Sri Lanka in February 2026 – is it worth going on vacation? Weather and reviews, sea and air temperatures in Unawatuna and Hikkaduwa, beaches without waves where you can swim, prices for tours, air tickets and hotels. What to do and what to see in Sri Lanka in February, where you need to visit – says Eurotraveler.
It is well known that work can kill even a horse. Including: young and healthy.
What can we say about a person – his constant work can finish him off faster? Especially if you work without a break in the coldest and sunless time of the year, that is, in winter.
In general, you need be able to relax. And if you still don’t know how, learn urgently.
For example, going on a trip to Sri Lanka in February for this purpose. Its residents are real experts in relaxation!
Yes, Sri Lankans are mostly poor people. But let’s count – only because they don’t see any practical meaning in wealth.
Why do you need money if the ocean is warm and clean – here it is, nearby and you can swim in it completely free of charge? The sun shines day after day.
And if there is no light, no one tries to find warm clothes in the closet – on the contrary, they think about where to hide from the heat
Coconuts are falling from the palm trees – just dodge them. There are so many pineapples that they can be considered as part of the landscape, and not as delicious food.
All sorts of bananas with papaya, mangosteens and rambutans with durians you just have to beg to buy – everyone is already so full of these fruits that they don’t even want to look.
In general, paradise, and that’s all. A place where life flows simply and calmly. And anxiety, like a cloud, floats into such distances that it seems that it will never return.
Need to fly to Sri Lanka urgently? So we think it would be nice to go for a ride!
Briefly
- Is it possible to go to Sri Lanka in February? Let us not sin against the truth if (following everyone else) we declare that the final month of winter is best time to visit a tropical island. Light, hot, little rain! With daytime air temperatures around +28-32 degrees Celsius and the sea warmed up to +28-29 degrees
- Where is the best place in ex-Ceylon at the end of winter? Most guidebooks will advise you to first pay attention to the southern (Unawatuna and Weligama) or western (Hikkaduwa and Bentota) coast of the island. But we will argue that in February you can have a good holiday in Trincomalee on the east coast. Where is the dry season just beginning at this time?
- Where in Sri Lanka can you swim without waves? In our opinion, the optimal place where it will be comfortable even with children is Unawatuna, protected by a reef. However, the depth there quickly increases. If this is a critical moment for you, choose Weligama with a gentle entrance to the water and virtually no waves near the shore.
In Mirissa it is difficult to count on comfortable swimming due to the often rough ocean. And in Trincomalee the windless time comes later, in March and April.
On some days, almost complete calm is observed in Bentota on the west coast.
A number of opinions and reviews about the best beaches without waves in Sri Lanka in winter can be seen here – forum.awd.ru/viewtopic.php?t=176410. Well, we continue!
Weather in Sri Lanka in February
The end of winter – as well as its middle (December too, but a little less confidently) – is considered in Ceylon to be part of that high season, which all convinced “beach” tourists dream about. It is not yet extremely hot, but no longer full of heavy rains.
And therefore allowing you to devote maximum time to the main thing – seaside relaxation
The air temperature in Sri Lanka in February, whether you go to Unawatuna in the south or Bentota in the west, during the day seems to hover around +30 degrees Celsius. And he is very reluctant to deviate from it: it can be either +28 or – rarely – all +35 degrees Celsius.
At night, everyone is allowed to take a breath, as the atmosphere cools down to +23-25 °C. Sometimes it can be lower – up to +21 °C.
And you should be prepared for this not only morally, but also financially (jacket or blouse).
Precipitation and sun
Rainfall is quite rare, but not unusual. So if you go on holiday to Sri Lanka in February, then in theory you may experience rain or even a downpour or two.
In reviews, however, holidaymakers rarely complain about such weather disasters. Both because they are simply not noticed, and because they are happy about the refreshing rain.
The average monthly precipitation is up to 80 mm; usually no more than 5 days per month are (partially) rainy. Humidity is high constantly and almost never leaves the 80-95% range.
A special feature of Sri Lanka is the modest number of sunny days. Even in February, you will mostly experience cloudy skies.
Just don’t let him deceive you – the local sun burns your skin beautifully even through the curtain of clouds. Here is what you need to take with you on holiday to Sri Lanka.
The length of the day in the south of the island throughout February will not exceed 12 hours. The sun rises at approximately 6.30 and sets below the horizon at 18.20.
And yes, we highly recommend observing this process in person. The best places for this are literally all the beaches on the west coast.
Water temperature
The Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka gradually warms up from +28 to +29 degrees Celsius during February. The winds are almost unnoticeable compared to other months, and precipitation differs in completely non-tropical volumes.
