AA3,724.26 kilometres (2,314.15 mi)
AB466.92 kilometres (290.13 mi)
AC30.19 kilometres (18.76 mi)
B7,943.65 kilometres (4,935.96 mi)
Total of A- and B-grade roads12,165.02 kilometres (7,558.99 mi)

There are the most roads in the southwest, especially in the area around Colombo. Though Sri Lanka has well-built highways with a smooth bitumen surface and street markers, certain provincial streets are in bad condition. Heavy-trafficked streets are being repaved and improved. For most of the island, public transportation is available.

How can I choose the best Sri Lankan travel routes?

The number of questions like “What is the best trip to Sri Lanka?” and “What is the best travel route in Sri Lanka?” has been rising consistently. We decided to write this post explaining a few well-traveled Sri Lankan routes that you should only take once in your life. There are 14 travel routes in this page, and we will be adding more in the future. I think that both foreign visitors and local travelers will find great use for this essay. The success of a short Sri Lanka trip, such a one-day trip, depends on your ability to select the optimum travel route in order to spend as little time as possible traveling and as much time as possible seeing the sites.

Advantages of Knowing the Sri Lankan travel routes

The success of your Sri Lanka visit depends on selecting the ideal travel path. If the journey is brief, like a one-day or two-day tour packages of Sri Lanka, it is particularly crucial. To allow more time for sightseeing and leisure pursuits, we all try to cut down on our journey time.
You have very limited time for sightseeing during a quick trip; hence, it’s crucial to save time. Reduced travel time allows you to include many more fascinating locations that are not currently on your itinerary, even for multi-day Sri Lanka trips like 5-day tours or 1-week trips.

What are the 14 most famous Sri Lankan travel routes?

We once posted a thorough blog entry about our travels to Sri Lanka. We meticulously examined the history of Sri Lanka travels and created this blog post, including the top 14 Sri Lanka travel routes for vacations there. You can select one or more of the routes below for your trip if you are thinking of taking a tour of Sri Lanka. Many well-liked one-day excursions in Sri Lanka can be easily reached from most of these routes.
1. Colombo to Kataragama travel route in Sri Lanka.
2. Colombo to Matara Expressway travel route in Sri Lanka.
3. Colombo to Nuwara Eliya via Kitulgala.
4. Colombo to Arugam Bay tourist route in Sri Lanka via Kandy.
5. Colombo to Anuradhapura route in Sri Lanka via Puttalam.
6. Colombo to Trincomalee via Dambulla.
7. The Colombo-Kandy route in Sri Lanka includes Kegalle.
8. Colombo to Rathnapura in Sri Lanka.
09. Colombo to Bandarawela goes via Haputale.
10. Nuwara Eliya to Bentota via Kithulagla.
11. Colombo to Sigiriya via Kurunegala.
12. Colombo to Mirissa/beach lovers route
13. Colombo to Badulla, Sri Lanka, via the hill country/tea-loving route.
14. Anuradhapura to Kandy travel route in Sri Lanka for history and culture buffs.
15. Mirissa to Aru Gam Bay.
16. Southern Path for a seven-day trip around Sri Lanka.

Please contact Seerendipity Tours at admin@seerendipitytours.com if you would like to arrange any excursion in Sri Lanka. or 0094774440977 to phone or WhatsApp us.

The best Sri Lankan travel routes for a one-week holiday to Sri Lanka

The Sri Lankan travel routes listed above work best for brief excursions from Colombo, such one or two days in Sri Lanka. Several of the aforementioned travel routes might be combined to create a much larger circle if your Sri Lanka journey is longer than two days, such as a one-week or ten-day tour.
We would like to suggest the following travel route if you are planning a one- to two-week trip to Sri Lanka:. It is one of the most well-liked travel routes for 7–14-day Sri Lanka tours. This route covers the most popular tourist destinations, such as the beaches on Sri Lanka’s west coast, the hilly region, and the cultural triangle’s historical sites.
This route begins in Colombo, travels northward from the west coast to the cultural triangle, and then toward Kandy and Nuwara Eliya in the hill country of Sri Lanka. After that, visit the south coast of Sri Lanka; the journey then follows the beaches to Colombo and the west coast.

