Things to do & places to visit in North Western Province, Sri Lanka

North Western Province #10 destination in Sri Lanka 2023. The average rating score is 4.78 based on 2.641 traveler reviews, of 143 attractions. Timezone: Asia/Colombo, current date and time: Sunday, May 05, 2024, 17:38.

North Western Province Weather Statistics view more »

General weather summary in May

86°F - 79°F

Temperature Highs - Lows

Very warm and breezy

Feels like

71%

Chance of rain

397.0 millimeters

Amount

16.2 mph

Wind speed

83%

Humidity

12.5

Daylight length

5:52 AM

Sunrise

6:19 PM

Sunset

23%

Cloud cover

Sleeveless shirt, rain coat and rain boots

What to wear

Top things to do (40)

Top destinations in North Western Province 64

See more 52 destinations »

Top places to visit (30 attractions) view more »

5.0 Kalpitiya Diving Center (322 reviews)
- Fantastic dive centre
Sunday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Scuba & Snorkelling • Dolphin & Whale Watching

We dived with Kalpitiya dive centre on Boxing Day and they were fantastic from start to finish. We had a really thorough dive brief ahead of the dives and was refreshed with most hand signals. Our 2 dives were really lovely and was pleasantly surprised with the marine life. After our dives we had a super Sri Lankan lunch which was included in the price and the was chuffed to receive some great photos that he took after. See more..
5.0 Omaari Lanka Tours (205 reviews)
- Reasonable price and excellent service.
City Tours • Multi-day Tours • Historical & Heritage Tours • Nature & Wildlife Tours • Day Trips

We ask to do 3 days they still help us because normally people do 5-7 days. I also asked other company to do same route but I found only this company have good price and include driver accommodation,oil, insurance.. really recommend. See more..
5.0 BH Lanka Tours (146 reviews)
- Incredible Sri Lanka
Sunday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Multi-day Tours • Cultural Tours • Hop-On Hop-Off Tours • Sightseeing Tours • Private Tours

What a wonderful itinerary exploring a variety of highlights around the country (from stunning mountain views to jungle to wildlife at Yala to the coast), providing a great introductory to Sri Lanka in just 8 days. Nishantha, our guide, was kind, knowledgeable, enthusiastic and willing to adapt the day’s plan as needed to make sure we got the most out of every experience. His passion for his job and sharing his country came through every day! Highly recommend this tour and booking a trip to Sri Lanka asap. See more..
5.0 Margarita Kite School Sri Lanka (131 reviews)
- Probably the best kite school
Surfing & Windsurfing

It's not a first kite school(station) I visited. And with 100% confidence I can tell it one it is definitely one of the best if not the best one. Wind conditions were pretty good - this mean we were able to kite 70% of time. Logistics organized in extraordinary way - the rescue boat is always ready and there is one instructions that his only duty is rescue/help for students. Instructors are very experienced and patience. My wife took her beginner course here and started to ride in a week. I just rented the board and even for me the station stuff was always glad to give advise and help with launching/landing and helping after some mistakes. Bottom line - highly recommended kite school and place! (They also has well maintained small hotel and very tastful dinner. Don't miss) See more..
5.0 Surfpoint Srilanka Kite Village (90 reviews)
- Fantastic kite experience with great community
Sunday: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM Surfing & Windsurfing • Gear Rentals

We had 9 absolutely fantastic days at the kite school. Firstly, the Accomodation is in great and clean rooms and offers other activities besides kitesurfing (e.g. Yoga, Standup Paddle, Jetski, Wakeboarding). They also offer very good value for money (and delicious) breakfast, lunch and dinner. Now about the kiting: It’s only a very short way to the kitting lagoon, they take Care of everything for you and have truly great instructors (I learned more than in my two previous kitesurfing schools in Fuerteventura and Tarifa). I also have to say they were extremely fair and didn’t „overcount“ time spent in lessons. Overall a surprisingly affordable experience. Most people there stayed for very long periods of time, so after a few days we had a lovely community there, making up for the days without wind. Would recommend and come back any time :) See more..
5.0 Charming Tour drivers (66 reviews)
- Congrats! You have found the best driver in Sri Lanka!
Sunday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Multi-day Tours • Cultural Tours • Historical & Heritage Tours • Nature & Wildlife Tours • Day Trips

