11 PLACES TO VISIT IN TRINCOMALEE – The Ultimate Guide
Trincomalee is a lesser known beach town on the northeast coast of Sri Lanka. It offers not only some of the best beaches in Sri Lanka. But Trincomalee is also surrounded by wildlife, impressive rock formations and green hill tops. It is the upcoming part of Sri Lanka and much quieter than the touristic southern coast. In Trincomalee you can chill at the beach, do a whale watching tour and visit the beautiful Hindu temples around Trincomalee. In this travel blog you will find all our travel tips for the 11 best places to visit in Trincomalee!
Best tours to do in and around Trincomalee
If you want to explore the best of what Trincomalee has to offer, then these are the best guided tours. All of these tours include air conditioned transport with hotel pick up and drop off, certified guides and sometimes also lunch and the entrance fees. You can reserve now and pay later, with cancellation up to 24 hours in advance to receive a full refund.
- Trincomalee Sightseeing Tour from Dambulla. Spend the day exploring the ancient harbor city of Trincomalee on the beautiful Eastern Coast of Sri Lanka. Explore nature, ancient architecture, and religious monuments with an English-speaking guide.
- Sigiriya Rock fortress guided walking tour.
How to get to Trincomalee
There are several ways to get to Trincomalee. There is a night train going from Colombo to Trincomalee, but you have to book your cabin way in advance! This is not the most comfortable way of traveling to Trincomalee, but it is the cheapest.
We took a PickMe ride from Colombo to Trincomalee which took us around 7 hours to get to this beach town. We paid 14.000 LKR which is a fair price when you consider the distance and time it takes to get to the other side of the island from Colombo.
Best time to go to Trincomalee
The best time to explore Trincomalee is between February and August as the weather is most pleasant during this period. But when you want to come to Trincomalee for whale watching, make sure to plan your way up here between May and September / October.
How to get around Trincomalee
The best way to get around and go to all the places to visit in Trincomalee is by renting a scooter for around 1500 LKR per day. This gives you the freedom to go and stop wherever you want to! Of course it is also possible to take a TukTuk, there are plenty of them. But if you want to visit a few places during the day, you will end up cheaper with your scooter.
Where to stay in Trincomalee
Depending on what you are looking for, you can choose between the Uppuveli beach are or Nilaveli beach area. Uppuveli is the center of Trincomalee where all the restaurants, beach bars and hotels are located. It’s a vibrant place, but might feel a bit touristic. Nilaveli on the other hand is very local and untouched. That also means not much restaurants and just a few accommodations to choose from.
Best restaurants in Trincomalee city
You can choose between local and more western restaurants in Trincomalee. Our favourite cafes and restaurants were these:
- Cafe on the 18th. For an amazing coffee, smoothie bowl, mango or banana porridge or vegan food!
- Gomes’z Pasta Hut. When you’re craving carbs or a good pasta you have to eat here!
- Trinco restaurant. For a cheap but good local Sri Lankan dish.
- Fernando’s Bar. The best place for a chill sunset drink.
- Be Cool Juice. For a healthy juice and breakfast! Here you can choose from many different juices, Yum!
Watch the sunrise from one of the Trincomalee beaches
Because Trincomalee is facing East, you can see the sunrise from the beach. For us it is a magical time of the day. It is, together with sunset, the best time to shoot considering the golden light. But watching the sunrise, or taking a walk along the beach with sunrise, is the best way to start the day. You might also see some locals at work. For example fisherman coming back from the ocean with their catch of the day. It’s the best way to connect with the locals and get a sense of the local life in Trincomalee.
Nilaveli beach Trincomalee with sunrise
A fisherman who just came back with his catch of the day
Relax at Nilaveli beach
Nilaveli is a small beach town located next to Trincomalee. The beautiful stretch of white sand brings locals from all over the country to Nilaveli during the weekends. The sea water is calm and clear so it is the ideal place to relax for a day. There are some restaurants and sunbeds for rent, but mostly this beach is very local with chill vibes. From Nilaveli beach you can also easily rent a boat to Pigeon Island to snorkel. Read more about that in the next paragraph.
Read everything about Nilaveli beach in this complete guide
Snorkel at Pigeon Island Trincomalee
When you visit Nilaveli beach you will see a lot of boats going to the closest island. This is Pigeon island where you can go for a half-day snorkel tour. It’s only 2,5 kilometers off the shore of Trincomalee so it’s easy to get to.
But there are a few downsides about visiting Pigeon island. First of all, it’s not that cheap to get to the island. Since Pigeon Island is a National Park, be prepared to pay about 3000 – 4000 LKR per person as entrance fee to the island. The boat costs around 2000 LKR, but the more people you share the boat with, the cheaper it gets for each. And if you have to rent snorkel gear, it will set you back another 500-600 LKR.
But the most important question is.. Is it worth the money?!
To be honest, no it isn’t. Due to over tourism the island has suffered which resulted in killing almost all the coral near the island. So there is no bright coral at Pigeon Island and you have to have some luck to see beautiful marine life. Below a picture of Pigeon Island seen from Nilaveli beach.
Visit Salli Muthumariyamman temple
Salli Muthumariyamman temple is one of the 3909 Hindu temples in Sri Lanka. We accidentally stumbled upon this site when exploring the area around for some sunrise spots. It is a beautiful and peaceful place, close to the ocean which gives incredible views. The detailed and colorful temple is a feast for the eye and definitely very photogenic. If you go inside you can see the beautiful detailed paintings on the ceiling.