  • Day 1: Colombo-Anurahdapura-Sigiriya
  • Day 2: Polonnaruwa-Sigiriya
  • Day 3: Polonnaruwa-Kandy
  • Day 4: Kandy-Nuwara Eliya
  • Day 5: Nuwara Eliya-Yala
  • Day 6: Yala-Galle-Bentota
  • Day 7: Bentota-Colombo

1. Sri Lankan travel routes: Colombo-Kataragama:

The splendor of this seaside road from Colombo to Kataragama cannot be adequately expressed in words. A cruise around the immaculate beaches in western and southern Sri Lanka would be a lot of fun.
On the island, this is among the busiest transport routes. The road is quite well-liked by both domestic and international tourists since it passes by several fascinating locations. Travelers that plan south-coast trips often follow the south-coast itinerary of Sri Lanka.
This road has several locations where you cannot just pass by. Thus, give your tour several extra hours to allow for the stops. International tourists highly prize this route because it takes them to some of the best beach resorts on the island, including Bentota Beach, Kalutara, Galle, Hikkaduwa, and many others in southern Sri Lanka.

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Over this section, you can utilize the main A-2 route from Colombo. road from Colombo to Kataragama connects to several fascinating tourist destinations in southern Sri Lanka, such as Galle, Unawatuna, Matara, Tangalle, and Hambantota. Travelers can save a great deal of time, meanwhile, by avoiding Colombo city and going south-coast beach resorts from the Colombo international airport using the southern expressway.

Traveling on the Southern Expressway

The opening of the Southern Expressway has cut the trip time from the beaches on the south coast to Colombo by about three hours. Travelers visiting the south coast can save a great deal of time by avoiding the congested traffic in Colombo. Nevertheless, you have to take the standard coastal route if you want to see tourist sites from Colombo to Kataragama.
Road Trip Conditions: The road, which travels 284 kilometers from the Colombo city tour to Kataragama, is situated extremely near to the sea and averages between 1 and 3 meters above sea level.
The primary appeal of this road journey from Colombo to Kataragama is the beaches, which are worth stopping at along the way. The road is in excellent shape and open all year. About two days pass while there are stops for sightseeing and other activities. November through April is when to go.

Places to pause On the Sri Lankan road from Colombo to Kataragama

  • Kalutara: Beachside Gamgatilaka temple
  • Beruwala: Kachchimale mosque
  • Bentota: Water sports facility, beach
  • Balapitiya: Sea Turtle Farm, Madu River Safari
  • Hikkaduwa: Moonstone mining, Mask Museum, Moonstone Beach, Hikkaduwa Marine Sanctuary
  • Galle: Galle Fortress
  • Unawatuna: Stilt fishermen at Unawatuna beach
  • Weligama: Kustarajagala temple and Weligama beach
  • Matara: Star Fort, blowhole, whale and dolphin viewing, Polhena Beach
  • Kataragama: Yala wildlife reserve, Kataragama temple

Please contact Seerendipity Tours at admin@seerendipitytours.com if you would like to arrange any excursion in Sri Lanka. or 0094774440977 to phone or WhatsApp us.

2. Sri Lankan travel routes: Colombo to Matara Expressway

Coming from Colombo, this is a really handy weekend gateway. Most of the locals enjoy taking a road trip to Matara, which offers the ideal environment for a leisurely beach tour of Sri Lanka. Remember to beach hopper, whale, and dolphin watch at Mirissa. The shallow-torque waters and lovely palm-lined beaches of the Indian Ocean calm those anxious nerves.
Savour a delicious seafood meal at a beachside restaurant while taking in the ideal sunset. Thus, pack and head out on this amazing adventure if you are close to Colombo or elsewhere on the west coast.
Condition of Road Trip: The 158-kilometer freeway from Colombo to Matara takes two hours to complete, not considering the time needed to get to the expressway entrance. Bicycles are not allowed on the expressway, which also only allows a top speed of 100 km/h. November to April are when to go.