I travelled around Sri Lanka with Chamara for three weeks as a solo traveller. Since I was on my own it was important that his English was good, that he was knowledgable, and that I enjoyed his company. On all three counts Chamara was excellent. We ended up having a lot of laughs together and my tour was a thousand times more enjoyable than it might have been as a result. Chamara was also very reliable and diligent. He was always on time to pick me up from my hotel, and I felt that looking after his customers is in his DNA. He's also a very good driver and, though not brand new, his van is v comfortable. Full marks on all counts! See more..
5.0 Dolphin Wadiya (63 reviews)
- Great Experience
Scuba & Snorkelling • Surfing & Windsurfing • Boat Tours • Dolphin & Whale Watching

I have done many dolphin watching trips in Kalpitiya and its always exciting to watch the dolphins and whales. But what made this trip such a great experience was the boat trip itself ..Raju is exceptional. He will spare nothing to make the guests happy but is equally conscious of the environment. He is knowledgeable and experienced. He took us out on what was a day when the seas were slightly choppy but he made the ride very comfortable in the way he navigated the boat. Saw hundreds of dolphins ..on this trip no whales..the highlight when returning was when we saw a local fisherman pulling in a yellow fin tuna. Raju asked us whether we would like to have it and we said yes...he got it for us, cleaned and cut it and packed it perfectly and we had the most amazing tuna steaks for dinner on our return to Colombo. Raju will always go the extra mile to make your trip an experience. We plan to go on his camping trip in the next two months.. See more..
5.0 Kite Center Sri Lanka (62 reviews)
- Great kit, great service, great instruction
Sunday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Scuba & Snorkelling • Surfing & Windsurfing • Dolphin & Whale Watching • Stand Up Paddleboarding • Kayaking & Canoeing

I spent a long weekend at Elements Resort and hired kit from Kite Center Sri Lanka as well as taking supervision for all of my kiting trips on the lagoon as I'm a beginner kiter. The kit was really new and high quality, above other centres I've hired from and supervison fro Hashan the kite surf instructor was excellent. He was attentive, supportive and really looked after me, making me feel safe from beginning to end. A really decent guy and keen to see me improve he gave me some great tips which meant after a year off the water I got my confidence back and made really great progress. I was really impressed with the level of kit, service and instruction at Kite Center Sri Lanka at Elements. See more..
5.0 Esela Tours (58 reviews)
- Bellissimo tour
City Tours • Multi-day Tours • Cultural Tours • Taxis & Shuttles • Nature & Wildlife Tours • Day Trips

Amazing tour of Colombo and the surroundings of Esela. Maximum professionalism, comfort, a guide who accompanies you everywhere, explaining in detail what you see. An experience, the typical restaurant where the guide took us to eat. Never tasted anything more delicious. Everything perfect See more..
5.0 One & Only Travels (54 reviews)
- Outstanding in all aspects
Sunday: 8:00 AM - 10:00 PM Multi-day Tours • Cultural Tours • Historical & Heritage Tours • Taxis & Shuttles • Private Tours • Nature & Wildlife Tours

We were very impressed by the reactivity of One & Only Travels since the first contact. The itinerary proposed was fine tuned specifically for us. The communication was absolutely outstanding before, during and after our trip. Everything was easy. Our program was a perfect balance between site seeing and relaxing in fantastic places and was excellent value for money. Our guide Roshan Indika was amazing: professional, friendly, very knowledgeable and easy going. We really appreciated his company. Sri Lanka is a fascinating destination. We had a fantastic time. Felt really safe in general. The measures taken everywhere to prevent the spread of Covid-19 are remarkable. We are very grateful to Roshan and One & Only travels and strongly recommend them. See more..
5.0 Visit Kalpitiya Tours & Holidays (48 reviews)
- Made our trip extra special and we are so grateful
Sunday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Scuba & Snorkelling • Surfing & Windsurfing • Taxis & Shuttles • Dolphin & Whale Watching • Nature & Wildlife Tours

