Sri Lanka in March is hot, the south and west coasts are mostly dry, and whale season off Mirissa is still running (Love Sri Lanka). The Department of Meteorology’s calendar puts the north-east monsoon in December to February, with the first inter-monsoon following in March and April (Department of Meteorology). Expect afternoon thunderstorms (Sri Lanka Tourism), though far fewer than in April: Colombo, Galle and Kandy average seven or eight rain days in March and 12 or 13 in April (WMO climate normals). Our office is in Weligama, and for the south coast March is one of the months we’d pick.
Key takeaways
- Average daytime highs peak in March in Anuradhapura, Galle and Kandy, so start sightseeing at 7am. Nuwara Eliya averages about 22°C by day.
- Whale season continues off Mirissa, and Weligama’s beginner surf season lasts until May.
- The east coast is fairly dry, but most of Arugam Bay’s hotels and restaurants stay shut until April.
- March 2027 has four public holidays, among them Medin Poya on Monday 22 March, when the top of Adam’s Peak can get very crowded.
Sri Lanka weather in March, station by station
The figures below are 1991 to 2020 averages from the World Meteorological Organization for ten weather stations (WMO climate normals). Rain days count any day with 1 mm or more; the “30°C days” column counts March days on which the high reaches at least 30°C.
| Station (area) | March rain | Rain days | High / low | 30°C days | Rain days in April |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colombo (west coast) | 103 mm | 7.7 | 32.0°C / 24.8°C | 30.5 | 12.6 |
| Galle (south coast) | 90 mm | 6.9 | 31.6°C / 24.6°C | 28.9 | 11.8 |
| Hambantota (south-east coast) | 47 mm | 4.0 | 31.9°C / 24.3°C | 29.9 | 6.8 |
| Anuradhapura (Cultural Triangle) | 62 mm | 5.0 | 34.8°C / 23.5°C | 30.6 | 11.0 |
| Katugastota (near Kandy) | 98 mm | 6.8 | 32.0°C / 19.9°C | 28.4 | 13.2 |
| Nuwara Eliya (high hills) | 72 mm | 7.1 | 22.3°C / 10.8°C | 0 | 12.6 |
| Bandarawela (south-west of Ella) | 138 mm | 11.2 | 26.1°C / 15.4°C | 3.5 | 18.5 |
| Badulla (north of Ella) | 88 mm | 7.2 | 29.7°C / 17.7°C | 14.1 | 12.8 |
| Trincomalee (north-east coast) | 55 mm | 4.0 | 31.7°C / 24.8°C | 28.9 | 4.2 |
| Pottuvil (near Arugam Bay) | 61 mm | 5.3 | 32.0°C / 23.4°C | 29.8 | 4.9 |
Apart from Bandarawela, no station averages more than eight rain days in March, and in the lowlands the high reaches 30°C on nearly every day of the month.
How hot it gets
Average highs in Galle, Anuradhapura and Katugastota peak in March (WMO climate normals). Inland, the air is less humid than in the wet months: Wikipedia gives Anuradhapura’s daytime humidity as low as 60% in March, against 79% in the November and December rains (Wikipedia).
Sri Lanka in March and April: what changes
Except on the east coast, April is far wetter than March: Galle goes from 90 mm in March to 202 mm in April, and Anuradhapura from 62 mm to 180 mm (WMO climate normals).
Against February, March is a little wetter in Colombo (103 mm against 77 mm) and much drier at Pottuvil (61 mm against 137 mm) (WMO climate normals).
Where March works best
The south coast: whales, surf and Galle
March sits inside the December to April window that our Sri Lanka weather by month guide gives as the best time for the south and west coasts. The season for whale watching in Mirissa lasts from November to April, and Love Sri Lanka picks out December to April as the best stretch there (Love Sri Lanka). Boats head out by 6am because mornings give better odds, though a sighting is never certain (Love Sri Lanka).
March is also the final month of Mirissa’s surf season, which Love Sri Lanka’s surf map gives as November to March (Love Sri Lanka). Midigama’s reef breaks last until the end of April, and Weligama’s small, predictable waves, the ones beginners learn on, keep going until the close of May (Love Sri Lanka). For a first lesson we’d suggest Weligama beach, where many surf schools are dotted along the sand (Love Sri Lanka). Mind the current there, which can turn strong and unpredictable (Wikivoyage).