Stops along this Sri Lankan travel route include:

  • Matara: Whale watching in Mirissa, Star Fort, Hummany and natural fountain
    To arrange any travel to Sri Lanka, please contact Seerendipity Tours at admin@seerendipitytours.com. or 0094774440977 to phone or WhatsApp us.

3. Colombo to Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka, travel route via Kitulgala:

  1. An ideal three-day tour of Sri Lanka through the tea country. It is breathtaking to see the exquisitely designed tea garden in Sri Lanka’s hilly highlands blending with the tumbling waterfalls of perennial streams in Nuwara Eliya.
    To the newcomers, the city’s unadulterated beauty is shocking. From Nuwara Eliya to Kandy, the stunning scenery utterly baffles the tourists.
    This is a great road trip in Sri Lanka that will leave a lasting impression on your heart because of the twisting roads, high elevation, and healing environment of the highlands.
    You ride through mountainous terrain, which is demanding and demands your whole focus, yet the beauty of this Sri Lankan vacation belies the unpredictability of the terrain. The most practical method to get to Nuwara Eliya is to drive there from the airport or from Colombo. Though the trip is long, it is quite pleasurable as you pass by the verdant surroundings.
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Road conditions: The 176-kilometer route winds through the mountains. The road rises dramatically from Awissawella to Nuwara Eliya, which is 1800 meters above sea level. Sightseeing stops will make the trip take around a day. November through April is when to go.

Stops along this Sri Lankan travel route include:

  • Kitulgala: Center for adventure sports including trekking, bird watching, and water rafting
  • Talawakele: St. Clare’s Falls, Devon Fall
  • Nanuoya: Horton Plains National Park
  • Nuwara Eliya: Seetha Amman temple, Haggala gardens, Ambewela farm, strawberry farm

4. Sri Lankan travel routes: Colombo to Arugam Bay via Kandy

Currently rated as one of the best on the island, I heartily urge taking a drive down this amazing path. You begin your trip on the west coast of Sri Lanka and finish it at the broadest point of the nation in the east. Undoubtedly the most well-liked beach resort on the east coast of Sri Lanka is Arugam Bay. Surfing and beachcombing are great on the immaculate beaches of Arugam Bay. Though Aru Gam Bay is a seasonal beach resort, May, June, July, and October are the ideal months to visit. The dry and bright weather in July makes Arugam Bay one of the top destinations in Sri Lanka.
Determine the duration of the tour, including all of the stops for sightseeing and other breaks along the way. The trip will take about eight hours without stops. Road trip aficionados in Sri Lanka rank the trip to Arugambe from Colombo as one of their favorite activities. With stops to significant tourist sites, you can get to Arugam Bay in two days if you have decent driving endurance.
This will be an incredibly beautiful and richly experienced road trip to Sri Lanka. You will come upon beaches, mountains, escapements, and every other topographical feature the island has to offer.
One of the most picturesque routes through Sri Lankan forests you will ever take is from Kandy to Arugambe via Bibile. Organize your motorbike road trip to take advantage of this verdant region’s clean, refreshing air.

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    Conditions of the road trip: The route runs 329 kilometers through the central mountain range. Halfway down the track, you will come to a location that is 500 meters above sea level. The trip begins at lower, elevated parts on the west coast and ends at beaches on the east coast.

Stops along this Sri Lankan travel route include:

  • Kandy: floral garden of Peradeniya, tooth relic temple
  • Kegalle: Elephant orphanage
  • Arugam Bay:Surfing

The Significance of Visiting a Tooth Relic Temple : What you need to know

All visitors to these sacred places are supposed to dress in a particular manner to uphold their religious values. There is a set of principles that every visitor to religious sites observes while visiting sacred places in Sri Lanka. If you are pondering what these rules are, check out this article: 13 RULES TO OBSERVE WHILE VISITING SRI LANKA BUDDHIST TEMPLE, “The Sri Lanka Temple dress code Temple of Tooth dress code”

5. Sri Lankan travel routes: Puttalam to Anuradhapura from Colombo

This kind of road excursion via rugged country and immaculate beaches is unimaginable to travelers. This road trip will be remembered because of the amazing fusion of historical, cultural, and wildlife events. Amazingly much in a single road trip! As such, get ready and go.
To see several fascinating places in Sri Lanka’s cultural triangle, including Sigiriya, we advise combining your vacation on this route with a cultural triangle tour.
Traveling through some of the least populous parts of the central province of Sri Lanka, this is a really beautiful trip. You spend a good deal of your journey driving through the wildlife reserve, and on your way from Puttalam to Saliya Wewa, you have a good chance of seeing a wild elephant.

