How many days do you need in Sri Lanka?
Seven days. That is the length of the itinerary we built for Sri Lanka, across Colombo, Kandy, Ella and Galle.
Here is what each day holds. Every stop below carries its time, and every gap says how to get to the next stop, with the walk or drive time wherever both stops are mapped.
Sri Lanka · 7 days Colombo → Kandy → Ella → Galle
Best time: The southwest and hill country are driest from December to March.
Colombo: Gangaramaya TempleDay 1
🏛️9:00 AMGangaramaya Temple
Eclectic Buddhist temple beside Beira Lake
🚶 ~14 min · 🚗 ~2 min · 0.5 mi
🖼️1:30 PMColombo National Museum
Largest museum in the country, royal regalia and antiquities
🛺 Tuk-tuk hop
🌆6:00 PMFort
Historic administrative and business quarter near the harbour
Arrive in KandyDay 2
🚗8:30 AMDrive or rail to Kandy
Colombo to Kandy inland by expressway and road, or by intercity train
🚗 3 hours · 72 mi
🏛️2:00 PMTemple of the Sacred Tooth Relic
Golden-roofed shrine housing the Buddha’s tooth relic
🛺 Tuk-tuk hop
🌆6:00 PMKandy city centre
Compact old town around the lake and temple
Kandy: Bahirawakanda Vihara Buddha statueDay 3
🏛️9:00 AMBahirawakanda Vihara Buddha statue
Large white seated Buddha overlooking the city
🛺 Tuk-tuk hop
🖼️1:30 PMNational Museum Kandy
Kandyan-era royal and cultural collections
🛺 Tuk-tuk hop
🎟️6:00 PMKandyan cultural dance show
Evening drumming, dance and fire-walking
Arrive in EllaDay 4
🚄8:30 AMTrain to Ella
Kandy to Ella on the hill-country line through tea estates and tunnels
🚄 6 to 7 hours
🏛️2:00 PMNine Arch Bridge
Curved stone railway viaduct set in jungle and tea
🚶 On foot
🌆6:00 PMElla town
One-street hill town of guesthouses and cafes
Ella: Little Adam’s PeakDay 5
🏛️9:00 AMLittle Adam’s Peak
Short climb to a ridge viewpoint over the valley
🚶 On foot
🥾1:30 PMElla Rock
Longer half-day hike to a high lookout
🚶 On foot
🎟️6:00 PMTea-country train ride
Scenic rail between hill stations through the estates
Arrive in GalleDay 6
🚗8:30 AMDrive to Galle
Ella down to the south coast at Galle by road
🚗 4 to 5 hours · 143 mi
🏛️2:00 PMGalle Fort ramparts
Walkable sea walls circling the old town
🛺 Tuk-tuk hop
🌆6:00 PMGalle Fort
Walled old town of Dutch and colonial streets
Galle: Galle LighthouseDay 7
🏛️9:00 AMGalle Lighthouse
White colonial-era lighthouse on the fort point
🛺 Tuk-tuk hop
🖼️1:30 PMMaritime Archaeology Museum
Shipwreck finds in a Dutch warehouse on the ramparts
🛺 Tuk-tuk hop
🎟️6:00 PMWhale-watching boat tour
Seasonal trip for blue and sperm whales off the south coast
This is how Petrel lays out a trip. Upload your own confirmations and it builds this for your dates: flights and hotels included, with live flight status and the travel time between stops.
This is one of 126 free itineraries. Open it, change anything you want, and it becomes your trip.