What are the chances of seeing a blue whale?

In the peak months of January to March, around 80 to 90 per cent on the Mirissa trips – good, but not a guarantee, and we will not sell it as one. Spinner dolphins are close to certain. Sperm whales are occasional. If the boat sees nothing at all, most operators offer a free second trip rather than a refund; we will tell you which policy applies to the boat we book before you pay.

Possibly. The boats go three to four hours into open water and the swell off the south coast can be significant, particularly in November and April at the edges of the season. Take a tablet an hour before boarding, stay on deck, look at the horizon and eat something light. We choose larger boats with more stable hulls where they are available.

No. The whale-watching boat is shared with other passengers, as almost all of them are; we book you with a licensed operator and there is a naturalist on board. Your transfers and your chauffeur-guide are private, and a whole-boat charter can be quoted if you would prefer one.

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.

Mirissa Whale Watching from Galle, Unawatuna or Hikkaduwa

Overview

Itinerary

Cost

FAQs

Map

Tour Overview

Blue whales, sperm whales and spinner dolphins off Mirissa, with hotel pick-up from Galle, Unawatuna, Hikkaduwa or Bentota – the season runs November to April.

Trip at a glance

Detail	Information
Duration	1 day
Tour type	Day Tour
Group size	Private: 1–15 guests
Difficulty	Easy – open sea, can be choppy
Best season	November – April (best January – March)
Approx. road distance	~80 km
Guide languages	English, German and Hindi (others on request)
Departure dates	Any date – private tour, all year

Highlights

Blue whales – the largest animal that has ever lived
Spinner dolphins on the great majority of trips, often in large pods
Licensed operator briefed to keep the legal distance and not to chase
Naturalist on board, breakfast and water included
Pick-up from Galle, Unawatuna, Hikkaduwa, Weligama or Bentota
Season November to April, best January to March
Option to stay on at Mirissa beach and be collected later

Itinerary

Expand all

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.

Start dates. This tour is private and runs on any date you choose within its season, subject to availability. It operates in January, February, March, April, November, December – outside those months the conditions make it either impossible or much less rewarding, and we will say so and suggest an alternative rather than take the booking. 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 :

Mirissa Whale Watching from Galle, Unawatuna or Hikkaduwa

Pick-up between 4:30 and 5:30 am depending on where you are staying, arriving at Mirissa harbour for the 6:30 am departure. Three to four hours at sea with a licensed operator: spinner dolphins are seen on the great majority of trips, often in pods of hundreds, and in the peak months of January to March blue whale sightings run at around 80 to 90 per cent. Sperm whales are less frequent, perhaps one trip in eight. Breakfast and water are served on board and there is a naturalist to explain what you are looking at. Back at the harbour late morning, then lunch and your transfer home, or stay on at Mirissa beach and we collect you later.

Meals: Breakfast · Overnight: — · Travel: Half day (6–8 hrs) · Distance: ~80 km

Mirissa Whale Watching from Galle, Unawatuna or Hikkaduwa

Tour Overview

Highlights

Itinerary

Includes / Excludes

Price Includes

Price Excludes

Frequently Asked Questions

You can send your enquiry via the form below.

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

Let’s Make Your Travel Dreams Come True Easily

Quick Links

Tours

Newsletter

Tour Overview

Highlights

Itinerary

Includes / Excludes

Price Includes

Price Excludes

Frequently Asked Questions

You can send your enquiry via the form below.

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

Related trips you might interested in

Classic Sri Lanka Tour – 10 Days

South Coast Beach Holiday – 7 Days

South Coast Safari & Beach Break – 4 Days

Let’s Make Your Travel Dreams Come True Easily

Quick Links

Tours

Newsletter