Sri Lanka has a tropical climate with a dry season and a rainy season, which changes depending on where you are on the island. Temperatures are fairly stable throughout the year, however you can expect to need a warm sweater in the evening and during the day if you’re in the highlands.

The rainy season is created by Sri Lanka’s two monsoons, the Maha monsoon and the Yala monsoon, which come in from the north-east and south-west respectively. A monsoon is a seasonal change in wind direction bringing heavy rains to different parts of the country at different times.

Sri Lanka is an incredibly lush, green country precisely because of the monsoons, and in the periods between the monsoons, there may be some rainfall throughout the year. However, most heavy showers occur during the rainy season. Below, you can read more about the weather in the different seasons, when the monsoons strike, and when it is dry season and rainy season in the different parts of Sri Lanka.

The dry seasons bring very little rain, many hours of sunshine and averagely high temperatures.

The rainy seasons bring heavy rain, which, however, rarely falls over several days. The heavy showers often last no more than a couple of hours, and then the weather quickly clears up again. The temperatures are still hot, but due to the wind, the air is slightly cooler than during the dry season.

South-western Sri Lanka (Hikkaduwa – Galle – Mirissa):
Along the south-west coast of southern Sri Lanka are the towns of Hikkaduwa, Galle and Mirissa. Hikkaduwa and Mirissa are ideal beach holiday destinations.

The dry season is from around December to April. This season is the best time to visit the area’s beach holiday destinations.

The rainy season is from around May to August, when the rain is blown inland by the Yala monsoon.

North of the coast in the south-western part of Sri Lanka is where you’ll find Sinharaja Forest Reserve. As Sinharaja is a rainforest, you can expect a lot of rain all year round, with the most rain in the months of April and May, as well as in October and November.

South-eastern Sri Lanka (Yala National Park, Udawalawe National Park, Bundala National Park):

In the south-east of Sri Lanka, you’ll find, among other things, Yala, Udawalawe and Bundala National Parks.

The dry season is from around May to September.

The rainy season is from around October to January, when the weather can be affected by the North-east monsoon.

Sri Lanka’s west coast (Negombo – Colombo):
Situated on the west coast of Sri Lanka are the country’s capital, Colombo, and Negombo, a fishing village and beach holiday destination. In both places, the seasons are just like in southern Sri Lanka.

The dry season is from around December to April.

The rainy season is determined by the Yala monsoon and falls from around May to August.

North-eastern Sri Lanka (Trincomalee):
Situated on the north-east coast of Sri Lanka is the beach holiday destination, Trincomalee. This part of Sri Lanka is generally a relatively dry area with a mere 1,000 mm or so per year.

The dry season is from around March to August. Summertime in Europe is the perfect time to visit the beach holiday destinations in this area.

The rainy season is from around September to February, with the Maha monsoon bringing rain to this part of the island.

The northern part of central Sri Lanka (Sigiriya – Anuradhapura):
In the northern part of central Sri Lanka are the popular areas of Sigiriya and Anuradhapura, as well as the slightly smaller areas of Dambulla, Matale and Polonnaruwa. The best time to visit this area is from the beginning of January to the end of March.

The dry season is from May to the end of September.

The rainy season is from October to early May, with most rain falling in mid-November.

The central highlands and mountains of Sri Lanka (Kandy – Ella – Nuwara Eliya):
Kandy, Ella, Haputale and Nuwara Eliya are located in the central highlands and mountains of Sri Lanka. It is slightly cooler here than at the coast, with a higher likelihood of rain.

The dry season is from around January to April, and this is also when the average temperature is most comfortable.

The rainy season is from around late April to January, the wettest month being October.

As a British citizen, you must be in possession of a valid British passport. The passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the day you arrive in Sri Lanka.

As a British citizen, you will need to obtain a visa to visit Sri Lanka, which you will be issued with on your arrival if the following conditions are met:

• You have applied for ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) in advance and this has been approved
• Your passport is valid for at least 6 months from the date of arrival
• You have a valid return ticket

Your ETA application must be processed via the official site Sri Lanka Electronic Travel Authorization System.

We recommend that you carefully read through the terms, which you will find here. After reading the terms, click “I agree” and you will be sent to the next page. Here, you should click “Apply for an individual tourist ETA” and the page containing your ETA application will open.

When you complete your visa application, you should have the following to hand:

• Your passport
• Your credit card (Visa or Mastercard)

The ETA application requires you to fill in a number of personal details as well as your address in Sri Lanka. Here, we suggest that you write the address of the first hotel you will be staying at. The name of the hotel will appear on your tour confirmation.

