Find scooter & motorcycle hire in Sri Lanka
Enter your city, island or destination below to search available scooters and motorcycles.
Enter your city, island or destination below to search available scooters and motorcycles.
Explore Sri Lanka on Two Wheels
From the hill-country roads around Kandy to Sri Lanka’s palm-fringed southern coast, travelling by scooter or motorcycle gives you the freedom to discover more at your own pace.
Follow the coast around Galle, passing beaches, historic streets and small seaside communities, or head inland towards greener roads, tea country and cooler mountain scenery.
Slow things down in Weligama, where surf beaches, cafés and relaxed coastal life make it easy to explore nearby towns and quieter corners of southern Sri Lanka.
Coastal Roads & Southern Shores
Ride around Galle and Weligama, discovering beaches, seaside towns and tropical coastal roads.
Escape into the Hill Country
Explore the roads around Kandy, winding through tea country, green hills and villages.
See More at Your Own Pace
Leave the main tourist routes behind and discover a quieter side of Sri Lanka on two wheels.
Explore Sri Lanka
Galle
Explore Galle’s historic streets, tropical beaches and scenic southern coast by scooter.
Kandy
Ride beyond Kandy through lush tea country, winding hill roads and traditional villages.
Weligama
Discover Weligama’s surf beaches, coastal roads and laid-back seaside communities by scooter.
More places to ride in Sri Lanka
Found your destination? Let’s ride.
Enter your city, island or destination below to search available scooters and motorcycles.
Considerations Before You Ride in Sri Lanka
To ride a scooter or motorcycle legally in Sri Lanka, you need a valid driving licence that covers the type of motorcycle you intend to ride, plus a 1949 International Driving Permit (IDP) and a Sri Lankan recognition permit. Current UK government travel advice says both the IDP and recognition permit are required for hire vehicles in Sri Lanka.
For UK travellers, take your UK driving licence, 1949 IDP and two passport photos to the Automobile Association of Ceylon in Colombo, which can verify the documents and issue the recognition permit. Your rental company may also help arrange this.
Your licence must already include the correct motorcycle entitlement for the scooter or motorcycle you hire. An IDP does not add extra vehicle categories to your licence. The Sri Lankan Department of Motor Traffic also provides for temporary local licences for foreign visitors in certain circumstances.
Useful official links: UK Government – Sri Lanka road travel advice | Sri Lanka Department of Motor Traffic – foreign licence information
Do not assume that you can. Sri Lanka has passenger ferry services to some smaller offshore islands, particularly around the Jaffna Peninsula, but vehicle rules vary by route and many services are intended primarily for passengers rather than rental vehicles.
For example, travellers visiting islands such as Delft and Nainativu generally leave their scooter or motorcycle at the mainland jetty and continue by passenger ferry; one Jaffna rental operator explicitly states that motorcycles cannot be taken aboard these services.
For any other ferry journey, check with both the rental company and ferry operator before travelling. Even where motorcycles can physically be carried, your rental agreement may restrict taking the vehicle offshore or outside an agreed area. Taking it without permission could also affect your insurance.
For most visitors hiring through the destinations we’re featuring — Galle, Kandy, Weligama, Negombo and Colombo — this is unlikely to be an issue, as Sri Lanka’s principal tourist routes are on the main island.
Useful official information: Sri Lanka Department of Motor Traffic
Sri Lankan law requires both the rider and any passenger on a motorcycle or scooter to wear a protective helmet. The country’s Motor Traffic (Protective Helmets) Regulations state that anyone riding or being carried on a motorcycle on a public road must wear a helmet meeting the prescribed requirements.
Other protective equipment such as gloves, a riding jacket, long trousers and closed footwear is strongly recommended, particularly for longer journeys, but these are not the general legal requirement in the same way as the helmet. Road conditions and driving standards can vary considerably, and UK government travel advice warns that riding a motorcycle in Sri Lanka can be particularly dangerous.
A helmet will usually be available with a rental scooter, but this depends on the individual supplier, so check what is included before booking. If carrying a passenger, make sure two suitable helmets are provided. Check the fit and condition before setting off and ask for a replacement if you’re unhappy with either.
It’s also worth checking your travel insurance requirements: wearing the required safety equipment and holding the correct licence can be important to maintaining valid cover.
