Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka family holiday

Sri Lanka is one of our most popular holiday destinations for families. There is glorious scenery, incredible ancient ruins, wonderfully friendly people and idyllic tropical beaches. The distances are relatively small, so there’s not too much travelling, and there is a superb selection of boutique hotels that are perfect for families.

Spend your days cycling through lush green paddy fields that are home to lumbering water buffalo or hiking amidst hilly tea plantations. Enjoy tantalisingly delicious Sri Lankan cuisine, explore UNESCO World Heritage sites and finish off on a white sandy beach fringed by palm trees.

Hike through tea plantations and learn how to pick the leaves

Why take the kids to Sri Lanka?

There are a remarkable range of activities in Sri Lanka. Your family holiday will be packed full of variety that will keep children of all ages happy.

Our favourite activities to include on a Sri Lanka family holiday are:

Tracking leopards in national parks
Learning to surf on the southern beaches
Climbing up Lion’s Rock at Sigiriya
Helping to wash elephants in rivers
Hiking through tea plantations
Watching dolphins surf the waves
Swimming in waterfalls
Swinging in a hammock on a white sandy beach

Family on safari at Minneriya, Sri Lanka at Christmas

An elephant safari is a must on a Sri Lanka family holiday

Sightseeing in Sri Lanka

Any family holiday in Sri Lanka will include some of the ancient sites, an incredible six of which are UNESCO World Heritage listed. They include huge Buddhist sculptures carved from rock and a hilltop fortress constructed on a rocky outcrop more than fifteen hundred years ago. The great thing is that all can be visited in a family friendly way; younger children will love scrambling around and watching the monkeys dart from one corner to the next. Older children will enjoy exploring by bike, so that temple viewing is interspersed with something more active.

Family posing in front of Sigiriya (Lion Rock) on Sri Lanka family holiday

Explore Sri Lanka’s 5th-century mountain fortress, Sigiriya

Travelling around Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is a relatively small country that is easy to get around. On all of our holidays here, you will be accompanied by an English-speaking driver. They are brilliant, and will be happy to adapt your day to day itinerary for the kids. This might mean stopping at a local shrine for a blessing or joining a village cricket game.

The weather pattern in Sri Lanka means that we will suggest you concentrate on a particular part of the country. We will discuss this with you at the time of booking, to ensure that you maximise your chance of sunshine!

Family holiday itineraries for Sri Lanka

All of our itineraries are bespoke, which means that they are tailor-made for your own specific family, taking into account the ages of your children, your interests, your budget and so on. However, to give you an idea of what you could do on a Sri Lanka family holiday, have a look at our sample itineraries, Sri Lanka Summer Tour and Sri Lanka Christmas & Easter Tour. For some great photos and even more activity ideas, check out our Sri Lanka Top 10 with Kids feature.

You can also find out more about places to visit in Sri Lanka here and check the weather on our handy chart. Or simply get in touch, and we’ll be delighted to advise you on the best Sri Lanka family holiday for you and your family.