When is the best time for the east coast?

May to September. From November to February the east coast gets the north-east monsoon, so we recommend the west and south coasts instead.

Is this tour private?

Yes. The tour is private for your group with your own vehicle and chauffeur-guide – you won't share with strangers.

Can I customise this itinerary?

Of course. You can add or remove days, change hotels, upgrade to boutique or luxury properties or swap activities. We'll send a revised quote within 24 hours.

What is the price based on?

The price is per person based on two adults sharing a room in the hotel category shown. Prices vary by season, hotel choice and group size – request a quote for your exact dates.

How do I book and pay?

Send an enquiry or click Book Now. We confirm availability, then you secure the tour with a deposit; the balance is paid before arrival. [Insert your real deposit and payment terms.]

East Coast Beach Escape – 8 Days

Overview

Itinerary

Cost

FAQs

Tour Overview

When the monsoon reaches the west and south coasts, the east coast is at its best – calm, sunny and uncrowded. Begin with Sigiriya, then travel down the coast from Trincomalee’s snorkelling reefs to the shallow lagoon of Pasikudah and the surf town of Arugam Bay.

Where you spend the nights

Area / base	Nights
Sigiriya / Habarana	2
Trincomalee	2
Pasikudah	1
Arugam Bay	2
Total nights	7

Trip at a glance

Detail	Information
Duration	8 days / 7 nights
Tour type	Beach Holiday
Group size	Private tour: 1–15 guests
Difficulty	Easy
Best season	May – September
Approx. road distance	~1,050 km
Guide languages	English, German and Hindi (others on request)
Departure dates	Any date – private tour, all year

Tour summary – arrival to drop-off

Day	Route (arrival → drop-off)	Night stay	Destination & main points	Distance	Meals
1	Airport (CMB) → Sigiriya / Habarana	Sigiriya / Habarana	Arrival & Transfer to the Cultural Triangle	~160 km	Dinner
2	Stay in Sigiriya / Habarana	Sigiriya / Habarana	Sigiriya Rock Fortress & Dambulla Cave Temple	~45 km	Breakfast, Dinner
3	Sigiriya / Habarana → Trincomalee	Trincomalee	Transfer to Trincomalee – Koneswaram Temple	~115 km	Breakfast, Dinner
4	Stay in Trincomalee	Trincomalee	Pigeon Island Snorkelling & Nilaveli Beach	~20 km	Breakfast, Dinner
5	Trincomalee → Pasikudah	Pasikudah	Pasikudah – Calm Lagoon Beach	~100 km	Breakfast, Dinner
6	Pasikudah → Arugam Bay	Arugam Bay	Arugam Bay – Surf Town of the East	~185 km	Breakfast, Dinner
7	Stay in Arugam Bay	Arugam Bay	Surf Lesson & Kumana Lagoon Safari	~45 km	Breakfast, Dinner
8	Arugam Bay → Airport (CMB)	— (departure)	Arugam Bay to Airport – Departure	~380 km	Breakfast

Highlights

Sigiriya Rock Fortress
Koneswaram Temple, Trincomalee
Snorkelling at Pigeon Island
Calm waters of Pasikudah
Surf lesson in Arugam Bay
Kumana lagoon safari

Itinerary

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Every tour is 100% flexible and customizable. This itinerary is a starting point – we can change the order of the days, add or remove nights, swap activities or extend the tour to match your exact dates, pace and interests.

Hotels and accommodation are not included in the standard tour price. You are free to book your own stays, or let us organise a complete accommodation package for you in your preferred hotel tier (guesthouse, 3★, 4★, 5★ or boutique/villa). We work with hotels across the island and can quote your whole trip as one package.

Please contact us before you place a booking so that we can finalise your customised itinerary and your accommodation plan, confirm availability for your dates and send you a final price.

Family, senior and accessibility friendly. We can arrange an elder-friendly set-up (slower pace, shorter drives, ground-floor rooms, lift-access hotels, wheelchair-friendly vehicles and skip-the-climb alternatives such as the Sigiriya museum and gardens or the Pidurangala base viewpoint) and a child-friendly set-up (child and booster seats, family or connecting rooms, hotels with pools, shorter driving days and kid-friendly meals).

