{"id":104319,"date":"2018-10-30T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-10-30T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travelstartblg.wpenginepowered.com\/best-time-to-visit-sri-lanka\/"},"modified":"2025-11-04T13:55:14","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T13:55:14","slug":"best-time-to-visit-sri-lanka","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/best-time-to-visit-sri-lanka\/","title":{"rendered":"The Traveller’s Guide to the Best Time to Visit Sri Lanka"},"content":{"rendered":"

Apart from its warm weather throughout the year, known the world over as one of the largest producers of unconventional tea, and the friendly and hospitable nature of the Sri Lankan people, Sri Lanka is a melting pot of diversity dating as far back as the 1500s. From the beaches to the mountains and everything in between, you are bound to be overwhelmed by the innate beauty this country possesses. You might also be surprised when you discover the best time to visit Sri Lanka.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Photo credit: @alex02my<\/a> via Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Weather\u00a0in Sri Lanka<\/h2>\n

Sri Lanka has two seasons, the dry season, between December and February, and the wet season between June and August.\u00a0<\/span>The island\u2019s climate is tropical, hot, humid<\/strong> and heavily influenced by the warm surrounding Indian Ocean. Sri Lanka’s proximity to the equator means that temperatures remain fairly constant year-round, <\/strong>however, the weather\u00a0is heavily affected\u00a0by both the northeastern and southwestern monsoons during the monsoon seasons<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Temperatures range between 15\u00b0C<\/span> in the mountains and 30\u00b0C<\/span> on the northeastern coast and get cooler as you gain altitude, whereas temperatures on the coast of Colombo<\/a> on the Southwestern coast range between 27\u00b0C<\/span> and 29\u00b0C<\/span> all year round with highs of 30\u00b0C<\/span> and lows of 22\u00b0C<\/span><\/p>\n

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Photo credit: @assi_sunstylemirissa<\/a> via Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The north sees the warmest temperatures around the beginning of the year ranging between 24\u00b0C<\/span> and 33\u00b0C<\/span>. This area has been known to reach temperatures of 40\u00b0C<\/span>.<\/p>\n

The island sees rainfall throughout the year although it varies quite drastically starting from as low as 1,250mm on the northeastern side of the island and increasing as much as 5,000mm on the southwestern side of the island. While there is rainfall year round, there are two distinct monsoon seasons. The southwestern monsoon from May to July<\/strong>, and the northeastern monsoon from October to December<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Southwestern monsoon season: May to July<\/h3>\n

As it suggests, this southwestern monsoon travels through the southwestern part of the island. The monsoon is heavily influenced by the Indian Ocean with most of the rain falling on the southwest corner of Sri Lanka such as Colombo and Galle, and into India.<\/p>\n

Although the southwestern monsoon is, for the most part, the more gentle of the two with mainly short and sharp showers that tend to pass quite quickly, this monsoon has been known to cause weather-related disasters such as harsh winds and cyclones.<\/p>\n

Inter-monsoon season: July to September<\/h3>\n

Bar one or two showers, this is definitely one of the best times to visit Sri Lanka. The temperatures remain in the high 20s and the beaches are pleasantly warm and dry.<\/p>\n

Northeastern monsoon season: October to December<\/h3>\n

The northeastern monsoon is heavily influenced by a low-pressure area or depression from the Bay of Bengal with most of the rain falling on the\u00a0northeast slopes of the central highlands. Kandy, which is situated just north of the highest mountains is affected by both monsoons but receives almost double the amount of rain during the northeast monsoon season.\u00a0In fact, the lowlands of the north and east receive most of their annual rainfall during this season. The northeast monsoon brings the coolest temperatures and affects more of the country than the southeastern monsoon.<\/p>\n

So, when is the best time to visit Sri Lanka? Well, technically, you can visit any time of the year as long as you are impartial to a bit of rain.<\/p>\n

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Photo credit: @_cameralens234<\/a> via Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Average temperature (\u00b0C) & rainfall (mm) per month<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Month<\/strong><\/td>\nJan<\/b><\/td>\nFeb<\/b><\/td>\nMar<\/b><\/td>\nApr<\/b><\/td>\nMay<\/b><\/td>\nJun<\/b><\/td>\nJul<\/b><\/td>\nAug<\/b><\/td>\nSep<\/b><\/td>\nOct<\/b><\/td>\nNov<\/b><\/td>\nDec<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Low \u00b0C<\/span><\/td>\n22<\/td>\n23<\/td>\n24<\/td>\n25<\/td>\n26<\/td>\n26<\/td>\n25<\/td>\n25<\/td>\n25<\/td>\n24<\/td>\n23<\/td>\n23<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
High \u00b0C<\/span><\/td>\n31<\/td>\n31<\/td>\n32<\/td>\n32<\/td>\n31<\/td>\n30<\/td>\n30<\/td>\n30<\/td>\n30<\/td>\n30<\/td>\n30<\/td>\n30<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rainfall (mm)<\/span><\/td>\n62<\/td>\n69<\/td>\n130<\/td>\n253<\/td>\n382<\/td>\n186<\/td>\n125<\/td>\n114<\/td>\n236<\/td>\n369<\/td>\n310<\/td>\n168<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Essentials to pack when visiting Sri Lanka<\/h3>\n

Since there are no predominant seasons in Sri Lanka other than hot and dry or hot and wet, it is advised to carry as many of the below items which will come in handy as you travel through the various districts – whether it be the beachy lowlands, the cooler highlands or covering up while visiting a temple.\u00a0 Whatever you decide to pack, light clothes made of natural fibres will be your best bet.<\/p>\n