Sri Lanka trip planner for Indian families

Indians need a tourist ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) from eta.gov.lk, but since 25 May 2026 it is free of charge for Indian passports - apply online, get 30 days. Carry the ETA approval, return tickets and hotel bookings. See our Sri Lanka visa guide for the full document list.

Very close: Delhi to Colombo is a 3 hour 45 minute nonstop flown by Air India, SriLankan Airlines and IndiGo, and there are also short nonstops from Chennai, Mumbai, Bengaluru and other southern cities. And there is no jet lag - Sri Lanka keeps the same time as India (UTC+5:30).

Vegetarian families eat well: Sinhala Buddhist cooking leans on dhal (parippu), coconut and vegetables, and South Indian vegetarian restaurants are common in Colombo and Kandy. Jain families need to ask about onion, garlic and especially dried fish (umbalakada) and Maldives fish, which flavour many sambols and curries. Our Sri Lanka food guide has the full strategy.

December to March for the west and south coasts (Colombo, Galle, Mirissa) and the hill country. May to September for the east coast (Trincomalee, Batticaloa). The island has two monsoons, so there is always a good coast - our best-time guide has the month-by-month picture.

Yes for tourist travel: English is widely spoken in hotels, restaurants, stations and shops. Sinhala and Tamil are the main languages; a few Sinhala words (ayubowan for hello, istuti for thank you) are warmly received. Our phrase guide has the essentials with Hindi meanings.

A week covers the classic loop: Colombo or Negombo on arrival, the Cultural Triangle (Sigiriya, Dambulla), Kandy, tea country around Nuwara Eliya or Ella, and a beach finish in Galle or Mirissa. Ten to twelve days adds wildlife (Yala or Udawalawe) or the east coast.