Guides and languages. Our chauffeur-guides work in English, German and Hindi, and we can arrange French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Chinese and Japanese speaking guides on request.

Meals. The meals shown in the itinerary are what we include when we arrange your accommodation on half board. If you book your own hotels, your meals follow your own hotel booking – tell us which you prefer.

Any start date. All tours are private and run on any date you choose, all year round, subject to availability. Tell us your arrival and departure dates and we will build the itinerary around your flights.

Contact us before booking: [info@lankaitinerary.com] · WhatsApp [+94 XX XXX XXXX]

Day 01 :

Arrival & Transfer to the Cultural Triangle

Your chauffeur-guide welcomes you at the airport and you head straight inland to the heart of the Cultural Triangle. The drive passes coconut estates, paddy fields and roadside fruit stalls – stop for a fresh king coconut on the way. Check in to your hotel near Sigiriya, surrounded by forest and lakes, and spend the evening by the pool while the rock fortress glows on the horizon.

Meals: Dinner · Overnight: Sigiriya / Habarana · Travel: 4 hrs (160 km) · Distance: ~160 km

Day 02 :

Sigiriya Rock Fortress & Dambulla Cave Temple

Start early (7:00 am) to climb Sigiriya before the heat and the crowds. The 5th-century citadel of King Kashyapa rises 200 m above the jungle: walk through the symmetrical water gardens, see the famous cloud-maiden frescoes and the mirror wall, pass between the giant lion paws and reach the palace ruins on the summit for a 360° view. After lunch, visit the Dambulla Cave Temple (UNESCO), five caves filled with over 150 Buddha statues and painted ceilings. Return to your hotel for a relaxed evening.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner · Overnight: Sigiriya / Habarana · Travel: 40 min each way · Distance: ~45 km

Day 03 :

Transfer to Trincomalee – Koneswaram Temple

Drive to Trincomalee on the east coast, home of one of the finest natural harbours in the world. Visit the cliff-top Koneswaram Temple, overlooking 'Swami Rock', and watch the sunset over the bay. Check in at Nilaveli or Uppuveli beach.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner · Overnight: Trincomalee · Travel: 2.5 hrs from Sigiriya · Distance: ~115 km

Day 04 :

Pigeon Island Snorkelling & Nilaveli Beach

Take a short boat ride to Pigeon Island National Park, one of the best snorkelling spots in the country, where you may see blacktip reef sharks, turtles and colourful reef fish. Afternoon free on Nilaveli beach; optional whale watching (March to August).

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner · Overnight: Trincomalee · Travel: Boat 20 min · Distance: ~20 km

Day 05 :

Pasikudah – Calm Lagoon Beach

Travel south along the coast to Pasikudah, a wide bay with shallow, calm water that stays waist-deep for hundreds of metres – ideal for families and swimming. Afternoon at leisure.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner · Overnight: Pasikudah · Travel: 2.5 hrs · Distance: ~100 km

Day 06 :

Arugam Bay – Surf Town of the East

Drive to Arugam Bay, a laid-back surf village. Check in, have a board lesson or watch surfers at Main Point, and spend the evening at a beach café.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner · Overnight: Arugam Bay · Travel: 3 hrs · Distance: ~185 km

Day 07 :

Surf Lesson & Kumana Lagoon Safari

Morning surf lesson with a certified instructor at Whiskey Point or Baby Point (all levels). In the afternoon, take a jeep safari in Kumana National Park or a boat ride on Pottuvil lagoon to see crocodiles, elephants and birdlife among the mangroves.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner · Overnight: Arugam Bay · Travel: Local · Distance: ~45 km

Day 08 :

Arugam Bay to Airport – Departure

Long drive back to the airport via Ella or Kandy (about 7–8 hours), or a domestic flight from Ampara on request.

Meals: Breakfast · Overnight: — · Travel: 7–8 hrs · Distance: ~380 km

East Coast Beach Escape – 8 Days

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