Friendly, thoughtful and professional service that made our trip extra special. From planning stage including excellent personalised recommendations (without selling additions we didn’t ask for), Dhilshaad helped us create a bespoke route that included Buddhist temples with a brilliant guide, hikes, waterfalls, a train ride, eco and animal-friendly safari, Ayurveda treatments and breath-taking beaches. Our lovely driver was good company, but also allowed space for us to enjoy the experiences for ourselves. Excellent value for money and communication was fantastic throughout. Big thumbs up and a heartfelt Thank You See more..
5.0 Slim Line Tours (47 reviews)
- Beautiful exotic vacation
Sunday: Multi-day Tours • Cultural Tours • Sightseeing Tours • Nature & Wildlife Tours • Archaeology Tours

We visited Sri Lanka in March-April 2022 and Mr. Sumudu was our guide. We highly appreciate his help even if there were problems with diesel. He solved all problems and showed us many interesting places. The most attractive was Spice Garden in Matale and lunch with local people their village, tea factory and many others. See more..
5.0 Amaze Tours (38 reviews)
- Memorable first visit to Sri Lanka
Sunday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Multi-day Tours • Cultural Tours • Sightseeing Tours • Private Tours • Nature & Wildlife Tours

This was my wife’s and my first trip to Sri Lanka. We thoroughly enjoyed our 10 day trip which was made most memorable by our driver and guide Thalal. When we left he was no longer a guide but a dear friend whom we will return one day to visit. Nothing was too much trouble... we visited places that were not on the itinerary but which we would never have found without Thalal’s help and guidance. One such place that comes to mind is a visit to a Senior Citizens Home and another to an orphanage. Thalal is highly professional and knowledgeable but above all a compassionate human being. Would have no hesitation in recommending him:) See more..
5.0 Travel with Sity (32 reviews)
- Whole sri lanka tour in 10days
Sunday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM City Tours • Multi-day Tours • Cultural Tours • Nature & Wildlife Tours • Day Trips

We had a 10 days last minute sri lanka tour. Nuwan made sure to take care of the whole family especially my dad who has some health issues. He made sure that all persons’ needs were met, being always patient, on time, best language translator and shopping facilitator. Nuwan made sure to help us in our distress when we lost a mobile phone on the train to Ella; he walked 10 km just to search for the phone. Really appreciate Nuwan’s politeness, empathy, kindness and punctuality, passion for his job and positivity. Words will not be enough for this amazing trip with Nuwan. Highly recommend for all your tours.. See more..
5.0 Friends Lanka Tours (29 reviews)
- Fantastic tour with Udara
Sunday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Multi-day Tours • River Rafting & Tubing • Dolphin & Whale Watching • Nature & Wildlife Tours • Photography Tours

My partner and I had a great 9 day tour around Sri Lanka with Udara. He is so knowledgeable, friendly and always smiling. He suggested lots of extra activities to do along our route which so we could decide what we wanted to add on to our itinerary. We absolutely loved Sri Lanka and Udara made our time there as enjoyable as possible. We’ll be recommending him to all our friends! See more..
5.0 Siri Gautama Sambuddharaja Maligawa (28 reviews)
- Modern Temple in Kurunegala
Sunday: 6:00 AM - 9:00 PM Spent 2-3 hours Points of Interest & Landmarks • Religious Sites

Siri Gautama Sambuddharaja Maligawa (Grand Temple of The Gautama Buddha) is one of the most beautiful Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka. This magnificent temple was completed in 2012 to honor Gautama Buddha celebrating the 2600th anniversary of his enlightenment. The temple was built through the great meritorious intentions and guidance of the most venerable Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thero. The statues, paintings, carvings and all other art works in the temple were made exclusively by highly skilled Sri Lankan artists. As well, thousands of devotees connected to Mahamevnawa monasteries in the country and abroad gave their full financial and volunteer support. By placing the first stone the construction work of the grand temple was started on 6th February 2011 and the construction work was finished completely just in one year and five months. On 2nd July 2012 the temple was offered to Gautama Buddha and opened to the Public in a grand opening ceremony. See more..
5.0 The BNKR (27 reviews)
- Best CrossFit gym ever
Sunday: 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM Sports Camps & Clinics • Running Tours

