Tour cost explanation
Ever wondered why there’s no single price for a tour? Here is an explanation about our tour pricing.
We mention a price on most of our publicity materials. That price is usually calculated for a single group consisting of at least 8 members.
When the number of participants go down, the pricing goes up due to several reasons.
An example is, a safari jeep charges for the journey, not for the number of seats. Therefore when there are 6 participants the price is lower per person, while if it is only 2 participants, those 2 have to share the full cost. Additionally a tracker is essential to enter a park, and his payment adds up too.
Some group discounts maybe obtained if there’s a certain number of participants in a group, at certain hotels or restaurants.
It happens vice versa too. If our costs go down due to more participants our pricing will reflect that. We always try to share the advantage with you.
Transport cost has a huge effect on tour pricing. More participants would share the transport cost thus making it considerably low per person.
Therefore simply fill in the inquiry form at the end of the itinerary, and we will calculate what your tour cost would be.
Food prices
Food prices in Sri Lanka for a tourist has a very wide range depending on your likes and preferences.
- At the highest end, food is available for around USD 500 per person at certain restaurants. At the low end it would go below USD 1. Here’s an explanation:
- An average meal for a tourist at a restaurant, such as a beach-side cafe, would average at LKR 2000 which is around 6.50 USD. That’s in tourist towns and other cities, and those restaurants serve some good food.
- Then there’s the restaurants for basically the locals, where a meal of fried rice may cost from LKR 650 to 1200 (2-4 USD). These meals are also good, and in reality not much different from the previous category. (These are my categories for the convenience of explanation 🙂 )
- After that you have the local food shops. There, you can have a meal of rice and curry that locals eat, for below 500 LKR. Mostly around 350 LKR. That’s around 1-1.50 USD.
- A buffet at a 5 star hotel would cost around USD 30-35, while a 4 Star hotel may offer a buffet for around USD 10-15.
- In some areas such as Weligama or Kandy you can find many local hotels. But in certain areas such as Ella, you cannot find local eateries easily. The whole of Ella has only 2 of them, which are crowded and not much of a choice or appeal.
In summary, you can eat at local hotels if you so like, and that would bring down the cost drastically. It could be around 900-1500 LKR (3-5 USD). In tourist area restaurants it will be around 4000-7000 LKR per day (13-22 USD).
If you are travelling with us then we will advise you during the tour.
Prices of other items
Please read this article to get an idea about the prices of some essential items in Sri Lanka.