With us, from £1,245 per person for a 7-day private tour and from £1,245 for a 10-day small group tour – flights not included. On the ground Sri Lanka is good value.
Our tour prices
Per person sharing a double room, including hotels, breakfast, guide and transport.
Flights
Not included in our prices. Return flights from London or the US East Coast vary widely by season – book early for December to March.
On the ground
Beyond the tour price, budget for lunches, drinks, tips and souvenirs.
Sri Lanka holiday cost: an example for two weeks
What does a two-week Sri Lanka holiday cost in practice? For two people on a private tour with your own driver-guide, hotels with breakfast, entrance fees and a Yala safari, the tour price is the largest part. Our 14-day private tour, The Grand Tour, is priced per person sharing a room – you will find the current price in your currency on the tour page.
Add return flights, which vary a great deal by season and are highest from mid-December to March, travel insurance, and around £25–40 per person per day for lunches, drinks, snacks and tips. A week on the beach adds the cost of the beach hotel.
What is included in our prices
Hotels with breakfast, and dinner on some routes. Your own driver-guide on private tours or a tour leader on small group tours. Entrance fees and safaris as listed in the itinerary – for example Sigiriya, the Temple of the Tooth and Yala. Reserved seats on the hill-country train. Water on board the vehicle and your airport transfers.
Not included are flights, travel insurance, lunches, drinks and tips. The tourist ETA is free for UK and US citizens since May 2026, but you still need to apply online.
Is Sri Lanka expensive?
Yes and no. Day-to-day life is good value: a rice and curry lunch at a local place costs a few pounds and a tuk-tuk ride across town is usually under £3. Entrance fees for foreign visitors are high, though – Sigiriya costs around US$35, and a jeep safari with park fees easily reaches US$60–90 per person. Good hotels are priced at European levels, especially in peak season and on the south coast. If you only look at street prices, you will underestimate your Sri Lanka trip cost.
Typical prices on the ground
At roughly 450 rupees to the pound (autumn 2026): a local rice and curry costs about £2–5, dinner in a hotel restaurant £10–20 per person, a king coconut at the roadside well under £1, a beer in a restaurant £3–4, a short tuk-tuk ride £1–3 and an Ayurvedic massage £25–50 depending on the hotel.
When prices are lower
Prices peak from mid-December to mid-January and again in February and March. In the shoulder months – May, June, October and November – many hotels are noticeably less expensive and the island is quieter. Our tours have seasonal prices, shown on every tour page, so you can compare months directly.
Your Sri Lanka travel budget: a few tips
Book flights early for the winter months. Consider the shoulder season if you are flexible. Choose two nights in each place rather than one – it saves fuel, driving time and stress. Carry small notes for tips and snacks. And with us you pay only a 20 % deposit when you book and the balance when you arrive.
Small group or private: which costs less?
On a small group tour with no more than eleven guests you share the tour leader and the vehicle, so the price per person is often a little lower at the same hotel level – but dates and route are fixed. On a private tour you have your own driver-guide, travel on any date and set your own pace. The more people travel together, the lower the price per head. Solo travellers pay considerably more on a private tour, because nothing is shared; on a small group tour a single room is the simpler option.
How hotel levels affect the price
All our tours come in three hotel levels. Comfort means good, well-run hotels with character. Boutique adds special small hotels, design properties and lodges by the national parks. Luxury brings the finest houses on the island, from colonial hotels in Galle Fort to planters’ bungalows in the tea country. On a two-week tour the difference between levels ranges from several hundred to a few thousand pounds per person.
Avoiding hidden costs
Check what is included: many offers leave out Sigiriya, the Temple of the Tooth or the safari, which are included on our tours. Always pay in rupees rather than pounds when a card machine asks. Apply for your ETA only on the official site, not through agencies that add fees. And at beach hotels, check which meals and drinks are included.
How Sri Lanka compares
Compared with Thailand or Bali, everyday life in Sri Lanka is similarly good value, while entrance fees for foreign visitors and good hotels cost more. In return you get remarkable variety in a small area: culture, tea hills, safari and beaches are only a few hours’ drive apart, so you spend less on internal flights than in many other destinations. Honest planning starts with what matters to you – the hotel level, route and price follow from there.
Frequently asked questions
Hotels at the top end are comparable to Europe; food, transport and guides are good value.
Hotels with breakfast, guide or driver-guide, transport and the items listed on each tour.
Prices shown in GBP; invoiced in the same currency at the rate on the booking date.
With us from £1,245 per person for a 7-day private tour and from £1,245 for a 10-day small group tour, plus flights and roughly £25–40 per person per day for lunches, drinks and tips.
For a private tour with driver-guide, hotels, entrance fees and a safari, see the price of our 14-day Grand Tour; add flights and around £25–40 per person per day on the ground.