I was in Sri Lanka for about a month and I was staying at another Boot Camp just Down the beach and this was the best gym on the beach to go to! Dimitri was one of the best coaches I have actually had especially as he never seen me train does cue me if I need to change position to help with a complex movement. He was always on time to classes and open gym and with his help managed to achieve 35kg snatch and 45kg clean ! The gym had lot of equipment ranging from different weights for anyone and any ability, I am training now for the open and even my coach at home was shocked when I came back cause I was tanned fit and jacked. Definitely coming back!!!! See more..
5.0 Happy Tours Kalpitiya (19 reviews)
- Nice kalpitiya cab service
Multi-day Tours • Taxis & Shuttles • Private Tours • Day Trips

Phenomenal service and pretty good team under Darshana’s guidance. Always on time for pick up and drop off and air conditioning in the cars are a huge plush. Cars are always clean and the drivers will above and beyond to make few extra pit stops during your visit. Highly suggest you to use his team/service See more..
5.0 Shan Lanka Tours - Travel with Rukmal (18 reviews)
- Ruki will make sure you're always happy - wonderful family holiday experience
Cultural Tours • Motorcycle Tours • Hiking & Camping Tours • Day Trips

We recently had the pleasure of travelling in Sri Lanka with Ruki as our guide and we couldn't be more grateful for his exceptional services. We are a family of 4 and half German half Sri Lankan. We've known Ruki for 17 years and were lucky enough to recently travel with him again. Ruki is always in a good mood and will put a smile on your face. Ruki was very friendly, knowledgeable, and went above and beyond to make sure our family of four was comfortable and had a great time. He tailored our itinerary to meet the needs of our young children and made sure everyone was happy. We highly recommend Ruki to anyone visiting Sri Lanka and would love to travel with him again in the future. See more..
5.0 Arankelle Ancient Monastery (14 reviews)
- Arankelle
Ancient Ruins • History Museums

Arankele has become an archaeological site, a biological hotspot and a garden of medicinal plants subject to the changing character of nature. Walking through the path at the end of the day one can catch a glimpse of the yellow robe of a Bhikkhu on his way to the pond or retreating to his meditation grounds after a walk. The sight takes you 800 years back, when Arhant Maliyadeva, the last Arhant of Sri Lanka, spent his time meditating at Arankele See more..
5.0 Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastery Polgahawela (13 reviews)
- one of the greatest Buddhist religious places in Sri Lanka
Spent 1-2 hours Religious Sites

A place you can meet lot of Kalyana miththa.. Sambudu Raja Maligawa was a miracle. Must visit place by anyone who likes to see Buddhist culture. See more..
5.0 Sri Vacation (13 reviews)
- Wonderful Tour and Driver!
Sunday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM City Tours • Multi-day Tours • Cultural Tours • Nature & Wildlife Tours • Day Trips

This is my second tour with Sampath. It is so nice to have someone who knows the country so well. He is friendly, courteous and very pleasant to be around. Sampath gives great advice about places to stay and things to do but is not pushy about it. He is really flexible and always there when you need him. His recommendations always turn out out to be so helpful and good value too. I experienced a fabulous safari, the beauty of Ella and snorkelling Galle. This tour was great! Sri Lanka has the kindest people, best food, and great activities. Thank you Sampath! See more..
5.0 The Spot (13 reviews)
- Great kitesurfing instructor at a great spot to learn
Surfing & Windsurfing

Jeroen from the spot is a super professional super capable guy, had some other teachers before but the progress I made at Kalpitiya with Jeroen didn't compare to the other guys, mainly this is caused by the headset Jeroen uses to be able to communicate while on the water which speeds up your learning progress by about 2x~3x certainly in the beginning. On the last day there I was able to join Jeroen for a downwinder which was a really nice way to finish my trip. If you are looking to pick up kitesurfing in Sri Lanka this is the perfect spot and Jeroen is the perfect guy, look no further. See more..
5.0 Amaya tours (12 reviews)
- Awesome Travel Experience in SriLanka
Cultural Tours • Safaris • Taxis & Shuttles • Hiking & Camping Tours • Day Trips

