Our honest advice on where to eat, Things to do and how to get there
Are you planning a visit to Trincomalee, Sri Lanka? This coastal city offers a wealth of experiences and things to do. Read our ultimate guide on things to do in Trincomalee to ensure your trip is unforgettable.
Where to Eat in Trincomalee
Trincomalee had some of the most incredible food from our trip to Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka was a country of amazing culinary experiences, so this says a lot.
Café on the 18th
A new restaurant/ café situated on the north end of Uppuveli Beach. A bit on the pricier side compared to other restaurants in the area (main dishes being anywhere from 4-15 euros), but absolutely worth it. If you’re partial to sushi or good-quality seafood, splurge on an evening here!
Add Café on the 18th to your list of things to do in Trincomalee
Be Cool Juice Bar and Seafood
A very reasonable restaurant serving local fares for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We returned here 3 times during our 3 day stay if that says anything! They do a great Sri Lankan Breakfast and heavenly Kottu.
Queen Bee Café
Again, on our 3 day trip to Trincomalee, we visited here twice for brunch. We ate some of the best french toast we have ever had here- and we’ve had a lot of french toast! Great portions to keep you full for a day of adventuring.
Queen Bee’s insanely-good french toast
Eastern Lanka Seafood Restaurant
If you don’t like seafood, don’t be scared by the name. This unassuming local family-run restaurant serves traditional Sri Lankan and Tamil food for incredibly affordable prices. You can get a feed of fresh seafood, traditional Rice and Curry, or Kottu, for only a few euros. The family that run it just radiate love and welcome you in. If you are on a budget but don’t want to sacrifice tasty food, pay your visit!
What to do in Trincomalee
Go Dolphin and Whale Watching
If you head to Trincomalee, this is absolutely something you can’t miss. This is without a doubt the top thing to do in Trincomalee, and in Sri Lanka in general. Where you go whale watching in Sri Lanka will depend on what time of year you are there. Trincomalee is the best place to see whales in Sri Lanka between June and September. During this time, it’s rainy season in Mirissa, another famous spot to see whales. During November to April (peak tourist season in Sri Lanka), Mirissa is the best place for whale and dolphin watching. We were in Sri Lanka during May 2023 so we made the trip to Trincomalee mainly for this reason.
We went with Trinco Blue Water Sports, situated on Dyke street, south of Fort Frederick. Message them on their facebook or instagram page, and they will book you in-the process was very streamline. It’s always an early start with tours like this, we set off at around 05:30am, but it will depend on what time of the year you are visiting. Its not always a guarantee you will see whales, but our boat driver stayed out with us for 4 hours to try and spot one, and we did! Dolphins are almost a guarantee. They bring snacks for breakfast for you on the boat, which is great. That sea breeze will always make you hungry! Check out this blog post from lovesrilanka.org for more useful information on when and where to go whale watching in Sri Lanka.
Explore Thirukoneswaram Temple
This Hindu temple complex is known as the ‘temple of a thousand pillars’. Visiting Thirukoneswaram Temple is one of the top things to do in Trincomalee. Located on Swami Rock within Fort Frederick, a visit to this temple will also give you an incredible view of Trincomalee and the surrounding beaches. Believed to be dated back to 400BC, it is definitely worth visiting. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, it is an important Hindu pilgrimage centre, so make sure to dress modestly.
Rent a Scooter and Explore
We definitely recommend renting a scooter or motorbike to allow yourself to explore the beaches and surrounding areas. Trincomalee is noticeably not as built-up or catered towards tourists as other beachside towns and cities such as Arugam Bay and Mirissa. This makes it extra easy to drive around and allows for beautiful surroundings for you to see.
Exploring the best beaches in Trincomalee
In terms of beaches, Trincomalee is known for having beautiful white sand beaches. Uppuveli beach is where all the action is and where we would recommend you to stay. We spent some lovely evenings on this beach during sunset enjoying a beer.
Uppuveli Beach: one of the top places to visit in Trincomalee
Nilaveli beach is north of Uppuveli and is a popular spot to sun yourself and swim. Honestly, we were really disappointed with this beach. We arrived and the beach was sadly covered in rubbish. Being the only people out there this day, we felt a bit unsafe here too. Not for any particular reason, but there was an ominous feeling to the area, so we left. A section of the beach is blocked off and controlled by the Sri Lankan Navy so if you are heading here to snorkel, be sure to distance yourself from this area.
Dutch Bay beach is a smaller beach located just a 5 minute drive from Fort Frederick. Clean and great for swimming, some of the boats for whale watching will depart from here. Many of the other beaches surrounding Trincomalee are actually controlled by the Sri Lankan Navy. Although beautiful, you will need permission to enter them, and to enter, you need to be from Sri Lanka, as far as we know.
Go Snorkelling
Nilaveli and Pigeon Island are famous for their dauntingly beautiful coral and marine life. When we were there, it was quite dull so the visibility would have been impacted. The snorkeling trip to Pigeon Island came to be quite expensive. As we had already done a lot of snorkelling on our travels up until this point, we gave it a miss.
Check out Trincomalee Diving Centre for snorkelling trips in Trincomalee.
How to get to Trincomalee, Sri Lanka
Trincomalee has both a train and a bus station, and is well-connected to many other major cities in Sri Lanka, such as Colombo, Kandy, and Dambulla.
We arrived to Trincomalee from Anuradhapura by tuktuk for a very reasonable price- about 4000 Sri Lankan Rupees each (~11 euros). There was a public bus available, but it would have taken us 10 or so hours.
We went from Trincomalee to Dambulla by bus. There was quite a lot leaving from the bus station- you didn’t need to book in advance. Just ask your host/ a local about times as these can change. Often, the buses in Sri Lanka are quicker than the trains! Keep this in mind when booking your trip from Trincomalee. Either way, you won’t have any issues getting to where you need to go from Trincomalee. Worst comes to worst, there is always someone with a tuktuk who will bring you a few hours a way for a reasonable price.
All in all, Trincomalee was very different to the rest of the country. The majority language is Tamil rather than Sinhala. We feel that its important to experience the variety and diversity a country has to offer. Overall, we did find the beaches in the south to be cleaner, and more beautiful. However, the people of Trincomalee were beyond welcoming, and the visit here gave us an opportunity to see whales! If you’re a foodie, Trincomalee definitely had some of the best food we tried in Sri Lanka. All in all, we recommend adding it to your list.