So you will almost certainly swim regularly and day after day. That is, of course, if you choose the “right” place for this.
We have already said above that the most “reliable” beaches in Sri Lanka in terms of the absence or weakness of waves are: Unawatuna and Weligama. The latter, interestingly, is also suitable for surfers, since at a distance of half a kilometer from the coast there is excellent wind.
Mirissa is worth a visit for general acquaintance and photo sessions. Well, or for the purpose of a rendezvous with blue whales.
It is often windy in Hikkaduwa; in Bentota you can easily find a few calm days. It’s not entirely clear with Trincomalee: in February you can swim there (seemingly), but still not every day.
What to take with you
Russian tourists need a visa to enter Sri Lanka. But there is no need to worry about this.
Because, firstly, starting from the fall of 2025, it is issued (exclusively) online through the embassy website – srilankaembassy.ru/ru/viza/2022-07-01-13-45-07. And secondly, you don’t need to pay for the procedure!
The passport must be valid for at least 6 months at the time of departure from the country. Medical travel insurance is not required.
You should definitely take a first aid kit with you on your trip to Sri Lanka. Collected not just “for the sake of it”, but carefully and responsibly.
The kit should contain first aid supplies in case of poisoning, antiseptics and bandages, bactericidal and regular adhesive plasters, antipyretic and antiallergic drugs. And also regenerating ointments (bepanten) in case you still do not protect yourself and burn in the sun.
Don’t forget to pack sunscreen in your vacation suitcase. Or better yet, two at once.
And start using this product before you even leave the airport terminal in Colombo!
Panama hats and caps, summer clothes made from natural fabrics with as much coverage as possible will also be useful on vacation. Plus, of course, everything that you plan to use on the beach and when swimming.
In general, an adapter for sockets is a good idea, although most hotels and guesthouses on the island provide them. A splitter for simultaneously charging several gadgets can also be very useful.
For some reason, fumigators and plates made in Europe do not help much against Sri Lankan midges. So, perhaps, at least the second one is better for you to purchase locally.
Prices 2026
Tours to Sri Lanka at the end of winter are tempting to call them low. But if you take a closer look, you realize that for 150-160 thousand rubles (for two) you can only count on round-trip flights and a very dubious hotel.
A week of rest in something more decent will cost 200 thousand rubles for two. If you are more demanding about the quality of rooms and comfort in general, then shell out 250 thousand for your February trip to the island.
Independent travelers have a good chance of saving money. Even if they go on a trip from Moscow.
Air tickets from the Russian capital to Colombo and back in mid-February will cost 60-80 thousand rubles per passenger (respectively, only with hand luggage or luggage). A room in a good hotel can be rented for 60-70 € per day.
For example, in the same place we mentioned more than once (and to the point) La Veranda Di Serena in Unawatuna. Standing actually right on the beach and serving breakfast for guests (included in the price).
La Veranda’s rooms have balconies, so you can enjoy the sight and sound of the Indian Ocean!
Prices for excursions in Ceylon do not seem to be very high. If you initially expect them to be held in English.
For a walk around Halle, for example, you need to pay less than 20 € per person. And you will pay only a little more – about 30 € – to take part in a safari in Yala National Park.
Where in their natural habitat you can see a lot of different animals: elephants and leopards, buffalos and monkeys, many colorful tropical birds.
Things to do
We are almost sure that you will have to persuade yourself to leave your usual place on the shore in order to go somewhere in search of adventure (crossed out) impressions. But this needs to be done – February Sri Lanka favors excursions and trips.
And the first thing we recommend you do, perhaps even before checking into a hotel on the coast, is to visit the Pinnawela elephant sanctuary!
You can observe the largest land animals on Earth in Pinnawala without even leaving your hotel room. Not particularly expensive, by the way – an overnight stay for two in the popular Hotel Elephant Park will cost 60-80 €.
Of course, you need to visit the grandiose Sigiriya rock in Sri Lanka, on top of which there are the ruins of an ancient royal palace. And visit the Dambulla cave temple.
Also, almost every first-time traveler would like to see at least one tea plantation in Sri Lanka. The most colorful of them are located near the town of Nuwara Eliya.
Famous in itself – after all, naturally English houses of the Victorian era have been preserved there
On the southern coast, the main man-made attraction is the town of Galle, where buildings of the Portuguese colonialists of Ceylon have been preserved. It’s definitely worth spending a day visiting Yala Park, which we mentioned just above.
If you are a lucky person in life, be sure to try going out to sea in search of blue whales. A well-known starting point for this kind of expedition is Mirissa.
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© Eurotraveler
