Most of our guests end their tour on the beach. It is the easiest way to combine the Lion Rock, the tea hills and a safari with a proper rest – and to arrive home actually relaxed.
Tour, then beach – one booking
Your driver or tour leader drops you at the beach hotel at the end of the tour. We arrange the airport transfer from there.
Popular combinations
Starting points – any tour works with any beach.
South & west in winter, east in summer
Two monsoons, two beach seasons. We always send you to the dry side.
Where you stay by the sea
Small and calm rather than big resorts.
Three weeks: tour and beach
Our most-asked combination for a first visit.
Tour & beach questions
December to April: south and west. May to September: east. October and November are in between – we look at the forecast with you.
Yes, though most guests prefer the tour first and the rest at the end.
Usually breakfast or half board. We avoid big all-inclusive resorts – the food outside is too good.
There are many nice beaches in Sri Lanka, and the best beach in Sri Lanka for you depends on the season. In winter, the south and west: Tangalle, Weligama, Mirissa, Unawatuna and Bentota. In summer, the east: Pasikudah, Nilaveli and Trincomalee. We always choose the beach that is calm in your month.
Some of the nicest beaches in Sri Lanka are in the south: Tangalle for quiet bays and boutique hotels, Weligama for its wide sweep of sand, Mirissa for whale watching and Unawatuna for an easy trip into Galle Fort.
Which tour and which beach?
Choosing your beach
Not every Sri Lankan beach suits every traveller. Mirissa and Unawatuna are lively, with cafés and bars; Tangalle and the coves further east are quiet and spacious; Bentota on the west coast is convenient for the airport and has calm lagoons for water sports. On the east coast, Pasikudah has shallow, calm water ideal for children, while Trincomalee offers snorkelling at Pigeon Island.
We match the beach to your month and your style: a boutique villa for a honeymoon, a hotel with a big garden for a family, or a small guesthouse right on the sand for travellers who want to do nothing at all.
Beach holidays in Sri Lanka: what to expect
Sri Lanka’s beaches are long, warm and far less crowded than many in South-East Asia. The water temperature is 27–30 °C all year. Most beach hotels are small, with a pool and a restaurant, and village life carries on just beyond the sand: fishermen hauling nets, children playing cricket, tuk-tuks on the coast road.
Combining a tour with a beach stay is simple. At the end of the tour, your driver or tour leader takes you to the beach hotel, and on your last day a transfer takes you to the airport. From the south coast that is about two and a half hours; from the east coast about five.
How many beach nights?
Three nights give you two full days to rest after the tour – ideal if your time is limited. Five nights are our most popular choice and feel like a real second holiday. Seven nights or more are perfect for families and anyone who wants to read, swim and do very little; many guests split a week between two beaches for variety.