Sri Lanka is one of the cheapest countries we’ve ever visited! Our budget was of 20 euros per person per day and we rarely went over it. Safaris and Sigiriya are the most expensive activities. Besides that, you can do most of the activities on your own for free! Here’s a full budget breakdown from our one-month trip to Sri Lanka.

For those on a very tight budget, you might want to explore some of the volunteering opportunities available on Worldpackers. Volunteering through this platform is one of the best ways to travel almost for free, as accommodation and food are usually provided!

The official languages of Sri Lanka are Sinhala and Tamil, and English is commonly used in tourist areas, sometimes a little broken but you’ll be able to communicate just fine. Some key local words that are super helpful to know before you go are:

• Ayubowan: Hello
• Bohoma Sthuthi: Thank you very much
• Karunakarala: Please
• Ovou: Yes
• Néhé: No

Whether you need a visa to travel to Sri Lanka largely depends on your nationality. For some, you can get a Visa on arrival at the airport. It is quite simple and you just need to fill out a form.

Since it varies from country to country, we recommend checking Passport Index website, where you can select your passport and see all the countries you can travel to, with or without a visa.

Yes! We visited Sri Lanka during one of the worst economic periods the country has ever seen and we felt extremely safe. People here are some of the friendliest ever. 

In any case, we always recommend getting travel insurance for your trip. Better safe than sorry! We use Heymondo and highly recommend it.

December to March: Best time to visit West and South Coasts and Hill Country (Colombo, Galle, and Nuwara Eliya)

May to September: Best time to visit the East Coast (Trincomalee, Batticaloa, and Arugam Bay), and for best time for Safaris (Yala and Wilpattu). Read our complete guide to Safaris in Sri Lanka!

January to October: Best time to visit Northern Sri Lanka (Jaffna)

Can be visited year-round: Cultural Triangle (Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, and Sigirya), although the best conditions are from January-April and mid-July to September.

Here are some of the must-try dishes you can’t miss when in Sri Lanka:

• Rice and Curry: Try them all! Dhal curry (lentil) is one of the most popular. One of the best we had was Pumpkin curry freshly made for us in one of the guesthouses we stayed!
• Kottu Roti: Kottu is a popular street food made by stir-frying chopped flatbread (roti) with vegetables, egg, meat, and spices.
• Hoppers (Appa): Hoppers are a type of pancake made from fermented rice flour and coconut milk, usually served with an egg inside.
• Lamprais: This dish consists of rice mixed with different curries, eggs, and plantains, steamed in banana leaves.

• Be respectful of local customs and traditions. 
• Dress modestly when visiting temples: read this guide on Temple Etiquette.
• Read our Sri Lanka Transportation 101 Guide before you go!
• Always have cash with you, most of the transactions are still cash only. We recommend using a travel debit card such as Wise to withdrawal local money straight from ATMs with the lowest fees.