Useful official links: Sri Lankan Government – Motor Traffic (Protective Helmets) Regulations | UK Government – Sri Lanka road safety advice
Yes. Under Sri Lankan driving-licence law, you must be at least 18 years old to obtain a licence for motorcycles and other light vehicles. Sri Lanka’s Department of Motor Traffic confirms that although the licensing process can begin at 17, a rider must have reached 18 before taking the practical test.
For visitors, 18 is therefore the legal baseline rather than necessarily the rental company’s minimum age. Individual scooter-hire companies can set a higher minimum age or require a certain amount of riding experience, so check the supplier’s conditions before booking.
UK travellers must also hold the appropriate motorcycle entitlement and meet Sri Lanka’s requirements for a 1949 International Driving Permit and Sri Lankan recognition permit. The vehicle you hire must fall within the motorcycle category covered by your licence.
Useful official links: Sri Lanka Department of Motor Traffic – driving licence requirements | UK Government – Sri Lanka road travel advice
Yes. UK visitors who want to ride a scooter or motorcycle in Sri Lanka need a 1949 International Driving Permit (IDP) together with their valid UK driving licence.
Sri Lanka also has an additional requirement: you need a Sri Lankan recognition permit before driving a hire vehicle. GOV.UK advises taking your UK licence, 1949 IDP and two passport photographs to the Automobile Association of Ceylon in Colombo, which can verify the documents and issue the permit. Hire companies will often help arrange this.
An IDP does not give you additional motorcycle entitlement, so your UK licence must already cover the type and engine size of scooter or motorcycle you intend to ride.
For UK travellers, a 1949 IDP currently costs £5.50 and is valid for 12 months. It must be obtained before travelling, from a participating PayPoint location in the UK.
Useful official links: UK Government – Sri Lanka road travel advice | UK Government – IDP requirements for Sri Lanka | How to obtain an IDP in the UK
Yes. Traffic drives on the left in Sri Lanka, as in the UK. Riders must obey road signs, traffic signals and speed limits, and overtaking should normally be carried out on the right. Current UK government advice warns that driving standards and road conditions can be very different from those in the UK. UK Government – Sri Lanka road travel advice
Drink-driving is illegal, and using a hand-held mobile phone while riding is also prohibited. Both the rider and passenger must wear an approved motorcycle helmet, and you should carry the driving documents required for riding legally in Sri Lanka.
Take particular care around buses, tuk-tuks, pedestrians and animals, especially on rural roads. GOV.UK advises avoiding driving at night where possible because roads may be poorly lit and vehicles, cyclists and animals can be difficult to see.
Ride defensively, allow plenty of space and reduce your speed on unfamiliar roads, particularly in the hill country around places such as Kandy, where roads can be narrow and winding.
Useful official information: UK Government – Sri Lanka safety and road travel advice | Sri Lanka Department of Motor Traffic
Do not assume that your scooter hire includes comprehensive insurance. Motor vehicles used on public roads in Sri Lanka are required to have third-party insurance, but this should not be confused with comprehensive rental insurance covering damage to, theft of, or loss of the hired scooter.
The level of additional cover varies between rental companies. Before booking, check exactly what is included for accidental damage, theft, third-party liability and personal injury, and whether you would have to pay an excess or deductible following an accident.
Your own travel insurance is equally important. Current UK government advice recommends having appropriate travel insurance and warns that riding motorcycles in Sri Lanka can be particularly dangerous. Check that your policy specifically covers riding the type and engine size of scooter or motorcycle you hire and that you meet all licence and permit requirements.
Useful official information: UK Government – Sri Lanka travel and road safety advice | Insurance Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka
Possibly. Additional charges vary between rental companies and bookings, so check the terms carefully before confirming your scooter or motorcycle hire. These may include a security deposit, fuel charges, delivery or collection fees, additional equipment, late-return charges, additional riders or charges for damage or loss.
If you’re planning a longer trip around Sri Lanka, also check whether there are additional charges for one-way rentals, exceeding an agreed mileage allowance or taking the scooter outside the permitted rental area.
Before collecting the scooter, confirm exactly what is included in the quoted price, how any refundable deposit will be handled, and the fuel, cancellation and late-return policies. Photographing or filming the scooter at collection and return is also sensible so you have a record of its condition.
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