We finally made it to Sri Lanka – a destination at the top of our bucket list. We visited beautiful little Sri Lanka for the first time in February and fell in love almost instantly. Found just off the southeast tip of India, it’s home to stunning beaches and nature, delicious food, wildlife, and amazing people. If you’re putting together a Sri Lanka Itinerary 2 weeks is a good amount of time to really explore all that this little island has to offer.
Aside from the jungles, forests, and rolling hills of tea plantations, this teeny tiny island also has some of the most incredible beaches in the world. Often affectionately known as “The Lost Paradise,” the beaches are what really attracted me to Sri Lanka. It’s also often referred to as “The Pearl of the Indian Ocean” and “The Land of Serendipity” by non-natives. I can wholeheartedly agree with all of these descriptions.
Our 2 week Sri Lanka itinerary focused on the beaches. It didn’t take long for us to decide that this was one of our favourite destinations ever. Peter actually popped the question in Unawatuna (YAY we’re engaged!) – so Sri Lanka will always be a special place to us.
After coming in at number one on Lonely Planet’s 2019 travel list, Sri Lanka is now on the radar of many travellers. To help others plan their trip, I decided to put together this suggested Sri Lanka Itinerary for spending 2 weeks in a lost paradise. For all of you who are planning a trip to Sri Lanka and aren’t sure where to start, I am going to give you the lowdown on what our two weeks looked like, where we visited, and what we got up to.
Sri Lanka Itinerary 2 weeks of adventure
Colombo: Day 1 – 3
Bentota: Day 3 – 6
Hikkaduwa: Day 6 – 8
Unawatuna: Day 8 – 13
Negombo: Day 13 -14
First stop – Colombo (3 nights)
Colombo is the capital city and where the main airport is based so many trips will start and end here, or in Negombo. We decided that since we would already be in the area we would spend our first two days seeing what the capital had to offer. There’s enough to do here to fill a day or two of sightseeing but it is a major city so expect the hustle and bustle, and busyness of any other major city. While we stayed in Colombo for three nights, one or two nights would be more than enough.
In all honesty, I wasn’t a huge fan of Colombo. It’s exceptionally busy, the traffic and the hooting don’t seem to stop, it seems somewhat crowded, and there is no right of way for pedestrians. Seriously, it’s not walking-friendly at all. But we managed to not get knocked over by a car, bike, or tuk-tuk. When we went longer distances we made use of the tuk-tuks. They are very cost-effective, and a lot faster than cars since they weave in and out of the traffic.
Luckily, I didn’t go to Colombo with high expectations so I wasn’t left disappointed. The capital city was pretty much what I expected it to be. You should definitely add a day of Colombo to your 2 weeks in Sri Lanka schedule.
On the plus side, I loved experiencing a completely different way of life. Colombo is full of contrasts – from busy and chaotic streets to ancient temples and impressive colonial-style buildings and parks. The best way to explore the city is by tuk-tuk.
Also, the food was amazing and very cheap! We enjoyed some delicious curry at Mintage which is one of the top-rated bars/restaurants in Colombo. Another good place to try is the Sushi Bar Samurai. It’s a little more pricey for Colombo standards, but well worth it. Colombo is a fantastic food experience and food tours are highly recommended here.
What to do:
- Visit Gangaramaya Temple: Situated beside the lake of Beira, this is one of the most prominent places of worship that falls under the list of Buddhist temples in Colombo.
- Visit Vajiraramaya Temple: Located around the corner from Gangaramaya temple, you can visit both temples for one fee.
- National Museum of Sri Lanka: Established in 1877, there are some interesting historical objects here, such as the throne and the crown of the Kandyan Monarchs.
- Check out Viharamahadevi Park: Found next to the National Museum of Sri Lanka, this is a public park. It’s the oldest and largest park in the Port of Colombo.
Second stop – Bentota (3 nights)
The next stop on our Sri Lanka itinerary 2-week schedule was Bentota – a cute little resort town graced by palm trees and a serene atmosphere. There is both a beachside and riverside to Bentota. We stayed in a beautiful Booking guesthouse on the riverside. The beach section is a lot more popular, but the riverside is more peaceful.
Driving to our guesthouse was a little worrying. We had no idea what to expect. Nestled between the locals, it was situated in the middle of a rather rural part of Bentota. But, once we arrived everything was perfect.
Hidden behind a big gate and high walls, it was like stepping into a different world. There stood a beautiful little guesthouse situated right on the Bentota River. The accommodation was beautiful and the hospitality was incredible. Every morning before we set out for the day, a delicious local breakfast was prepared for us.
