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Cricket in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka · On request

Cricket in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka plays international cricket throughout the year, and the dual monsoon means there is always a dry coast to visit. Time your trip around a series, or come when it suits you.

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4 grounds
Galle · Pallekele · Colombo · Dambulla
All year
South and west coasts best November to April
5 to 14 nights
Four ways to tour, or your own
On request
Built and quoted for your group

Watch from the ramparts of Galle Fort with the Indian Ocean behind the bowler’s arm, then take in the hill country at Pallekele, the big-match nights in Colombo and the rock temples around Dambulla.

Build your trip

Cricket in Sri Lanka: what do you want to do?

Which grounds, when you want to go, how long and how you want to stay. Tell us and we build the trip around the cricket, with as much of the island as you like.

Plan your trip in two steps

Step 1

Ask the concierge

The days, when to go, what’s included: ask anything. Information only; we never quote a price in chat.

Step 2

Build your enquiry

Party, dates, stay, extras: tell us exactly what you’re after.

Why Sri Lanka

Cricket here is all year round. There is no "season" in the way there is for Australia or the West Indies: the dual monsoon means there is always a dry coast, always a match being played somewhere, and always a reason to visit.

Galle is the reason most cricket lovers first come, and rightly so. But the hill country around Kandy, the eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites and the wildlife make a cricket trip to Sri Lanka much more than the cricket.

The grounds

Galle · Galle International Cricket Stadium
The most atmospheric cricket ground on earth, inside the walls of Galle Fort, a 17th-century Dutch fortification and UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Indian Ocean breaks against the fort walls behind the bowler’s arm, and the ramparts make the most famous viewing gallery in cricket. Capacity is modest, around 10,000, which only adds to the intimacy. Sri Lanka have an outstanding home record here and the pitch traditionally favours spin: watching Rangana Herath bowl here was one of the great privileges of modern cricket.
Hotels we recommend, or similar, subject to availability: Jetwing Lighthouse, Geoffrey Bawa’s landmark hotel on the coast road just north of the fort, within walking distance of the ground; one of the restored colonial boutique hotels inside the fort walls, minutes from the ground; or a beach hotel at Unawatuna, Mirissa or Weligama, a short drive away.
Colombo to Galle is about 2 hours 30 minutes by private car on the Southern Expressway.
Colombo · R. Premadasa Stadium
Colombo’s main international ground, hosting Tests, ODIs and T20Is. Capacity is about 35,000. Originally the Khettarama Stadium, it was renamed after the former President and extensively renovated for the 2011 World Cup: a modern, well-equipped ground in the heart of the city.
Hotels we recommend, or similar, subject to availability: Shangri-La Colombo, waterfront luxury over the Indian Ocean and Beira Lake; Cinnamon Grand on Galle Road, central for the city; the Mount Lavinia Hotel south of the city, a heritage landmark that was once a British governor’s residence. For first and last nights near the airport: Jetwing Beach, another Geoffrey Bawa hotel, or Jetwing Sea, both on the beach at Negombo.
Negombo is just north of the airport, the easiest base for the first and last nights of a trip.
Kandy · Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
Capacity about 35,000. Also known as the Muttiah Muralitharan Stadium, after Sri Lanka’s greatest cricketer and the highest wicket-taker in Test history. Set in the hills outside Kandy with mountain views all round: the air is cooler, the surroundings green, and the atmosphere quite different from the coastal grounds. It has hosted Tests, ODIs and T20Is since 2010.
Hotel we recommend, or similar, subject to availability: Cinnamon Citadel, on the banks of the Mahaweli River just outside the city, the ideal Kandy base for Pallekele. In the hill country beyond: the Grand Hotel, Nuwara Eliya, a heritage hotel from 1891.
Colombo to Kandy is about 3 hours by private car.
Dambulla · Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium
A scenic ground in the heart of the Cultural Triangle, surrounded by rocky outcrops and lush vegetation, used mainly for ODIs and T20Is. The setting is uniquely Sri Lankan, with the ancient Buddhist cave temples close by.
Hotel we recommend, or similar, subject to availability: Heritance Kandalama, Geoffrey Bawa’s masterpiece, built into the rock face above Kandalama Lake with Sigiriya in the distance.

Ways to tour

Every trip is built for you, but these show what is possible. All of them change to fit your dates, the fixtures and your budget.

The Quick Escape · 5 nights
The Quick Escape · 5 nights
Arrive in Colombo and head south. Three nights in Galle or a south coast beach hotel: Galle Fort, cricket at Galle, and whale watching or a Yala leopard safari. Two nights in Colombo or Negombo, then home.
Test and Galle Fort · 7 nights
Test and Galle Fort · 7 nights
Arrive in Colombo, a night in Negombo. Four nights in Galle for the Test, the fort, the beaches and a south coast safari or whale watching trip. Two nights back in Colombo for the city, and the R. Premadasa if a match is on.
The Full Tour · 10 nights
The Full Tour · 10 nights
Four nights in Galle for the Test. Two nights in Kandy for Pallekele, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth and the tea estates. The scenic train to Nuwara Eliya for a night, then back to Colombo via an elephant safari at Udawalawe for two nights.
The Grand Tour · 14 nights
The Grand Tour · 14 nights
Two nights in the Cultural Triangle for Sigiriya and the Dambulla caves. Two nights in Kandy for Pallekele and tea country. The scenic train south, then four nights in Galle for the Test, the fort, the beaches and Yala. Finish with four nights in an overwater villa in the Maldives.

Good to know

The weather
The south and west coasts, including Galle and Colombo, are driest from November to April; the east coast and the Cultural Triangle from May to September. Expect 27 to 32°C on the coast and 15 to 20°C in the hills around Nuwara Eliya. Light cotton for the coast, a warm layer for the hills.
Getting around
Private car with driver is the standard and most comfortable way to travel, and we arrange every transfer for you.
Getting there
There are direct flights from London Heathrow to Colombo, about 10 hours 30 minutes to 11 hours. Bandaranaike International Airport, near Colombo and Negombo, is the main gateway. Sri Lanka is 4 hours 30 minutes ahead of the UK in summer and 5 hours 30 minutes ahead in winter.
Colombo to Galle is about 2 hours 30 minutes on the Southern Expressway, and Colombo to Kandy about 3 hours.
International flights are not included: you book your own and we plan the trip around them.
Entry: British passport holders
What you need to enter Sri Lanka.
  • Sri Lanka: apply online for an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) before you travel. It is a form of visa, issued free of charge and valid for 30 days. Longer stays need an extension from the Sri Lankan immigration service.
  • Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the day you arrive.
  • Travelling on another passport? Check your own government's advice.
Checked against GOV.UK travel advice on 7 October 2026. Rules can change: always check before you travel. GOV.UK: Sri Lanka

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Yala and the leopards

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The hill country

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Tea estates, cool air, Nuwara Eliya and the train to Ella, one of the great railway journeys.

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Sigiriya and the Cultural Triangle

Sigiriya and the Cultural Triangle

The rock fortress of Sigiriya, the cave temples of Dambulla and the ancient cities.

Read the guide →
The Maldives

The Maldives

About 90 minutes by air from Colombo: four to seven nights to finish, best from November to April.

Read the guide →

From our blog

Read more about cricket in Sri Lanka

Fourteen Days That Show You Sri Lanka Properly
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Questions

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