Sri Lanka Packing List: What to Bring (and What to Leave at Home)

Packing for Sri Lanka is mostly about light, breathable clothes — with two important exceptions: temples, where you'll need to cover your shoulders and knees, and the hill country, where nights in Nuwara Eliya or on Horton Plains can drop close to 10°C. Pack for those two and the rest is easy.

Clothes

• Lightweight cotton or linen tops and trousers. Synthetic fabrics feel sticky in the coastal humidity.
• At least one outfit that covers shoulders and knees for temples such as the Temple of the Tooth and Dambulla Cave Temple. Long, loose trousers or a long skirt plus a T-shirt works for everyone. White or light colours are traditional for temple visits.
• A sarong or large scarf. It covers your legs at temples, works as a beach towel, a blanket on cold trains and a sun shield.
• A warm layer — a fleece or light down jacket — for the hill country, early-morning safaris in open jeeps and the pre-dawn climb of Adam's Peak, where the summit is often near freezing before sunrise.
• Swimwear for the beach only. Cover up when you walk into town.

Footwear

• Sandals or flip-flops that slip off easily. You'll remove your shoes at every temple and many homes and shops.
• Comfortable walking shoes or light hiking shoes for Ella Rock, Horton Plains and Adam's Peak. Trails get muddy and slippery after rain.
• Socks — temple courtyards are bare stone that can be scorching hot by midday. Socks are generally acceptable and save your soles.

Rain and sun gear

• A compact umbrella or light rain jacket. Showers arrive suddenly, even in the dry season.
• High-SPF sunscreen (bring it from home; good brands are expensive locally), sunglasses and a hat.
• Dry bags or zip-lock bags for your phone and passport on boat trips and in downpours.

Health and toiletries

• Insect repellent with DEET or picaridin. Sri Lanka is malaria-free, but dengue is spread by day-biting mosquitoes.
• Basic first-aid kit: plasters, antiseptic, rehydration salts, anti-diarrhoea tablets, painkillers, antihistamines and motion-sickness tablets for winding hill roads and whale-watching boats.
• Any prescription medicines in their original packaging, with a copy of the prescription.
• Leech socks if you plan to hike in Sinharaja or the Knuckles in the wet season.

Read more in our Sri Lanka health tips.

Electronics

• Plug adaptor. Sri Lanka uses a mix of the old British round-pin sockets (type D and M) and the square-pin type G. A universal adaptor covers all of them.
• Power bank for long train days and power cuts.
• Unlocked phone so you can use a local SIM or eSIM — see our SIM card guide.
• Headtorch for Adam's Peak, power cuts and walking back from the beach at night.

Documents and money

• Passport valid for at least six months, plus a printed or saved copy of your approved ETA. See our visa and ETA guide.
• Travel insurance details.
• Two bank cards from different networks, stored separately, and some US dollars or euros in cash as a back-up. See money in Sri Lanka.
• An International Driving Permit if you plan to drive yourself.

What you can leave at home

• Too many clothes. Laundry is cheap and quick at almost every guesthouse.
• Toiletries for a long trip. Shampoo, soap, toothpaste and basic medicines are easy to buy in supermarkets such as Keells, Cargills Food City and Arpico.
• A big towel. Accommodation provides towels; a sarong does the rest.
• Expensive jewellery. It's unnecessary and attracts attention.