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Places to Visit in Sri Lanka

Home to exotic beaches, famous national parks, ancient temples, and more, Sri Lanka has many beautiful places waiting to be explored. From surfing and diving among the coral reefs and spending time spotting the animals in their natural habitat, the best places to visit in Sri Lanka offer something for everyone. The most popular beaches in Sri Lanka are Hikkaduwa, Negombo, Bentota, Unawatuna, Mirissa, Ambalangoda, and more.

Adventure tourists can tour the best Sri Lanka places to visit in August, like Bundala National and Yala National Park. This island nation is in the Indian Ocean and offers plenty of natural tourist attractions.

If you have less time, then Colombo and Kandy are the beautiful places to visit in Sri Lanka in 2 days. These places will take you to ancient times through the colonial period with its UNESCO World Heritage Sites, where history is safely preserved.

Remember that monsoon hits the country from May to August, the best time to explore places to visit in Sri Lanka east coast. Otherwise, December to April is the best time to visit Sri Lanka.

Look at this list of the top places to explore in Sri Lanka, and if you like to plan a trip, book Sri Lanka tour packages by Indian Holiday, which are customizable.

List of Tourist Places to Visit in Sri Lanka


Explore the second-largest national park in Sri Lanka, Yala National Park. Witness its unique flora and spot wild animals in dense jungles. Yala National Park safari tours will take you deep inside the forests and let you spot leopards, buffaloes, monkeys, crocodiles, golden palm civets, and other animals.

Yala National Park Sri Lanka is home to various bird species like egrets, painted storks, Asian Hornbill, and little cormorants. Thus, a day trip to Yala National Park will be worth it for bird watchers. For a memorable and up-close interaction with nature, camping options are also available in the national park.

Located 260 km from Colombo, Sri Lanka's capital, Yala National Park has almost 215 species of birds and 44 kinds of mammals. They are rightly conserved, which lets tourists and locals witness the incredible ecological balance between nature and wildlife.

If you wish to visit one of the top national parks in Sri Lanka, book Yala National Park tour packages with Indian Holiday, which can be customizable as per your requirements. For now, read this detailed guide to Yala National Park.

Overview of Yala National Park

Location 260 km South East of Colombo 
Address Hambantota, Sri Lanka
Timings 6 am to 6 pm

Sigiriya, the 'Lion Fortress' of Sri Lanka as it is popularly called, is one of the top sites in the Sri Lanka packages. A colossal 200-meter-high rock surrounded by remnants of a network of gardens and reservoirs, Sigiriya was designated as a world heritage site in 1982.

The rock is lava left behind from an ancient volcano, which is quite a sight during your Sigiriya tour. Apart from this, the Sigiriya fortress has old paintings (frescoes) that resemble India's Ajanta Caves. However, the frescoes in Sigiriya Sri Lanka display a unique Sri Lankan style.

On a day trip to Sigiriya from Colombo, admire this special place that is a huge part of Sri Lanka's history. Established over 1,500 years ago by a rogue king, the Sigiriya complex is one of the earliest preserved sites today. And though this rock did not save his king, it definitely kept the ancient Sinhalese culture.

If you wish to visit this beautiful site in Sri Lanka, design a Sigiriya tour package with Indian Holiday according to your requirements. But before that, read this detailed Sigiriya rock guide.

Overview of Sigiriya

Location Northern Matale District near the town of Dambulla
Address Rock front, Sigiriya 21120, Sri Lanka
Timings 6.30 am to 5.30 pm

Explore the Buddhist mural paintings and statues in the Dambulla Cave Temple complex. Also called the Golden Rock, admire the cave temple's exquisite architecture, which is one of the reasons why this is a top tourist attraction in almost every Sri Lanka tour.

Dambulla is one of the world's heritage sites declared by UNESCO. Also, Damba means rock, and Ulla means fountain; thus, you can see water dripping from the main house.

Do not miss the eye-catching Buddha images and rock paintings of vivid colors and shapes from the 2nd century BC to the 18th century at the cave complex. Also, The Golden Temple Dambulla and the Cave Temple are the most impressive structures that fascinate many visitors.

If you wish to explore this Dambulla Royal Cave Temple and Golden Temple, book Sri Lanka tour packages by Indian Holiday, which are customizable. For now, we have prepared a detailed guide to Dambulla Cave Temple to learn more about this place.

