There are essentially three main types of driver in Sri Lanka; Tourist Guide Lecturers, Tourist Drivers and Taxi Drivers.
Tourist Guide Lecturers
These are able to offer the highest level of service. They are trained and approved by the Sri Lankan Tourism Development Authority and are able to both drive and provide guided tours at tourist sites across the island.
There are two types of Tourist Guide Lecturer:
Chauffeur Tourist Guide Lecturer
These are able to drive small groups of up to 7 persons normally in an air conditioned car or minivan. They can work independently or for a tour company.
National Tourist Guide Lecturer
These are also able to drive and guide small groups, but in addition they can guide much larger groups on bus and coach tours. A larger tour operator will normally employ a separate driver to allow the guide to concentrate on speaking to the tourists.
View all Tourist Guide Lecturers
- View the Tourist Guide Lecturers that are registered on our site.
Tourist Drivers
In 2005 Sri Lanka realised that it would not have enough Tourist Guide Lecturers to cope with the projected increase in tourism and so started to train Tourist Drivers and commissioned the National Tourist Drivers Association.
Capabilities
Tourist Drivers are also known as Tourist Chauffeurs. They are trained and approved by the Tourism Development Authority. They are not allowed to offer official guided tours at touristic sites although many will have the knowledge and ability. They will be able to organise a site tour guide at any touristic site at extra cost.
Knowledge
It is possible that these drivers, in some cases, could have a better specific local knowledge than a Tourist Guide Lecturer, who will normally have a more general knowledge of Sri Lanka. Also in some cases they could possess better foreign language skills especially if they have lived abroad.
Training
It is worth understanding that most Tourist Drivers are not Tourist Guide Lecturers because they do not have the money to fund themselves on the course and not because they would not be able to do the job.
Unapproved Drivers
There are also many unapproved drivers in Sri Lanka; know that the only way to know if someone is approved or not is from seeing their current identification and not necessarily believing what is written on their website.
View all Licensed Tourist Drivers
- View the Tourist Drivers that are registered on our site.
Taxi Drivers
These drivers have no special training with respect to handling tourists although in certain areas they will be more experienced such as around the main international airport and other touristic areas. This guide will not discuss taxi drivers any further.
