Sri Lanka with Kids: Complete Family Budget Guide
All expenses at a glance!
Dreaming of a family holiday to Sri Lanka but wondering what the costs are for a road trip through Sri Lanka with kids? In this blog, I share all the expenses from our 3-week trip, from flights and transportation to hotels, food, and safaris. No theoretical prices—just what it really cost us, including handy tips to save smartly. Whether you’re traveling on a budget or in comfort, this overview helps you plan your holiday without financial surprises, with total daily costs clearly laid out.
Be sure to also check out our blog with the ultimate Sri Lanka itinerary for families & all our tips for an unforgettable trip through this beautiful country.
🌞 Search & Book Your Sri Lanka Holiday with Kids
✅ Family-friendly hotels, apartments & resorts
💙 Book directly with Booking.com – trusted & easy
Flights to Sri Lanka with children: costs and tips
For our 3-week family road trip through Sri Lanka, we paid €4,174 for flights from Amsterdam to Colombo. We traveled during the high season (August) and booked our tickets last minute, which significantly increased the cost.
If you’re traveling from Europe, direct flights to Sri Lanka are available from major hubs such as London, Paris and Frankfurt. For instance, round-trip fares from London to Colombo typically range from €580 to €850, depending on the season and booking time.
For travelers from the United States, there are no direct flights to Sri Lanka. Flights from cities like New York or Los Angeles usually involve one or two stopovers, with average round-trip fares ranging from $1,000 to $1,700, depending on the season and how far in advance you book.
Keep in mind that flight prices can vary significantly based on factors like departure city, time of booking, and travel season. Booking well in advance and being flexible with your travel dates can help secure better fares.
Tips for cheaper flights:
- Book as early as possible, often up to a year in advance. This can save you hundreds of euros!
- Compare flights on Skyscanner to find the cheapest routes and days.
- Preferably book directly with the airline (we flew with KLM) or through reliable platforms like Booking.com. Avoid unreliable sites, as customer service is often difficult.
- Flights are often significantly cheaper outside of school holidays.
Transportation costs during a family road trip through Sri Lanka
During our 3-week family road trip through Sri Lanka, we opted for taxis and tuk-tuks, as this is much more convenient and comfortable with young children than public transport. Of course, public transport is cheaper, but often not practical when traveling with kids.
In total, we spent around €660 on local transportation. This included:
- Taxis for traveling from one location to another (€300)
- Tuk-tuks as taxis in the cities during outings (€60)
- A tuk-tuk that we rented ourselves for 9 days (€300)
In addition, many families consider hiring a car with a private driver for the entire trip. The average cost is between €70 and €100 per day, including the driver, fuel, and often toll and parking fees. It’s wise to arrange this in advance with a reputable company.
We have had excellent experiences with Sali from Dreamz Tours. He can organize everything for you: from individual taxi rides and tours to fully arranged road trips. His rates are often more competitive, averaging between €45 and €55 per day, depending on distance and number of days. You can easily reach Sali via WhatsApp: +94 75 754 6516.
Hotel and accommodation costs in Sri Lanka with kids
During our 3-week family road trip through Sri Lanka, we mostly stayed in mid-range hotels with a swimming pool, averaging €89 per night for 4 people, including breakfast. This gave us a good balance between comfort, child-friendliness, and price.
In Sri Lanka, practically everything is possible: you can stay more cheaply, for example in guesthouses or budget hotels, but with children, a swimming pool is often highly recommended. Of course, you can also go very luxurious; more and more hotels offer a high-end experience, with prices easily reaching €500 per night. So it’s mainly a choice based on comfort, budget, and your family’s preferences.
Tip: Always look for hotels that are family-friendly, have a swimming pool, and are centrally located relative to your planned route. This way, you combine convenience with fun for the kids. We almost always book our hotels through Booking.com.
Food in Sri Lanka with kids: costs and tips
During our road trip through Sri Lanka with kids, food expenses varied quite a bit, depending on where and what you ate. Fortunately, breakfast is usually included in the hotel price, which already saves a lot.
For lunch and dinner, you can choose whether to eat at the hotel or visit local restaurants. At our hotels, we often paid around €5–10 per person, including a drink and sometimes a dessert. In trendy restaurants, especially in the south and in Ella, prices are a bit higher, but during our entire trip we never spent more than €50 for the four of us.
