Sri Lanka charges foreign visitors substantially more than residents at its major sites, and the gap has widened sharply. Sigiriya is around US$35 for a non-SAARC adult. The Taj Mahal, for comparison, is about US$16. Horton Plains approaches US$30. Pigeon Island is US$50 before you have paid for a boat.
Travellers notice, and increasingly they complain. Some now look at Sigiriya from the outside and climb Pidurangala next door instead. We think that is a reasonable response and we will tell you when we think a fee is not worth it.
Current fees at the sites our trips visit
Published entrance fees for a foreign adult visitor
Pigeon Island National Park
$50
- Note
- Optional. Fifty dollars for a non-resident before the boat. We list it rather than bury it.
Whale watching boat, Mirissa
$45
- Note
- Seasonal and weather-dependent.
Yala National Park and jeep
$45
Private whale-watching charter, Mirissa
$45
- Note
- Chartered for your party rather than a seat on a shared boat.
Yala National Park, private jeep and park fees
$45
- Note
- Per drive, as the hotel's programme sets it.
Minneriya or Kaudulla and jeep
$40
- Note
- Optional.
Whale watching, Trincomalee
$40
- Note
- Optional. Seasonal, May to September.
Udawalawe National Park and jeep
$40
Wilpattu National Park and jeep
$40
Colombo street-food walk with a guide
$40
Sigiriya rock fortress
$35
Kumana National Park and jeep
$35
- Note
- Optional.
Muthurajawela and lagoon boat, private
$35
Horton Plains National Park
$30
Surfboard hire, three days
$30
Madu river boat, private
$30
Surf lesson at Weligama
$25
Polonnaruwa ancient city
$25
Knuckles Conservation Forest and guide
$25
Surf coaching, per session
$25
- Note
- Optional. Optional, arranged locally.
Anuradhapura sacred city
$25
Guided fort walk
$25
Snorkel hire and boat, Pigeon Island
$20
- Note
- Optional.
Surfboard hire, two days
$20
Madu Ganga river boat, two hours
$18
Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic
$12
Kandyan dance performance
$10
Peradeniya botanical gardens
$10
Dambulla cave temples
$10
Mihintale
$10
Maritime Archaeology Museum
$10
Turtle conservation project
$8
Tea factory tour and tasting
$8
Udawattakele forest reserve
$8
- Note
- Optional. An hour on foot above the town.
Pidurangala
$6
- Note
- Optional.
Kosgoda turtle hatchery
$6
Elephant transit home
$5
Brief Garden at Bevis Bawa
$5
- Note
- Optional. Uneven paths and steps throughout.
Sea turtle hatchery, Kosgoda
$3
Galle Fort
Free
- Note
- A living town; there is no ticket.
Negombo fish market
Free
- Note
- A working auction with no ticket.
Ella Rock
Free
Nine Arch Bridge
Free
- Note
- No ticket.
Galle Fort ramparts
Free
- Note
- Free to walk, and always will be.
Rates as published in 2026 for a non-SAARC adult, and they move. Where a trip covers a fee, it is marked on that trip’s page.
What else you will spend
- Meals outside your inclusions: a rice and curry at a local place runs a few dollars; a tourist-facing restaurant on the south coast, considerably more.
- Tipping: not obligatory, widely appreciated. Your driver-guide is with you all day, every day, and is the person who makes the trip work.
- Alcohol: expensive relative to everything else, and restricted on Poya days and election days. Hotels and tourism-licensed bars continue to serve.
- Souvenirs and tea: buy tea at a factory or a supermarket rather than the airport.
Independent travellers doing Sri Lanka themselves spend broadly £50 to £95 a day mid-range and £120 or more at the luxury end, covering accommodation, food, transport and activities. Our trips sit above that, and the difference buys a private vehicle, a driver-guide who knows the roads, and somebody answering the phone when something goes wrong.
Last reviewed 2026-08-22. Fees and policy change, so tell us if you find something out of date.
Trips this applies to
Stone and story
Nine days through two thousand years of capitals
- Length
- 9 days
- Pace
- Steady
- Bases
- 6 bases
From $1,395 · $155/day
Indicative, not yet costed
Leopard country
Eight days across elephant country, Yala and the whale coast
- Length
- 8 days
- Pace
- Steady
- Bases
- 6 bases
Save $305 · 20%Ends today, 31 October
Indicative, not yet costed
Still not sure how this applies to your dates?
Tell us the month you are coming and who is coming, and we will say plainly which version of the island is open to you.