Frequently Asked Questions

Tell us your destinations, travel dates, group size, interests, and budget, and our AI generates a complete day-by-day itinerary in seconds — including suggested stays, activities, and estimated costs. You can review, adjust, and refine it before confirming anything with our team.

The AI planner gives you a transparent, real-time cost estimate based on your choices. Once you confirm interest, our concierge team follows up with a final, itemised quote — there are no hidden fees added afterward.

Yes. Every AI-generated itinerary is a starting point, not a fixed package. You can adjust destinations, swap activities, change hotel tiers, or hand it to our team to fine-tune manually before booking.

Yes. Depending on the plan you choose, we can arrange private chauffeur-guided transport, hotel bookings across a range of tiers, and on-the-ground support throughout your trip.

Cancellation terms depend on how far in advance you cancel and the specific hotels or services already booked on your behalf. Full details are provided in your booking confirmation, and our team is happy to explain them before you commit to anything.

Yes, we regularly plan trips for groups of all sizes, including multi-generational families with a mix of interests and mobility needs. Let us know your group composition and we'll tailor accommodation, pace, and activities accordingly.

You can reach us anytime through the chat widget on this site, or visit our Contact Us page for our contact details. Our concierge team typically responds within 24 hours.

Yes. Nearly all visitors need approval before departure, most commonly the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), applied for online at the official eta.gov.lk portal. A small number of nationalities can get a Visa on Arrival instead. Apply before you travel and keep a copy, as airlines can deny boarding without one.

It depends on your nationality. Following a policy change in May 2026, some nationalities now receive a free ETA, while others pay the standard fee of USD 50, and SAARC-country nationals pay USD 20. Check the exact fee for your passport on the official eta.gov.lk site close to your travel dates, since the fee list is nationality-specific and has changed more than once recently.

Yes, it's a separate requirement. The Digital Arrival Card is a free online form at eservices.immigration.gov.lk that every visitor must submit, in addition to the ETA, within 72 hours before arrival. It's an arrival declaration, not a visa, so budget a few extra minutes for it alongside your ETA application.

Your passport should be valid for at least 6 months beyond your arrival date. Immigration officers can also ask for proof of onward or return travel and evidence of sufficient funds for your stay, so keep your return ticket and a booking confirmation or bank statement accessible.

For a short ~5km trip, expect roughly LKR 500–900 booked through an app like PickMe or Uber, which is metered and fixed by the app. Hailing a tuk-tuk on the street without an app is unmetered and often quoted higher, commonly LKR 1,000–2,000 for the same distance, so agree on a price before you get in or ask the driver to use the meter.

Reserved 1st/2nd-class tickets go on sale via seatreservation.railway.gov.lk (and the Railway Department's mobile app) exactly 30 days before travel, from 8am, and popular dates sell out within minutes — book right at opening if you can. Unreserved 3rd-class tickets are sold at the station on the day of travel. If Nanu Oya–Ella reserved seats are sold out, some travellers board at an earlier, less-booked station on the same route and find a seat once onboard.

You can, but you need the right paperwork: an International Driving Permit endorsed by the Automobile Association of Ceylon (AAC) in Colombo, or a temporary visitor driving permit issued by the Department of Motor Traffic (DMT) in Werahera. Many travellers hire a private driver instead, since local road conditions and driving norms can be challenging for first-time visitors.

It depends on which coast you're visiting, since two separate monsoons affect the island at different times. Broadly: the west and south coasts and hill country are driest from December to April; the east coast is driest from May to September; and the Cultural Triangle (Sigiriya, Dambulla, Polonnaruwa) is a year-round destination, with May to September generally the most pleasant.

Usually not. Even during the wetter months, rain typically falls as a shorter, intense downpour lasting one to two hours, often in the afternoon or evening, rather than continuous all-day rain. Most travellers can still plan a full day of sightseeing around it.

Yes, take this seriously. Sri Lankan law treats disrespect toward Buddhist symbols as a criminal offense, and tourists have been denied entry, arrested, or deported over visible Buddha tattoos or posing disrespectfully — such as turning your back — for photos with Buddha statues. Cover tattoos where possible and always face statues when photographing them.

Cover your shoulders and knees, remove your shoes and any hat before entering, and expect to walk barefoot on hot stone or sand at outdoor sites like Sigiriya's temple areas — bring socks if that's a concern. This applies to all visitors regardless of gender.

Only with the right permissions. You need to register with the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL) and get clearance from the Ministry of Defence or police, arranged in advance. Drones are banned outright over Sigiriya, national parks and wildlife reserves, and military or security-sensitive zones, and flying without clearance risks confiscation.