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Conditions of the road trip: The route travels 207 kilometers across northwest Sri Lanka before abruptly turning inland at Puttalam. About four hours passed during the trip. Between Colombo and Puttalam, there may be some traffic, but then the route is deserted. Take care, as following Puttalam, you will have to pass through wooded areas. The wild elephants on this Sri Lankan travel route make it best to avoid nighttime travels.

Stops along this Sri Lankan travel route include:

  • Wilpattu: For a safari trip within the national park
  • Beach hopping at Negombo
  • Puttalam: Munneswarama and Manawari temple
  • Historical sites at Anuradhapura
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  • Dabullal, Sigiriya, and Polonnaruwa in a day

6. Sri Lankan travel routes from Colombo via Dambulla

This picturesque route between Colombo and Ratnapura surpasses the majority of road trips in Sri Lanka’s western province; it is one of the best routes for environmental enthusiasts. Ratnapura claims to be a part of the Sinharaja Rain Forest, the most valuable forest area in the country because it is a forest-surrounded city. This might be the ideal way for you if you are taking a Sinharja rainforest trip package out of Colombo.
As you get closer to Ratnapura, the vegetation gets denser and the huge trees on either side of the road form a canopy. Ratnapura, being a significant city on an island with a lot of rainfall, frequently submerges itself in the monsoon.
Before you embark on this road trip, check the weather. And make sure you spend a minimum of two days viewing the local sights; there are waterfalls, jungles, hiking trails, museums, and a tonne more.
Conditions for the road trip: This little 75-kilometer stretch will take about two hours to complete, which makes for a fun drive. At first, there will be a lot of traffic, but as you head towards Ratnapura, it will gradually ease off, and when the first half of the journey is over, the road will be remarkably empty.
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Some of the locations to stop at on the way

  • Rathanapura: Sri Pada, Sinhraja, Saman Devala temple, Bopath Ella waterfall

Please contact Seerendipity Tours at admin@seerendipitytours.com if you would like to arrange any excursion in Sri Lanka. or 0094774440977 to phone or WhatsApp us.

7. Sri Lankan travel routes from Colombo to Bandarawela

This would be a great two- or three-day tour to Sri Lanka. All Sri Lankans are familiar with the term “Bandarawela,” and tourists from other countries who are enamored with the area’s stunning mountains and calm weather also adore it. Still, for most international visitors to Sri Lanka, Bandarawela remains one of the less-traveled tourist destinations.
Featuring mountains, valleys, tea gardens, and areas of woodland, Bandarawela is among the most picturesque locations on the island. Numerous tumbling waterfalls can also be found in Bandarawela; some, like the Diyaluma Falls, are just impossible to miss.
The most interesting aspect of Bandarawela is its healing environment, which often has nightly lows around freezing. Around 25 degrees Celsius is the temperature during the day.
The simplest way to get there is by far this one, which goes via Ratnapura from Colombo to Bandarawela. There is less traffic on this off-the-beaten-path Sri Lanka travel route than on the other well-known route that goes to Bandarawela (Colombo-Kandy-Ella-Bandarawela). You can speed up because the road is in excellent condition as well, but watch out for the curves.
Few thriving cities are visible along the route, which largely passes through rural areas. In addition, you drive through the stunning valleys and mountains. For much of the drive, tea plantations rule the verdant surroundings. But this upcountry road becomes much higher beyond Ratnapura and is narrower than most popular travel routes in Sri Lanka.

