Off the Beaten Path route · May to October
Sri Lanka Itinerary: 14 Days - East Coast and the Far North
The whole eastern seaboard plus Jaffna, in the season it all works: temples, lagoons, quiet beaches and a surf town, with a safari on the way home.A summer trip along coasts most itineraries skip. Jaffna's temples and islands open it, then the road follows the sea south: Trincomalee's bays, Pasikudah's shallow lagoon, the lagoon city of Batticaloa, and the surf at Arugam Bay. An Udawalawe safari and a Galle Fort night bring it back west. An Udawalawe safari and a night inside Galle Fort, ramparts lit after dark and dinner in the old town, bring the trip back west.
- 14 Days
- Off the Beaten Path
- May to October
- 1458 km
The trip on the map
Every overnight stop, and the roads between them.
Days
14
Driving
28-36 h total
Distance
1458 km
Season
May to October
Best May to September (east coast season); outside that window Trincomalee, Pasikudah, Batticaloa, and Arugam Bay see rougher seas and some properties close.
Route at a glance
- Airport → Anuradhapura182.4 km · 4-5 h
- Anuradhapura → Jaffna196 km · 3.5-4.5 h
- Jaffna → Anuradhapura236 km · 4-5 h
- Anuradhapura → Trincomalee108 km · 1.5-2 h
- Trincomalee → Pasikudah109 km · 2-2.5 h
- Pasikudah → Batticaloa33 km · 1-1 h
- Batticaloa → Arugam Bay113 km · 2.5-3 h
- Arugam Bay → Udawalawe182.9 km · 4-5 h
- Udawalawe → Galle135.9 km · 3-4 h
- Galle → Airport161.8 km · 3-3.5 h
The journey, day by day
Anuradhapura
The road runs straight from the airport to Anuradhapura, via Negombo, Chilaw, and Puttalam, about 3 hours 50 minutes.
Bandaranaike Airport → Anuradhapura182.4 km · 4-5 h · A3, A12passing Negombo (lagoon town), Chilaw (Munneswaram temple town), Puttalam (salt-pan lagoon)Around Anuradhapura - everything on offer, you choose
Tissa Wewa
Ancient reservoir built by King Devanampiyatissa in the 3rd century BC, now a wildlife haven where elephants come to drink at dusk.
Isurumuniya Rock Temple
3rd-century BC rock temple in Anuradhapura with a famous carved panel of 'The Lovers', a royal bathing pool, and elephants carved in rock.
Jetavanaramaya Stupa
3rd-century stupa that once stood 122m tall, making it the world's third tallest structure when built by King Mahasena around 275 AD.
Sri Maha Bodhi
The oldest documented tree in the world, planted 288 BC from a cutting of the original Bodhi Tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment.
Ruwanwelisaya Stupa
2nd-century BC stupa built by King Dutugemunu, standing 103m tall and enshrining relics of the Buddha in Anuradhapura.
Lovamahapaya
Ruins of a 9-storey palace from the 2nd century BC in Anuradhapura, marked today by 1,600 granite columns standing in a 40x40 grid.
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Samadhi Buddha Statue
4th-century seated meditation Buddha carved from dolomite marble, widely considered one of the finest ancient sculptures in Sri Lanka.
Abhayagiri Dagoba
1st-century BC stupa in Anuradhapura that once rose to 115m, making it the second tallest stupa ever built in the ancient world.
Mihintale
Sacred mountain where Buddhism was introduced to Sri Lanka in 247 BC by Mahinda, son of Emperor Ashoka, reached by climbing 1,840 granite steps.
Aukana Buddha Statue
5th-century standing Buddha carved from a single granite rock face, standing 12m tall, near Kekirawa between Anuradhapura and Dambulla.
Activities
- Anuradhapura Sacred City Cycling Tour3h
- Nuwara Wewa Sunset Boat Ride, Anuradhapura1h
Jaffna
Jaffna is about 4 hours 10 minutes away via Mannar, crossing causeway country through Adampan and Vellankulam.
