Things to do & places to visit in Northern Province, Sri Lanka

Northern Province #9 destination in Sri Lanka 2023. The average rating score is 4.11 based on 3.623 traveler reviews, of 104 attractions. Timezone: Asia/Colombo, current date and time: Sunday, May 05, 2024, 22:13.

Northern Province Weather Statistics view more »

General weather summary in May

89°F - 82°F

Temperature Highs - Lows

Very warm and breezy

Feels like

44%

Chance of rain

187.0 millimeters

Amount

17.2 mph

Wind speed

76%

Humidity

12.5

Daylight length

5:48 AM

Sunrise

6:21 PM

Sunset

25%

Cloud cover

Sleeveless shirt

What to wear

Top things to do (22)

Top destinations in Northern Province 27

See more 15 destinations »

Top places to visit (30 attractions) view more »

5.0 Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil Festival (20 reviews)
- Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil
Cultural Events

One of the pilgrimage places situated in Jaffna and having some sort of unique attraction. Unfortunately, we couldn't make the poojawa time but worth to visit other times as well. See more..
5.0 Donkey Clinic and Education Center (13 reviews)
- Doing a wonderful job
Sunday: 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM Nature & Wildlife Areas

Thoroughly enjoyed a short trip here. This sanctuary is extremely well run and the lovely animals are really well cared for. We had an informative talk, a tour and the kids petted and fed the donkeys. Not only does this place care for donkeys it also helps the local community with IT classes, english and sinhala. A really wonderful place that is definitely worth a visit. See more..
5.0 Mannar Bird Sanctuary (8 reviews)
- Bird watching in vankalai lagoon
Nature & Wildlife Areas

One of the best places in sri lanka for bird watching during migratory bird season (December, January). Lots of birds can be seen in shallow waters by the side of the road including greater flamingos if you are lucky. 15 minute drive from mannar along south cost road to vankalai (vankalai lagoon). Birds can be seen by the side of Punarin road, Thaleimannar road including saltern and Madawachchiya road. See more..
5.0 Lake View Park (7 reviews)
- Experience a night in a camp site
Sunday: 6:00 AM - 10:00 PM Nature & Wildlife Areas

It is very nice place to relax with family directly on the edge of the lake. Fabulous to enjoy your camp fire after a great day of activity! Perfect for watching the many birds that inhabit the lake, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay here! See more..
5.0 Karainagar Sivan Temple (5 reviews)
- Ancient Sivan Temple in Popular Tourist Destination in Northern Sri Lanka
Sunday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Spent 1-2 hours Religious Sites
Karainagar is known for its shallow water beaches. Ancient Sivan Temple in Karainagar is a must see place for those who wants to know about the local community and culture. See more..
5.0 Thalaiyadi Beach (4 reviews)
- Best place for wave riding
Spent 1-2 hours Beaches

Longest beach of Sri Lanka starts from Thalaiyadi. Cristal clear water with pure white sand. Best place for various kinds of water sports. See more..
5.0 Nallur Kandaswamy Temple (4 reviews)
- Highlight of our trip
Religious Sites

Huge, with an indoor pool. Fascinating watching the religious service taking place. Large frescoes. Amazing experience. See more..
5.0 Jaffna Eco Park (4 reviews)
- Eco Park | Experience the biodiversity of Jaffna
Sunday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Spent 1-2 hours Points of Interest & Landmarks • Parks • Scenic Walking Areas
Eco park reflect the biodiversity of Jaffna. Variety of flamingos and whistling ducks in the middle of mangrove forest. See more..
5.0 Kokuvil Public Library (3 reviews)
- Best library close to University of Jaffna
Sunday: 8:00 AM - 10:00 PM Spent More than 3 hours Libraries
Kokuvil Public Library ia in the heart of Kokuvil city. With few minutes walk from University you can easily reach the library. Vast collection of history books about the ancient civilization of south asia - Jaffna Kingdom See more..
4.5 Nallur Kovil (583 reviews)
- "நல்லூர்" Nallur Temple
Religious Sites

