India & Sri Lanka itinerary — November 2026
For the India & Sri Lanka trip (Chennai & Colombo), November 2026 is a comfortable month by weather. Daytime highs sit around 31°C / 88°F across the route. Plan around 5–7 days for the full Chennai & Colombo loop.
In this order — about 5–7 days:
- Chennai2 nightsIndia
- Colombo3 nightsSri Lanka
- Route noteReserve the longest intercity leg first and keep transfer days free of timed sights.
By TripSapien Research · Updated May 20, 2026
Chennai
Chennai in November
TempTemperature
87°F / 73°F
30.6°C / 23°C
RainPrecipitation
16d
12.2in · 310mm
LightDaylight
11.4h
Sea
83.1°F
28.4°C
November is the wettest month, with flooding risk and slower road trips to Mahabalipuram.
City overview
Chennai is the Bay of Bengal capital where colonial Fort St George, Mylapore temple streets, Carnatic music halls, and IT corridors stretch along a hot, humid coast. The visitor map centers on George Town, Mylapore, Egmore, T Nagar, Besant Nagar, and the ECR/OMR edge south of the Adyar River.
Food & drink
Chennai food is built on idli, dosa, sambar, pongal, vada, filter coffee, Chettinad chicken, biryani, sundal, and seafood from the coast. Mylapore, T Nagar, Sowcarpet, Marina Beach stalls, and Buhari-style biryani houses are practical food anchors. Prices stay moderate outside luxury hotels, and December music-season canteen meals are a real cultural draw.
Events & festivals
- Nov 1 – Nov 30
Chennai Music Season 2026 - November Concert Series
The annual Chennai Music Season, featuring Carnatic classical music concerts by renowned artists across various venues in the city.
Planning lead · dates set closer in · Source: festival research
- Nov 1 – Nov 5
Diwali Cultural Programs in Chennai 2026
Following Diwali celebrations, various cultural programs including dance, music, and community events take place in Chennai during early November.
Planning lead · dates set closer in · Source: festival research
- Nov 15 – Nov 30
Margazhi Festival 2026 - Early November Events
The Margazhi Festival marks the beginning of the Tamil month of Margazhi with devotional music, dance, and cultural programs held in temples and auditoriums around Chennai.
Planning lead · dates set closer in · Source: festival research
- Nov 20 – Nov 28
Chennai International Film Festival 2026 - November Edition
A showcase of international and Indian films, including premieres, retrospectives, and panel discussions held at multiple theaters in Chennai.
Planning lead · dates set closer in · Source: festival research
Holidays & observances
- Nov 8DiwaliPublic holiday
- Nov 24Guru Nanak's BirthdayPublic holiday
Top sights
Ranked for November suitability using weather, setting, ratings, and review volume.
- 1Kapaleeshwarar Temple
- 2San Thome Basilica
- 3Parthasarathy Temple
- 4Kalakshetra Foundation
- 5DakshinaChitra
- 6Government Museum, Egmore
- 7T Nagar shopping district
- 8Fort St George
- 9Marina Beach
- 10Guindy National Park
1Kapaleeshwarar Temple
4.8★ · 12,335indoorOpen dailyMylapore Shiva temple with a tall gopuram, tank, flower stalls, and festival streets. The present structure is usually dated to the 16th century after earlier coastal temples were lost.
Wikipedia
2San Thome Basilica
4.7★ · 17,331indoorOpen dailyWhite neo-Gothic basilica over the traditional tomb of St Thomas the Apostle, rebuilt by the Portuguese and later by the British. It sits near the southern end of Marina Beach.
Wikipedia
3Parthasarathy Temple
4.7★ · 28,306indoorOpen dailyTriplicane Vishnu temple with Pallava origins, gopurams, and busy streets between Marina Beach and Chepauk. Visit outside peak midday heat.
Wikipedia
Show 7 more sights
- 4Kalakshetra Foundation
- 5DakshinaChitra
- 6Government Museum, Egmore
- 7T Nagar shopping district
- 8Fort St George
- 9Marina Beach
- 10Guindy National Park
Neighborhoods
1Mylapore
Temple-and-culture district with Kapaleeshwarar Temple, Luz, San Thome, music sabhas, and old vegetarian restaurants. December music season makes it especially busy.
2George Town and Parry's Corner
Old trading district north of Fort St George, with wholesale lanes, Armenian Church, High Court buildings, and dense market traffic.
3Egmore and Nungambakkam
Museum, rail, college, restaurant, and hotel belt with Government Museum, consulates, cafes, and central access.
4T Nagar
Shopping district of sari stores, jewelry houses, Pondy Bazaar, and Ranganathan Street crowds. It is practical but intense before festivals.
5Adyar, Besant Nagar, and Thiruvanmiyur
South Chennai coast with Elliot's Beach, Theosophical Society, Kalakshetra, cafes, and quieter residential lanes.
6OMR and ECR
Southern technology and beach-road corridor, with IT parks on Old Mahabalipuram Road and day-trip resorts along East Coast Road.
Getting around
Chennai Metro Blue and Green lines connect airport, Central, Egmore, T Nagar approaches, and parts of the south, while suburban rail is useful for beach and outer-corridor trips. Use a CMRL travel card or QR ticket, then rely on autos, taxis, and MTC buses for temple-neighborhood last miles.
