“Discover your very own cycling paradise in the tropics. Sri Lanka, a land with a multitude of excitement, serenity, perfect terrain and just the right amount of sunshine, awaits your arrival.” Marketing copy can sometimes feel a little over the top — but when it comes to Sri Lanka, it really does live up to the hype. Ride SriLankan is back for 2027, so if you’ve ever wanted to experience this incredible island for yourself, read on.
Back in 2024, when it was first launched, Ride SriLankan was a pretty unusual gravel event. Taking riders on a journey through Sri Lanka’s stunning landscapes, RSL offered a combination of challenging riding with an incredible level of luxury and, perhaps most unusually, a parallel tour for non-riding partners. March 2027 will see the latest version of the event take place and the organisers are sticking to the same “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it” approach, but with a new route and new challenges to inspire everyone to add Sri Lanka to their must-see list.
“Ride SriLankan 2027 brings together riders of all levels — from seasoned endurance athletes to first-time adventurers — united by a shared love of cycling and a desire to explore somewhere truly special. Whether you push hard on every stage or take your time soaking in the scenery, Sri Lanka will leave its mark on you.” That’s how the organisers of RSL eloquently sum up the event.
The event is being held from 6th to 15th March 2027 and for those participants who sign up for the ‘rider’s version’, there are six days of riding included (plus an optional warm-up ride on Day 2). There are a mix of loop rides and A-to-B rides during the tour. On the A-to-B rides, there are two route options – a short and a long option, so riders can make the days as gentle or as challenging as they like. The route includes a mix of paved backroads, dirt tracks, plantation roads and farm tracks. It’s more ‘all-road’ than solely gravel, but the event is about the whole experience of riding through Sri Lanka, not just the trails themselves!
Participants spend two nights at each of the luxury hotels included in the price – less time spent packing/unpacking and more time to spend relaxing is the order of the day! Breakfast and dinner is included each day and during the ride the organisers arrange regular food stops, often featuring local specialities, created for riders by local people so the financial benefits of the tour filter directly back to the people whose region the riders are travelling through.
Of course, it’s not just about the riders. The unique part of RSL is that the organisers put on an incredible guided itinerary so that non-riding partners who want to visit the island can have a wonderful holiday too. Included in the “companions itinerary” are activities such as a 4WD jeep safari through Yala National Park, a boat ride along the Madu River with a visit to a cinnamon island, a traditional cooking lesson in a village and a visit to the sacred Temple of the Tooth in Kandy.
Places for the riders’ tour are available now at an early-bird price of £2300 per person. Places on the companion’s tour are available at an early-bird price of £2200 per person. Sri Lankan Airlines are offering heavily subsidised flights from London, Paris, Frankfurt, Melbourne and Sydney, with extra baggage allowance for riders too. You can find all the details about Ride SriLankan 2027 on their website.