Traveling in Sri Lanka with kids
From wild elephant safaris to whale watching, rainforest to rafting, paddy fields to pristine beaches, Sri Lanka brings children not only close to nature but also to local young people. Bring a cricket ball and cricket shirt with you and you’ll make best friends for life. The beaches are superb but don’t just hide in a multinational resort. To go this far and not engage with real people, incredible food, mountains and monuments, is the modern day version of going to the seaside and staying in your car with a flask and a newspaper. Sri Lanka has a culture that celebrates family. So get out and join the party.
Activities for families in Sri Lanka
Rafting & canyoning
With all that serene white in Sri Lanka’s temples,
there is one white place where it is OK to scream – the white water rapids on the Kelani River at Kitulgala, where you can go rafting, canyoning and jumping into rock pools. The minimum age is usually ten and safety gear, modern rafts and experienced instructors are all a must.
Climb Little Adam’s Peak
The baby of one of the island’s highest peaks, Adam’s Peak, it’s like a kids’ menu only with real ingredients. A 4km gentle climb up through tea plantations with the most rewarding views, including that of Ravana Falls. Accessible from Ella Station, which you could come to the night before, on one of the most stunning train journeys from Kandy.
The Big Blue
There is no better cure for sea sickness than when children spot their first whale. Especially if it is a blue whale. You can see up to ten different species between late November and mid-March, with trips going from Mirissa and Galle in the south but also on the Kalpitiya peninsula in the north. See our guide to responsible whale watching for more details.
Sri Lanka Family vacations
A superb 2-week family adventure to Sri Lanka
From
US $1960
14 days
ex flights
Sri Lanka family adventure vacation
Sri Lanka active tour with children with best family hotels
From
£2980
13 days
inc UK flights
Sri Lanka and Maldives 14 day vacation
The magic of Sri Lanka's highlights & idyllic Maldives stay
From
£2769
14 days
ex flights
Sri Lanka family tour
Sri Lanka on a shoestring; an affordable family trip
From
£858
16 days
ex flights
Sri Lanka family vacation, tailor made
Family tailor made tour & beach stay
From
£2170
15 days
ex flights
Sri Lanka family vacation
A fabulous family vacation including the best of Sri Lanka
From
US $2750 to US $3250
15 days
ex flights
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Sri Lanka or need help finding a vacation to suit you we're very happy to help.
1-866-821-6866
Call toll free
Calling from outside the USA
Responsible Travel asks the experts
Ishara De Silva, Managing Director of one of our suppliers, Srimal Plantation and Ayurveda Hotel:
"Be wary of street food vendors, especially with younger children. Eating in people’s homes is generally the best way to eat out on a low budget and you can pretty much guarantee hygiene standards there."
Liddy Pleasants is Managing Director (and a Mum who loves to bring her kids to Sri Lanka) at our supplier Stubborn Mule Travel.
“The main thing for families is to not overdo it. I would advise them to spend three or four nights in one place and then move on to the next. So, for example, go to the Cultural Triangle, and just stay put for a few days seeing everything from there. We give our guests a local driver to take them around, who will do things like stop at lovely fruit stalls along the way and you can try all sorts of tropical fruits you haven’t heard of before.”
John Beswetherick, Managing Director of our supplier Tikalanka (UK) Limited:
“I think Sri Lanka is a very safe place to take children because the Sri Lankans are very family orientated, and so the children get very well looked after wherever they are. In terms of water activities, the places we go always have the necessary safety equipment and are licensed, as people do need to be careful around water. When you are on the south and southwest coast, for example, be aware that there is an incredibly strong rip, and so for children it is only really safe in protected bays. “
“I think Sri Lanka is a very safe place to take children because the Sri Lankans are very family orientated, and so the children get very well looked after wherever they are. In terms of water activities, the places we go always have the necessary safety equipment and are licensed, as people do need to be careful around water. When you are on the south and southwest coast, for example, be aware that there is an incredibly strong rip, and so for children it is only really safe in protected bays. “
More Sri Lanka articles
Visit November tp April in the south-west and February to September in the north-east.
For whether you are traveling by train, wildlife watching in rainforests, or just blissing out at the beach.
The most glimmering Sri Lanka highlights are the ancient archaeological and sacred wonders of the Golden Triangle.
Buddhism is often at the heart of culture, whether at ancient sites or contemporary temples.
Read about which hill towns to visit, why you should give tea picking a miss, and marvellous, misty Hill Country.
Not for those with vertigo, Sigiriya is a 200m-tall rock fortress.
Sri Lanka is a culinary paradise, where fresh local ingredients, sizzling spices and recipes.
Sri Lanka translates as ‘resplendent island’ in Sanskrit and after years of conflict both north and south are now united.
From the Sri Lanka blue magpie to the Sri Lanka leopard, the great Asian elephant to the ginormous blue whale...
White sands, swaying palms and all year round heat in the high 20s makes Sri Lanka 1,6000km of beach bliss.
So, you want a trip to the tropics that combines culture, history, and best of all, nature?
As if Sri Lanka didn’t ooze magic from every pore already, blue whales are here, too.
Yala National Park is home to a higher concentration of leopards per square kilometre than anywhere else.
You're likely to spot every endemic species here, thanks to conservation success.
Wonderful Yala National Park steals the show on many a vacation.
Our experts give great where, when, who and why Sri Lanka travel advice. Where to cycle, when to go, and whom to meet.
You can’t really go to Sri Lanka and not touch one of the points on the Golden Triangle, or its beaches and Ayurvedic spas.
There are many issues to take into account, sadly, when it comes to responsible tourism.
Find all of our Sri Lanka guides in one place, for particular types of vacation we offer such as culture, cycling, wildlife or more.
