Best Time To Visit Sri Lanka

If anywhere deserves to be called a year-round destination, it’s Sri Lanka. This small island boasts a diverse collection of microclimates – when it’s raining on one stretch of coast, the weather is perfect for surfing or sightseeing on another.

This close to the equator, daytime temperatures hover at around 30°C (86°F) all year, so you won’t have to worry too much about getting cold except in the hills. That said, it’s worth considering how the two monsoon seasons affect different parts of the island before planning a trip, though it’s easy to hop across the island.

On most trips, people mix up beach time with detours to national parks, and trips to the cooler highlands and ancient cities in the middle of the island, so you’ll experience a mix of heat and cool on pretty much every visit.

And the Sri Lankan calendar is chock-full of festivals and holidays, offering a unique cultural highlight for visitors almost every month. Whether you’re looking to hit the beach, spot wild elephants, hike to the summit of Adam’s Peak, or simply avoid the tourist crowds, there is always one or another reason to visit Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka’s high season coincides with the driest weather in the south and west of the country. Popular beach resorts such as Hikkaduwa and Mirissa are at their most idyllic with excellent surfing conditions on the south and west coasts.

Sri Lanka is a year-round wildlife-watching destination, but the best times to spot elephants, leopards and buffalo is during the main November-to-April tourist season. All the big parks are open and animals start to gather around water holes, making them easier to spot.

By December, high season is in full swing, with bathers jostling for towel space on the beaches along the south and west coasts. The pilgrimage season on Adam’s Peak, when pilgrims of all faiths climb the sacred summit, starts in December and lasts until mid-April. The end of December sees the island gear up for Christmas, which is celebrated enthusiastically by Sri Lanka’s Christian community.

January is the peak of the tourist season in Sri Lanka. Crowds may be at their largest, but fine weather in the south and west makes this a particularly appealing time for a beach holiday, and many popular towns host major festivals during the first month of the year. Visitor numbers are still high in February, with wintering Europeans baking themselves on the beaches in the warm winter weather.

It is worth noting that every poya (full moon) day is a holiday in Sri Lanka. White-clad pilgrims gather at Buddhist shrines and buses, trains, and accommodations fill up, especially if the full moon falls on a Friday or Monday. No alcohol is supposed to be sold on poya days and many bars close. This is a particularly atmospheric time to visit the sacred Sri Maha Bodhi tree at Anuradhapura, grown from a cutting taken from the tree under which Buddha attained enlightenment.