The location wasn’t ideal since we were quite a distance from the beach. But, getting a tuk-tuk from here was easy. Bentota Beach was the most beautiful that we came across during our Sri Lanka trip. We spent every day on the beach, soaked up the sun, visited the local bars and restaurants and even did a safari river tour with a stop in a local herbal garden. The river safari was great – we saw monkeys, crocodiles (the cutest baby croc), iguanas, and a snake while exploring the Bentota jungle area.
What to do:
- Visit the Bentota beaches: Sprawling beneath an endless covering of palm trees, the beaches here span for several kilometers south of Bentota. It’s truly breathtaking.
- River safari: If you want to explore the uncharted mangrove forests that are found along the Bentota river banks, the river safari is a wonderful experience. It only cost us 2,000 rupees for an exclusive tour.
- Visit a herbal garden: We got taken to a herbal garden as part of the river safari. It’s a very interesting experience – they take you through the garden explaining each plant and natural remedies and the health benefits of using these natural plants as medicine.
Stop 3 – Hikkaduwa (2 nights)
Next up on our itinerary was Hikkaduwa. We only stayed here for two nights as part of our Sri Lanka Itinerary 2-week schedule. But we could have done with at least another night in this vibrant seaside town. Everyone we spoke to in Bentota told us that we would love Hikkaduwa even more! And while each town has its own unique beauty to offer, Hikkaduwa has a bit more of a vibe to it.
But, our favourite thing about Hikkaduwa was staying in a treehouse! One of our bucket list dreams, treehouse living lived up to our wild expectations. A truly incredible experience, our treehouse formed part of a local setup that included a communal bar and restaurant area burrowed between the trees. It was a very simple setup yet everything that we could have asked for. The best part is that the beach was only a two-minute walk away. So we had the best of both worlds – beach and jungle.
Most of the time we book our accommodation through Booking– this is how we found the treehouse. If you haven’t yet signed up on Booking you can follow my link here and get £33 off your first home booking, and £12 to use towards an experience worth £40 or more.
The Hikkaduwa beach was a lot busier than Bentota (and smaller). But there are two resident sea turtles here. Unfortunately, tourists from the beach hotel feed them which is what keeps them around. While it was very cool to experience them in the wild, I did feel a little uncomfortable. Crowds of people surround them constantly trying to get photos and touch them. I’m pretty sure this shouldn’t be happening, but I guess it’s an “attraction” to the area.
We actually stopped at the Kosgoda Sea Turtle Conservation & Research Center on our way down from Bentota to Hikkaduwa. I learned so much here, but since visiting, I have had many questions about the whole turtle hatchery Sri Lanka scene.
What to do:
- Trip to the beach: The beach is the main attraction here so this is where you will probably spend most of your time. While the Hikkaduwa beach itself is busy, you can walk all along the coastline to find a quieter spot.
- Learn to surf: Hikkaduwa is one of the top surfing spots in Sri Lanka. There are a lot of surf instructors here and for just a few rupees you can get some surfing lessons.
Fourth stop – Unawatuna (5 nights)
Our last, and most exciting stop, before making our way back up to Negombo, was Unawatuna. Known for its coral reefs, turquoise blue waters, and palm-lined beaches, Unawatuna is a coastal town in Southern Sri Lanka. It’s a major tourist attraction and for a very good reason! Home to some of the most beautiful beaches, trendy restaurants, accommodations to suit all budgets, and sightseeing nearby, Unawatuna is the perfect place to spend a few days.
We stayed at a stunning guesthouse with the closest beach being Dalawella, also known as Wijaya Beach. While Unawatuna Beach is more popular among tourists and locals, Wijaya Beach is undoubtedly the most Instagrammed place in Sri Lanka, thanks to the infamous beach swing. I did get “the swing photo” but unfortunately it didn’t turn out anything like the beautiful ones I’ve seen – the story of my life (haha!) Nevertheless, it was a fun experience and absolutely worth it. We also much preferred Wijaya Beach to Unawatuna. It’s not as crowded, and has a really intimate feel to it!
We witnessed possibly the most beautiful sunset that we’ve ever seen from here. We had sunset swims every evening – and it was magical. On our last morning, we woke up for sunrise. And this is when Peter proposed to me – on the beach. It was everything that I could have dreamed it to be and more!
The other great thing about Unawatuna is that there are some great day trips that you can take from here. We spent a day in Galle, visiting the Fort and checking out the cricket stadium. We also took a trip down to Mirissa – it’s about a 35-minute bus ride. Mirissa is another great coastal town and a lot of people spend a few nights here.
What to do:
- Check out Jungle Beach: This is a “secret beach” that can be found around the cove of Unawatuna Beach. You will have to walk quite a distance to get there. However, we went on a Sunday and it was extremely busy – with locals and tourists. So not what we expected at all. But if you can make it during the week, it’s worth checking out.
