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Colombo in October
Mixed month: October is outside the recommended season (December – March). Against it: Inter-Monsoon Storms. Deepavali can fall this month.
The season opens in December, 2 months away.
2 days in Colombo in October · from ₹11,026 for two
Stay, food & local travel; getting there extra
The weather in October
What the season does to Colombo this month.
Heads up
Inter-Monsoon Storms
October and November bring thunderstorms across the whole island and the risk of cyclones from the Bay of Bengal: Cyclone Ditwah at the end of November 2025 caused deadly floods and landslides, especially in the hills. Watch the Department of Meteorology's warnings (meteo.gov.lk) and keep a spare day.
What’s on in October
Timing a trip around these changes what you pay and what you can book.
Deepavalidates shift yearly
A public holiday in Sri Lanka, celebrated by Tamil Hindus in Jaffna, Colombo's Wellawatte, Trincomalee and the tea-estate towns of the hills with lamps, temple pujas and sweets.
What it costs
For two sharing a room; 2 days on the ground, getting there not included.
Budget
₹11,026 for two
- Room a night₹2,870
- Food a day, each₹1,495
- Main sight entry, each₹140
Mid-range
₹26,481 for two
- Room a night₹7,460
- Food a day, each₹3,450
- Main sight entry, each₹140
Luxury
₹60,134 for two
- Room a night₹17,220
- Food a day, each₹8,050
- Main sight entry, each₹140
Totals cover the room (taxes included), food, local transport, entry and a 10% buffer: the figures the planner opens on. These are typical rates; Tourisma has no month-by-month rates for Sri Lanka yet, so they don't move with the month.
Getting there
Fly into Colombo (CMB)
Flights from India: from 10 cities, one way from ₹9,000
Fly into Jaffna (JAF), 305 km away
Then: Train · 7h (Intercity train to Jaffna (Yal Devi / Uttara Devi))
Flights from India: from 1 city, one way from ₹7,000
Routes compared
Entry rules
E-visa before you fly for up to 30 days
- Before you fly, apply for the tourist ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) at eta.gov.lk. It is free for Indian passport holders since 25 May 2026, but still required: airlines check it at boarding. Approval usually comes by email; carry the approval.
- At immigration in Colombo or Jaffna, show your passport, the ETA approval and your return ticket. The visa is valid for 30 days from your first arrival and allows a second entry within those 30 days.
- To stay longer than 30 days, apply for an extension at the Department of Immigration and Emigration in Battaramulla (Colombo) before the 30 days end; a fee applies.
Carry: Passport valid for at least 6 months from the day you arrive, with a blank page; ETA approval (email or printout); Confirmed return or onward ticket; Hotel bookings for the stay; Enough money for the stay (a card or cash).
The ETA is free for Indians only since 25 May 2026, under a scheme for 40 countries, after several changes since 2023. It is still compulsory, and on-arrival visas may no longer be sold, so apply on eta.gov.lk before you fly. Use only the .gov.lk sites (eta.gov.lk; the immigration department's own online arrival card is free and optional): look-alike sites charge for the free ETA and sell "arrival cards".
Checked 2026-10; confirm with the embassy before you fly.
Elsewhere in Sri Lanka in October
Instead in season this month.
Nearby in Colombo & the West Coast:
Want this as a real plan?
Colombo in October, day by day, priced for your group.