Anuradhapura → Jaffna196 km · 3.5-4.5 h · A9Around Jaffna - everything on offer, you choose
Jaffna Public Library
Sri Lanka's largest regional library, rebuilt after its deliberate burning in 1981 — the destruction of 97,000 Tamil manuscripts and books was one of the most traumatic cultural attacks of the civil war.
- JM
Jaffna Market
The main covered market of Jaffna town, selling fresh produce unique to the north: palmyra toddy, dried fish, chilies, and traditional Tamil condiments rarely found elsewhere in Sri Lanka.
Jaffna Fort
A Dutch-built star fort from 1658 on Jaffna's coast — one of the best-preserved colonial fortifications in Asia, with 4km of intact ramparts and a dry moat.
Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil
The most important Hindu temple in northern Sri Lanka, dedicated to Lord Murugan — the 25-day Nallur Festival each August draws hundreds of thousands of Tamil Hindu devotees.
Dambakola Patuna
The historically significant landing site on Sri Lanka's northern coast where the Bodhi sapling and the Sanghamitta Theri arrived from India in 288 BC, marking the beginning of Sri Lanka's Buddhist tradition.
Nainativu Island
A small island in Jaffna Lagoon holding both a major Buddhist temple and a major Hindu temple on the same 1.5km strip of land, making it unique in Sri Lanka.
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- CB
Casuarina Beach
A shallow, calm beach near Karainagar on the Jaffna peninsula, named for its casuarina tree shade line — one of the few genuinely swimmable beaches in the north of Sri Lanka.
Keerimalai Hot Springs
Natural freshwater springs that emerge at the ocean's edge near Jaffna, historically used for bathing by pilgrims on the Nainativu route — the water is mineral-rich and believed curative.
- PP
Point Pedro
The northernmost point of Sri Lanka, a coastal town where the Indian Ocean meets the Bay of Bengal — a geographic landmark 330km from Dondra Head, the island's southernmost point.
Activities
- Delft Island Day Tour (Wild Horses and Baobab)5h
- Jaffna Heritage Walking Tour (Fort, Library, Market)2.5h
- Jaffna Town Cycling Tour2h
- Nagadeepa / Nainativu Island Temple Boat Trip2h
Jaffna, at your pace
Jaffna's day covers Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil, the city's gold-spired Hindu temple dedicated to Murugan and busiest around its evening pooja near 5:30pm, the market, and the public library.
Anuradhapura
The return to Anuradhapura runs via the A9 through Elephant Pass, Kilinochchi, Omanthai, and Vavuniya, about 3 hours 30 minutes, with the afternoon free for the sacred city and Mihintale, the hill where Buddhism reached Sri Lanka in 247 BC.
Jaffna → Anuradhapura236 km · 4-5 h · A32, A14passing Mannar (fort and baobab island)Trincomalee
The A12 through Kebithigollewa and Kantale reaches Trincomalee in about 1 hour 45 minutes, with the afternoon at Koneswaram Temple, the clifftop Hindu temple on Swami Rock above the harbour.
Anuradhapura → Trincomalee108 km · 1.5-2 h · A12Around Trincomalee - everything on offer, you choose
Trincomalee Harbour
One of the world's largest natural deep-water harbours, cited by Lord Nelson as the finest in the Indian Ocean, spanning 15 km across.
Koneswaram Temple
Ancient Hindu cliff temple dedicated to Shiva, perched 130 m above the sea at Swami Rock, Trincomalee.
Fort Frederick
17th-century colonial fort on Swami Rock, Trincomalee, built by Portuguese in 1624, rebuilt by Dutch, and garrisoned by British until independence.
- UB
Uppuveli Beach
Quiet 3-kilometre beach 4 km north of Trincomalee town with calm May-September surf, budget guesthouses, and a WWII Commonwealth war cemetery.
Swami Rock and Lover's Leap
130-metre sea cliff at the tip of Swami Rock, Trincomalee, with a documented Dutch-era legend and unobstructed views over the Indian Ocean.
Marble Beach
Secluded 400-metre military-reservation beach 5 km north of Trincomalee, considered by many visitors to have the clearest water on the east coast.