- Spend time on Dalawella Beach: This is a great beach to relax, catch a tan, and have a swim. We spent most of our time in Unawatuna here. Dalawella Beach should be on your Sri Lanka itinerary 2 weeks radar.
- Visit Coconut Tree Hill in Mirissa: You may have seen the popular palm tree forest photos on Instagram. You can find this forest on the far side of the Mirissa beach – about a 15-minute walk along the beaches (there are two smaller beaches along the way). It’s beautiful and very worth checking out on your Sri Lanka 2-week itinerary.
- Visit the Mirissa “secret beach”: A lot more secluded than the Jungle Beach in Unawatuna, this is where we did some of the best snorkelling. We saw some of the most surreal fish that we’ve ever seen here – and plenty of them. The beach is also very quiet and peaceful.
Last stop – Negombo (one night)
Originally we were booked into a hotel in Colombo to spend our last night. We wanted to make sure that we were close to the airport for our flight the following day. So we decided to spend the last night of our 2 weeks in Sri Lanka in Colombo. Since the airport is named “Colombo International” we assumed that Colombo was the closest area to stay in. But as it turns out, we were quite wrong. During our trip, we came across a couple that were heading back to Negombo. They told us that it’s a lot closer to the airport and a prettier area than Colombo. It’s a coastal town.
We did our research and discovered that Negombo is, in fact, a much more popular area among tourists. So two days prior, we cancelled our booking in Colombo and booked a Booking apartment in Wennapuwa. Our mistake was that Wennapuwa is actually on the other side of Negombo. So we were just as far, if not further from the airport than we would have been in Colombo. The worst part is that Wennapuwa, well at least the part that we stayed in, is NOT a very nice area. Our Booking host messaged us after we made the booking to inform us that the location was different from what the Booking displayed because they had recently moved! With only a day and a half to spare we decided to just go with it.
Nevertheless, we made the most of what was our last night in Sri Lanka. We spent our last day in Negombo, which was about a 25-minute tuk-tuk ride away since our flight was only late the next evening. Despite our encounter, Negombo seems to be a great spot to stay in if you want to be in close proximity to the airport. Just be sure to stay in Negombo itself – and NOT Wennapuwa.
Getting around Sri Lanka
Prior to arriving in Sri Lanka, our plan was to use the train to travel between places. We were also quite excited to use the train since it’s a big part of the Sri Lanka experience. But ironically, we never ended up using the train at all. Since we will be travelling for the next few months, and I really don’t know how to “pack light,” we had a lot of luggage. We were a little worried about finding space on the trains for us and our bags.
Thankfully, Uber and taxis in Sri Lanka really aren’t that expensive. Uber was key to our Sri Lanka two-week itinerary. While it did work out a lot more expensive than it would have had we taken the train, it was well worth not having the hassle of lugging our stuff around from station to station and place to place. We got taken from doorstep to doorstep instead. The extra cost is worth the convenience. Sure, if you’re a backpacker, or pack lighter than us then the train shouldn’t be a problem. But if you’ve got big and heavy bags, then you might want to check Uber out.
For the rest of our time in Sri Lanka, we mostly used the Tuk-tuks. They’re easy to use and convenient and you can find them just about anywhere. We also discovered the buses in Unawatuna which we used to get to Mirissa and Galle. The buses are very frequent – we didn’t ever have to wait longer than five minutes. However, finding a bus stop can be a little tricky. But, they’re cheap and you can purchase your ticket onboard. But if all else fails, use the tuk-tuks.
Sri Lanka Itinerary: 2 weeks for the beach lovers
Sri Lanka was everything that I dreamed it could be and more. I have been a beach girl practically since I could walk, so naturally our Sri Lanka Itinerary 2 week schedule was constructed around the coastal areas and is for all the beach lovers out there. But, I’ve also got a newly found love for hiking, and by the looks of things Sri Lanka has some of the most exquisite hiking trails. If we had more time we definitely would have added a bit of inland Sri Lanka to our itinerary. There is no doubt that we will be back to this incredible country for more.
A moment that I will treasure forever and a highlight of our trip was our engagement on one of the most beautiful beaches that we have ever laid our eyes on, and at sunrise.
Sri Lanka Visa Requirements
If you’re planning a trip to Thailand and need help with visa information, I would suggest checking out iVisa.com. The visa process can be very time-consuming, not to mention confusing, and iVisa strives to make the whole process simpler for travellers by taking care of all the nitty gritty details.
Just follow my iVisa application link here and you can do a quick check to see what is required and proceed with an application if necessary.
Hey Travel Babes. I’m Hayley a.k.a Ms Blissness – Adventurous dreamer and free spirit. I’m on a quest around the world with my husband, Peter. Join us on our journey for some travel inspiration and a lot of Love and Light xx. More about me…