Take a stroll at Uppuveli beach
Uppuveli beach is the main beach area in Trincomalee. A lot of hotels and restaurants are located along this beach. Most tourists stay within walking distance of Uppuveli beach which makes it a vibrant but sometimes touristic place. There are a few restaurants and beach bars we would recommend to go to. Fernando’s is one of them, but only to buy a drink during sunset! Read all our food recommendations under the section ‘best restaurants in Trincomalee’.
Read everything about Uppuveli beach in this complete guide
Sunset drinks at Fernandos
The most popular beach bar to go to for sunset drinks is Fernando’s. The cute setup with swings, lounge chairs and a loft gives a very laid-back feeling. Combined with good music, your feet in the soft sand and the sound of the waves in the background, this is the perfect spot to hang during sunset. Although you won’t see the sun setting at this side of the island, the sky can turn into spectacular colors during sunset. Fernando’s is one of the most chill places to visit in Trincomalee.
Go whale watching in Trincomalee
Whale watching is one of the famous things to do in Trincomalee. The season runs from March until August, but even in the season, it is not always guaranteed to spot the whales. There are lots of companies to book your tour with, one of them is with the Sri Lankan navy. The most popular whale watching spots are the Nilaveli and Uppuveli beaches. Even the blue whale does make an appearance in this region sometimes, However, not as commonly as in Mirissa. Other species that can be spotted in Trincomalee are the sperm whale, common bottlenose dolphins, Fraser dolphins and Humpback whales.
Visit Sri Pathrakali Amman Kovil
This beautiful Hindu temple is located in Trincomalee city and is easy to visit when driving around on the scooter. The astonishingly beautifully coloured and detailed temple is a treat for the eye. It’s a large complex of connected shrines and one of the most spectacular Hindu temples you can see in Sri Lanka. Each of the sculptures visualize a story and as well the colorful outdoor as indoor design is truly awe-inspiring. Daily at 11.30 AM there are Hindu prayers where everyone is welcome. If you attend, you will be blessed with dots on your forehead. A remarkable Hindu experience in Sri Lanka you will never forget. Absolutely one of the must places to visit in Trincomalee!
Visit Fort Frederick
Fort Frederick is an old colonial Dutch fort built by the Portuguese in 1623 where you can see old battle tanks of World War 2. These days it is used by the Sri Lankan military but it is still open for visitors. You have to pass through Fort Frederik to reach the Thirukkoneswaram Kovil Temple so it’s the perfect combination while exploring this part of Trincomalee. Fort Frederick is a great escape of the heat because most of the fort is covered by trees. Within Fort Frederick, you can see many deer. But don’t feed them, they get their daily food, and many deer have died in the past of food poisoning! Fort Frederick is absolutely one of the must places to visit in Trincomalee.
Check out Koneswaram Kovil Temple
At the end of the road of Fort Frederick is the Koneswaram Temple located. This temple is a classical-medieval Hindu temple complex with an amazing view on the ocean and the coastline of Trincomalee. You can go inside the Koneswaram temple and walk around to see the different artworks and statues. This temple is well maintained and one of the most sacred in Sri Lanka. This is absolutely one of the must places to visit in Trincomalee. You can’t miss this temple while staying in Trincomalee!
Other things to see on the location of the Koneswaram temple is the statue of Shaktipeeth Shri Shankari Devi and Lovers Leap. The last one is a cliff with the story about a girl named Francisca van Reed who dropped herself from the cliff as she missed her lover who sailed away on a ship. Despite this sad story, the view on the ocean is just incredible. It is advisable to visit this place in the morning or during sunset. Reasons are that you are not allowed to wear shoes and the floor might get very hot, also during midday the sun is so bright, you will melt here! On your journey to the temple you will notice different vendors selling local snacks such as cassava chips, peanuts. After you’ve finished exploring this place, you can get a juice at one of the vendors and enjoy the incredible view on Trincomalee and the ocean.
Take a day trip to Sigiriya rock
The Sigiriya rock is a must-visit when you’re in Sri Lanka! From Trincomalee, you can do a day trip to climb the Sigiriya rock (also known as Lion rock), or the Pidurangala rock to have the best view on the Sigiriya rock. It is around 1,5-hour drive one way to get to Sigiriya. And the climb to the top takes about 1 hour. So this could be easily done in one day from Trincomalee. But if you want to explore more around Sigiriya and do a safari for example, we would recommend staying in one of the amazing hotels with the best view on the rocks!
Read more about the best things to do in Sigiriya here
Find here the complete guide to the Lion Rock, Sigiriya
Read everything about the Pidurangala Rock here
More Sri Lanka travel inspiration
I hope you enjoyed our complete guide about the best places to visit in Trincomalee.
For more Sri Lanka inspiration, head over to these blog posts:
20 best places to visit in Sri Lanka – The Ultimate Guide
11 best Sri Lanka beaches – The Ultimate Guide
14 best waterfalls in Sri Lanka – The Ultimate Guide
Sri Lanka Safari – The Ultimate Guide
Thanx for this clear explanation about things to do around Trincomalee. Your photos are amazing especially the colours of the Hindu temples and all the details in combination with the sky.