The Cultural Triangle: start at opening time
When we checked at the end of September 2026, the Central Cultural Fund’s ticket counters at its sites opened from 7am to 5pm (Central Cultural Fund). Reach Sigiriya as the counter opens and spend the hottest hours in the shade.
Sigiriya’s full foreign ticket was USD 35, and Anuradhapura’s and Polonnaruwa’s USD 30 each, on the CCF price list dated 24 September 2026 (Central Cultural Fund). From a base near Sigiriya, split the Cultural Triangle into early starts: the rock one morning, Polonnaruwa or Dambulla the next.
Kandy works as a one-night stop: our plan for Kandy in one day fits the Temple of the Tooth, the lake and the Peradeniya gardens into a single day. Start early there too.
Nuwara Eliya and the hills for cooler air
While the plains swelter, Nuwara Eliya averages 22.3°C by day and 10.8°C at night in March (WMO normals for Nuwara Eliya). February and March are its driest months, with about 72 mm each (WMO normals for Nuwara Eliya). Horton Plains is in its dry season, which Wikipedia gives as January to March (Wikipedia), and at the end of September 2026 Love Sri Lanka listed its hours as 6am to 6pm (Love Sri Lanka). Between walks, the tea estates around Nuwara Eliya make an easy half day.
Around Ella the picture is mixed. Bandarawela, to the south-west, averages 138 mm over 11 days in March, while Badulla, to the north, gets 88 mm over seven (WMO climate normals). Wikivoyage notes that Ella’s showers often arrive in the afternoon and clear within an hour or so (Wikivoyage), so walk in the morning.
Adam’s Peak and Medin Poya
Sri Pada dates the pilgrimage season from Unduvap Poya (December) to Vesak Poya (May). It says the season peaks at Medin Poya, when pilgrims climb in a constant stream and the top can get very crowded, though it names January and February as the busiest period (Sri Pada). In 2027 Medin Poya falls on Monday 22 March (Central Bank of Sri Lanka).
Sri Pada also puts weekend crowds in the season at around 20,000 climbers (Sri Pada), so we’d pick a weekday away from that date. In season the path from Dalhousie is lit, and a 2.30am start on the steps reaches the summit ahead of sunrise, around 6.30am (Sri Pada).
Why the east coast can wait
By March the east coast is fairly dry, with 55 mm on four days at Trincomalee and 61 mm on about five at Pottuvil (WMO climate normals). The season is the problem. Wikivoyage dates the surf at Arugam Bay from April to October, with some good waves possible in March (Wikivoyage). It also says most of the town’s hotels and restaurants don’t open between November and March (Wikivoyage).
Wikivoyage’s Trincomalee page recommends April to September (Wikivoyage), and Love Sri Lanka gives May to September as the best time to snorkel at Pigeon Island, near Trincomalee (Love Sri Lanka). We’d keep the east coast, Arugam Bay included, for a trip from April onwards.
How busy is Sri Lanka in March?
In a normal year, not much quieter than January and February. Sri Lanka’s tourism authority, the SLTDA, counted 229,298 arrivals in March 2025, against 252,761 in January and 240,217 in February (SLTDA). In 2024, March’s 209,181 arrivals were slightly more than January’s 208,253 (SLTDA).
March 2026 was the exception: 183,979 arrivals, against 277,327 in January and 279,328 in February (SLTDA). The SLTDA put the dip largely down to the conflict in the Gulf and Middle East, which disrupted key transit hubs (SLTDA March 2026 report).
Public holidays in March 2027
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka’s 2027 list has four bank and public holidays in March (Central Bank of Sri Lanka):
- Saturday 6 March: Mahasivarathri, the annual Hindu festival honouring Shiva (Wikipedia).
- Wednesday 10 March: Eid-ul-Fitr, the Ramazan festival that ends a month of fasting. It starts once the new crescent moon is seen, so the celebration can slip by a day (Wikipedia).
- Monday 22 March: Medin Full Moon Poya. Selling alcohol and drinking it in public are both banned on poya days (Wikivoyage), and shops and businesses generally shut (Wikipedia).
- Friday 26 March: Good Friday.
Stay on into mid-April and you’ll meet the Sinhala and Tamil New Year in April, with holidays on Tuesday 13 and Wednesday 14 April 2027 (Central Bank of Sri Lanka).
