From exhilarating hot air balloon rides and scenic mountain hikes, to cooking classes and beach days, this two-week Sri Lanka itinerary promises the perfect blend of nature, adventure, and culture.
There aren’t many trips as memorable as our honeymoon in Sri Lanka. We spent months planning the route, picking out beautiful hotels and finding unique and special activities. We found treehouse-style accommodation in national parks, a hotel with an epic view of Sigiriya and a beachside resort where turtles splashed in the waves.
We booked a safari in Udawalawe National Park and spent a quiet morning watching baby elephants feeding from their mothers, and larger elephants enjoying mud baths! We even floated over magnificent landscapes in a hot air balloon.
After so much planning, we prayed the honeymoon would live up to our high expectations.
Well, I’m pleased to say it surpassed them! For both of us, it was our first time in the country and we absolutely fell in love with it. The people were so welcoming, the food was deliciously spicy and, and the landscapes and culture made for a very memorable trip.
If you’re thinking of spending two weeks in Sri Lanka, I’m going to share our exact itinerary with you. I’ve included links to the hotels we booked, which ranged from budget-friendly accommodation around £30 a night, to 5-star luxury (well it was our honeymoon after all!) We paid for everything in full, so you can expect my unbiased opinions on every aspect.
Also, I should add that this two-week Sri Lanka itinerary is ideal for any traveller – you really don’t need to be on your honeymoon to appreciate it!
So, are you ready to start planning your holiday in Sri Lanka? Off we go!
If you’re wondering what to pack for your trip, take a look at my guide to what to wear in Sri Lanka.
Two-Week Sri Lanka Itinerary
2-Week Sri Lanka Itinerary – Quick Plan
- Day 1: Arrival in Negombo / Colombo
- Days 2 – 4: Sigiriya – Hike Sigiriya, Pidurangala sunrise hike and hot air balloon ride
- Days 5 – 9: Ella – Kandy To Ella train ride, Little Adam’s Peak, Ravana Waterfall, Nine Arch Bridge and Sri Lankan cookery class
- Days 9 – 11: Udawalawe National Park – Diyaluma Falls and elephant safari
- Days 11 – 14: Mirissa – Beach time and whale watching
- Days 14 – 16: Bentota – Beach time and chill
Day 1: Negombo / Colombo
We caught a taxi from Colombo International Airport and transferred straight to Negombo. Here, we checked in at Regal Réseau Hotel & Spa, a 4-star hotel right on the beach. This hotel had a lovely rooftop pool and a restaurant serving really tasty Sri Lankan cuisine. I still remember that first meal.
We’d spent the first week of our honeymoon in The Maldives, and it’d taken us a long time to travel from a tiny sandbar island, to Sri Lanka. We were tired and a little delirious, and absolutely ravenous! Wow, was that first taste of Sri Lankan food incredible! Delicious curries, flavoursome vegetable dishes and punchy sambals. It was everything we’d hoped for.
We only stayed one night as we wanted to relax before starting the more adventurous parts of the trip.
Day 2 – 4: Sigiriya
Our hotel helped to organise a driver to take us from Negombo to Sigiriya. This drive took approximately four hours. Once there, we checked into our accommodation for the next three nights.
We booked Sigiriya King’s Resort, a luxury hotel near UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sigiriya. It’s rated 5-star, although I’d caveat this by saying it’s an eco-friendly and sustainable resort, rather than a lavish marble-floored, chandelier style hotel!
Hiking Sigiriya Rock
We loved it though. The views of the rocks from the resort are absolutely incredible. It’s close enough to the town’s restaurants that you can walk during the day, or take a short taxi or tuktuk later. There’s an inviting swimming pool with views of Sigiriya (Lion Rock) and a great restaurant too. We adored the Sri Lankan food they served. Everything tasted amazing!
