Sri Lanka, the land with a lavish collection of long history, gorgeous beaches, the beautiful religion of Buddhism, incredible nature, and spectacular animal life, and all of that, is in a reachable distance and with great places to discover in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka Essential Itinerary is for 12 Days: It will give you a great adventure and memories that will last a lifetime. At the end of the trip, you will fall in love with the people and the country. Sri Lanka has to be discovered because of its richness and diversity.
Read More About Sri Lanka
Whale and Dolphin Watching in Mirissa
Adam’s Peak Climb with 5 381 steps
7 Highlights of Ella in Sri Lanka
Carefree Mirissa beach in Sri Lanka
7 Sparkling Highlights for Backpacking Sri Lanka
Despite the long civil war and the tsunami in 2004, people are happy and friendly. They are optimistic about the future. It´s finally peace. Now the people are looking into the future with hopes and smiles. It’s time for Sri Lanka to grow and show its beauty to the world. It has so much to offer if you want to receive the love of Sri Lanka.
My one month traveling in Sri Lanka was one of the best adventures in my travels. That’s why I created the: Sri Lanka Essential Itinerary for 12 days of traveling around in the country. In 12 days, you can see a considerable amount of Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka Essential Itinerary for 12 Days Travel
Day 1 – Galle Fort
When entering the Airport, find a driver that will transport you to Galle Fort. Walk Around Galle Fort that is a colonial-era fort. Have an easy day and adjust to this new culture is an important part of Sri Lanka Essential Itinerary.
Finish the day on the roof Café – Mama´s Galle Fort, that has delicious and mouthwatering Curry. In mouthwatering I mean hot! The curry was supposed to be a mild curry for tourists. There was a burning need for the local beer Lion.
Fun things to do in Galle Fort is to visit the post office and buy stamps for your postcard. It is fun to see how the Mail industry operates differently in the world and at the end of they, all of them to deliver the post to your mailbox.
Galle is the best example of a fortified city built by the Portuguese in South and Southeast Asia, showing the interaction between Portuguese architectural styles and native traditions. The city was extensively fortified by the Dutch during the 17th century from 1649 onwards. The Galle fort is a world heritage site and is the largest remaining fortress in Asia built by European occupiers.
Accommodation favorites in Galle: Fifty Lighthouse Street by Reveal and The Bartizan Galle Fort
Day 2 – Carefree Mirissa Beach
My Favorite in the Sri Lanka Essential Itinerary
The next day, it’s time to explore the tuk-tuk experience. Take it over to Carefree Mirissa beach that will be 1 hour more or less driving. Enter paradise & then drink a coconut a day and keep the doctor away.
Mirissa beach is the place to do nothing, only drink coconuts and pineapple juice. The ocean is divine; the vibe is relaxed. If you are into surfing, it’s an option or maybe a Yoga class that will make you total peace. Or perhaps just read a book? When the dinner comes, eat seafood and local curry. Enjoy falling asleep to the sound of the ocean.
Accommodation favorites in Mirissa Beach: Citrine Mirissa & Paradise Beach Club Levon Ella Sri Lanka
Day 3 – Whale and Dolphin Watching in Mirissa
When having 12 days in Sri Lanka, you need to go Whale Watching. It is one of the most reliable places to spot a Blue Whale – the most significant animal that ever been on the planet. If not lucky to see a leopard in Yala National Park, there is a high success rate when it comes to seeing Whale and Dolphins in Mirissa.
Day 4 – Mirissa Beach
With 12 days in Sri Lanka, there is time for vacation mood. Why not just stay another day and relax? If you are short on time, skip this day, travel further, and make it a 10 Days Itinerary in Sri Lanka.
Leave Mirissa by evening/midday for entering the Guesthouse for Yala National Park. Around 3 hours drive. Remember to tell your new home that you want dinner before noon, if not no Curry for you. They start preparing dinner in the early hours and cook it all day to make it outstanding. Remember to tell me that you are coming and are hungry for dinner.