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Conditions of the road trip: 190 kilometers separate the trip. Because there isn’t much traffic early on in the trip, it moves quickly, but as you approach your goal, it slows. The trip would take about five hours if you kept up your speed to avoid the severe turns. With its mountains, waterfalls, streams, rivers, coconut plantations, and areas of forest, the route is incredibly beautiful.

Stops along this route include:

  • Ratnapura: touring the Sman Devala temple and a diamond exhibition
  • Haputale: Adisham bungalow, Tangamale forest reserve
  • Bandarawela:Tea gardens and waterfalls

To arrange any travel to Sri Lanka, please contact Seerendipity Tours at admin@seerendipitytours.com. or 0094774440977 to phone or WhatsApp us.

8. Sri Lankan travel routes from Nuwara Eliya to Bentota

One of the most picturesque travel routes in Sri Lanka winds through the upcountry, from Nuwara Eliya to Bentota. Both domestic and foreign tourists love it. Usually, this is the concluding day of a multi-day tour to Sri Lanka that covers cultural sites in the triangle, Kandy, Tea Country, and West Coast Beach. Traveling this way takes you to beaches on the west or southern shore; tea country is always Nuwara Eliya.
There is nothing but verdant scenery on the stunning drive from Nuwara Eliya to Bentota. Westward from Nuwara Eliya, head for Thalawakele and Hatton. Popular tea-producing areas of Sri Lanka both provide breathtaking scenery with green-capped mountains, relaxed villages, waterfalls, rivers, streams, and enormous tea plantations. Since Hatton and Talawakelle are mostly uncharted territory in Sri Lanka, trekking and wildlife trips might be rather successful there. The adventure playground of Sri Lanka is Kitulgala, which you will also pass on this tour. Numerous exhilarating sports are available here, including whitewater rafting, kayaking, rainforest trekking, waterfall abseiling, and so on.
Driving 215 km, the journey from Nuwara Eliya to Bentota takes around 5 hours and 3 minutes.
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Significant places to see on the Bentota Kandy Tour

Notable locations to stop along this route include;

  • Hatton: St. Clairs Tea Centre, Devon Fall
  • Kiitulgala: adventure sports, including trekking through the rainforest and whitewater rafting

To arrange any travel to Sri Lanka, please contact Seerendipity Tours at admin@seerendipitytours.com. or 0094774440977 to phone or WhatsApp us.

9. Travel routes in Sri Lanka: Colombo to Sigiriya

The most visited historical site on the island is, without a doubt, Sigiriya. Every day, hundreds of thousands of people visit this UNESCO world heritage site, particularly during Sri Lanka’s busiest holiday season.
While local tour operators like Seerendipity Tours offer daily visits to Sigiriya, many international tourists arrange day trips to Sigiriya from Colombo. Sigiriya is a well-known historical landmark; thus, this is one of the most traveled routes in Sri Lanka. This trip can go on east to Kalkuda and Pasikudah or toward Polonnaruwa. A popular one-day trip starting in Colombo is the Sigiriya, Dambulla, and Polonnaruwa Tour.
The best route from Colombo to Sigiriya is via Kurunegala on the Colombo-Polonnaruwa major highway. With the exception of large cities, the road is in excellent condition and less congested. For most of its 175-kilometer journey, this Sri Lanka travel route skirts the northern dry zone of the country.

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    In most Sri Lankan multiday trips, this is the opening step since most visitors begin their journeys by seeing historical sites located in the northern plain. Four to five hours pass on the way from Colombo to Sigiriya.

A few stops are included on the way

  • Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage
  • Kurunagela
  • Golden cave temple at Dambulla
  • Fortress of Sigiririya rock
  • History of Ibbankatuwa

Please contact Seerendipity Tours at admin@seerendipitytours.com if you would like to arrange any excursion in Sri Lanka. or 0094774440977 to phone or WhatsApp us.

