Best time to visit Sri Lanka, by month

Sri Lanka has it all, golden beaches kissed by palm trees, misty tea hills rolling into the clouds and ancient temples glowing in the soft morning light, Sri Lanka in our opinion is pure magic.

But to experience all this bliss, it’s a good idea to choose the right time to visit to avoid the monsoon rain.

So, when is the best time to visit Sri Lanka? Should I go in December or wait for July? Will it rain the whole time? Is the east coast better in summer?

You’ve probably asking these questions and more.

Over the last 15 years, we’ve been travelling to Sri Lanka during every season, from the scorching hot sun to sheltering from the monsoon downpour.

It’s given us the experience to see all types of weather in Sri Lanka and when the ideal time is to visit depending on the weather, budget and what you’ll experience depending on the month.

In this guide, we are going to share the optimal time to visit Sri Lanka by month, so you get the absolute best experience from your trip.

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Best time to visit Sri Lanka at a glance

In short, Sri Lanka is a year-round travel destination. Even in the monsoon season, you’ll still get some sunshine, with normally short-lived downpours.

However, choosing the best time to visit Sri Lanka for the activities will make a big difference on your overall experience.

Sri Lanka has two monsoon seasons a year, but each affects different regions.

We’ll go into that in a bit more detail in a moment, but the top tourist season in Sri Lanka is between December and April, where tourists visit the country to experience the hot and dry conditions.

If you are looking to avoid the crowds, or find more affordable accommodation options, then travelling outside of this time, will benefit you financially.

That said, you may encounter rain, certainly during the monsoon season, which may affect some of the activities you wish to do.

So, let’s dive deeper into when exactly the best time is to visit Sri Lanka.

Understanding Sri Lanka’s unique climate

Sri Lanka has a tropical climate with two monsoon seasons a year.

The Maha monsoon affects the northern and eastern regions of the island between October and January, while the Yala monsoon affects the western and southern regions during May to August.

Based on this, you can plan your itinerary around the monsoon season.

If you have plans to visit Sri Lanka’s cultural triangle, hill country or explore the western and southern coast, then visiting between December and April is the optimal time to visit.

If you are heading to the north or eastern parts of the island, then the best time to visit would be between May and August.

We have visited, at various times during the year and from our experience, we have had rainfall, but often either in the early evening or at night.

If there were any downpours during the day, it was often short-lived, and an umbrella helped to keep the rain at bay.

So, in truth, you can visit Sri Lanka even during the monsoon season. All you need to bring is an umbrella or waterproof outer clothing to keep you dry.

Regional breakdown and best times to visit each area

Ok, so we have covered when the best time to visit Sri Lanka as a whole, and briefly spoke about the different regions, and where the two monsoons will affect.

But we are going to break it down that bit further to really help you devise your Sri Lanka itinerary.

This is where we will break it down into each individual region.

South and west coast

The south and west coast covers Colombo, Galle and Mirissa:

Best time to visit: December to April

Monsoon season: May to September

Best things to do in this area: Relaxing on beaches, whale and dolphin watching which is best between December to April, and colonial towns.

North and east coast

The east coast covers Trincomalee, Arugam Bay and Jaffna:

Best time to visit: May to September

Monsoon season: October to January

Best thing to do in this area: Surfing in Arugam Bay, snorkeling and diving.

Central highlands

The central highlands include Kandy, Ella and Nuwara Eliya:

Best time to visit: January to April

Mixed weather year-round, with cooler climates, Nuwara Eliya is nicknamed Little England for a reason, and it isn’t just due to the British colonial buildings.

Best things to do in the area: ideal for hiking, taking the most scenic train ride in Sri Lanka and tea plantations

Cultural triangle

The Cultural triangle includes Anuradhapura, Sigiriya and Polonnaruwa:

Best time to visit: May to September

It is dryer than the south.

Best things to do in the area: Step into history, with ancient ruins and learn about Sri Lanka’s deep culture.

Month by month planner

This month-by-month planner includes major events and festivals that are a must experience:

Month	Weather/highlights	Best region	Major events/festivals
January	Dry, sunny	West, south, hill country	Duruthu Perahera
February	Excellent weather	Whole island except North and east	Independence Day
March	Warm, clear skies	West, South, Central
April	Hot & festive	Central, South, East starting to open	Sinhala & Tamil New Year
May	Rain begins in south west	East coast opens up	Vesak Festival
June	Monsoon south west coast	East coast great
July	East coast peak	Kandy (Esala Perahera)	Esala Perahera
August	Peak tourist time	Whole island except Southwest	Esala Perahera continues
September	Transition month	Good time for travel
October	Maha monsoon begins	Unpredictable
November	Mixed weather	Lower crowds
December	Peak season begins	South & West best	Christmas & New Year

When to avoid Sri Lanka

There isn’t really a time in which you should avoid Sri Lanka, since it is a year-round destination.

Saying that, depending on the region you are visiting and the activities, you may wish to avoid some months over others.

The weather during October and November can be unpredictable, with frequent downpours of rain throughout the country.

From our experience the rain is short-lived, but if you intend to do any whale and dolphin watching, or do any watersports, you may want to avoid this time, due to bad weather and rough waters.

You’ll want to avoid the southwest during May to August, if you plan to spend any time on the beach, instead plan your route to cover the eastern coast of Sri Lanka, for better beach conditions.

If you are a budget traveller, then avoid December to April, which is the height of the tourist season.

Prices for accommodation are more expensive than other times of the year.

Save you pennies and travel during off season.

A leopard walking right in front of us on safari in Yala National Park

Conclusion

At the end of the day, the best time to visit Sri Lanka, will really depend on where you want to go and the kind of experience you’re after.

If you are looking for sun-soaked beach days, then you’ll want to visit during December and April on the southwest coast and the east coast in July.

If you are heading into the tea and hill regions, then January to April is the perfect time.

There isn’t one size fits all, and as we have probably mentioned a few times, Sri Lanka is a year-round destination.

So, even if you can’t take holiday during the peak season, due to holiday allowance, or other team members are away, reconsider your options and plan your trip, that’s suitable not only for the weather, but the activities that interest you.

We’d love to hear from you, so drop us a comment below and let us know when you’re planning your trip or ask us anything about Sri Lanka.

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