A week in Sri Lanka doesn't have to mean choosing between the ancient cities, the hills and the beach, since the island is small enough to link all three if the transport days pull their weight. The south and hills are best roughly November to April and the Cultural Triangle's heaviest rain falls October to December, so this route assumes roughly January to March throughout. For how this length compares with 10 days or 2 weeks, see the Sri Lanka itinerary guide.
The recommended route: Sigiriya, Kandy, Ella and the south coast
| Day | Where | What | Eat |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Negombo | Land at Colombo (CMB), settle in near the beach, an easy first night | Rice and curry near your guesthouse |
| 2 | Sigiriya | Private car inland, about 3.5 hours; look at Sigiriya Rock from below before tomorrow's climb | Kottu roti |
| 3 | Kandy | Climb Sigiriya early, then Dambulla's cave temples, then on to Kandy (about 2.5 hours); evening puja at the Temple of the Tooth | Kandyan-style rice and curry |
| 4 | Ella | Kandy Lake in the morning, then Kandy to Nanu Oya by road (about 3 to 4 hours) and the train on to Ella (about 2 to 2.5 hours) | Egg hoppers |
| 5 | Ella | Sunrise on Little Adam's Peak, then the Nine Arches Bridge; a free afternoon | Rice and curry, a tea-factory stop |
| 6 | Mirissa | Private car down to the coast, about 3 to 3.5 hours; a swim or sunset at Coconut Tree Hill | Fresh-grilled tuna |
| 7 | Depart | A last morning on the beach, then the road back to Colombo, about 2.5 to 3 hours | Last coffee before the airport |
Train status in early October 2026: Cyclone Ditwah damaged the hill-country line in November 2025. Nanu Oya to Badulla, through Ella, has run again since 20 June 2026, and Colombo to Peradeniya reopened on 2 October 2026. The sections between Peradeniya and Nanu Oya, including the stretch into Kandy, are still closed, so there's no rail link from Kandy to Nanu Oya. That's why this route covers Kandy to Nanu Oya by road. No reopening date for the closed sections is confirmed, so check our Kandy to Ella train guide and the Sri Lanka Railways site close to your dates.
Book the Nanu Oya to Ella train as soon as reservations open, 30 days before travel: reserved seats can sell out within hours. Hire a private car or van for the road legs, since there's no useful rail link between Ella and the south coast. For the full detail on each region, see the Cultural Triangle and hill country route guides.
Other ways to spend 1 week
Two alternatives swap out a region for more time somewhere else.
Hill country in full: Kandy, Nuwara Eliya and Ella
Skip the coast entirely and spend the extra nights on Nuwara Eliya's tea estates and Horton Plains instead of Mirissa.
Best for Tea country, hiking, the scenic train
South coast week: Sigiriya to the beach
Keep the Cultural Triangle, then head straight to the coast rather than up into the hills, with four nights split between Mirissa, Weligama and a Galle day trip.
Best for Beaches, surf, a Galle Fort day trip
Hill country in full
| Days | Where | What | Eat |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | Sigiriya | Arrive, climb Sigiriya, Dambulla's cave temples | Kottu roti |
| 3 | Kandy | Temple of the Tooth, Kandy Lake | Kandyan rice and curry |
| 4 | Nuwara Eliya | Road to Nanu Oya (about 3 to 4 hours), a tea-factory tour | High-grown Ceylon tea, short-eats |
| 5 to 6 | Ella | Train from Nanu Oya, Little Adam's Peak, the Nine Arches Bridge | Egg hoppers |
| 7 | Depart | Long road transfer to Colombo, about 5 to 6 hours via Balangoda and Ratnapura | Last coffee |
South coast week
| Days | Where | What | Eat |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | Sigiriya | Arrive, climb Sigiriya, Dambulla's cave temples | Kottu roti |
| 3 to 5 | Mirissa or Weligama | The coast: a swim, a surf lesson, whale watching in season | Fresh-grilled tuna |
| 6 | Galle | A day trip to Galle Fort's ramparts and old town | Ambul thiyal |
| 7 | Depart | Road transfer to Colombo, about 2 to 3 hours depending on traffic | Last coffee |
Choosing between them
| Choose | If |
|---|---|
| The recommended route | You want a taste of the Cultural Triangle, the hills and the coast in one week |
| Hill country in full | Tea country, walking and the scenic train matter more than the beach |
| South coast week | Sun, swimming and whale watching matter more than the hills |
Costs, best time and getting around
Budget roughly US$35 to $55 a day, flights extra. Our Sri Lanka cost guide counts that as a dorm bed or basic guesthouse, food, local transport and a share of entry fees. A private car for the road legs comes on top of that. There's no combined Cultural Triangle ticket: each site sells its own, and Sigiriya is US$35 for a non-SAARC foreign adult (see our Sigiriya guide for the rest).
The south and hills are at their best roughly November to April, and the Cultural Triangle's heaviest rain falls October to December, so January to March is the cleanest window for this route. April is mixed everywhere, and the south-west monsoon, roughly May to September, is the window to avoid on the south coast and in the hills. See our best time to visit Sri Lanka guide for the month-by-month detail.
A private car or hired van covers the Cultural Triangle and hill country fastest, and the hill-country train only runs from Nanu Oya onward toward Ella, not from Kandy (see the rail update above). A fuel quota system has run since mid-March 2026, with tourists getting priority at fuel stations. Our Sri Lanka travel guide covers trains, buses, tuk-tuks and drivers in full.
