Sri Lanka is undoubtedly one of our favorite travel destinations. Its island charm and varied landscapes captured our hearts in no time. Plus, it’s really affordable as well! Three weeks is an ideal length for a Sri Lanka route. You’ll go through jungles, mountains, tea plantations, and stunning coastlines. Start your adventure in vibrant cities, and wind down on gorgeous beaches with a coconut in your hand. Whatever you’ve been dreaming of, you’ll find it in this ultimate Sri Lanka 3-week itinerary.
Table of contents
- Day 1 to 2: Negombo
- Day 2 to 4: Sigiriya
- Day 4 to 6: Kandy
- Day 6 to 8: Nuwara Eliya
- Day 8 to 11: Ella
- Day 11 to 13: Tissamaharama
- Day 13 to 14: Tangalle
- Day 14 to 17: Dickwella
- Day 17 to 19: Mirissa
- Day 19 to 21: Unawatuna
Day 1 to 2: Negombo
After spending a week in India, we didn’t want to visit another bustling capital city. So instead, we headed straight from the Colombo airport to Negombo, a charming beach town. Here you can enjoy a leisurely stroll along Negombo Beach and have a delicious dinner at Lord’s Restaurant. Although we only stayed one night in Negombo, we easily could have stayed longer! The vibe here is fantastic.
Where we stayed: Serendib Village Guest House
How to get from the airport to Negombo
Negombo is about a 20-minute drive from the airport. We arranged a cab through the app Kangaroo Cabs and paid € 10 for it.
Day 2 to 4: Sigiriya
The next destination was Sigiriya, famous for housing the majestic Sigiriya Lion Rock. The main attraction in Sigiriya is definitely the Sigiriya Lion Rock. To catch the most breathtaking views, we recommend climbing Pidurangala Rock at sunrise. We were absolutely blown away by the stunning sight of the Lion Rock. It was definitely one of the highlights of our trip to Sri Lanka! Besides that, there isn’t a whole lot to do in Sigiriya itself, except for enjoying some delicious meals at Pradeep Restaurant. On your second day, we suggest exploring Dambulla, which is just a short 30-minute drive away. The standout experiences there are visiting the Dambulla Cave Temple and the Golden Temple.
Where we stayed: Sigiriya River Side Home Stay
How to get from Negombo to Sigiriya
To reach Sigiriya, we first took bus 34 from Negombo to Kurunegala. This bus ride took around 2 hours, and we paid 1000 LKR (€ 3) for a bus with A/C. Then, we had to take another bus to Dambulla which took 2 hours again. For this ride, we took a regular bus and paid only 500 LKR (€ 1,40). From Dambulla, we had two options: either take another bus for an hour, or take a tuktuk ride to Sigiriya for 30 minutes. After 4 hours on a bus we decided on the latter, which cost us 2500 LKR (€ 7,29). A bus from Dambulla to Sigiriya should cost you no more than 100 LKR per person.
Day 4 to 6: Kandy
Next stop: Kandy, the second biggest city in Sri Lanka. While it wasn’t exactly our favorite city due to the crowds and smog, there is still plenty to see and do! Climbing to the top of the Ambuluwawa Tower is one of the highlights, offering a unique perspective of the city. We also loved wandering around the Royal Botanic Gardens of Peradeniya. And to top it off, our stay at High View Homestay was simply magical. We stayed two nights in Kandy and for us it was just perfect.
Where we stayed: High View Homestay
▶️ Read all about the best things to do in Kandy.
How to get from Sigiriya to Kandy
To reach Kandy from Sigirya, you first have to get to Dambulla. There are no direct connections from Sigiriya, which means Dambulla is your best bet for reaching Kandy. We took a tuktuk ride from our homestay (€ 7,29) to get to the bus stand in Dambulla. Then we took the non-A/C bus to Kandy for 1500 LKR (€ 4,40). We do have a feeling the conductor scammed us, though… This was by far the most expensive bus ride we took in Sri Lanka, and it wasn’t even the longest distance or anything! Make sure to double check the prices if you feel like something’s off. The bus ride took less than 2 hours.
Day 6 to 8: Nuwara Eliya
Next up on this 3-week Sri Lanka itinerary is Nuwara Eliya, known for its magnificent tea production and British colonial vibe. Here you can visit the tea plantations, explore Ramboda Falls, and have a fancy high tea experience at The Grand Hotel. Nuwara Eliya is often overlooked by travelers in Sri Lanka, but it’s definitely worth a visit! Just remember to pack an extra sweater and pair of socks because it can get chilly here.
Where we stayed: Pigeons Nest
▶️ Discover the ultimate day trip to Nuwara Eliya.
How to get from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya
We took a direct A/C bus from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya and paid 1200 LKR (€ 3,58). We didn’t plan on taking the A/C bus, but because Sri Lanka celebrated its Independence Day there weren’t any other options. This bus ride took 3 hours and was the most uncomfortable one we took. It being Independence Day meant that this small bus was packed to the brim, almost unbearable!
Day 8 to 11: Ella
A visit to Ella cannot be missed when in Sri Lanka. This cute little town is buzzing with energy and has stunning waterfalls, beautiful train rides, and breathtaking views. Ella is easily the liveliest town in Sri Lanka. There are plenty of great restaurants, cafes, and bars. It’s a bit crowded with tourists, but that’s part of what makes it so enjoyable! Plus, you get to meet new people, which is always nice.
