How much does a trip to Sri Lanka cost? 2027 budget for 7 days

The totals

These totals cover everything on the ground for the whole week: rooms, three meals and drinks every day, a car with a driver from the airport to Sigiriya, from Sigiriya to Kandy and from Ella to Colombo, the reserved train seats from Kandy to Ella, the ride back to the airport, short rides every day, tickets at the foreign visitor rate, a local SIM and a 10% buffer for snacks, tips and small surprises. Only the international flight is separate, and it is priced at the end. Rates are the UN operational rates of 15 October 2026: USD 1 = LKR 330.87, EUR 1 = about LKR 370.10 and GBP 1 = about LKR 438.24.

The model trip

Two adults share one private room for 7 days and 6 nights, from 18 to 24 January 2027, following our Sri Lanka in 7 days itinerary: the drive north and the Dambulla cave temple on day 1, Sigiriya at opening on day 2, the road to Kandy and the Kandy Lake Club cultural show on day 3, the Temple of the Tooth and the Peradeniya botanic gardens on day 4, the hill train to Ella on day 5, Little Adam's Peak and the drive to Colombo on day 6, and the flight home on day 7. Prices were checked on 21 October 2026.

Since 25 May 2026, nationals of 40 countries, including the UK, France and Germany, get the 30-day tourist ETA free of charge, so the totals include no visa fee; you still apply for the ETA online. Ireland, Hungary, Portugal and Romania are not on that list and pay USD 50 online: add about LKR 16,500 each. See Sri Lanka entry requirements. Most hotels have not published rates for January 2027, so room figures are estimates marked "about", based on the rates we could see.

Budget: about LKR 332,400 for two

Guesthouses and simple hotels, local eateries and Cafe Chill, the smallest TaxiGo car for the road legs, tuk-tuks and walking.

• Rooms, about LKR 83,000. A Double Room with Garden View at Tranquil Trails in Sigiriya (it shows $ 50 a night with taxes and breakfast; about LKR 16,500), a private double at a Kandy guesthouse such as Kandy City Stay (about LKR 14,000), a private ensuite double at Hangover Hostels Ella (about LKR 10,000) and a private queen room with a shared bathroom at CityRest Fort in Colombo (about LKR 12,000).
• Food, about LKR 50,800. About LKR 3,800 a day each: a masala dosa and rice and curry at local eateries, rice and curry of the day at Cafe Chill (LKR 1,700 plus its 10% service charge), a fresh juice and a snack. The four Tranquil Trails breakfasts are deducted.
• Getting around, about LKR 113,600. TaxiGo mini cars, each a fixed price for the whole car with fuel, driver and tolls: the airport to Sigiriya (LKR 22,350), Sigiriya to Kandy (LKR 19,290), Ella to Colombo (LKR 44,140) and Colombo to the airport (LKR 6,070). Add a tuk-tuk to Dambulla and back (about LKR 5,000), two reserved second-class seats from Kandy to Ella (about LKR 4,200 with the 5% online fee), tuk-tuks to and from the stations, and about LKR 1,500 a day for short rides.
• Sights, about LKR 48,200. Sigiriya with its museum (LKR 11,760 each), the Dambulla cave temple (USD 10 each), the Temple of the Tooth with its museums (LKR 3,000 each), the Peradeniya botanic gardens (LKR 3,540 each) and about LKR 5,000 for two at the Kandy Lake Club cultural show, which lists no price online.
• SIM and extras, about LKR 6,600. A Mobitel seven-day tourist plan each (LKR 821 with tax, 15 GB), water, laundry and small tips.
• Buffer, about LKR 30,200.

Mid-range: about LKR 494,500 for two

Full-service hotels, sit-down meals with coffee and dessert, and a TaxiGo sedan for every road leg.

