Quick answer
A luxury 7-day Sri Lanka itinerary checklist has five stages. At booking, confirm hotels, room categories, meal plans, the guide and what is excluded. A month ahead, secure train seats, pay the balance and book special experiences. In the final week, check the travel authorisation, flights, poya dates and spa or dinner reservations. On arrival, meet the guide and review the plan. At each hotel, confirm the next morning's start and any requests.
Key takeaways
- Reserved train seats for the hill country are released roughly 30 days before travel.
- The balance of a tour price is usually due 30 to 45 days before arrival.
- Domestic flights limit baggage to roughly 15 to 20 kilograms a person in soft bags.
- Poya days fall about once a month and affect alcohol service and temple crowds.
- Long-haul check-in at Bandaranaike International Airport opens about three hours before departure.
At booking
A luxury 7-day Sri Lanka itinerary checklist begins with the quotation. Every hotel should be named with its room category and meal plan, and the route should show the nights at each stop. The classic pattern is Sigiriya 2, Kandy 1, hill country 1, south coast 2.
Confirm who will guide you and in what vehicle, and get the inclusions and exclusions in writing. Buy travel insurance on the day you pay the deposit, so that cancellation cover begins at once.
- →Hotels, room categories and meal plans named.
- →Licensed chauffeur-guide and vehicle type confirmed.
- →Inclusions, exclusions and cancellation terms in writing.
- →Travel insurance bought.
- →Minimum stays and child policies checked.
A month before
The month before travel is when the last bookings open. Train seats from Nanu Oya to Ella go on sale about 30 days ahead and should be bought that day. The balance of the tour price falls due around the same time.
Reserve anything with limited capacity that is not yet confirmed: a balloon flight, a private whale-watching boat, a specialist guide at Sigiriya, seats for a Perahera. Tell the operator about birthdays, anniversaries and dietary needs.
- →Train seats bought, with class confirmed.
- →Balance paid.
- →Private experiences reserved.
- →Dietary needs and celebrations notified.
- →Air transfers reconfirmed, with baggage limits noted.
The final week
The last week is for documents and details. Apply for the Electronic Travel Authorisation if you have not, and check the current rules, since they have changed several times. Reconfirm international flight times, and send them to the operator if anything has moved.
Look at the calendar for a poya day in your week. Book spa treatments at Sigiriya for late morning on day 2, and any private dinner. Pack soft bags if a flight is involved, with one outfit covering shoulders and knees.
- →Travel authorisation approved and printed.
- →Flight times reconfirmed and shared.
- →Poya date checked.
- →Spa and private dinner booked.
- →Small US dollar notes and a card that works abroad.
On arrival
The first hour sets the week up. After immigration, change a little money for tips or use an ATM, and buy a local SIM or switch on an eSIM. Meet the chauffeur-guide in the arrivals hall and save their number.
Use the first drive to go through the plan together. Agree start times for the early mornings, say how much commentary you like, and state plainly that you want no shopping stops unless you ask for them.
- →Rupees in small notes.
- →Mobile data working.
- →Guide's number and the office emergency line saved.
- →Week reviewed with the guide.
At each hotel
Each check-in has the same short list. Confirm the room is the category booked. Ask what time breakfast can be held on a dawn start, and order a packed one if needed. Hand in laundry at the two-night stops on arrival.
At check-out, look over the bill for the service charge and taxes, settle extras by card, and leave a tip in the staff box where there is one. Confirm with the guide the next morning's departure time before you go to bed.
- →Room category correct.
- →Next morning's start time and breakfast arranged.
- →Laundry in on night one of a two-night stay.
- →Bill checked, staff tip left.
The last day
Day 7 needs its own check. Confirm the flight is on time before leaving the coast. Allow two and a half to three hours from Galle to the airport, plus a margin on Friday evenings. Check-in for long-haul flights opens about three hours before departure.
Lankan Stays & Trails sends guests a one-page version of this list with their own dates filled in. Keep the envelope for the guide's tip ready, spend or change your last rupees at the airport, and keep the liquids from Galle Fort out of your hand luggage.
- →Flight status checked.
- →Leave the coast six hours before departure.
- →Guide's tip prepared.
- →Rupees spent or exchanged.
Frequently asked questions
What should I confirm before a luxury trip to Sri Lanka?
Hotel names, room categories and meal plans, the guide and vehicle, what is excluded, cancellation terms, train seats, any air transfers and their baggage limits, special experiences, dietary needs and your travel authorisation. Get all of it in writing from your operator.
What documents do I need for Sri Lanka?
A passport valid for at least six months beyond arrival, an Electronic Travel Authorisation or visa as required for your nationality, travel insurance details, and your itinerary with hotel addresses. Carry printed copies as well as digital ones.
How much cash should I carry in Sri Lanka?
On a pre-paid luxury tour, the equivalent of US$200 to US$300 in rupees covers small tips, temple donations and incidental purchases. Hotels and good restaurants take cards. ATMs are available in all towns on the route. Keep small notes.
Do I need to reconfirm bookings in Sri Lanka?
Your operator should reconfirm hotels, guides and activities before arrival. It is still worth checking train seats, air transfers and special experiences yourself a week ahead, and confirming each morning's start time with your guide the evening before.
What should I ask my guide on the first day in Sri Lanka?
Go through the week together. Agree the early start times, how much commentary you want, where lunch stops will be, and that you want no unrequested shopping stops. Save the guide's phone number and the operator's emergency contact.
What time should I leave Galle for a flight from Colombo?
About six hours before departure. The drive takes two and a half to three hours by expressway, and check-in opens three hours before a long-haul flight. Add 45 minutes on Friday evenings and before public holidays.