Sri Lanka for Indian travellers
Close enough for a long weekend, rich enough for two weeks.
For much of southern India, Sri Lanka is a short flight across the Palk Strait, with no change of time zone. It rewards a longer stay than most people expect: the hill country around Kandy and Nuwara Eliya, the tea railway to Ella, the ancient cities and, for many families, the places tied to the Ramayana. English is widely spoken, Tamil is heard across the north, east and hills, and we plan around your food, your family and your festival dates.
The practical shape of it
- Best windowDecember – March
- Ideal length7–10 nights
- FlightsShort, non-stop
There are non-stop flights to Colombo from cities including Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kochi, Mumbai and Delhi, on SriLankan, IndiGo and Air India. Flying time runs from about an hour and a quarter from Chennai or Kochi to a little over two hours from Delhi. Routes and airlines change, so check them when you book.
- Time differenceNone
Sri Lanka is on the same time as India (UTC+5:30), so there is no time difference and no jet-lag.
- Currency$ USD
- VisaOnline ETA
Indian passport-holders need a Sri Lanka ETA applied for online before you fly. Since 25 May 2026 the fee has been waived for Indian citizens, for a 30-day stay, with double entry. Rules have changed more than once, so please check eta.gov.lk before you apply; other websites may charge extra.
A good place to start for Indian travellers
Starting points, not fixed menus — every one gets rewritten around how you like to travel.
Questions Indian travellers ask us
Do Indian citizens need a visa for Sri Lanka?
You need an ETA, an online travel authorisation, before you fly. Since 25 May 2026 the fee has been waived for Indian citizens, and the authorisation covers a 30-day stay with double entry. Staying longer means an extension, which carries a fee. Please check eta.gov.lk for the current rules, because they have changed more than once and other websites may charge extra. We send you the link and steps when you book.
How long is the flight, and which cities fly to Colombo?
There are non-stop flights from cities including Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kochi, Mumbai and Delhi. Chennai and Kochi are around an hour and a quarter in the air, Bengaluru and Hyderabad a little more, and Delhi a little over two hours. There is no time difference. Airlines and schedules change, so check them when you book.
Can you plan around vegetarian, Jain or other food needs?
Yes. Vegetarian food is easy to find across the island, and rice-and-curry meals are often vegetable-led. Tell us at the start if your family is vegetarian, Jain or has other needs, and we ask each hotel and restaurant ahead of time rather than leaving it to the day. Strict Jain meals need more notice in smaller places, so we say honestly where that is simple and where it takes planning.
Can you include the Ramayana sites?
Yes. Several places in the hill country and south are linked with the Ramayana, including the Sita Amman temple near Nuwara Eliya, Ravana Falls near Ella and Divurumpola. They sit on the same road as the tea country and the hill railway, so they fit naturally into a trip from Kandy to Ella. Tell us what matters to your family and we plan the route around it. Local tradition places these stories at these sites, and your guide can tell you which ones.
When should we come, and how long should we stay?
December to March is the easiest window for the classic route, and it matches the Christmas and New Year break. Diwali falls between the monsoons, so it can be showery, particularly in the hills. For a summer break in May or June, we build the trip around the east coast. A week covers the hills and one ancient city; ten nights lets you add the coast without rushing.
Let's shape your Sri Lankan story.
Tell us your dates and how you like to travel. We'll come back with a draft itinerary built for the trip from India — no deposit to talk.
Begin your story