• Rooms, about LKR 146,000. A Superior room at Hotel Sigiriya (about LKR 30,000), a Deluxe City View room at Sevana City Hotel in Kandy (about LKR 22,000), a Standard Garden Room at Ella Flower Garden (from LKR 16,500 for two with breakfast when booked direct; about LKR 17,000) and a Standard Double at the Grand Oriental Hotel in Colombo Fort (about LKR 25,000).
• Food, about LKR 108,300. About LKR 8,000 a day each at Cafe Chill prices plus the 10% service charge: string hoppers or coconut roti with curry for breakfast (LKR 1,700), rice and curry for lunch, devilled fish with rice for dinner (LKR 1,800), a cappuccino (LKR 950) and a brownie (LKR 1,475). The Flower Garden breakfasts are deducted.
• Getting around, about LKR 135,400. TaxiGo sedans for the four road legs (LKR 23,375, 20,925, 45,995 and 7,000), a car to Dambulla and back (two fares of LKR 4,950), the same train seats, cars to and from the stations, and about LKR 3,000 a day for rides.
• Sights, about LKR 48,200. As above.
• SIM and extras, about LKR 11,600.
• Buffer, about LKR 45,000.

Comfort: about LKR 1,086,500 for two

Resort hotels, hotel restaurants, a TaxiGo van for every road leg and a private guide at Sigiriya and in Kandy.

• Rooms, about LKR 455,000. A dwelling at Jetwing Vil Uyana in Sigiriya (about LKR 120,000 a night), a Deluxe room at The Golden Crown Hotel in Kandy (about LKR 40,000; its site shows rooms from LKR 14,500, which may not be the rate for foreign visitors in January), a Deluxe room at 98 Acres Resort & Spa in Ella (about LKR 75,000) and a Superior room at The Kingsbury in Colombo (about LKR 60,000).
• Food, about LKR 252,000. About LKR 18,000 a day each: a hotel breakfast, lamprais at Cafe Chill for lunch (LKR 1,950 plus service) and dinner at a hotel restaurant such as the Kingsbury's Harbour Court buffet.
• Getting around, about LKR 190,900. TaxiGo vans for the four road legs (LKR 31,950, 23,750, 60,590 and 10,410), a van to Dambulla and back (two fares of LKR 6,000), the same train seats, cars to and from the stations, and about LKR 6,000 a day for a car around town.
• Sights, about LKR 68,200. The same tickets, plus about LKR 10,000 each for a private guide at Sigiriya and in Kandy.
• SIM and extras, about LKR 21,600.
• Buffer, about LKR 98,800.

One day at each level: the Temple of the Tooth and Peradeniya

Day 4 in Kandy visits the Temple of the Tooth, with its museums and the royal elephant stable on the same ticket, then rides out to the Royal Botanic Gardens at Peradeniya. Costs are per person and include half the room.

• Budget, about LKR 18,800. Half of the Kandy guesthouse room, both tickets (LKR 6,540), tuk-tuks to the temple and the gardens, and dosa, rice and curry and a juice.
• Mid-range, about LKR 30,000. Half of the Sevana City room, the same tickets, half of a TaxiGo sedan to the gardens and back (LKR 4,450 each way), and three sit-down meals with coffee.
• Comfort, about LKR 56,500. Half of the Golden Crown room, the same tickets, half of a van to the gardens and back (LKR 7,000 each way), half of the Kandy guide, and hotel meals.

Flights and the total with flights

Etihad flies from London and Frankfurt to Colombo via Abu Dhabi. Its route pages show economy returns in January 2027 from GBP 677 from London and from EUR 590 from Frankfurt, which are the lowest fares seen for the month. As an estimate, allow about GBP 750-1,000 per person (about LKR 328,700-438,200) from London, or about EUR 650-900 from Frankfurt.

With the London flight, the whole trip comes to about LKR 494,900-604,400 per person on a budget, LKR 576,000-685,500 mid-range or LKR 872,000-981,500 in comfort. Fares for 2027 can change before you book, so check the airline's page for your dates.