Day 5 – Yala – Bundala National Park,
Sri Lanka Essential Itinerary, you must include the wildlife. Watching wild elephants in their natural habit is a beautiful situation and a must-do. Yala National Park has the highest leopard concentration in the world. If you are lucky, you are fortunate!
Our tour guide showed a high standard of respect for the animals and nature, which is highly appreciated for the animals and the future of the National Parks in Sri Lanka.
Tourism generates noise and air pollution in the park and creates money and therefore helps to justify the National Park.
The safari starts at 4 AM. After having lunch and a small break, it is time to hit the car and prepare for a long trip to Ella, the hill country of Sri Lanka. A fantastic landscape makes the next six hours in the car pass by quickly. There is time for a nap! Entering Ella right before the dark and looking out the window watching the car climb the hills surrounding tea plantations.
Day 6 – Ella the Hill Country of Sri Lanka
The best thing about being in Sri Lanka is diversity. When having 12 days in Sri Lanka, there should be room for Ella. The Hill Country of Sri Lanka is where the air is clean, the stars are bright, and everything is green. The streets dog of Little Adams peak will all become your friend by the end of the night.
Out of many Highlights in Ella, my personal favorite was Little Adam’s peak and the Sri Lankan massage. It should be done on the first day of staying in Ella, try to include it in the Sri Lanka Essential Itinerary.
Accommodation favorites in Ella: Levon and Dowa Elegance Resort.
Day 7 – Ella & Tea Plantation
When being in Ella, visit the tea plantation and see the beginning of where all the tasty tea is born.
Great experience to see all the steps in making tea and learn more about the industry that employs over 1 million people in Sri Lanka. Do the tea plantation early in the morning (10:00). Then afterward, go exploring Dova Temple.
Day 8 – Adam’s Peak Climb with 5 381 steps in Sri Lanka
In the midday, hit the road to Adams Peak either by private car or bus/train to Hatton. Then bus or tuk-tuk to Dalhouise.
We were crazy and had a tuk-tuk from Ella to Dalhouise. It was around six hours of traveling. I would not do that again; even do it was an adventure but very uncomfortable.
Go to bed early and prepare for the night walk to Adams Peak, start walking around 02.00 AM and enter top by 05.00 AM. Watch the sunset at about 06.00 AM. Be back down at 08.00 AM.
Adam’s Peak is a unique travel moment and beautiful experience with the prayers of the Sri Lankan people praying for the sun and new day.
Day 9 – Kandy and Temple of the Sacred Tooth
Leaving Adams Peak at midday and entering Kandy in time for the Temple of Tooth evening ritual at 08:30 PM. This part of the trip, I got food poising and was pretty sure I was going to die. I never had the chance to enter the temple of the Sacred Tooth.
Day 10 – Kandy to Colombo, Utterly Scenic Train Ride in Sri Lanka
Take the train from Kandy to Colombo and enjoy outstanding scenery with the mountains and the green landscape. Enter your hotel in Colombo and change clothes and go out again! In the capital, you should discover some culinary food in Colombo’s heart and check out the Dutch Hospital for some divine dining but on the higher end of pricing. Maybe send your clothes for laundry and don’t do any laundry when arriving back home. See it as one of your last contribution to the local economy.
Day 11 – Colombo by Day & Night
Make sure to do some serious shopping before leaving if the budget is still reasonable. Go shopping at local creative stores such as Odel and Barefoot. Our personal favorite was Barefoot. The products are outstanding, and the backyard perfect for a lunch break. I purchased the sope selection, and it can still take me back to Sri Lanka when being in the shower at home in Norway.
You should go and do your hair & nails at Crown Hair and Beauty; the treatments are excellent! Maybe one of the best experiences I had at hairdresser overseas. They also have all the best hair products.