Nallur hindu temple is a socially important institution for the jaffna Tamils. Beautiful temple architectur. The poja was conducted with strict discipiline of timing . Nallur is one of the Sympolic Hindu building of Ceylon-tamils who are scattered and dispersed around the globe. See more..
4.5 Nagadipa Purana Vihara (186 reviews)
- Sacred Buddhist temple
Religious Sites

One of 16 most sacred Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka. It is believed that the lord Buddha visited this place to resolve a conflict between two rulers of the island. The monks of this temple had gone through immense of hardships to protect this place during the civil war. In the temple museum you can find lot of information regarding this. Since it is located in a small island separated from the main land it has an added additional value. You need to take a boat from the kurikadduwan jetty to reach here. Boats operate regularly and it take about 20 mins for the ride. Ticket is 40 rupees one way. They load a lot of people per boat, so don’t expect any comfort. Boat will drop you at the temple jetty. But to take the return boat you need to walk or take a tuk towards the jetty near the Hindu kovil which is about 1km away. See more..
4.5 Naga Pooshani Ambal Kovil (111 reviews)
- ancient Hindu temple in n island
Religious Sites

This ancient Hindu temple also resides in the Nainathivu island. Temple is very colorful with lots of art work and murals. Visitors are expected to follow customary dressing rules and be respectful. See more..
4.5 Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu (80 reviews)
- Blessed by Our Lady Madhu
Spent More than 3 hours Points of Interest & Landmarks

No word to express how I feel about this location which is filled with all kind of blessings from our lady Madhu. We were lucky to visit and participate with feast held at Madhu shrine this time of the year and we are hoping to visit our lady Madhu on August. Thank you Amma. See more..
4.5 Dambakola Patuna Sangamitta Temple (66 reviews)
- Calm and quite temple by the sea
Religious Sites

This is a newly built temple in a historically significant place.The temple is clean and the surrounding is calm and quite. See more..
4.5 Kayts Causeway (61 reviews)
- Excellent scenic drive
Hiking Trails

The Kayts Causeway which begins opposite Jaffna Fort, is a beautiful scenic drive taking you through the Jaffna lagoon and its many islands lying to the north of Jaffna town. The road is motorable ( there are plans for improvement ) and with water, crab and prawn traps and fishing nets on both sides of the road, it is a picturesque drive, with lots of photo opportunities. Along the way there is a detour to visit the Denzil Kobbekaduwa Memorial . We drove all the way to Kayts Town, with its visibly sad memories of the war -- beautiful houses, abandoned by those who fled the violence. From Kayts there are views of Fort Hammenhiel Island, a well preserved Dutch Fort, now a hotel managed by the Sri Lanka Navy. In Kayts also we visited St James Church, a 19th century church built by a Goanese priest, and the ruins of Fort Urundi -- a Portuguese Fort. All inall this drive through the lagoon and our to Kayts were most enjoyable and highly recommended. See more..
4.5 Thanthirimale (37 reviews)
- Must visit. ..
Points of Interest & Landmarks

It was a bit of a climb but well worth the effort. lovely view. a must see in huge Buddha statues cut from stone really impressive See more..
4.5 Nagadeepa Rajamaha Viharaya (27 reviews)
- Excellent trip
Spent More than 3 hours Historic Sites • Architectural Buildings • Religious Sites

Its really a beautiful place. That temple is surrounded with sea. We can take many beautiful photographs. Its little far away from jaffna. We have to visit the temple through boat. It will be a very good chance to travel in boat to see the temple. See more..
4.5 Kadurugoda Buddhist Temple (25 reviews)
- Interesting Visit
Spent < 1 hour Religious Sites

Interesting place if you can find it and get there, it’s not far out of the city but rather rural when you do get there with nothing else there. Interesting for a wander around for half an hour as you won’t need anymore time than that. Free to enter. Worth a look if your in Jaffna to see the ruins of the monks graves. See more..
4.5 Ruins of King Sangiliyan's Minister's Residence (7 reviews)
- Important historical site
Sunday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Historic Sites • Ancient Ruins

This is an historical place which dates back to Jaffna kingdom in pre Portuguese era. The building has an architectural importance. You can see plenty of wood carvings here. Most of the building is still intact. There’s a well inside the building as well. Many people ignore this place in their tours to Jaffna. But it’s a good place to visit. It’s very closer to the famous Nallur kovil. See more..
4.5 Sakkotai (5 reviews)
- The tip
Sunday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Spent < 1 hour Points of Interest & Landmarks