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Activities
- Kanniya Hot Springs Visit0.75h
- Pigeon Island Snorkeling Boat Trip3h
- Trincomalee Whale Watching Boat Tour4h
Reading before you go
Trincomalee, at your pace
A boat trip out to Pigeon Island National Park fills the day with snorkelling.
Pasikudah
Pasikudah is about 2 hours away via Kantale and Valachchenai; the afternoon is spent on the shallow bay beach, calm enough for swimming well out from shore.
Trincomalee → Pasikudah109 km · 2-2.5 h · A15Around Pasikudah - everything on offer, you choose
Activities
- Pasikuda Glass-Bottom Boat and Shallow Reef Snorkel1.5h
Pasikudah, at your pace
A free day at Pasikudah.
Batticaloa
Batticaloa is a short drive away, about 45 minutes, with an afternoon lagoon boat trip past lift-net fishermen and mangrove channels, with a chance to hear the lagoon's 'singing fish' after dark.
Pasikudah → Batticaloa33 km · 1-1 h · A15Around Batticaloa - everything on offer, you choose
Activities
- Batticaloa Lagoon Guided Boat Tour1.5h
Arugam Bay
Kalmunai, Akkaraipattu, and Pottuvil lead to Arugam Bay, about 2 hours 35 minutes.
Batticaloa → Arugam Bay113 km · 2.5-3 h · A4Around Arugam Bay - everything on offer, you choose
Arugam Bay Beach
Sri Lanka's premier surf break, ranked among the world's top 10 point breaks, with a right-hander that works best May to October.
Arugam Bay Pottuvil Lagoon
Mangrove-lined tidal lagoon 2 km from Arugam Bay with resident mugger crocodiles, painted storks, and canoe tours through narrow channels.
- KF
Kudumbigala Forest Hermitage
Active forest monastery of cave-dwelling monks near Panama, Ampara, with ancient rock inscriptions, a 2nd-century BCE origin, and dramatic boulder landscape.
Activities
- Arugam Bay Beginner Surf Lesson2h
- Kumana National Park Jeep Safari4h
- Pottuvil Lagoon Mangrove Safari (Crocodile Spotting)2h
Reading before you go
Arugam Bay, at your pace
A surf lesson at Main Point, or a day trip to Kumana National Park via Okanda, known for its dense birdlife including painted storks and pelicans.
Udawalawe
Wellawaya carries the road to Udawalawe, about 4 hours, bypassing the Ella and Haputale hill climb.
Arugam Bay → Udawalawe182.9 km · 4-5 h · A4, A2passing Wellawaya (where the hills meet the plains)Around Udawalawe - everything on offer, you choose
Activities
- Elephant Transit Home Feeding Viewing1h
- Sinharaja Forest Reserve Guided Rainforest Trek4h
- Udawalawe National Park Jeep Safari3h
Reading before you go
Galle
A morning elephant safari in Udawalawe National Park, home to an estimated 500 to 600 wild elephants, comes first, then the drive to Galle via Mirissa, Weligama, and Unawatuna, about 3 hours.
Udawalawe → Galle135.9 km · 3-4 h · A18, E01, A2passing Mirissa (whale harbour), Weligama (surf bay), Unawatuna (beach bay)Around Galle - everything on offer, you choose
Galle Fort
A Dutch colonial fort built in 1663, enclosing a 400-year-old town of 400 buildings within 36 hectares on a rocky peninsula in Galle city.
Galle Lighthouse
A working 18m Dutch-era lighthouse inside Galle Fort, first lit in 1848, marking the entrance to Galle Harbour — the oldest lighthouse in Sri Lanka.
Activities
- Galle Fort Guided Walking Tour2h
- Koggala Lake Boat Safari (Cinnamon Island)1.5h
Fly home
The drive to the airport passes through Colombo on the E01 and E03 expressways, about 2 hours 45 minutes, for departure.
Galle → Airport161.8 km · 3-3.5 h · E01, E03
Comparing options first? Start with our main Sri Lanka itinerary for 14 days, which compares every 14-day route we run.
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