Best Time to Visit Colombo - practical advice with names and honest picks.
The best time to visit Colombo is December to March. This is Colombo's dry season on the west coast, with daytime highs around 30-31°C and fewer downpours, making it workable for walking Fort and Galle Face without getting soaked. The months to avoid: The wettest months are May to June and October to November, with 25 to 30 wet days a month (Open-Meteo averages, 2015 to 2024). The table below sets all twelve months side by side: temperature, rain, crowds and prices. Each month links to its own page with events and what to pack.
The best time to visit Colombo is December to March. This is Colombo's dry season on the west coast, with daytime highs around 30-31°C and fewer downpours, making it workable for walking Fort and Galle Face without getting soaked. The months to avoid: The wettest months are May to June and October to November, with 25 to 30 wet days a month (Open-Meteo averages, 2015 to 2024). The table below sets all twelve months side by side: temperature, rain, crowds and prices. Each month links to its own page with events and what to pack.
Month by month
| Month | High / low | Rainy days | Crowds | Prices | Should you go? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30C / 23C | 11 | high | high | Yes: this is peak dry season with the lowest rainfall of the year and comfortable sea breezes along Galle Face. |
| February | 31C / 23C | 11 | high | high | Yes: typically the driest month of the year, with Independence Day adding a cultural layer. |
| March | 31C / 24C | 18 | medium | medium | Maybe |
| April | 31C / 25C | 25 | medium | medium | Maybe: hot and increasingly wet, but the Sinhala and Tamil New Year gives a genuine cultural window few tourists see. |
| May | 30C / 25C | 30 | low | low | No: the southwest monsoon arrives in force, bringing the heaviest rainfall of the year. |
| June | 29C / 25C | 29 | low | low | No: monsoon rain continues steadily, though slightly less intense than May. |
| July | 29C / 25C | 28 | low | low | Maybe: rain eases somewhat and the Vel festival brings a burst of street life. |
| August | 28C / 25C | 28 | low | low | Yes |
| September | 28C / 25C | 28 | low | low | Maybe: rain starts building again as the inter-monsoon period approaches, but it's still workable. |
| October | 29C / 24C | 29 | low | low | No: this is the inter-monsoon peak, bringing the heaviest and most unpredictable rain after May. |
| November | 29C / 23C | 25 | low | low | Maybe: rain is still frequent, but starts tapering off toward the end of the month. |
| December | 29C / 23C | 18 | high | high | Yes |
Best months for what you want
- Least rain: January to February, with around 11 rainy days a month.
- Fewest people: May to November.
- Lowest prices: May to November.
- Busiest: January, February and December. Book rooms ahead for these months.
Events worth planning around
- Sinhala and Tamil New Year (April): A nationwide holiday with games, food, and family visits; many businesses close for several days.
- Vesak Festival (May): Buddhist festival marking Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and death, with elaborate lantern displays and illuminated pandals across the city.
- Navam Perahera (February): A procession of decorated elephants, dancers, and drummers around Gangaramaya Temple.
When to avoid
The wettest months are May to June and October to November, with 25 to 30 wet days a month (Open-Meteo averages, 2015 to 2024). May has about 30 rainy days. Flash flooding possible in low-lying parts of Pettah and Fort. June has about 29 rainy days. Rain tends to arrive in sudden, heavy bursts rather than all-day drizzle.
More on Colombo
Start with the main Colombo page if this is your first read. The Colombo travel guide is the longer read.
We plan trips to Colombo and the rest of Sri Lanka. Tell us your dates and we will put a route together. Our routes are on the tours page.