Once you have completed your application, you will be sent on to the payment page where you can pay with one of the above credit cards. ETA costs 50 USD per adult and is free for children under 12. Once your payment has been processed, you will receive a confirmation via email.

You will receive a response to your ETA application within 24 hours. You can check the status of your application here.

Your ETA approval is valid for 3 months from the date of issue and must be printed and brought along with your passport, which you must show on your arrival in Sri Lanka.

Questions and answers about ETA can be found here.

If you have any further questions, we recommend that you contact Sri Lanka’s immigration office on tel. +94 71 9967888 or by email  eta@immigration.gov.lk.

Click here to check the visa regulations on the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office website.

Prior to your departure, you can download our App here to find your travel documents and the contact details for TourCompass and our local partners.

If your tour involves journeys by train in Sri Lanka, it is our partner who books and issues the tickets, which your guide will give you at the destination.

We recommend that you download the WhatsApp app to your smartphone and add the phone numbers of our business partners. You can send messages and call them for free using the app when you have a Wi-Fi connection.

We recommend that you contact a medical specialist, your GP or an authorised vaccination clinic for information about vaccinations. You can also read more about the rules regarding travel vaccinations here.

Please be aware of the rules about yellow fever – especially if you are entering via another country where yellow fever is present. Some countries require proof of yellow fever vaccination upon entry. Your vaccination certificate should therefore always be carried with you in your hand luggage when you travel.

You’re always very welcome to contact us if you have any questions about this.

Please read our general travel terms and conditions carefully, as these are part of the agreement terms for tours purchased at TourCompass. Tours purchased from us are covered under the “Package Travel Act”.

Click here to read our travel terms and conditions.

All the flights and flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights, hotels and other services) is listed on it.
Please see our booking conditions for further information or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate click here.

We always advise you to obtain comprehensive travel insurance when heading off on your dream holiday. It is also highly recommended to acquire cancellation insurance for extra protection. 

Click here to proceed to our page on insurance, where you can read more about our recommendations.

The Sri Lankan currency is called the Sri Lankan rupee (LKR). The current exchange rate of the Sri Lankan rupee can be found here.

Visa and Mastercard can be used at hotels, most restaurants and shops, but not at small, local eateries and markets. There are cash machines in all major cities, so you can withdraw cash.

Obtain an idea of the price level in Sri Lanka here.

Tipping is both commonplace and appreciated.  Generally, of course, you tip according to the service you have received.  The following is an indicative guide:

• Guide/drivers: At least 5 USD per family per day
• Porters: At least 200 LKR per item of luggage
• Maids: At least 200 LKR per room per day
• Restaurants: At restaurants, tipping is often included in the price, and in that case a 10% service charge will appear on the bill. If this is the case, there is no need to add more. If the tip is not included in the price, you can add 5-10% if the service and food have been good. Tips are not expected at street kitchens, but you can leave a few small coins on the table when you go.

At the vast majority of our destinations, we are able to take allergies, as well as allergens or preferences into account when it comes to food, however it is important that you inform us of this when you book the tour.

Telephones & Wi-Fi:

It’s expensive to use data and roaming abroad if it’s not already included in your mobile subscription. Contact your mobile company to find out what services are included in your subscription and what prices apply to you when travelling abroad.

If data and roaming are not included in your mobile subscription when travelling abroad, we recommend that you use Wi-Fi when you’re at your hotel or restaurants. That way, you can call and write home free of charge via various services such as Facetime, Messenger and WhatsApp. Otherwise, it is also possible to buy a local SIM card including data on your arrival.

Electricity:

The voltage in Sri Lanka is 230V. It’s important that you bring an adapter with you, as the Sri Lankan plugs can have both round and flat pins.

Make sure you pack all your important and indispensable things in your hand luggage. This applies to items such as passports, visas, vaccination cards, travel documents, insurance documents, credit cards, money, computers, mobile phones and cameras, as well as information about your health and vital medicines.

Visiting temples

When visiting temples, there is a strict dress code. Your knees and shoulders must be covered, your clothes must not be see-through, and you must also take off your shoes. We recommend that you bring a pair of socks with you, as the stone floors can get very hot due to the sun.

Visitors are not permitted to bring plants, seeds, fruit and other plant products into the UK from their travels outside the UK, unless they are accompanied by a plant health (phytosanitary) certificate. These rules also apply to smaller quantities of plants and plant products.

Read more about the rules here.

