Sri Lanka Complete Guide 2026: Sigiriya, Kandy, Galle, Yala, Ella and Anuradhapura
Browse more guides: Sri Lanka travel | Asia destinations Sri Lanka Complete Guide 2026: Sigiriya, Kandy, Galle, Yala, Ella and Anuradhapura TL;DR I spent twenty-two days circling Sri Lanka in February 2026: Hill Country train Kandy to Ella, Sigiriya before sunrise, a leopard crossing a Yala track at 6:42 a.m., Galle ramparts at dusk. Free 30-day ETA for Indian passports reopened in March 2025, the rupee settled near 300 LKR per USD, tourism reached about 75 percent of the 2018 peak. Ten places, three itineraries, costs in LKR/USD/INR, plus temple etiquette I wish I had memorised. Why Visit Sri Lanka in 2026 I had postponed this trip twice. Once in 2019 after the Easter attacks, once in 2022 during the fuel queues. By early 2026 the situation looked different. Petrol stations had no lines, ATMs dispensed Lankan Rupees without rationing, and the new ETA pilot that began in March 2025 let me arrive in Colombo with just a printout. December through March is the long peak: dry south...