We spent our first day settling in, then walked to Sigiriya in the afternoon to climb the rock. What an experience! The hike up is steep in parts, but worth the exertion. I’d recommend tackling it earlier in the morning or later in the afternoon when the sun isn’t so aggressive. The views from the top are amazing. It also felt romantic to be hiking with my now husband!
Pidurangala Rock sunrise hike
On day two, we woke early and visited Pidurangala Rock for sunrise. This hike is quite straightforward for the most part, but does involve a little bit of scrambling towards the top. We couldn’t quite believe how many people were at the top! The journey up had felt quite quiet, but I guess lots of people had set off before us!
Watching the sunrise, surrounded by so many others, was a moving experience. A real shared moment. Of achievement, of perspective, of love. I’m so happy we did it and I’d urge you to follow in our footsteps.
We chilled out at our hotel in the afternoon, then walked into town for happy hour cocktails at Rasta Bar, before a hearty dinner of tasty Sri Lankan curries.
Hot air balloon flight in Sri Lanka
On our third and final day in Sigiriya, we booked a hot air balloon trip over the landscapes. On this trip we were keen to enjoy a mix of everyday tourist activities, as well as a few unforgettable honeymoon experiences. The kind of things you’d save up for and do once in your lifetime!
The hot air balloon flight was utterly amazing. Flying over rice paddies, temples and villages gives you a whole new perspective of the country. It was very romantic too! I’d 100% recommend adding this hot air balloon trip to your Sri Lanka itinerary if you can afford it. You won’t regret it!
The only downside to the way we structured these few days in Sigiriya was that we had two consecutive early mornings. We’re adventurous people though, so we wouldn’t want to miss out on bucket list experiences, in favour of a lazy day! You might feel differently though.
Sigiriya is within Sri Lanka’s ‘cultural triangle’. If you’re looking for other places of interest, you might want to head off to visit Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Dambulla too.
Day 5 – 9: Ella
For even more info on visiting this area, don’t miss my guide to the top things to do in Ella.
Kandy To Ella Train Ride
On the morning of day five, we woke early to catch a taxi from our hotel in Sigiriya to Kandy Railway Station. Riding the train from Kandy to Ella is an iconic Sri Lankan experience, offering breathtaking views and a flavour of local life.
Our train left at 11.10am and got to Ella at 16.56. It might sound like a long time, but it was nice to watch the world go by, enjoy some snacks, read, chill and just generally relax!
The prettiest parts are around Nuwara Eliya, the heart of tea country, where you’ll see Ceylon tea plantations, sweeping valleys and a lot of lush landscapes.
There are options of carriages for this journey, and by the time we booked, we could only get seats in an air conditioned carriage. Pretty much everyone I know recommended to go in one where the windows open, as it adds to the experience. However, you can still access the doors during the trip, so we went and sat in the doorways. We even captured some of the classic photos, leaning out – what daredevils we are!
In Ella, we booked three nights at Morning Dew Boutique Hotel. This reasonably-priced hotel includes breakfast and has a rooftop pool. The views were absolutely stunning! We chose to have breakfast on the roof one day, just so that we could admire the views of the mountains and greenery. If you want other hotel recommendations, read my guide to where to stay in Ella.
Ella is a very cool mountain town with lots to do. There’s a hippie / backpacker vibe, with lots of hostels, bars, street food vendors, cool clothing stores and cafes.
Little Adam’s Peak, Ravana Waterfall and Nine Arch Bridge
On our first full day, after a delicious breakfast of hoppers at our hotel, we got out and explored. We started the day with the hike up to Little Adam’s Peak.
Oh wow, those views were sensational! Huge jutting mountains, lush sweeping valleys, waterfalls, skinny trails – it was just amazing. Be prepared for a sweaty walk and take water. You’ll need it.
