Country · 9 destinations
Best time to visit Sri Lanka
The best time to visit Sri Lanka is January and February. Its destinations score highest in January, with an average travel score of 71 out of 100.
The climate in Sri Lanka through the year
When to go
Sri Lanka scores highest on Eddigo’s travel score in January and February, with an average of 71 out of 100 in January across the 9 destinations Eddigo covers. Daytime highs in January are around 30°C throughout the country. March, July–August and December are a fair alternative. The lowest average is in October (38), with daytime highs around 30°C.
Where in the country
In January, the highest scores are in Kandy (81), Jaffna (81) and Trincomalee (73), while Maharagama scores 61. The destinations do not all peak at the same time:
- January: Colombo, Kandy, Maharagama, Jaffna, Negombo and 1 more
- February: Trincomalee, Kalmunai and Nilaveli
Warmest, coolest, wettest and driest
Over the year, Jaffna is the warmest destination (daytime highs averaging 32°C) and Kandy the coolest (29°C). Maharagama gets the most precipitation, about 2,570 mm a year, and Jaffna the least, about 1,250 mm. The warmest sea is at Jaffna: 31°C in April.
By type of trip
The best months change with what you want to do. With Eddigo’s trip types, Sri Lanka averages 65 or more in these months:
- Beach holiday: January–March. Best in February: Jaffna (86), Nilaveli (82) and Trincomalee (81)
Month by month
| Month | Score | Day | Sea | Rain | Best destinations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 71 | 28–32° | 28° | 111 mm | Kandy 81 · Jaffna 81 · Trincomalee 73 |
| February | 69 | 30–33° | 29° | 99 mm | Kandy 77 · Jaffna 76 · Trincomalee 74 |
| March | 62 | 31–33° | 30° | 97 mm | Nilaveli 70 · Trincomalee 69 · Kandy 67 |
| April | 47 | 31–33° | 31° | 156 mm | Jaffna 58 · Trincomalee 55 · Nilaveli 55 |
| May | 48 | 29–34° | 31° | 184 mm | Kandy 57 · Jaffna 51 · Trincomalee 51 |
| June | 49 | 28–34° | 30° | 84 mm | Kandy 61 · Galle 55 · Jaffna 53 |
| July | 50 | 28–34° | 30° | 87 mm | Kandy 60 · Galle 58 · Jaffna 52 |
| August | 51 | 28–33° | 29° | 120 mm | Kandy 60 · Jaffna 57 · Galle 56 |
| September | 48 | 28–33° | 29° | 162 mm | Kandy 59 · Jaffna 56 · Galle 51 |
| October | 38 | 29–32° | 29° | 293 mm | Galle 45 · Kandy 44 · Jaffna 44 |
| November | 38 | 29–31° | 29° | 348 mm | Kandy 46 · Jaffna 45 · Galle 41 |
| December | 51 | 28–31° | 29° | 258 mm | Kandy 61 · Jaffna 61 · Galle 56 |
Score: average of the cities and beach destinations with the default preferences (ski resorts are left out). Day: lowest to highest typical daytime temperature among them. Sea: the warmest. Rain: average.