Where we stayed: Rawana Mountain View
▶️ Discover everything you need to know about Ella in our complete travel guide to Ella.
How to get from Nuwara Eliya to Ella
Our story of how we wanted to get from Nuwara Eliya to Ella is a long one. We planned on taking the train, but it was sold out. A bus ride takes 3 hours (or more), and since we’d already taken many buses, we wanted to try something new. Enter a scenic minivan ride! Let us tell you, this did not go to plan. The guy operating the minivan service didn’t have the correct license to drive around tourists, so we were halted by tourist police and angry tuktuk drivers. After a holdup of almost 2 hours, we suddenly found ourselves at the police station, where we had to get off the bus. So, how to reach Ella from Nuwara Eliya? Not by minivan, that’s for sure. We had to take a taxi from Nuwara Eliya, luckily we were able to share the fare with 2 other people, so we only had to pay around € 20.
Now, how do you reach Ella, then? The cheapest option is taking the local bus, with one bus (31) being a direct one to Ella. The most popular option, though, is to go on one of the most scenic train rides in the world. Make sure to book your tickets well in advance, for this we added a handy widget!
Day 11 to 13: Tissamaharama
Tissamaharama is the perfect base if you want to explore Yala National Park. In addition to spotting elephants and crocodiles at Yala National Park, the best part of our trip was definitely sleeping among rice fields at Rice Rice Villas. Tissamaharama isn’t the busiest town, but we really enjoyed unwinding at Rice Rice Villas. And there are plenty of great restaurants around, too!
Where we stayed: Rice Rice Villas
How to get from Ella to Tissamaharama
We’ll tell you straight away, we had to do a lot of research to know how we could reach Tissamaharama from Ella by bus. There are no direct buses from Ella, which means: multiple stopovers! We first took the bus from Ella to Wellawaya, which lasted 1 hour and cost us 300 LKR (€ 0,89). Then, we had to take another bus to Thanamalwila, which lasted little under an hour and a half and set us back 350 LKR (€ 1,14). Lastly, we had to take a final bus to Tissamaharama for one hour and paid 300 LKR again. We sat on the bus for almost 4 hours, took 3 buses, and it cost us less than € 3 for the two of us. Talk about a steal!
We do want to mention that there is a direct bus going to Tissamaharama from Thanamalwila, but it only runs every couple of hours. In our case, we’d have to wait more than 2 hours to take this direct bus, the other option was to hop on a non-direct bus that left immediately. We figured another bus ride to keep us moving was the better choice, since we’d arrive faster at our final destination!
Day 13 to 14: Tangalle
After all the exploring and hiking, it is time to unwind by the coast. Tangalle is one of the loveliest coastal towns, with plenty to do but not too crowded with tourists (yet) – just the way we like it! The highlight of Tangalle is watching the sunset at Silent Beach, soooo magical. And if you’re looking for a romantic dinner spot, Coppenrath is the place to be! The chili calamari is absolutely heavenly, and the cocktails are pretty good as well.
Where we stayed: Coco Palm Villa and Cabanas
How to get from Tissamaharama to Tangalle
We took a direct bus from Tissamaharama to Tangalle, which took 1 hour and cost us 600 LKR (€ 1,78). In our opinion, this is the best option for getting there. Fast, easy, reliable, and… cheap!
Day 14 to 17: Dickwella
Next up is Dickwella, one of the must-visit beach towns in Sri Lanka. We recommend exploring Dondra Lighthouse, situated at Sri Lanka’s southernmost point. Other great things to do are Blue Beach Island and Nilwella Fishery Harbor. And let’s not forget about our favorite spot: Garlic Cafe. We couldn’t get enough of their delicious food – we ended up dining there at least three times. That’s how good it was! Lots to see, great food options, and a cool surfer-vibe… What more could you ask for?
Where we stayed: Gold ocean house
How to get from Tangalle to Dickwella
You can probably guess how we reached Dickwella by now… Yes, by bus! There’s a direct bus from Tangalle to Dickwella, and it takes around 40 minutes to get there. The fare? Just 240 LKR (€ 0,71) for the two of us!
Day 17 to 19: Mirissa
Mirissa is perhaps the most popular beach destination in Sri Lanka, and for good reason. There’s so much to do here! Highlights include catching a magical sunrise at Coconut Tree Hill, swimming with turtles, and visiting Thalpe Beach, the most unique beach in Sri Lanka.
Where we stayed: Salty Fish
▶️ Read all about the best things to do in Mirissa.
How to get from Dickwella to Mirissa
We took a direct bus (32) from Dickwella to Mirissa. This ride took little under two hours, and cost us 320 LKR in total (€ 0,90).
Day 19 to 21: Unawatuna
End this Sri Lanka 3-week itinerary in Unawatuna, a lively coastal town. We recommend renting a scooter to explore some great beaches, and exploring the Japanese Peace Pagoda. You can also take a day trip to Galle, where you can visit Galle Fort (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and the Lighthouse of Galle. It is so much fun to wander around in Galle, there are so many cute shops and cafes here!
Where we stayed: Habibi Hostel & Restaurant
How to get from Mirissa to Unawatuna
To reach Unawatuna from Mirissa, we took yet another bus. It took around 40 minutes to get there and we paid 400 LKR for the both of us (€ 1,19).
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