10. Sri Lankan travel routes from Colombo to Mirissa

The coastal train that links some of Sri Lanka’s historic cities with some of the nation’s most well-known beach resorts is followed on this leisurely day excursion from Colombo toward the south of the island. You won’t find much quiet during the high season, but you will find plenty of sun-kissed sand and respectable places to dine, stay, and catch some waves.
Start your adventure in Colombo, the ancient capital of Sri Lanka, where you can see temples and market places and savor a crab curry at a five-star restaurant. Then proceed south to the beaches of Bentota and Aluthgama, stopping along the way to admire the breathtaking Brief Garden inland. There are some of the most opulent Ayurvedic treatment establishments in all of Sri Lanka along this stretch of coast, if you have the money. A day or two of water fun may be had at Hikkaduwa, and Ambalangoda is a terrific spot to learn about the island’s distinctive kolam traditions.
Around Galle, a World Heritage Site, the Dutch invaders built a stronghold and an old lighthouse. Following a filling dinner and a peaceful night in the old quarter, head to the beach resort of Unawatuna, the surfing hotspots of Midigama and Weligama, and the Handunugoda Tea Estate before reaching the distinctly Sri Lankan town of Matara.

The interesting Places are seen on the beach lovers route

  • Kalutara Beach
  • Wadduwa Beach
  • Bentota Beach
  • Beruwala Beach
  • Galle Fort
  • Hikkaduwa Beach
  • Mirissa Beach
  • garden of herbs and spices
  • Estuary of the Madu River
  • Kande Vihara Temple
  • Project to conserve sea turtles

Please contact Seerendipity Tours at admin@seerendipitytours.com if you would like to arrange any excursion in Sri Lanka. or 0094774440977 to phone or WhatsApp us.

11. Sri Lankan travel routes from Colombo to Badulla via the hill country/tea lovers route.

Road trips along this route let visitors take in the picturesque hill country of Sri Lanka.This is actually the busiest rain travel route in Sri Lanka. Train travels along this route are among the most picturesque in the world.
This path will persuade you that Sri Lanka offers more than just beaches. The journey inland from Colombo to the Hill Country is equally breathtaking by vehicle and is one of the most picturesque rail journeys in Sri Lanka. Take the A1 highway inland from the city center to Kandy, the holiest site in Sri Lanka, stopping often to enjoy the scenery.
Before heading out to the actual tea region, if you hire a driver and rent a car, you may make stops at a number of stunning gardens and temples on the outskirts of the city. Discover the jade-green tea fields along the mountain road to Nuwara Eliya, which passes Glenloch Estate, among others. There are a ton of choices at different price ranges for lodging in Nuwara Eliya.
After crossing the stunning Horton Plains to Haputale, the birthplace of tea magnate Sir Thomas Lipton, make a stop at Lipton’s factory at Dambatenne. Then meander past more picturesque vistas and into Ella, where you can unwind at a guesthouse and savor some real Sri Lankan cuisine. Whether or not to snap an Instagram picture of the Nine Arches Bridge on the outskirts of town is up to you.
Interesting sites were seen along the Tea Lovers route
The elephant orphanage in Pinnawala

  • Kandy
  • The garden of Peradeniya
  • Ella’s Hill Country Resort
  • Nuwara Eliya’s Hill Country Resort
  • Relic of the tooth tempel
  • Tea gardens and picturesque waterfalls
  • National Park of Horton Plains

To arrange any travel to Sri Lanka, please contact Seerendipity Tours at admin@seerendipitytours.com. or 0094774440977 to phone or WhatsApp us.

12. Sri Lankan travel routes for history and culture buffs from Anuradhapura to Kandy

The most historic sites in the cultural triangle of Sri Lanka are visited on this intriguing journey. Traveling this path is ideal for anyone who enjoys animals, village life, history, and culture.
In sharp contrast to the island’s sunny reputation are the lush lowlands of Central Sri Lanka. The region, which is home to bee-eaters and hornbills, has ruins of former Buddhist kingdoms dispersed around it.
Begin your trip at Anuradhapura, where, two millennia after they were built, prayer is still offered in brick stupas the size of aircraft hangar. Pay your respects to Sri Maha Bodhi, a tree that sprang from the seed of the tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment, then tour the majestic Ritigala monastic compound.
Break away from the magnificent temples, statues, and ruins of Polonnaruwa in elephant-filled Minneriya National Park. The crumbling citadel residence of King Kasyapa is located atop the rocky outcrop of Sigiriya.
To Dambulla, south, the dusty masonry is replaced with brilliantly colored cave temples. See Kandy, where the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is the center of contemporary Sri Lankan Buddhism, to round off your journey.