I have been using Amaya tours for all our travel and accommodation bookings when I visit SriLanka. The staff at Amaya tours are professional well trained and packed with information about SriLanka. You will never be disappointed with the service. See more..
5.0 Shenu Lanka Viaggi (12 reviews)
- Sei Lanka “Un paradiso”
Multi-day Tours • Cultural Tours • Day Trips

Un posto che merita di essere visitato almeno una volta nella vita ...grazie a Sajith amico mio e grande Guida ! See more..
5.0 Srilanka tour (11 reviews)
- Our adventure in Sri Lanka with Crown in December 2022
Sunday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Multi-day Tours • Scuba & Snorkelling • Safaris • Surfing & Windsurfing • Taxis & Shuttles • Boat Tours • Hiking & Camping Tours • Private Tours • Dolphin & Whale Watching • Nature & Wildlife Tours • Day Trips

It was true luck to meet such good guide, person and friend as Anu! Firstly, we were going to use only taxi service from airport to Colombo. But when we met in person, we decided to continue our trip with Anu throughout the island. We’ve been to main cities of Sri Lanka: Dambulla, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Ella and seen fantastic places such as mountains, waterfalls, tea plantations, went for safari. Beautiful nature and wild life. Anu is very well aware of the island, know all the routes. He is a very good driver, we’ve always been in safety no matter how bad traffic there was. He is very kind and also was very careful to our family, especially to our daughter, always supportive in difficult moments (during hiking or smth). Highly recommend to use the service of this company as a tour guide in Sri Lanka, hope you will be lucky enough to meet in person :) Although he has many good employees. See more..
5.0 LankaTrip.lk (8 reviews)
- It's been a great experience....
Multi-day Tours • Taxis & Shuttles • Climbing Tours • Boat Rentals • Hiking & Camping Tours • Private Tours • Nature & Wildlife Tours • Rail Tours • Self-Guided Tours & Rentals • Day Trips

It's been a great experience to travel with LankaTrip , the guide was totally friendly and very responsible. We felt really safe and happy throughout the tour. Our tour guide kept us entertained, always asked about our choices, and ensured that we enjoyed the tour. I'm so happy that I chose the Lanka trip for our tour in the first place and hope to revisit Sri Lanka. See more..
5.0 NK Lanka Tours (7 reviews)
- Kolitha will sort your trip with some additional local stops he recommends.
Sunday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Multi-day Tours • Cultural Tours • Private Tours • Nature & Wildlife Tours • Day Trips

My girlfriend and I had Kolitha recommended to us by a friend back in the UK. We made contact prior to the trip and booked a days driving with him. He was very professional and fun throughout the journey recommending additional stops with us stopping at the ones we wanted to. Kolitha came to pick us up at a preagreed location and was on time early in the morning from Sigiriya and drove us to Kandy. Kolitha also helped once we in Kandy book our train tickets for the next day. Highly recommend. See more..
4.5 Wilpattu Safari Jeep (117 reviews)
- Amazing experience
Sunday: 6:00 AM - 6:00 PM 4WD, ATV & Off-Road Tours

we had an amazing safari trip through Wilpattu with Nuwan. he is very knowledgeable, and has an amazing eye for spotting animals, birds, and reptiles! we saw monkeys, an elephant, a beautiful owl, deer, including the spotted deer, barking deer, sambar deer, and white spotted mouse deer, crested serpent eagle, white headed eagle, star tortoise, soft shell terrapin, just to name a few of the amazing creatures we experienced. the absolute highlight was seeing the leopard!!! if you want to experience all that Wilpattu Park has to offer, I highly recommend booking a full day safari, which includes a delicious lunch. thank you again for an incredible experience, Nuwan! See more..
4.5 Yapahuwa Rock Fortress (112 reviews)
- Yapahuwa Ancient Rock Fortress
Sunday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Spent 1-2 hours Historic Sites

This is a great historical place with many ancient ruins remain. If you love historical places and ancient cities this is a good place to visit. You can see remaining parts of stone palace. This is amazing. On top of the rock you can see nice view of the area. See more..