Trincomalee Itineraries for 3 to 5 Days
Three plans follow, for 3, 4 and 5 days. Each one assumes you travel in the calm-sea months, about May to September, when boats run and Pigeon Island is open. In the north-east monsoon, roughly October or November to February or March, the sea is rough and Pigeon Island is closed, so a trip then should lean on temples, the fort and Kanniya Hot Springs.
Getting to Trincomalee
The road from Colombo runs roughly 260 km. A direct bus from Bastian Mawatha departs about every half hour, takes around 7 hours and costs roughly LKR 850 to 950. A daily train leaves Colombo Fort and takes about 6 to 8 hours. From Kandy, allow most of a day. Read the Colombo page for the capital end of the journey.
Three days on the coast
| Day | Plan |
|---|---|
| 1 | Arrive, check in at Uppuveli or Nilaveli. Late afternoon at Fort Frederick and Swami Rock. |
| 2 | Dawn whale boat (5 to 6 hours), rest, evening on the beach. |
| 3 | Boat from Nilaveli to Pigeon Island, then Kanniya Hot Springs or Marble Beach. |
Four days with elephants
| Day | Plan |
|---|---|
| 1 | Arrive, Fort Frederick and Swami Rock at dusk. |
| 2 | Pigeon Island snorkelling. |
| 3 | Kaudulla or Minneriya afternoon jeep drive, about 2 hours each way. |
| 4 | Dawn whale boat, then depart. |
The elephant parks have their own seasons. Minneriya is strongest in August and September, while Kaudulla fills up from about September or October through November or December. Sightings are not guaranteed.
Five days with an ancient city
| Day | Plan |
|---|---|
| 1 | Arrive, relax on Nilaveli beach. |
| 2 | Dawn whale boat. |
| 3 | Pigeon Island and the war cemetery or Hoods Tower Museum in the afternoon. |
| 4 | Drive about 2.5 to 3 hours to Sigiriya, climb early, sleep nearby. |
| 5 | Dambulla or Polonnaruwa, then continue to Kandy or Colombo. |
Sigiriya has a climb of roughly 1,200 steps. Learn more on the Sigiriya page or the Polonnaruwa page . Entry tickets for foreign visitors change, so check the current price.
Learning to dive
A PADI Open Water course takes about 3 to 4 days. Divinguru Nilaveli is a PADI 5 Star IDC resort, and other dive centres operate around Nilaveli and Uppuveli, so check current status before booking. A course fits neatly into the five-day plan if you drop the inland leg.
On the road
Hire a driver for the inland days. Carry rupee notes, since small vendors want cash. Keep to established roads and paths, and read your government’s travel advice before you travel.
Read more: day trips from Trincomalee , romantic getaways in Trincomalee and the Sri Lanka travel guide .
Rooms can be compared on Booking.com . Official sources: UK travel advice and Rome2rio for Colombo to Trincomalee .