Interesting locations saw while traveling on the history and culture trail

  • An ancient city of Anuradhapura
  • A historic city in Polonnaruwa
  • Dambulla Golen Cave Temple
  • Sigiriya Rock Fortress
  • The tooth-relic Temple
  • Minenriya National Park
  • National Park of Kaudulla
  • Eco park
  • Pidurangala Temple

Please contact Seerendipity Tours at admin@seerendipitytours.com if you would like to arrange any excursion in Sri Lanka. or 0094774440977 to phone or WhatsApp us.

Wildlife lovers’ route in Sri Lanka from Mirissa to Aru Gam Bay
Along with an offshore whale-watching trip in quest of Sri Lanka’s largest wild mammal, this island-hopping tour stops at both well-known and less-visited national parks. Actually, you head straight to the southern coast’s Mirissa resort and do that first thing. The primary lure inland is the avian inhabitants of the Sinharaja Forest Reserve, which you can explore on foot with a local guide.
See elephants at Uda Walawe National Park, which is less crowded than Yala National Park, to the east, then circle around to the coast to view birds at the lagoons and dunes of Bundala National Park. You’ll need to make an inland loop to go to Kumana National Park, where you can improve your chances of seeing a leopard; this is much easier if you have a car and driver rather than depending on public transportation. Make time for some surfing at Arugam Bay before the day is out.

Places of interest seen along the nature lovers route

  • Sinharaja Forest
  • Udawalawe Park
  • National park Yala
  • National park of Bundala
  • National Park of Kumana
  • Temple of Kataragama

13. seven-day Sri Lankan trip itinerary on the southern route

Southern Sri Lanka is the most traveled to by tourists. We also call this Sri Lanka’s “beaten-path” tourist route. When traveling to Sri Lanka, almost 75% of visitors utilize this route. From Sri Lankan cultural triangles to hill country and from the south coast to the west coast beaches, the 7-day journey on this route offers you access to a number of diverse tourist destinations.
Normally beginning in Colombo, the seven-day journey will initially stop at Anuradhapura, where visitors may experience the historic temples, palaces, gardens, lakes, and much more. The toruists then carried on seeing additional historical sites in the cultural triangle, including the Temple of the Tooth Relic, Polonnaruwa ancient city, Dambulla golden temple, and Sigiriya rock fortification.
The seven-day journey takes visitors to Sri Lanka’s hill country over the following few days to explore the tea country, waterfalls, gardens, and lakes, as well as to take advantage of Nuwara Eliya’s restorative climate. Travelers descend from Nuwara Eliya toward the south coast beaches, arriving at Tissamaharama for an overnight stay and a safari of Yala National Park.
By the time the seven-day journey ends, visitors will have seen the historic colonial fort of Galle and visited beaches on the west coast like Hikkaduwa, Bentota, and Kalutara.

14. Sights seen along the southern route

  • Anuradhapura; Mihintale; Aukana
  • Pollonnaruwa
  • Sigririya
  • Dambulla
  • National Park of Minneriya
  • Kandy
  • Nuwara Eliya
  • Ella
  • Yala
  • Galle
  • Hikkaduwa,Unawatuna and Bentota

When would it be ideal to take a southern road trip?

The best time to visit Sri Lanka is from November to April via the southern route. Most of the country stays dry and gets its daily dose of sunshine during these six months. Beach holiday makers have found that November through April have been ideal, especially for the beaches on the west and south coasts. Sea bathing, diving, snorkeling, boating, and many other salt-water sports are safe in the ocean.
Please contact Seerendipity Tours at admin@SeerendipityTours.com if you would like to book a vacation in Sri Lanka. or 0094774440977 to phone or WhatsApp us.

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