Northern Sri Lanka itinerary: Anuradhapura, Wilpattu, Mannar and Jaffna
9 days, 1,105 km and about 29 hours of driving in total. A car with driver for the whole trip is $630 (2–3 people) or $855 in a van (up to 8), at the shoulder rate (July, August); December to February is 10% more and May to June 10% less. That is the vehicle, the driver, his food and his room, and fuel — not hotels. The north is the part of Sri Lanka that published itineraries stop before. Nine days gets you the oldest capital, the emptiest national park, the causeway to India and three nights in Jaffna. Prices last verified September 2026.
The route, day by day
| When | Where | Stay | Drive from the last stop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Trincomalee & NilaveliEast Coast | 1 night | 282 km7h 26m |
| Days 2–3 | AnuradhapuraCultural Triangle | 2 nights | 105 km2h 46m |
| Day 4 | Wilpattu National ParkThe North | 1 night | 54 km1h 26m |
| Day 5 | Mannar & Rama’s BridgeThe North | 1 night | 103 km2h 43m |
| Days 6–8 | Jaffna & the IslandsThe North | 3 nights | 131 km3h 26m |
| Day 9 | Colombo Airportfly home | — | 354 km9h 20m |
Open this exact route in the planner → Change the nights or add a stop, and the hours per day, the price and five years of rain data for your month update as you go.
Priced on 9 days on the road at $70 a day for a car, because your driver is committed to you whether the vehicle moves or not. The 1,105 km alone would come to $453, so the days are the higher and fairer number here. 1 of the 6 legs are distances we have measured on the road; the rest are modelled from road geometry and our own average pace of 38 km/h. Drive times are modelled, not logged — our drivers are recording real ones and these numbers get replaced as they come in.
Why this shape
Three nights in Jaffna, not one. The peninsula needs a day, the islands need a day, and the third is what stops it being a tick.
Wilpattu over Yala: bigger, quieter, and the leopards are there — you simply have to wait for them rather than queue for them.
Mannar for Adam's Bridge, the baobabs and the donkeys. It is one of the strangest landscapes in the country and it is almost empty.
What we left out, and why
Every itinerary is a subtraction. These are the ones we made, so you can put them back if we chose wrong.
- Kandy and the hillsA different trip in a different direction. This route goes north and stays north.
- The south coastNine hours from Jaffna. If you want both, that is the three-week route.
- SigiriyaIt sits on the road north and can be added as a night without changing the shape. Ask.
When to go, and what it costs then
June to October, which is the opposite of the standard advice for Sri Lanka. The northeast monsoon runs December to March up here, so the months everyone else recommends are the wet ones. This is also why the north is our answer to the May–June trough — best weather, lowest price.
Our prices move with demand, and we publish the rule rather than hiding it. The bands below are set from Sri Lanka’s own 2025 arrivals figures — 2,362,521 visitors across the year, from 258,928 in December down to 132,919 in May. Demand swings 1.95×. We move price by 20 points.
| Month | Arrivals 2025 | Band | Car | Van |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 252,761 | Peak | $693 | $941 |
| February | 240,217 | Peak | $693 | $941 |
| March | 229,298 | High | $662 | $898 |
| April | 174,608 | Low | $598 | $812 |
| May | 132,919 | Trough | $567 | $770 |
| June | 138,241 | Trough | $567 | $770 |
| July | 200,244 | Shoulder | $630 | $855 |
| August | 198,235 | Shoulder | $630 | $855 |
| September | 158,971 | Low | $598 | $812 |
| October | 165,193 | Low | $598 | $812 |
| November | 212,906 | High | $662 | $898 |
| December | 258,928 | Peak | $693 | $941 |
The full month-by-month breakdown, including which coast is dry when, is on its own page.
Change it
This is one arrangement of a road, not the only one. Open the route builder, tap the stops you want, set the nights, and the kilometres, the days and the price move as you go — using exactly the numbers on this page.
The places on this route
Trincomalee & NilaveliAnuradhapuraWilpattu National ParkMannar & Rama’s BridgeJaffna & the Islands
What individual legs cost
Colombo Airport to Trincomalee
Questions people ask
When is the best time to go north?
June to October. The northeast monsoon brings the rain from December to March, which is exactly when the south and west are at their best. The island has two seasons running in opposite directions and it is the most useful thing to know about planning a trip here.
How long does the drive to Jaffna take?
About six hours from Anuradhapura on the A9, which is a good road. Broken with Wilpattu and Mannar as this route does, it never feels like a long haul.
What is included in the price?
The vehicle, the driver, his meals and his accommodation, fuel and air conditioning. Not included: hotels, expressway tolls (passed on at cost), park and site tickets, and anything you buy. We take no commission from any hotel, shop or showroom, and we will not deliver you to one that pays for arrivals.
How do we pay?
In cash at the end, in rupees, dollars, euros or pounds. Nothing up front, and the price is agreed in writing on WhatsApp before you fly.
Send us this route on WhatsApp →
Prices last verified September 2026. We check them monthly and change the date only when we have actually looked.