Both. Hotels, restaurants, and supermarkets in tourist areas generally accept cards, often with a 2–3% surcharge, but cash is essential for tuk-tuks, small stalls, local eateries, and tipping. ATMs from Commercial Bank, Seylan, and HNB are widely available in towns and cities for withdrawing LKR.

A tourist eSIM or physical SIM from Dialog or SLT-Mobitel is the easiest option, typically USD 7–12 for 20–50GB. You can buy one at the arrivals hall of Bandaranaike International Airport, or pre-purchase an eSIM online before you fly so you land already connected.

No — stick to bottled or filtered water, which is what locals and hotels recommend for visitors. King coconuts (thambili) are a refreshing, safe, and very Sri Lankan alternative when you're out and about.

Generally yes, if you choose busy stalls where food is cooked fresh in front of you — high turnover is the best safety signal. Avoid pre-cut fruit that's been sitting uncovered, and you'll be fine exploring the local food scene.

Sri Lanka has been certified malaria-free by the WHO since 2016, so anti-malarial medication generally isn't necessary. Dengue fever is present, though, so pack a DEET-based repellent. Standard travel vaccines — Tetanus, Typhoid, Hepatitis A — are commonly recommended; check with a travel health clinic before you go.

Don't risk it. Importing and selling e-cigarettes is illegal under Sri Lankan tobacco regulations, and customs at the airport routinely confiscates vaping devices from tourists on arrival. The legal status of simple possession is technically unsettled, but authorities don't relax the rules for visitors, so it's best to leave your vape at home.

For alcohol, non-resident visitors can bring in up to 2 bottles of wine plus 1.5 litres of spirits duty-free. There's no published duty-free allowance for cigarettes or tobacco for tourists, so don't count on bringing any in without paying duty.

Officially, retail alcohol sales — bars, liquor stores, and hotel restaurants — are required to close nationwide for 24 hours on every Poya day, and this is enforced. In practice, some tourist hotels continue quietly serving guests on the roughly ten "minor" Poya days, with enforcement visibly stricter on the two major ones, Vesak and Poson. Don't assume you'll be able to buy alcohol on any Poya day, especially outside a hotel.

Bring only what you need for your trip, up to 90 days' worth, in original packaging or clearly labelled, along with your prescription or a doctor's note. Injectable medicines can't be brought in for personal use, and some controlled substances — certain strong painkillers, ADHD medication, benzodiazepines — may need prior approval from Sri Lanka's National Dangerous Drugs Control Board, so contact them in advance if you take a controlled medication.

Restaurants at hotels and tourist venues often add a 10% service charge, and a small additional cash tip is appreciated, especially at smaller local eateries with no service charge. As a guide: private drivers and chauffeur-guides around LKR 1,500–2,500 per day, safari jeep drivers and trackers roughly LKR 500–1,000 per person for a half-day, and hotel porters LKR 100–200 per bag. These are customary, not compulsory.

At street markets, souvenir stalls, and unmetered tuk-tuks, yes — bargaining is normal and expected. Prices are fixed at supermarkets, chain restaurants, national park entry gates, pharmacies, and metered or app-based transport, so there's no need to haggle there.

Park entry is booked separately from your jeep and driver. Entry permits can be reserved online through the Department of Wildlife Conservation's ePermit portal, booked through your driver or tour operator, or bought in person at the park gate. A private half-day jeep with driver typically runs from around USD 60 up to 150 or more depending on the park and operator, on top of the park entry fee. Early morning, roughly 6–9am, and late afternoon, from around 3pm to gate close, are the best windows for wildlife sightings.

We'd recommend skipping them. Commercial elephant-back rides are still offered at some tourist venues, but the ethical-travel consensus, from welfare organizations to mainstream operators, has shifted firmly against them because of how captive elephants are trained and kept. Watching wild herds at Minneriya, Kaudulla, or Udawalawe National Park, or visiting the non-riding Elephant Transit Home at Udawalawe, is a far more rewarding and responsible way to experience Sri Lanka's elephants.

Sri Lanka is generally a safe and welcoming destination for tourists, including solo and family travellers. As with any destination, we recommend standard travel precautions, and our 24/7 concierge support is available throughout your trip.

A few recur often enough to know about: gem shop "free tours" that turn into high-pressure sales pitches; stilt fishermen at Koggala and Weligama who now pose for photos for a fee rather than actually fishing; tuk-tuk or taxi drivers steering you toward a "government" craft shop or spice garden for a commission, or claiming a temple is "closed today"; and online resellers scalping Kandy–Ella train tickets at inflated prices. Always book train tickets directly through the official railway website or app.

Tourist Police: 1912. General Police: 118 or 119. Suwa Seriya free ambulance service: 1990. Fire & Rescue: 110. It's worth saving these in your phone before you start exploring.