Guide
Sri Lanka in December
December is the busiest month. Who comes, why they come and how long they stay.
Published 19 October 2026 · Numbers from SLTDA, Sri Lanka's tourism authority
Most tourists come to Sri Lanka from December to March. December is the busiest month of all. May, June, September and October are quiet. In 2025, almost 2 times as many tourists came in December as in May.
December
Busiest monthMay
Quietest monthDec–Mar
Busy season2,362,521
Tourists in 2025 (a record)We gave every month a busy score. A score of 1.00 is a normal month. A score of 1.36 means 36 extra tourists for every 100 tourists in a normal month.
We used three years that had no big problems: 2018, 2024 and 2025. We left out 2019 (the Easter attacks), 2020 and 2021 (COVID, with no tourists at all from April to November 2020) and 2022 (the economic crisis).
Jan
1.24Ă—busyFeb
1.24Ă—busyMar
1.20Ă—busyApr
0.89Ă—mediumMay
0.67Ă—quietJun
0.71Ă—quietJul
1.08Ă—mediumAug
1.00Ă—mediumSep
0.76Ă—quietOct
0.81Ă—quietNov
1.05Ă—mediumDec
1.36Ă—busy| Month | 2018 | 2024 | 2025 | Busy score | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 238,924 | 208,253 | 252,761 | 1.24 | busy |
| February | 235,618 | 218,350 | 240,217 | 1.24 | busy |
| March | 233,382 | 209,181 | 229,298 | 1.20 | busy |
| April | 180,429 | 148,867 | 174,608 | 0.89 | medium |
| May | 129,466 | 112,128 | 132,919 | 0.67 | quiet |
| June | 146,828 | 113,470 | 138,241 | 0.71 | quiet |
| July | 217,829 | 187,810 | 200,244 | 1.08 | medium |
| August | 200,359 | 164,609 | 198,235 | 1.00 | medium |
| September | 149,087 | 122,140 | 158,971 | 0.76 | quiet |
| October | 153,123 | 135,907 | 165,193 | 0.81 | quiet |
| November | 195,582 | 184,158 | 212,906 | 1.05 | medium |
| December | 253,169 | 248,592 | 258,928 | 1.36 | busy |
Tourists each month, and the busy score (1.00 = a normal month). Busy = 1.15 or more. Quiet = 0.85 or less. Average of 2018, 2024 and 2025.
This is winter in Europe and Russia. In December 2025, most tourists came from India, Russia, the UK and Germany. December was the busiest month in 2018, 2024 and 2025. Hotels, trains and tours fill up, so book early.
July and August are a smaller busy time. In July, a bigger share of tourists than in other months come to visit family and friends. April and November are in between.
In these months, only about 7 to 8 tourists come for every 10 in a normal month. May to September is also the south-west monsoon, with rain on the west and south coasts. The east coast is drier then. Our weather guide tells you where to go.
The busy and quiet months hardly change from year to year. The totals go up and down, but the shape stays the same. So you can plan a season, an event or a long stay with it.
2018
2024
2025
The number of tourists fell from 2,333,796 in 2018 to only 194,495 in 2021. Then it came back. 2025 was a record year with 2,362,521 tourists, 1.2% more than 2018. So far, 2026 is close to 2025 (1,693,679 tourists from January to September).
Most tourists come for a holiday. But the reasons change during the year. In 2025, business events (meetings, conferences and trade shows) were highest in November: 10 of every 100 tourists. Visits to family and friends were highest in July: 14 of every 100.
| Month | Holiday | Family & friends | Business events |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52.6% | 6.2% | 5.6% |
| Feb | 55.2% | 5.6% | 6.6% |
| Mar | 55.7% | 5.6% | 5.7% |
| Apr | 57.2% | 8.4% | 6.1% |
| May | 51.4% | 10.6% | 5.5% |
| Jun | 49.8% | 13.4% | 5.8% |
| Jul | 55.9% | 14.3% | 5.4% |
| Aug | 59.2% | 10.4% | 7.5% |
| Sep | 58.0% | 7.6% | 7.6% |
| Oct | 65.9% | 8.3% | 7.4% |
| Nov | 68.9% | 6.9% | 10.4% |
| Dec | 70.3% | 7.8% | 8.1% |
Why tourists came in 2025, by month (SLTDA Year in Review 2025). Some tourists did not give a reason, so each row does not add up to 100%.
This is a guess, not a promise. Since July 2026, the number of tourists each month has been within about 3% of last year. If that continues, December 2026 could have between 251,000 and 267,000 tourists (last December, plus or minus 3%). More tourists are coming from India and Australia, and fewer from Germany. Read the latest in our September 2026 tourism guide.
Event organisers: choose December to March if you want most foreign tourists. November has the most business events, so it is good for conferences. Add your event to Friday.lk Events.
Hotels, guesthouses and hostels: plan offers for May, June, September and October, when fewer tourists come.
Tour operators: July and August are a smaller busy time every year. Get ready for it.
Long stays: in the quiet months it is easier to find a bed and a desk. Pick the coast with the better weather. See hostels, coworking spaces and Sri Lanka in December.
Please write: “Source: Friday.lk analysis of SLTDA data, 2018 to 2026.”
You can use our charts for free if you give credit to Friday.lk and SLTDA. The numbers belong to SLTDA. Download the numbers (they open in Excel): Tourists each month, 2018 to 2026 · Tourists by country, 2026.
All numbers come from SLTDA, Sri Lanka's tourism authority. Here are the reports we used:
The monthly tourist numbers are SLTDA's. For every year, the 12 months add up to SLTDA's number for the whole year. The busy score is one month's tourists divided by that year's average month, then averaged over 2018, 2024 and 2025. The reasons for visiting come from SLTDA's Year in Review 2025.
December. It was the busiest month in 2018, 2024 and 2025. In December 2025, 258,928 tourists came.
May. It had about 7 tourists for every 10 in a normal month. May, June, September and October are the quiet months.
December, January, February and March. On average, each of these months has at least 15 extra tourists for every 100 in a normal month.
It can be. There are fewer tourists and it is easier to book. But the weather is different on each coast. The south-west monsoon brings rain to the west and south coasts from May to September, and the east coast is drier then. Read a weather guide before you choose your dates.
2,362,521 in 2025. That is a record. The year before the Easter attacks, 2018, had 2,333,796.
Listing on Friday.lk is free. Tourists and long-stay travellers use it to look for places to stay, events, offers and coworking spaces. Here is how to be there:
Sign in, or create an account.
Fill in the form for your business, event or offer.
We check it, then publish it.
When SLTDA publishes new tourist numbers, we write a short guide in simple words. Leave your email and we will tell you when it is ready.
December is the busiest month. Who comes, why they come and how long they stay.
How many tourists are coming in 2026? Month by month and country by country. We update it when new numbers come out.
158,557 tourists came in September, about the same as last year. India and Australia are growing. Germany is falling. Here is what to do.