We are not a call centre, a booking engine, or a template-driven agency. Every quote, itinerary and recommendation is reviewed and personalised by a Sri Lankan specialist who has been on the ground. We have spent over 12 years curating hidden addresses, rare experiences, and trusted local contacts that sit well beneath the surface of guidebooks. Our 5-star standard, set in year one, has never wavered.

We cover the entire island — from the Jaffna peninsula in the north to the deep south at Tangalle and beyond. Key regions include Colombo, Kandy, Ella, Sigiriya, Galle Fort, Mirissa, Nuwara Eliya, Yala, Anuradhapura, Trincomalee, Knuckles, Arugam Bay, and the Knuckles Range. If a place exists in Sri Lanka, we can take you there.

Our guides and drivers communicate fluently in English, Sinhala, and Tamil. For international guests, our senior planning team is available in English around the clock. We pride ourselves on clear, warm, and jargon-free communication from the moment you first enquire.

Sri Lanka is a year-round destination because the island has two monsoon seasons affecting different coasts at different times. The west and south coasts (Galle, Mirissa, Colombo) are ideal from November to April. The east coast (Arugam Bay, Trincomalee) shines from May to September. The hill country and cultural triangle are great almost any time. Our planning team will match your travel dates to the best regions available.

We deliberately keep group sizes small to protect the quality of your experience. Most tours run between 2 and 10 guests. Premium and adventure tours are capped at 6. Private tours — with just you and your group — are available for any itinerary. Small groups mean more flexibility, more depth, and more of the guide's genuine attention.

All Sri Lankan TripTip guides are licensed by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) and hold current Wilderness First Aid certification. Beyond credentials, we select guides for their personal depth — people with a living relationship to the places they lead. Several have been with us since 2012. Many speak multiple languages and hold specialist expertise in history, ecology, or cultural ceremony.

Most of our multi-day tour packages include carefully selected accommodation ranging from boutique heritage hotels to eco-lodges and luxury tented camps. Each property has been personally vetted by our team for comfort, location, and authentic character. Accommodation details and star ratings are clearly stated on every tour listing. For custom tours, we tailor accommodation to your exact preferences and budget.

Each tour carries a clear difficulty rating — Easy, Moderate, or Challenging — listed on the tour page. Easy tours suit most ages and fitness levels. Moderate tours involve some walking on uneven terrain or light uphill sections. Challenging itineraries such as Adam's Peak, Knuckles trekking, or Horton Plains require good cardiovascular fitness. If you are unsure whether a tour suits you, contact us before booking and we will advise honestly.

Yes. We regularly design family itineraries and many of our standard tours welcome children aged 6 and above. Wildlife safaris, cultural cooking classes, elephant orphanage visits and beach day tours are particular favourites with younger guests. For families, we recommend a custom planning consultation so we can calibrate pace, activities and stops perfectly for your children's ages.

For airport transfers, we recommend booking at least 24 hours in advance. For intercity transfers and day tours, 48 hours is ideal. During peak seasons (December–January and July–August), we advise booking 3–5 days ahead to guarantee vehicle and driver availability. Last-minute bookings are accepted subject to availability — contact us via WhatsApp for the fastest response.

Upon arrival at Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB), your driver will be waiting in the arrivals hall holding a signboard with your name. You will receive your driver's name, vehicle registration, and mobile number via email and WhatsApp at least 2 hours before your flight lands. Our drivers monitor flight arrivals in real time, so delays never result in a missed pickup. There is no extra charge for flight delays.

We offer a range of vehicles to match your group size and comfort level: sedans for solo travellers or couples, standard SUVs and vans for groups of 4–8, and premium luxury vehicles for those wanting an elevated experience. All vehicles are air-conditioned. Child seats are available on request at no extra charge. Please specify your group size when booking so we allocate the right vehicle automatically.

