12 days in Sri Lanka: the classic route with nothing cut
12 days, 1,371 km and about 36 hours of driving in total. A car with driver for the whole trip is $840 (2–3 people) or $1,140 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. Twelve days is the ten-day route with the two things we had to cut put back: Anuradhapura, and a night in Galle Fort. Prices last verified September 2026.
The route, day by day
| When | Where | Stay | Drive from the last stop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Days 1–2 | KandyCultural Triangle | 2 nights | 107 km2h 49m |
| Day 3 | Dambulla Cave TempleCultural Triangle | On the waya stop, not a night | 72 km1h 54m |
| Days 3–4 | SigiriyaCultural Triangle | 2 nights | 23 km0h 36m |
| Day 5 | PolonnaruwaCultural Triangle | 1 night | 60 km1h 35m |
| Day 6 | AnuradhapuraCultural Triangle | 1 night | 113 km2h 58m |
| Day 7 | Nuwara EliyaHill Country | 1 night | 288 km7h 35m |
| Day 8 | EllaHill Country | 1 night | 60 km1h 35m |
| Day 9 | Yala National ParkSouth & West Coast | 1 night | 133 km3h 31m |
| Day 10 | MirissaSouth & West Coast | 1 night | 163 km4h 17m |
| Day 11 | Galle FortSouth & West Coast | 1 night | 37 km0h 58m |
| Day 12 | Colombo Airportfly home | — | 165 km4h 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 12 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 1,371 km alone would come to $563, so the days are the higher and fairer number here. 3 of the 11 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
Anuradhapura is the older capital — the Bodhi tree, Ruwanwelisaya, Jetavanaramaya, the largest brick building ever raised. It needs a day and it does not compress.
Galle Fort gets its own night, which means the fort in evening light rather than at midday between drives.
Everything else is the ten-day shape, unchanged, because the shape is right.
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.
- The east coastTrincomalee, Pasikuda and Arugam Bay are on the other weather system and add four days. That is the fortnight-plus route.
- JaffnaSix hours north of Anuradhapura and worth every one of them, but not on twelve days.
- Adam’s PeakA 2am climb and a wrecked following day. Superb, and it needs to be planned around rather than slotted in.
When to go, and what it costs then
December to March. If you are coming between June and October, this exact route is the wrong one — the whole south coast section is in the southwest monsoon. Ask and we will flip it to the east.
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 | $924 | $1,254 |
| February | 240,217 | Peak | $924 | $1,254 |
| March | 229,298 | High | $882 | $1,197 |
| April | 174,608 | Low | $798 | $1,083 |
| May | 132,919 | Trough | $756 | $1,026 |
| June | 138,241 | Trough | $756 | $1,026 |
| July | 200,244 | Shoulder | $840 | $1,140 |
| August | 198,235 | Shoulder | $840 | $1,140 |
| September | 158,971 | Low | $798 | $1,083 |
| October | 165,193 | Low | $798 | $1,083 |
| November | 212,906 | High | $882 | $1,197 |
| December | 258,928 | Peak | $924 | $1,254 |
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
KandyDambulla Cave TempleSigiriyaPolonnaruwaAnuradhapuraNuwara EliyaEllaYala National ParkMirissaGalle Fort
What individual legs cost
Colombo Airport to KandyNuwara Eliya to EllaMirissa to GalleGalle to Colombo Airport
Questions people ask
Twelve days or two weeks?
Two more days buys Tangalle and Haputale — a slower coast and a second hill stop — rather than more sightseeing. If you are the sort of traveller who wants a day doing nothing, take the fortnight.
Anuradhapura or Polonnaruwa if we only want one?
Polonnaruwa is more compact, better preserved and easier to enjoy in a morning. Anuradhapura is older, larger, still an active pilgrimage site, and more atmospheric. On twelve days you do not have to choose.
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.