After that, we hopped in a tuktuk to see Ravana Waterfall, a 25m waterfall on the outskirts of town. After a spicy local lunch (more yummy curries, but wow these packed a punch!) we headed to Nine Arch Bridge. This is a stunning feat of colonial-era engineering, which majestically spans a lush valley in Ella. The viaduct sits amongst tea plantations and dense forests. There are trains a few times a day, but you can walk on the tracks in between.
To be honest, it felt like a slightly bizarre tourist attraction, in that there’s nothing to do there! However, we enjoyed taking in the view from a café overlooking the bridge, and watching all the Instagrammers getting their shots!
If you’d rather have all the details taken care of, you could book a tour like this one, which will take you to the key sights in Ella.
Sri Lankan cookery class in Ella
On our final day in Ella, we booked a Sri Lankan cookery class. We adore food (it’s one of the things we love most about travelling) and so we were keen to return from our honeymoon with some new recipes.
Over the course of a few hours we chopped, fried and tasted a number of delicious vegetarian dishes. It was lovely to learn from a local, in his home, and share the moment with a group of foodies. We’ve actually made several of the dishes since we returned home too!
Day 9 – 11: Udawalawe National Park
On the morning of day nine, we set off from Ella in a taxi towards Udawalawe National Park. However, we didn’t want to go straight there, we had a stop in mind!
Visiting Diyaluma Falls
Diyaluma Falls is an epic waterfall around one hour from Ella. It was on the route to the national park, so we arranged for our taxi driver to stop there for a while, then we’d continue on to the national park in the afternoon. If you’re planning this stop from Ella, there are tours which will take you there too.
Diyaluma Falls is Sri Lanka’s second tallest waterfall, at a height of 220m. It’s more than just a waterfall though. It’s like a water park for adults! There are natural pools you can relax in, places you can jump off, rocks to clamber over, and a river to wade through. Even the walk to reach the falls is a bit of an Indiana Jones style trek!
You can’t swim in all of the areas all year round; it really depends on the season as it can be dangerous during monsoon period. We loved this stop though. It really made something of our travel day. The Sri Lankan landscapes are so vast and varied – there’s nowhere quite like it!
We continued on to our hotel near Udawalawe National Park, catching our first glimpse of the area’s famous elephants as we passed the park.
For the next two nights we stayed at Eliyanth Udawalawe, a top-rated boutique hotel with a pool, a short drive from the park’s entrance. I remember researching this hotel, and loving the style of it! It’s right out in nature with a treehouse style appearance, with lots of wooden features and floor-to-ceiling glass.
We weren’t disappointed. Our room was lovely with huge windows looking onto lush greenery. And yes, there was nature everywhere. Lizards zigzagging the paths in front of us and colourful birds squawking in the trees. It felt very wild!
Elephant safari in Udawalawe National Park
The next morning was another early start. We hopped on board a jeep for our elephant safari in Udawalawe National Park. We booked a private safari trip through our hotel – just us two and a driver/guide. This day was utterly incredible. The highlight of our honeymoon! If you’re keen to book something in advance, take a look at these tour options.
Within the park you’ll have the unforgettable experience of observing Sri Lankan elephants in their natural habitat. Udawalawe provides a vital sanctuary for these creatures, allowing visitors to see them in an unobtrusive manner, from a safe distance.
Without a huge tour group, we could access lots of areas of the park on our own, away from the noisy jeeps filled with people! We had moments of sitting with the engine off, watching elephant mothers feeding their babies, and adults spraying themselves with mud. We also spotted water buffalo, turtles and saltwater crocodiles on our tour.
It’s worth noting that there are options of short morning safaris, or longer day trips. We spent around six hours on ours, beginning at sunrise and returning after lunch. I was so happy we didn’t pick a shorter tour. I didn’t want it to end!
One of my happiest memories was when the guide unpacked a lunch of delicious Sri Lankan curries. We sat eating in the comfort of our jeep, while watching the elephants bathing in a lake. It was absolutely magical. A visit here is a must for your Sri Lanka honeymoon itinerary!