Every TripTip driver undergoes a thorough background check, holds a valid Sri Lankan tourist transport licence, and completes annual driver training. Vehicles carry valid insurance, pass regular mechanical inspections, and are equipped with GPS tracking. For solo female travellers, we offer the option to share your live trip location with a contact of your choice via our WhatsApp line throughout the journey.

The initial consultation and itinerary proposal are completely free of charge. You only pay once you are fully satisfied with your plan and choose to confirm the booking. There are no hidden planning fees, no obligation, and no pressure. We believe that getting your itinerary right matters more than closing a sale quickly.

Step one: Submit your enquiry via our Custom Planning page with your basic travel details. Step two: A TripTip specialist contacts you within 24 hours to learn more about your preferences. Step three: We build and send your personalised itinerary within 48 hours. Step four: We revise it freely until it is exactly right. Step five: Once confirmed, we handle all bookings, transport, accommodation and logistics. You simply arrive and experience.

Absolutely — this is one of our specialities. We can arrange private astrologer consultations with village practitioners, access to Kandyan temple ceremonies not open to the general public, dawn visits to Sigiriya before the crowds arrive, cooking classes with local families, and fishing expeditions with traditional outrigger fishermen. These are the experiences that sit beneath the surface of Sri Lanka — and they belong to our guests.

Yes to both. Honeymoon itineraries are one of our most requested custom plans — we craft deeply romantic, private experiences across coastal villas, hill country boutique stays, and candlelit dinners in heritage settings. For solo travellers, we design itineraries that balance solitude and social discovery, with extra safety briefings, vetted accommodation, and a dedicated contact number active throughout your journey.

For most tour and custom packages, we require a 30% deposit to confirm your booking. The remaining 70% is due 30 days before your departure date. For bookings made within 30 days of travel, full payment is required at the time of confirmation. Taxi transfers are charged in full upon confirmation. We will always be transparent about the payment schedule before you commit.

Tour packages and custom itineraries are quoted and charged in US Dollars (USD) for international guests. Taxi transfers may be quoted in Sri Lankan Rupees (LKR) or USD — your invoice will clearly state the currency. All PayHere transactions for Sri Lankan guests are processed in LKR. Exchange rates displayed are indicative; your bank or card provider applies the actual conversion.

Immediately upon successful payment, you will receive a detailed booking confirmation to your registered email address. This includes your booking reference number, itinerary details, driver or guide information (where applicable), emergency contact numbers, and pre-trip preparation notes. A WhatsApp confirmation is also sent if you have provided your number. Save this document — it is your travel reference.

Safety is embedded into every layer of our operation. All guides hold current Wilderness First Aid and CPR certification. Vehicles carry comprehensive first-aid kits and emergency communication devices. Weather and road conditions are monitored continuously, and itineraries are adjusted when safety is a concern — no exception is made for commercial reasons. We maintain strict guide-to-guest ratios and operate a 24-hour emergency line for guests on the road.

We take our responsibility to Sri Lanka very seriously. We pay all guides, drivers and local partners a fair and living wage above the national average. We avoid over-tourism hotspots during peak hours by designing off-schedule access. We support local accommodation, local food producers, and local artisans across our itineraries. Single-use plastics are prohibited in all TripTip vehicles and tours. We contribute a portion of every booking to community-led conservation projects in the Knuckles Range and Southern coast.

We strongly recommend comprehensive travel insurance for all guests, covering medical emergencies, trip cancellation, and personal belongings. While we take every precaution, Sri Lanka is a tropical destination with occasional monsoons, wildlife, and challenging terrain. Travel insurance is not mandatory to book with us, but we will always ask you to confirm that you have adequate cover before departure — especially for adventure and trekking itineraries.

We provide detailed, up-to-date guidance on Sri Lanka's Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) visa process, which most nationalities can complete online in under 15 minutes. We do not process visas directly, but we supply the exact documentation checklist, portal link, and country-specific advice upon booking. We also advise on current entry requirements, health regulations, and any travel advisories relevant to your nationality.