The Best Sri Lanka Bike Tours and E-Bike Tours

At Art of Bicycle Trips, we believe in experiential travel. Our tours combine cycling with cultural activities and nature exploration.

An average day on tour includes 4-5 hours of biking, with the rest of the day reserved for local experiences such as exploring local attractions, interacting with local communities, visiting monuments and museums, learning local crafts, trying local cuisine and more.

Sri Lanka, in particular is rich in unique local experiences such as exploring tea gardens and understanding the nuances of tea cultivation, visiting tea museums, enjoying wildlife safaris, to name a few.

Each guided Sri Lanka bike tour is led by an expert trip leader who is also a local. ABT trip leaders are a repository of local knowledge, routes, customs, cultures, and cuisines. By employing only local guides, we also help generate employment opportunities for local communities.

All hotels on tour are carefully chosen for their character, comfort, and cuisine, and each hotel becomes an experience in itself that guests can enjoy.

A support vehicle accompanies guests at all times, and if at any point a rider does not feel like biking any further, they can always load their bike and sit in the support van.

Our tours are all-inclusive, which means meals, permits, fees, transportation and other additional costs are included in the price of the trip, unless otherwise stated.

We pride ourselves on the degree of customization we provide on each tour, and are always happy to accommodate any special requests from our guests relating to the tour.

We have two types of accommodation on all our Sri Lanka bike tours:

Casual inns: These are a mix of small luxury hotels, boutique inns, and homestays. Most of these are classified as three-star hotels, with the occasional four-star as well. For instance, Rangala House is a homestay we use for casual inns.

The River Garden Resort is an example of a boutique hotel that we use for casual inns.

Premier inns: These are best-in-class accommodations that include a mix of tastefully restored heritage properties and modern luxury hotels.

The 98 Acres Resort and Spa and Anantara Peace Heaven are examples of premiere inns we use.

However please note that sometimes we include boutique hotels among our Premiere Inns as well. This is done to connect the dots in the itinerary, as sometimes there aren’t many options in particular locations. This is especially true for locations that are off-beat or remote.

For instance, the Grand Udawalawe Safari Resort is an example of a boutique hotel we sometimes include among our Premiere Inns as it is among the best available accommodation in the remote Udawalawe National Park region.

Yes, on several occasions, we have lunch at local restaurants and eateries along the way that serve delicious local Sri Lankan food. A few evenings in most itineraries are also kept free for guests to explore on their own and try local cuisine by themselves.

For more details, refer to the detailed itinerary for your chosen Sri Lanka bike tour, or have a look at our Sri Lanka cycling guide to know more about some must-have dishes when cycling in Sri Lanka.

We have mountain bikes and E-bikes available for all our Sri Lanka bike tours.

The mountain bikes we use are Merida Big Seven or similar.

The E-bikes we use are Scott E-Aspect or similar.

Sri Lanka is mostly flat, with only about 15.2% of its land area being mountainous. Most of these mountains are located in the central highlands region of the country.

However, since some of the major Sri Lanka highlights, such as its famed cultural triangle and its tea estates are situated in the central highlands, cyclists should expect a few days of climbing on every Sri Lanka bike tour. A few towns along the way, such as Nuwara Eliya are situated around 1,868 m (6,128 ft) above sea level.

Sri Lanka is a great year-round cycling destination. Being a tropical island in the northern hemisphere where you’re never too far from the sea when cycling in Sri Lanka, the weather mostly stays consistent throughout the year. Expect temperatures of between 25 to 32°C ( 77 to 90°F) in the plains and between 15 to 20°C ( 59 to 68°F) in the mountains.

It is advised to book your Sri Lanka bike tour at least 6 months prior to departure.

To book a tour, we require a deposit of 10% of the tour price per person. Once the deposit is received, we’ll send you a confirmation mail. The remaining payment needs to be made 2 months prior to departure. For more details, refer to our Terms and Conditions page.

Your Sri Lanka bike tour package includes the following:

• Hotels: All hotels as mentioned in the itinerary
• Trip Leader: An expert local trip leader
• Bikes: Well-maintained bike with helmet
• Support Vehicle: A support vehicle to follow you throughout the tour and carry your luggage
• Meals: All meals as mentioned in the itinerary. Depending on the itinerary, guests are free to eat out on their own on specific days.
• Refreshments: Refreshments and bottled water
• Fees: Entrance fees to monuments, temples, museums etc as mentioned in the itinerary

What is not included:

• Airport pickup and drop
• Beverages including alcohol, tea, coffee, juice etc at hotels or restaurants
• Any meals not specified in the itinerary
• Gratuity for the guide team

How Many Days Is Ideal for Sri Lanka?

13-14 days is ideal for cycling in Sri Lanka as it allows you to cover all the main highlights such as beaches, the central highlands along with the famed cultural triangle and the tea gardens, and the national parks.

We’ve got 3 Sri Lanka bike tours that fall in this bracket:

Classic Sri Lanka Luxury Bike Tour Vivid Sri Lanka Bike Tour Off-beat Sri Lanka Bike, Hike, Raft Tour

If, however, you are short on time, you can also do a good Sri Lanka trip in 8-9 days that covers the essentials. We’ve got two bike tours that are 8-9 days long:

Best of Sri Lanka Luxury Bike Tour Glimpse of Sri Lanka Bike Tour .

Is Sri Lanka Tourist Friendly?

Yes, Sri Lanka has consistently been rated among the safest countries to travel to. The US Department of Statement classifies Sri Lanka as a Level 2 destination when it comes to travel safety, which is the same level as several west European countries such as the UK, Germany, France, and Italy.

Do You Offer Any Discounts On Your Sri Lanka Bike Tours?

Yes. Holders of our Silver Riders Club Membership get a 5% discount on the trip price, and additional benefits such as complimentary e-bike upgrades that add up to another 5% of the trip price. For more details, refer to our Silver Riders Club Membership page.

Do You Have Any Family-Oriented Bike Tours in Sri Lanka ?

If you plan to travel with your family including children, write to us with your requirements, and we will try our best to design a custom itinerary that suits your requirements.