Compare Lanka flights

Sri Lanka, the island country just off the south coast of India, is now firmly on the radars of UK honeymooners, families, sun seekers and wildlife enthusiasts. So you’ll find plenty of direct flights to Sri Lanka all year round, with plenty of scope to shop around for cheap deals.

You're likely to fly into Colombo on the southwest coast, which is one of the best areas for beaches and sunny weather (outside the rainy season, which is May to September on the west coast). But Sri Lanka is eminently tourable, and lets you pack coast and countryside, ancient inland cities, leopard safaris, tea plantations and historic train journeys into one remarkable trip.

For the cheapest Sri Lanka flights, avoid December, late July and August, and fly in October or November. The bad news – and the reason for the low prices – is that those months are the inter-monsoon period, when Sri Lanka's two regional monsoons overlap and storms are widespread.

The best weather on the west coast occurs between December and March, so late January, February and March are all good times to fly, with sensible prices and plenty of sun. If you're headed to the north or east coasts, the dry weather comes later in the year – May and June are the sweet spots for value.

Flights to Sri Lanka from the UK take an average of 13 hours. Sri Lankan Airlines fly direct to Colombo from London Heathrow in 10 hours and 30 minutes. You’ll also find some surprisingly short flights, even with stopovers, from regional UK airports. Oman Air now fly to Colombo from Manchester via Muscat in just under 14 hours, and KLM flies from Glasgow via Amsterdam in about the same time.

Sri Lanka is big by Indian Ocean island standards, but not too big – so it invites exploration, if you can tear yourself away from the paradise beaches, that is. If you're looking for UNESCO World Heritage sites and romantic cities, hire a car and drive inland to climb the Sigiriya Rock Fortress, then visit the ancient capital of Kandy and pay your respects at the Temple of the Tooth.

If you prefer wildlife, travel south east for a leopard safari in Yala National Park, witness the elephant gathering at Minneriya in August, or hit Mirissa on the south coast for migrating whales from November to March.

Urban adventurers will want a few days in hectic Colombo, but don’t miss graceful, car-free Galle, either. Its attractive lighthouse overlooks a small swimming beach. For all-out beach breaks, it's the sunny southern coast you want – and you can search for flight and hotel package deals on our Sri Lanka holiday page.