Discover the best time to visit Sri Lanka: Weather and Festivals

Sri Lanka is formerly known as Ceylon, and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. The climate here is tropical and warm, because of moderating effects of ocean winds. Sri Lanka owns bountiful natural beauty with immense history, culture, spirituality, biodiversity and adventure. Of course, it’s not perfect when it's Monsoon, the weather could seriously affect your trip to some parts of this country.

Take our note to be aware of when the best time to visit Sri Lanka and have a flexible vacation!

The Best time to visit Sri Lanka

1. Whether the best time to travel to Sri Lanka is in Peak Season?

January to April belongs to summer in Sri Lanka. The temperature oscillates in the range of 22°C to 32°C. The cozy sunshine always covers the blue sky, the atmosphere will be in a state of extreme graciousness and blends a little cool wind sometimes. Therefore, the best time to go to Sri Lanka is from January to April, you will enjoy a great time and discover a bunch of diverting things.

Visiting Sri Lanka at this time, you can take a sightseeing trip to the Cultural Triangle, the heritage ruins, ornate temples, colonial churches, etc. Add to this, you should spend your time indulging in the feeling of lying on the white sand and dropping your soul into the sound of the waves whispering on the beaches of Negombo, Bentota or Tangalle.

If you are a festival - lover, we want to recommend you take part in the following festivals: Duruthu Poya, Thai Pongal, Galle Literary Festival in January; Navam Poya, Independence Day, Maha Sivarathri in February; Medin Poya, Good Friday, Galle/Jaffna Music Festival in March; Bak Poya, Sinhalese and Tamil New Year in April, etc.

Wildlife is not a bad choice for tourists, you want to take a look at spotting leopards, Yala National Park in the southeast is at its best from December - March or go to Bundala National Park to savor birds and you can go to the South coast to see whales.

This is a peak season so it attracts numerous tourists from around the world who want to contemplate nature's great spectacles, Sri Lanka and you ought to prepare for the crowding and bustle. Remember to book a hotel, or flight ticket, and check your visa before planning to travel to Sri Lanka and have a good time.

December in Sri Lanka

The best time to travel to Sri Lanka

Sunshine overlays the blue sky and a dry feeling in December will be the best time to visit Sri Lanka. The Monsoon still affects the north and east so the southeast beaches are the best place for you. To talk about festivals, starting with Unduvap Poya, Adam’s Peak pilgrimage season, then we make lovely memories with Christmas and Christian New Year’s Eve.

Mid-July to September

"Inter-monsoon" season is the best way to describe Sri Lanka at this time, the weather spoils tourists’ souls, it will not have any rain in the east. The temperature is supposed to be warm to hot and dry on the beaches, it will be about 29°C on average. This is the best time to travel to Sri Lanka, especially the brilliant eastern beaches.

Furthermore, if you are a big fan of cultural festivals, you can’t brush Esala Perahera away, the key focal point for the country’s Buddhists at the end of July and lasts for 10 days. Nikini Poya in August; Binara Poya, Dussehra in September.

The world’s largest gathering of Asian elephants occurs in Minneriya National Park from August to September. All the things are given by nature which is never to waste your time to go there and delight in magnificent beauty. You might have any questions about the hot tourist places, we have listed the Top 5 best tourist places in Sri Lanka for your trip. It is so useful for your travel itinerary.

The best time to go to Sri Lanka

2. When is not the best time to go to Sri Lanka?

Monsoon in Sri Lanka

If you decide to travel to Sri Lanka this season, you should make a careful plan because the temperature will be erratic. Maybe heavy rainfall and thunderstorms occur anywhere across the island.

The South-West monsoon wind always starts from May to July. The main southwest (“Yala”) monsoon has been the main reason to make the rain pour down to the west and southwest coasts.

The northeast (“Maha”) monsoon, also called the North-East monsoon season is less deeply impacted but longer-lasting from October to January.

Love - travelers are able to go there and discover parts of it, this is not the best time of year to visit Sri Lanka though. Labour Day, Vesak Poya in May; Poson Poya in June; Esala Poya, Kataragama Festival, Hikkaduwa Beach Festival, Vel Colombo in July; Vap Poya, Deepavali, World Spice Food Festival in October; Il Poya in November; Unduvap Poya, Christmas, Christian New Year’s Eve in December, etc.

Sri Lanka Immigration Services hopes that some of the above information can help you sketch out a good plan to travel to Sri Lanka. We’d like to end by reminding you to check your e-visa, Do you have an appropriate e-visa? Was it expired? It is an important part of your plan. If you forgot, don’t worry, we provide an e-Visa service, you are just in charge of fulfilling your basic information on the Apply for Sri Lanka e-Visa online form and the rest is ours.