5 Boutique Hotels in Colombo
Boutique Spice Colombo
Lavonca Boutique Hotel
Aathma Colombo House
Taru Villas – Lake Lodge
Galle Face Hotel
Day 12 – Colombo & Leaving Back Home
Do the thing that we all don´t like packing and prepare to hit the airport.
Sri Lanka Essential Itinerary for 12 Days
When having 12 days in Sri Lanka, you will have the possibility to see a significant part of the country. It would help if you chose your favorites at the same time, allow for unexpected adventures. It all depends on your mood on how much you want to do and at what time. You can do Sri Lanka in 10 Days or even 6 Days itinerary, but personally, for me, that will be pushing it. When I was traveling there in 2014 with my best friend, we had a month of exploring, a great destination for our Backpacking adventure.
Have you been, or are you going to Sri Lanka?
Other Blogs About Sri Lanka
Mapping Megan: 5 Reasons You Should Travel to Sri Lanka
Adventurous Kate: Sri Lanka, What Took Me So long?
6 Comments
Hello Nick! 🙂 Thank you for your input about Sri Lanka. We where there in February we enjoyed very much even do hot. We did not do so much trekking accept Adams Peak and in Ella. We had a beautiful time, we felt very safe there 🙂 even when we decided to do swimming in front of a military base close to Aruguam Bay. As you said show great respect for the Buddhist Sanctuary.
Hei Marianne 🙂 Så hyggelig å høre! Jeg håper virkelig at Sri Lanka blir neste reisemål for deg! Dra nå før alle andre drar dit 🙂
Hello!
Nice post for spending days in Sri Lanka.
It’s decent in Sri Lanka. But, june-july are extremely HOT like 28C around nation with the exception of focal region Kandy Nuwara Eliya and so on those have great trekking spots and rain woods and mountains and so on if its an outing of 12 day , spent most recent 4 days in eastern urban areas like Trincomalee and Batticaloa and so on there are some decent shorelines and fiery nourishments. Evade Northern side which were involved by LTTE psychological militants unless you wanna chance and do enterprise, Landmines are there. In any case, sri lanka is absolutely sheltered other than ordinary viciousness. individuals likewise pleasant and liberal. in any case, attempt not take photographs in buddhist sanctuary. Have a decent excursion 🙂
Sri Lanka står høyt på reiseønskelisten min – så gjenstår å se hvor lang tid det tar før jeg kommer meg dit! Jeg har nemlig en tendens til å ende opp med å reise til helt andre steder enn de stedene jeg tror kommer til å bli neste reisemål 😀
Tusen takk for det! Vi hadde en helt fantastisk tid der! Og helt i hypnose av hvor mye flott landet hadde å tilby. Dere må gå turen til Adams Peak!! Min beste reiseoppelvelse noensinne! Grunnen til det ble seks timers tuk-tuk tur istedenfor tog fra Ella til Hatton, var at vi traff to tuk-tuk sjåfører som ønkset å gå adams peak. Så vi betalte bensinpenger og hadde våre to buddhistiske guider med oss på turen, samt fikk oppleve hvor betydningsfult det var for dem å gjøre denne pilgrimsturen! Dere hadde også en fin 14 dagers reiserute 🙂 Vi likte oss også i Aruguam Bay og talalla beach.
Kjempefint reiserute for Sri Lanka! Flotte bilder! Enig i at dette er høydepunktene i Sri Lanka. Vi forelska oss helt i dette vakre landet, og driver allerede og planlegger tur tilbake dit.
Wow, imponerende at du gikk opp til Adam`s Peak! Vi hadde også lyst til å gå den turen, men måtte kaste inn håndkledet da Espen fikk vondt i kneet. Så vi måtte nøye oss med Little Adam`s Peak. Men da har vi noe igjen til neste Sri Lanka tur. Hehe, tuk-tuk-turen på seks timer høres ganske så slitsom ut ja! 🙂