Rail in March 2027: what we know
Cyclone Ditwah damaged about 70% of the railway at the end of 2025 (Wikivoyage). Newsfirst reported on 6 September 2026 that the Rambukkana to Nanu Oya section had no service and that work on the Kalu Bridge, just outside Kandy, was unfinished (Newsfirst). Trains from Colombo Fort to Peradeniya and Gampola were due back from 2 October 2026, with nothing listed into Kandy station (Ada Derana). Nanu Oya to Badulla, through Ella, had been running since 20 June 2026 (Onlanka).
In April 2026 the authorities set 31 December 2026 as the new target for restoring the whole upcountry line, after missing earlier deadlines (The Morning). Services may look different by March 2027, so check Sri Lanka Railways before planning around a train.
A Sri Lanka itinerary in March: 12 days by road
This loop goes inland first, climbs Adam’s Peak in the hills and finishes with whales and beaches. Drive times are rounded up from OpenStreetMap’s router, which assumes empty roads.
| Nights | Usual drive time | Stay | Plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1, 2 and 3 | Airport to Sigiriya: 3.5 to 4 hours (OpenStreetMap) | Sigiriya | The rock at 7am, Dambulla’s cave temple, a day at Polonnaruwa |
| 4 | 2.5 to 3 hours (OpenStreetMap) | Kandy | Temple of the Tooth, then a lap of Kandy Lake |
| 5 | 2.5 to 3 hours (OpenStreetMap) | Dalhousie | An early night, then Adam’s Peak, setting off at about 2.30am |
| 6 and 7 | 2 to 2.5 hours, after the climb (OpenStreetMap) | Nuwara Eliya | Rest after the climb, then Horton Plains when it opens and a tea estate |
| 8 | 3.5 to 4 hours (OpenStreetMap) | Udawalawe | A jeep safari the next morning |
| 9, 10 and 11 | 2 to 2.5 hours (OpenStreetMap) | Weligama | A whale boat from Mirissa, a surf lesson, Galle Fort |
| Day 12 | 3 to 3.5 hours (OpenStreetMap) | Home | Transfer to the airport |
Udawalawe’s resident herd is thought to number about 250 elephants (Wikipedia), and our private Safari Excursion includes an early pickup from your hotel. This order keeps the drive after the climb short and gives you a full night’s sleep before the next early start. If you’d rather hike than climb at night, skip Dalhousie and drive on from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya for nights 5 and 6, usually 2.5 to 3 hours (OpenStreetMap). Spend night 7 in Ella, usually 1.5 to 2 hours on (OpenStreetMap), and Udawalawe is then 2 to 2.5 hours away (OpenStreetMap). With 10 days, drop a night each in Sigiriya and Weligama.
Questions about Sri Lanka in March
Is March a good time to visit Sri Lanka?
Mostly, yes. The coasts of the south and west, the Cultural Triangle and Nuwara Eliya all get rain on eight days or fewer in an average March (WMO climate normals). It’s too early for Arugam Bay, where most hotels and restaurants stay closed until April (Wikivoyage).
Is it too hot in Sri Lanka in March?
It’s hot in the lowlands, with average highs of about 32°C on the coasts and nearly 35°C in Anuradhapura (WMO climate normals). Sightsee early, and save a couple of cooler nights for Nuwara Eliya.
Can you see whales in Sri Lanka in March?
Yes. March falls within Mirissa’s November to April season and the December to April months Love Sri Lanka rates as best there, although no boat can promise a sighting (Love Sri Lanka).
Is March rainy in Sri Lanka?
Not very. Colombo averages 103 mm over about eight rain days and Anuradhapura 62 mm over five (WMO climate normals). What rain there is tends to come in afternoon thunderstorms (Sri Lanka Tourism), and April brings much more of it.
Plan a March trip with us
We plan private routes with a driver-guide from our base in Weligama. Send us your dates and we’ll suggest a route for Sri Lanka in March that works around the heat and the holidays.
We last checked the climate averages, 2027 holiday dates, ticket prices, opening hours, rail news, arrival figures and drive times in this guide at the end of September 2026. Any single March can run wetter or hotter than the average, and timetables and opening hours change, so check the details again before you book.
