Sri Lanka · Sri Lanka
March
West coast holding well as rains approach — still excellent, with noticeably lower prices than peak season.
Strong option
#10 of 12 months
There are better months for Sri Lanka — see the full ranking below.
See when to go instead →Climate
High
32°C
Low
24°C
Rain
147mm
Sun
8hrs/day
30-year climate normals · Open Meteo ERA5
How March scores in Sri Lanka
Weather
Very good
Value
Average
Crowds
Above average
Events
Average
Atmosphere
Very good
What you gain in March
- ↑Weather on the west and south coast is still very good — 147mm is moderate by Sri Lankan standards and skies remain predominantly sunny with good beach days
- ↑Crowds begin easing from the January–February peak; the Cultural Triangle and hill country are less congested and accommodation is more available
- ↑Temperatures are warming and the sea is calm along the south coast — good conditions for snorkelling at Hikkaduwa and diving around Pigeon Island (north) before the monsoon builds
What you sacrifice
- ↓Rainfall is rising noticeably compared to February — afternoon showers are increasingly common across the southwest, particularly in the hill country
- ↓Prices remain in the expensive tier — this is still high season by most measures, and beachfront properties haven't yet dropped to shoulder rates
- ↓The SW monsoon begins arriving from late May, so March represents a window of still-good weather; flexibility on specific coastal days is wise
How March compares to July (best month)
| Factor | March | July ★ |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | 7 | 5 |
| Value | 4 | 7 |
| Crowds | 5 | 7 |
March in other destinations
Lisbon (16.6°C)Barcelona (15.8°C)Tokyo (13.8°C)Bali (30.8°C)Santorini (14.6°C)Paris (11.5°C)New York (9.7°C)Marrakech (22.3°C)Amsterdam (9.2°C)Maldives (30.8°C)Rome (15°C)Bangkok (34.3°C)Istanbul (11.6°C)Vienna (10.3°C)Seoul (9.6°C)Dubrovnik (13.9°C)Rio de Janeiro (29.7°C)Kyoto (14.3°C)Phuket (33°C)Cape Town (25.4°C)Prague (10°C)Amalfi Coast (15°C)Mexico City (26°C)Medellín (28°C)Fiji (30°C)London (12°C)Sydney (25°C)Iceland (4°C)Tulum (30°C)Dubai (29°C)Singapore (32°C)Hoi An (28°C)Chiang Mai (34.5°C)Miami (26.7°C)Florence (14.8°C)Queenstown (19.5°C)Madrid (15°C)Porto (17°C)Edinburgh (9°C)Copenhagen (7°C)Budapest (11°C)Kraków (9°C)Tbilisi (13°C)Palawan (31°C)Hanoi (22°C)Osaka (14°C)Goa (34°C)Cusco (19°C)Buenos Aires (27°C)Mykonos (15°C)Zanzibar (32°C)Costa Rica (27°C)
Climate data: 30-year normals (1991–2020) from Open Meteo ERA5 reanalysis. Scores compare months within Sri Lanka, not across destinations. Methodology →