2 weeks in Sri Lanka: the full crossing at a pace you will enjoy
14 days, 1,421 km and about 37 hours of driving in total. A car with driver for the whole trip is $980 (2–3 people) or $1,330 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. Fourteen days is enough to see the island properly and still have days where nothing is scheduled. This route adds Haputale and Tangalle to the twelve-day trip — a second hill stop and a slower stretch of coast. Prices last verified September 2026.
The route, day by day
| When | Where | Stay | Drive from the last stop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Pinnawala Elephant OrphanageCultural Triangle | On the waya stop, not a night | 74 km1h 57m |
| Days 1–2 | KandyCultural Triangle | 2 nights | 36 km0h 57m |
| 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 | Haputale & Lipton's SeatHill Country | 1 night | 59 km1h 32m |
| Day 9 | EllaHill Country | 1 night | 30 km0h 47m |
| Day 10 | Yala National ParkSouth & West Coast | 1 night | 133 km3h 31m |
| Day 11 | TangalleSouth & West Coast | 1 night | 85 km2h 14m |
| Day 12 | MirissaSouth & West Coast | 1 night | 51 km1h 21m |
| Day 13 | Galle FortSouth & West Coast | 1 night | 37 km0h 58m |
| Day 14 | 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 14 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 1,421 km alone would come to $583, so the days are the higher and fairer number here. 3 of the 14 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
Haputale and Lipton's Seat is the hill country stop people have not heard of. The dawn drive up through the tea to the seat is better than anything at Nuwara Eliya, and you will have it nearly to yourself.
Tangalle breaks the run along the south coast and is the quietest good beach on this side of the island.
Two nights each at Kandy and Sigiriya as before. Everything else is one night, which is the right rhythm once the trip is long enough to sustain it.
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 coastStill out. Adding Trincomalee and Arugam Bay properly means eighteen days, or dropping the south.
- JaffnaGoes in at three weeks.
- SinharajaThe rainforest is a serious detour from this line and it deserves two nights and a guide. Ask and we will build it in instead of Tangalle.
When to go, and what it costs then
December to March for this exact route. From June to October we would run it anticlockwise and swap the south coast for the east, which is in its dry season then.
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 | $1,078 | $1,463 |
| February | 240,217 | Peak | $1,078 | $1,463 |
| March | 229,298 | High | $1,029 | $1,396 |
| April | 174,608 | Low | $931 | $1,264 |
| May | 132,919 | Trough | $882 | $1,197 |
| June | 138,241 | Trough | $882 | $1,197 |
| July | 200,244 | Shoulder | $980 | $1,330 |
| August | 198,235 | Shoulder | $980 | $1,330 |
| September | 158,971 | Low | $931 | $1,264 |
| October | 165,193 | Low | $931 | $1,264 |
| November | 212,906 | High | $1,029 | $1,396 |
| December | 258,928 | Peak | $1,078 | $1,463 |
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 EliyaHaputale & Lipton's SeatEllaYala National ParkTangalleMirissaGalle Fort
What individual legs cost
Mirissa to GalleGalle to Colombo Airport
Questions people ask
Is two weeks too long for Sri Lanka?
No. The island is small but the roads are slow, and two weeks is the first length where you are not choosing between the ancient cities, the hills, wildlife and the coast.
Could we add the east instead of the south?
Yes, and between May and September that is the better trip. Same length, different half of the island, and cheaper because it falls in our trough months.
How much of this is driving?
Roughly 1,400 km over fourteen days — about 37 hours, or two and a half hours a day averaged out. Several days have none at all.
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.