Colombo
Colombo in November
TempTemperature
88°F / 75°F
31.2°C / 23.9°C
RainPrecipitation
17d
14.3in · 364mm
LightDaylight
11.7h
Sea
84.4°F
29.1°C
November remains very wet, with storms and traffic affecting airport transfers.
City overview
Colombo is Sri Lanka main city, where Fort offices, Pettah markets, Galle Face, Cinnamon Gardens, Buddhist temples, colonial buildings, and seafront hotels sit between airport and island rail routes. Treat it as Fort and Pettah for commerce, Galle Face and Kollupitiya for the coast, and Cinnamon Gardens or Borella for museums and parks.
Food & drink
Colombo food is hands-on and rice-based: hoppers are bowl-shaped fermented-rice pancakes, string hoppers are pressed rice-noodle nests, and kottu roti is chopped flatbread stir-fried with egg, vegetables, and meat. Pettah snacks, Galle Face carts, Kollupitiya restaurants, Dutch Hospital dining, and Mount Lavinia seafood add lamprais baked in a banana leaf, crab curry, isso vadai, short eats, and Ceylon tea.
Holidays & observances
- Nov 8DeepavaliPublic holiday
- Nov 8Deepavali Festival DayPublic holiday
- Nov 24Il Full Moon Poya DayPublic holiday
- Nov 24Unduvap PoyaPublic holiday
Top sights
Ranked for November suitability using weather, setting, ratings, and review volume.
- 1Gangaramaya Temple
- 2Colombo National Museum
- 3Dutch Period Museum
- 4Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque
- 5Independence Memorial Hall
- 6Galle Face Green
- 7Lotus Tower
- 8Mount Lavinia Beach
- 9Viharamahadevi Park
- 10Pettah Market
1Gangaramaya Temple
4.6★ · 13,430indoorOpen dailyThe Buddhist temple near Beira Lake mixes shrine rooms, museum cases, statues, and processional material. It is one of central Colombo most visited religious sites.
Wikipedia
2Colombo National Museum
4.4★ · 6,487indoorClosed MonThe 19th-century museum building in Cinnamon Gardens holds royal regalia, sculpture, manuscripts, masks, weapons, and natural-history material nearby.
Wikipedia
3Dutch Period Museum
4★ · 514indoorClosed MonThe Pettah museum occupies an old Dutch governor residence and explains colonial trade, furniture, coins, and city history.
Show 7 more sights
- 4Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque
- 5Independence Memorial Hall
- 6Galle Face Green
- 7Lotus Tower
- 8Mount Lavinia Beach
- 9Viharamahadevi Park
- 10Pettah Market
Neighborhoods
1Fort
Fort is the old colonial and business core, with offices, hotels, port edges, rail station, restored buildings, and security-sensitive streets.
2Pettah
Pettah is crowded and commercial, with markets, mosques, kovils, bus stands, wholesale lanes, and constant street movement.
3Galle Face and Kollupitiya
The coast-facing belt has hotels, malls, embassies, the promenade, ocean views, and easier evening walks.
4Cinnamon Gardens
Cinnamon Gardens is leafy and institutional, with the National Museum, Independence Square, parks, embassies, and older villas.
5Slave Island and Beira Lake
This central zone mixes rail lines, temples, offices, hotels, apartment towers, and lake views around Gangaramaya.
6Mount Lavinia and Dehiwala
The southern suburbs add beaches, seafood restaurants, zoo access, guesthouses, and rail links down the coast.
Getting around
PickMe, Uber, tuk-tuks, buses, and suburban rail handle most movement; Fort station and the Pettah bus stands are the practical transport anchors. Traffic is slow, so group Fort-Pettah, Cinnamon Gardens, and Mount Lavinia as separate clusters.
Planning the India & Sri Lanka route?
Add your dates and we'll pace all 2 cities — every place checked for closures, limited hours, and booking needs in November.
Weather by month for the India & Sri Lanka trip
In November, the India & Sri Lanka trip runs daytime highs near 31°C / 88°F, with nights down to about 23°C / 73°F at the coolest stop. Climate averages show about 17 rainy days at the rainiest stop. Weighed across both stops, November is a comfortable month by weather.
The most comfortable months across Chennai & Colombo are January, February and December, based on average daytime temperatures and rainfall at every stop. November 2026 is a comfortable month.
Common questions about the India & Sri Lanka trip
- When is the best time to do the India & Sri Lanka trip?
- The most comfortable months across Chennai, Colombo are January, February and December, based on average daytime temperatures and rainfall at each stop. November is a comfortable month by weather — see the per-stop weather below for the climate averages in November 2026.
- How many days do you need for the India & Sri Lanka trip?
- A comfortable India & Sri Lanka trip runs about 5–7 days, allowing roughly Chennai 2, Colombo 3 nights plus travel between stops. Add a day if you want a slower pace or extra day trips.
- What's the route for the India & Sri Lanka trip?
- The classic order is Chennai & Colombo. Each city below has its own November weather, any available event listings, and a top-sights list.
Ready to plan the India & Sri Lanka trip?
Turn this route into a day-by-day plan for November 2026, every stop checked for closures and booking needs on your exact dates.