Essential Travel tips for Sri Lanka

All foreign nationals entering Sri Lanka are required to possess a valid international travel document in the form of a national passport with a valid visa obtained from a Sri Lankan Mission or Post abroad.

Original, signed passport must be valid for 6 months from day of application, and with at least two blank visa pages for Indian visa stamps. Amendment pages are not acceptable for visa stamps. Tourist visas are eligible up to 6 months (180 days).

Since 2012, Almost all the nationalities require to get a 30-day double entry Visa known as an Electronic Travel Authority, or ETA to enter Sri Lanka. Have a look at our Visa information section.

Have photocopies of all the important documents like passport, visas, travel insurance and driving license et cetera, just in case it is lost.

Always carry cash when in Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan currency notes come in denominations of 20, 50, 100,500, 1000 and 5000. We recommend you carry cash as Sri Lanka is a cash loving country. ATMs and the exchange centers are widely accessible in the airport and in the main tourist areas. Although you can pay with a credit/debit card in hotels, restaurants, and grocery stores.

Plan and obtain necessary immunizations and malaria prophylaxis. Travelers should get properly protected against, Covid-19 and Yellow Fever if coming through infected regions. If, planning for a long trip, consider having a complete pre-departure health check-up.

Best time to Travel - Sri Lanka is a tropical Island with two monsoon seasons which normally lead to confusion in travelers around the best time to visit while planning their holiday to Sri Lanka. The northeastern coast of Sri Lanka gets hit by the monsoon between October to January therefore the best time to travel to northeastern part of Sri Lanka would be between May and September. The southwestern coast of Sri Lanka receives intermittent rain in May and June and to a lesser extent August and September therefore, from October to March or April is the best time to visit the southwestern coast of Sri Lanka.

Please DO NOT drink tap water, even in hotels or restaurants as it usually contains high levels of minerals than the water you are used to drinking in your own country. It is fine for a local to drink water from a tap as their bodies are conditioned to it, but for everyone else we highly recommend you always drink bottled water. Bottled water is found everywhere and is quite cheap.

Do not encourage beggars and street urchins by giving them money or other articles. In most cases they beg, as they have become habitual for easy money.

Sri Lanka being tropical country with hot and humid climate, attracts insects/mosquitos with a taste of tourist. Therefore, it is highly recommended to bring insect/mosquito repellents, wear trousers and long sleeves in the evening.

In Sri Lanka, it is considered highly offensive to have Buddha tattoos and pictures taken with your back facing Buddha, therefore cover your Buddha tattoos and don’t use your selfie sticks while paying respect to Sri Lanka holiest icon, Lord Buddha. Lots of cultural sites and temples forbid photography in certain indoor areas. Please follow your guide’s instructions and the warning signs.

Book your train tickets well in advance if you are planning to take the scenic train journey from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya or Ella (or vice versa) as tickets can’t be booked same day or at the station in person unless it’s been booked four days prior to the departure.

The hotel check-in time in Sri Lanka is 14:00 hrs. and the check-out time: 12- noon.

If you are visiting Sigiriya, we highly recommend you reach there in the morning by 08:00 AM to avoid huge lines and crowds at the site. Also keep in mind that it takes an hour to walk up to the rock fortress.