Please note that this tour is not generally suitable for people with impaired mobility. Please contact us for information about your options in relation to your specific needs.

Most airlines have electronic tickets (e-tickets).

It is important that you check your name for spelling errors, as the name on the reservation must be exactly as it appears on your passport. If your name needs to be corrected, please contact us as soon as possible. Please note that this may incur a fee from the airline.

The airline will assign you a seat on the plane at check-in. If you have specific wishes regarding where you sit on the plane, you can make a seat reservation yourself on the airline’s website or in their app. Please note that most airlines require payment for a seat reservation.

It varies when airlines open for seat reservations, but as a general rule, you can book seats from the time of booking and up to 48 hours before departure.

We also point out that the airline has complete control over all seats on the plane and that they are therefore entitled to make changes to the reservation at any time.
If you do not make a seat reservation before departure, the airline will assign you a seat at check-in.

Your passport and your booking reference, which appears on your itinerary, are required to check in.

We recommend that you download the airline’s app on your phone. In the app, there is an option for online check-in, which typically opens 24 to 48 hours before departure. The app also allows you to stay informed of any flight changes and other important information about your flight.

Please note that the flight times may have changed in relation to those listed on the travel itinerary you received when you booked your holiday. It is always the flight times in the airline’s app or on the airline’s website that apply.

We recommend that you arrive at the airport to check in at least two hours before departure. It is a good idea to check the airport’s website for the latest updates.

We use many different airlines for our destinations. You can check the exact rules for hand luggage and checked baggage on the airline’s website or in their app.

If your baggage is delayed, please contact the staff in the baggage reclaim area to report your missing baggage.

It is important that you have your baggage receipt when completing your PIR (Property Irregularity Report).

Please note that you must not leave the baggage area at the airport until you have completed the report.

In the event of delayed baggage, we ask you to contact our partner, who will ensure that your guide/driver waits for you.

Should any changes occur in connection with your flight reservation before departure, we will of course contact you to let you know.

Should your flight be delayed after check-in, the airline is responsible for rebooking your flight. They will typically book the next possible flight and arrange any meals and accommodation if necessary.

Our partner checks for any changes in arrival times and will naturally still wait for you, even if your flight is delayed.

If, due to a delay or cancellation, the airline books you on another flight number after you have arrived at the airport, please contact us on TourCompass’ emergency number.

Immigration:

When you arrive at your final destination, you will go through immigration, where your passport and any entry documents and visas are checked. In many places, you will be required to provide fingerprints, and a photo of your face will also be taken for biometric recognition. You may also be asked questions about your travel plans in the country and possibly where you are staying.

Customs:
Once you’ve cleared immigration and picked up your luggage, you will head through customs. If you have nothing to declare, you can go through “nothing to declare”. If, on the other hand, you have something to declare, it is important that you go through “declare”. It’s your own responsibility to check the customs regulations that apply in the country you are travelling to.

On your arrival, you will be met by a guide/driver who will be ready to welcome you with a TourCompass sign.

In the unexpected event that you cannot find your guide/driver, please contact our partner on the emergency number which appears on the travel documents.

Normal check-in is typically from 2 pm, and, therefore, you cannot count on getting your room earlier. If you’d like to check in early, this can be arranged for a fee when you book the tour.

When you check in, the receptionist will generally register your credit card and may reserve an amount. This is not an additional fee, but customary at hotels to ensure payment of any consumption from the minibar and the like. When you check out, the amount will be automatically released if you have not made use of this.

It is very normal for hotels to take a copy of your passport. In some places, this is a requirement of the local authorities.

Check-out is normally by 10 am. If you’re not travelling until the afternoon or evening, you can have your luggage stored until it’s time to leave. If you would like a late check-out instead, this can be arranged for a fee when you book the tour.

Our tours to Sri Lanka are individual tours, however excursions and transfers take place in international groups of 1–14 people and with TourCompass’ own guests only.

In the event of unforeseen circumstances such as bad weather, blocked roads or otherwise, it may be necessary to change the order of sightseeing tours and attractions in your itinerary.

We have a 24-hour emergency hotline so that you can always get in touch with us should anything unforeseen occur during your tour. You will also be sent the telephone numbers and emergency telephone numbers of our partners at the destination. In some cases, it may be easiest and fastest to contact our partners due to time differences, if, for example, you find yourself in a situation where your pick-up for an excursion or transfer is more than 15 minutes delayed.

We rely on happy travellers, and we would therefore very much like to hear from you after your return home. Send us an email at info@tourcompass.co.uk or call us on tel.: 01279704135.