Snacks and small treats are generally cheap. For example, an ice cream costs between €0.25 and €1, depending on your choice and location. Other small snacks are usually very affordable as well.
Entrance fees & excursions/safaris in Sri Lanka with kids
During our road trip through Sri Lanka with kids, we did all sorts of activities: temples, viewpoints, national parks, and special tours. In total, we spent around €700 on all activities and entrance fees for our family of four.
The biggest expenses were the safaris and special experiences: Minneriya National Park cost us €180, a Yala National Park safari around €150, and the Ravana Pool Club in Ella €120 for a few hours of VIP fun. The train ride from Kandy to Ella cost €85, and the Kandy Esala Perahera festival €120 for two adults. For temples and other sights, we paid about €45 more.
Fortunately, there are also plenty of free things to do, such as walks, viewpoints, the famous 9 Arch Bridge in Ella, or simply playing at the hotels, swimming pools, and of course the beach. In the end, we spent an average of about €39 per day on activities.
Other costs for your family trip to Sri Lanka
In addition to flights, transportation, hotels, food, and activities, there are a few other things to consider. Everyone needs an ETA visa for Sri Lanka. Adults pay €50 per person, while kids under 12 are free.
Regarding vaccinations, we only needed a typhoid shot. Since we had checked in advance with our health insurance provider where we could get vaccinations for free, we didn’t incur any extra costs. Keep in mind: costs can add up significantly if you have to pay yourself or need multiple vaccinations, so it’s wise to check well in advance.
You should also consider souvenirs, snacks, and small extras during your trip. For our 3-week trip, we ended up spending around €100 on these, mostly for souvenirs.
Maak je eigen vakantie-fotoboek met onze Canva-template
Wil je je vakantiefoto’s bundelen in een stijlvol fotoboek? Met onze handige fotoboek-template in Canva maak je in een handomdraai een prachtig aandenken aan jullie reis. Je hoeft alleen je eigen foto’s toe te voegen!
Total costs for 3 weeks in Sri Lanka with kids
A 3-week road trip through Sri Lanka with kids is easy to plan if you know what to expect. Excluding flights, we spent €4,589, or an average of €220 per day, including transportation, hotels, food, activities, and other expenses. Flights were, of course, the largest additional cost (€4,174 for four people). The biggest expenses on site were safaris, the train ride, and special activities such as the Kandy Esala Perahera festival. Fortunately, there are plenty of free or cheap activities, such as walks, viewpoints, and the Nine Arch Bridge, allowing you to manage the budget well.
Costs for 4 people (€) | Costs per person per day (€) | |
|---|---|---|
Flights | € 4.174 | – |
Local transportation | € 660 | € 7.80 |
Accommodations | € 1.869 | € 22.25 |
Food | € 1.260 | € 15.00 |
Entrance fees & excursions | € 700 | € 8.33 |
Other costs | € 100 | € 1.19 |
Total | € 8.763 | € 55.00 |
Book your family holiday to Sri Lanka with kids
When planning your trip to Sri Lanka, there are several ways to book your accommodation and activities. If you like to organize everything yourself, you can easily find suitable accommodations on Booking.com, and the cheapest flights can be found with Skyscanner. You can also easily reserve your own tuk-tuk in advance. For unique excursions and tours, GetYourGuideis an excellent choice.
Still looking for a family-friendly holiday? On our homepage, you’ll find an overview of popular destinations for families.
Struggling to get great photos of your kids on holiday?
With this free Family Photo Bingo, you turn it into a game! Kids get excited, and you’ll go home with spontaneous, original holiday snapshots.
👉 Print it out and take it with you – free when you sign up for the newsletter!
blogs
Read more
How much does a family trip to Sri Lanka cost? All expenses explained!
Sri Lanka with Kids: Complete Family Budget Guide All expenses at a glance! Dreaming of a family holiday to Sri Lanka but wondering what the…Sri Lanka with Kids – The Best Itinerary & Travel Tips
Sri Lanka with children The Best Itinerary & Travel Tips Sri Lanka with kids is fantastic! The country may be small, but it’s incredibly diverse:…