Day 11 – 14: Mirissa
By this point on our Sri Lanka honeymoon, we were ready for some beach time! This is an island nation after all, yet we’d spent most of our trip inland. We took a taxi to Mirissa, a laid-back surf town on the southwest coast of the island. It’s a destination where you’ll find beach bars serving refreshing cocktails, local street sellers making buttery rotis, and a relaxed way of life all round.
We checked into Beach and Bliss Mirissa, a modern 4-star hotel right on the beach. This hotel was a little out of the main town, but it was only a few minutes by tuktuk to the restaurants and bars. It had a small pool, loungers and a restaurant serving a decent breakfast.
I remember researching hotels in Mirissa and we really struggled to find honeymoon-worthy accommodation at a reasonable price. This was definitely the best option available at the time.
Exploring Mirissa
We explored the town on the first afternoon. We climbed the famous Coconut Tree Hill, relaxed with cocktails, had a swim and eased into beach life. Then, it was time to set the alarm for the crack of dawn again (yep, there are a lot of early starts on this honeymoon!) as Mirissa is one of the best places in Sri Lanka for whale watching!
Whale watching in Mirissa
Mirissa’s whale watching season runs from November to April. They say the likeliness of spotting them at these times of year is 98%! You’re most likely to spot blue whales, but there’s also a chance to see sperm whales, fin whales, Bryde’s whales, short finned whales, dolphins and turtles.
The 4-hour tour was pretty rocky, with big waves and a lot of ups and downs. To be honest, we weren’t feeling our best that morning, and the last thing we needed was to be trapped on a boat for hours. It didn’t help that we didn’t spot any whales… what a fail! Well, they can’t be guaranteed…!
We did however spot a lot of dolphins. We loved seeing them playing in the waves and diving in and out of the wake around the boat. Despite our churning tummies, it was still pretty special!
On our final day in Mirissa, my partner spent the morning scuba diving and I relaxed with some beach and pool time.
Day 14 – 16: Bentota
5-star luxury in Bentota
We were nearing the end of our dream honeymoon in Sri Lanka, and we wanted to see it out in style. We checked in to the Taj Bentota Resort & Spa – a 5-star luxury resort overlooking the beach on the east coast. The plan for the final few days? Rest, relax, read, eat and drink.
This was the perfect place to end our Sri Lankan honeymoon. Our bedroom had a huge balcony with sun loungers, a seating area and Indian Ocean views. The pool area was lovely, with plenty of space to relax. Plus, it was just a short stroll down to the beach for our last steps on Sri Lankan sand! I still remember writing our names on the beach before we left – one of our final memories on our honeymoon.
The food menus were on the pricey side, but we didn’t mind as these were our final treats together before we started our journey home. We felt very well looked after by the resort’s staff. There were even rose petals on our bed when we checked in!
Our Sri Lanka honeymoon was everything we hoped it would be. From hikes through nature and cooking classes with locals, to hot air balloon rides, boat trips and relaxed days on the beach, it had a little bit of everything.
Not only did we fall in love with Sri Lanka on this trip, we fell a little bit more in love with each other too. It was the trip of a lifetime, and one I’ve loved revisiting as I’ve been writing this post.
If you’re planning a trip, I hope my two-week Sri Lanka itinerary helps with your decision making. We adored the variety of activities and scenery. For everything about Ella, check out my dedicated guide here.
If you’re wondering what to pack for your trip, take a look at my guide to what to wear in Sri Lanka.
The only thing I would change? Perhaps having a few more lie ins! The majority of the activities we picked (whale watching, sunrise hikes, hot air balloon rides, safaris) had really early pick up times. It meant we were constantly setting our alarms for 6am, which was tiring! But, saying that, we wouldn’t have wanted to miss out on any of those bucket list moments (apart from perhaps the disappointing whale watching tour…!)
All the best with your planning and have an amazing time in Sri Lanka!
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