4 Days Bentota Beach Holiday: River, Mangroves & Sea
Three nights at a Bentota beach hotel, with a Madu River boat safari, a free day for the water or a dawn whale-watching trip, and easy private transfers.
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Mirissa, Sri Lanka
A small south-coast beach town and one of the best places in Sri Lanka for whale watching — blue whales and sperm whales are seen on boat trips roughly from November to April, season permitting. It’s also a well-known surf beach.
What to expect
- Whale-watching boat trips, season permitting (roughly November–April)
- A relaxed beach town with a well-known surf break
- Often paired with Galle Fort on the same day, given the short drive between them
Tours that include Mirissa
Every tour is private and can be adjusted to spend more or less time here.
8 Days Sri Lanka Tour: Colombo, Kandy & Mirissa Whales
Two easy nights in Colombo, then Dambulla, Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa and Kandy, ending by the sea at Mirissa with a dawn boat trip to look for whales.
View Tour10 Days Sri Lanka Tour: Yala Safari & Mirissa Whale Watching
Ten days from the Sigiriya rock and Kandy's temples, through tea country and a Yala safari, to Galle Fort and Mirissa, where whale watching is a seasonal option.
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Whales, Wildlife & Ancient Cities
Ten days from Colombo through Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Kandy to Ella, Yala and the whale coast at Mirissa, finishing with two beach nights in Hikkaduwa.
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Grand Ceylon Discovery
Thirteen days that follow the island's royal cities from Anuradhapura to Kandy, then climb to the tea hills, enter Yala and finish on the southern coast.
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16 Days Sri Lanka Grand Tour: Trincomalee, Kandy & Mirissa
Sixteen days around the whole island: east-coast sand, ancient cities, tea hills, Yala, the whale-watching waters off Mirissa and a last stay at Bentota.
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Whale seasonNovember to April
Mirissa whale watching: when to go and what to expect
Mirissa whale watching is one of the few places in Asia where blue whales come close to the coast. The main season runs from about November to April, when the sea is calm, and boats leave early in the morning. You can also see dolphins, and sightings vary from day to day, so treat it as a wildlife trip instead of a guaranteed show. If you suffer from seasickness, take medicine before you board and sit near the middle of the boat.
Blue whales close to the coast
Boats leave early in the morning, and you may see dolphins too.
Coconut Tree Hill
The place for sunset photos, with seafood restaurants along the sand.
A safe distance
Choose an operator that keeps away from the animals. Ask us which do.
Beach time and where to stay
The rest of Mirissa is relaxed. There is a crescent beach for swimming in the right months, Coconut Tree Hill for sunset photos and simple seafood restaurants along the sand. Weligama, a few minutes away, is the place for beginners who want a surf lesson. We usually add one or two nights here at the end of a longer tour, after the hills and Yala. Send us your dates and we will check the boat season for you.
Choose an operator that keeps a safe distance from the animals, and ask us if you want advice on which boats do. If the sea looks too rough on the day you have planned, we will tell you plainly and look for another morning.
Nearby and easy to combine
Planning a visit to Mirissa?
Tell us your dates and interests and we'll build a private itinerary around it.