Ever wanted to be at the top of the pearl, then invest in a ride to Sakkotei, the northernmost part of point pedro, Sri Lanka. The tip is marked by the national flag and most recently a monumental stone by the Army who made it possible for us to visit the tip of this beautiful island See more..
4.5 Kovalam Beach (5 reviews)
- White sandy beach of karainagar
Spent < 1 hour Beaches

Karainagar, an island off Jaffna, is surrounded by beaches and Palmyra plantations. Kovalam beach is one of the popular beach of Karainagar island. White sand and crystal clear water makes this area a perfect for nature lovers. Not enough facilities currently under development. See more..
4.5 Sangiliyan Statue (5 reviews)
- King
Monuments & Statues

This is the statue of the last King of Jaffna Sangilian. The statue is Majestic. This next to the Nallur kovil. See more..
4.5 Killinochchi War Memorial Monument (4 reviews)
- Excellent place
Spent 1-2 hours Historic Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks

Nice monument to see. Rich in History of War with Tamil Tigers. A Must-See for anybody who is interested in learning in Sri Lankan war history. See more..
4.5 Talaimannar Pier (4 reviews)
- Beaches!
Piers & Boardwalks

We stopped at Thalaimannar before heading to Keeri beach. A great place to stop for a coffee break on the beach. See more..
4.5 Kokkilai Sanctuary (3 reviews)
- Migratory birds
Nature & Wildlife Areas

This is a major stop for the migratory birds during season.There are water birds here.This is an area of mangrove swamps and Sea grass . See more..
4.5 Mannar Island Lighthouse (3 reviews)
- Good Energy
Spent < 1 hour Lighthouses

This spot vibrates energy, maybe because so many people left the coast here to get the chance for a better life. It’s a solitary place where you’ll meet local fishermen repairing their nets and the atmosphere is totally authentic. Many birds fly in front of the ocean, people are extremely welcoming. Not a must see in terms of art, but totally worth a visit if you want to feel the local atmosphere. See more..
4.0 Jaffna Fort (536 reviews)
- A must-see place
Historic Sites

It will take about an hour (at least) to see the full fort. It was much bigger than I thought it would be. You can see a fair part without paying. The balance can be seen for a fee of Rs 20( unsure if its more for Foreigners) The view is quite good - especially when you view it from the upper walkway. The best time to view it would be at dusk as it would be rather warm otherwise See more..
4.0 Casuarina Beach (201 reviews)
- Best beach in Jaffna
Sunday: 9:00 AM - 10:00 PM Beaches

Without doubt the best beach in jaffna. Really nice and calm beach with lesser waves which makes it easier to have a warm bath in sea water. Perfect spot to enjoy nothern sunset in the island. From jaffna town it is around 26km away and you can rent a taxi to reach there. Perfect spot for beach lovers to spend their day. See more..
4.0 Neduntheevu (Delft Island) (185 reviews)
- Uncover the Hidden Charm of Delft Island: A Haven of Natural Beauty
Sunday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Spent More than 3 hours Islands

Delft island is an Island in the Palk Strait, northern Sri Lanka. This island is named as Delft in the Admiralty Chart unlike the other islands, whose names are Tamil. The island's area is 50 km² and it is roughly oval-shaped. Its length is 8 km and its maximum width about 6 km. Delft Islands flat grounds adds to the beauty of its breath taking views. See more..
4.0 Elephant Pass (136 reviews)
- Take the Train to Jaffna for a magical sunset
Military Bases & Facilities

If you go to Jaffna - which I highly recommend - don't go by bus. Take the midday train from to Jaffna. Don't worry, even the third class is comfortable just find a nice seat and enjoy the view. Everything will be changing around you: from the lush green rainforest to the dark blue waters of the lagoons. From thick jungle vegetation to coconut palms lining the horizon. Finally, as you cross the famous "Elephant Pass" in the late afternoon, the sun slowly sets over the beautiful lagoon and the sky is in flames. Magical. See more..