Overview of Dambulla Cave Temple

Location Dambulla, Matale District, about 20 km from Sigiriya
Address Kandy - Jaffna Highway, Dambulla, Sri Lanka
Timings 7 am to 7 pm

Sri Lanka beaches do proper justice to words like spectacular, splendid, breathtaking, and picturesque. Here you can witness an impressive range of landscapes and soft white sand. From its east to west, several beautiful beaches in this island country make it an ideal beach destination. From relaxing under the shade of palm trees to walking, the ways to soothe your senses are limitless. And if you are in for an ultimate thrill, these beaches welcome you with wide arm opens. Snorkeling, white water rafting, scuba diving, wakeboarding, and windsurfing are some of the best activities to enjoy on the beaches. Apart from that, beach camping Sri Lanka is rapidly gaining popularity as it gives you a unique travel experience. 

Moreover, you can enjoy the beautiful backdrop to click pictures and soothe your senses. On top of that, the touch of cultural vibe makes these beaches the ultimate tourist destination in Sri Lanka. Besides, the cultural history makes these beaches more enticing. And if you are an ardent admirer of nature or willing to jump on a thrilling safari, you can find several wildlife around these Sri Lanka Beaches.

Overview of Sri Lanka

Famous Beaches Bentota Beach, Mirissa Beach, Arugam Bay, Hikkaduwa Beach
Best Time to Visit December to April
Longest beach Koggala Beach
Time Required 2-3 hours
Activities to Enjoy Surfing, Fishing, Windsurfing, Scuba Diving, Kayaking

Experience the wilderness of Udawalawe National Park by taking a safari ride amidst the lush greenery. It is considered one of the best natural habitats to witness wild elephants worldwide. Hence, you must add this National park to your trip to Sri Lanka. However, it is widely famous for its diversity and is one of the most visited tourist places in Sri Lanka. Udawalawe Safari will take you to the depth of the jungle to spot flocks of water birds, leopards, sloth bears, crocodiles, deer, and wild boars. 

Apart from it, you can take an optional side trip to Udawalawe Elephant Orphanage, a major attraction of this national park. The large number of elephants in Udawalawe gives you an appealing sight to behold. The large size of elephants walking in front of you will give you incredible moments. Wildlife lovers will get the best dose of adventure here and a chance to reconnect with nature. If your mind has some thoughts regarding how to reach, where to stay, and the cost of the safari, read this below guide of Udawalawe National Park. You can also contact our tour experts to book your wildlife tour of Sri lanka to discover this tour. 

Overview of Udawalawe National Park

Location abaragamuwa and Uva Provinces, Sri Lanka
Opening hours 6:00 am to 6:00 pm
Number of Elephants 600 (approximately)
Best Time to Visit December to March
Area 308.21 km2

Adam's Peak in Sri Lanka is one of the most impressive touristy destinations. Heavy numbers of tourists visit this fascinating mountain throughout the year. This mountain is well known for its Sri Pada, a foot-shaped indentation at the summit of the pyramid-like mountain. Buddhist believe that this is the footprint of Lord Buddha. Whereas Hindus believe it's of Lord Shiva and Muslims, believe it is Adam. Hence, this mountain has great spiritual significance and attracts a large number of devotees. Most of the tourists start hiking at 3 am to reach the top and admire the spectacular view of the sunrise. Additionally, enjoying trekking to Adam's Peak is moderately challenging and allures hikers and trekkers for some thrill. The stunning scenery, hiking opportunity, spiritual touch, and natural beauty make this place a must-see attraction in Sri Lanka. You can get to know more about Adam Peak through the given below details.

Overview of Adam’s Peak

Location Northeast of Ratnapura, the capital of Sabaragamuwa province
Height 2,243 m
Best Time to Visit December and April
Famous For Sri Pada
Opening Hours 7:00 am and 5:30 pm
Steps 5500

Popular Sri Lanka Tour Packages

Majestic Sri Lanka Tour

4 N / 5 D

Colombo - Kandy – Nuwara Eliya - Bentota – Colombo

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6 Days Wonders of Sri Lanka Tour

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Sri Lanka Itinerary 7 days

6 N / 7 D

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