A comprehensive journey through ancient cities, tea plantations, and wildlife safaris, topped with coastal charm in Galle and Mirissa.
Arrival at the airport. Transfer to Colombo (45 min drive)
Afternoon city tour of Colombo
Accommodation - Hotel in Colombo / Meals - Dinner & Breakfast
Welcome to Sri Lanka! On arrival at the airport, transfer to the hotel in Colombo. In the evening enjoy a brief city tour of Colombo, a mixture of colonial and modern architecture. As you drive through, learn the interesting stories of the Colonial history of Sri Lanka, in which Colombo and its port played a significant role. Visit the Colombo Fort area, originally built by the Portuguese in 16th century, old parliament, Galle face, Dutch hospital, town hall and Independent Square.
Accommodation - Hotel in Colombo / Meals – Dinner & Breakfast
Visit the Cave Temple of Dambulla – UNESCO World Heritage Site (3½ hour drive)
Transfer to Dambulla or Sigiriya (2½ hour drive)
Accommodation - Hotel in Dambulla or Sigiriya / Meals - Dinner & Breakfast
Check out and proceed to Dambulla. Visit the Golden Cave Temple of Dambulla, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Climbing up the steps toward the top of the Rock, you will see the 2000-year-old cave temple carved in the enormous, isolated rock mass. Visiting inside the caves you will be amazed as you will not find a single empty space on the rock wall or the ceiling, which is not picturesquely covered by amazing mural painting, with each of them narrating a story.
Continue on to your hotel in Dambulla or Sigiriya.
Accommodation - Hotel in Dambulla or Sigiriya / Meals – Dinner & Breakfast
Sightseeing in Anuradhapura sacred city - UNESCO World Heritage Site (1-hour drive)
Return to Hotel
Accommodation – Hotel in Dambulla or Sigiriya / Meals – Dinner & Breakfast
After breakfast, leave for Anuradhapura – an ancient city where the documented history of the Island began 2500 years ago. Visit the resplendent ruins of the old city. Explore the stunning gigantic 03 stupas of Ruwanweliseya, Jetavanarama and Abhayagiri - the architectural marvels regarded second in size only to the great Pyramid of Giza in the ancient world. Among the other notable sites of interest are ‘Sri Maha Bodhi’ - the sacred Bo-tree which is known to be the world historically documented oldest tree, and view the remnants of Brazen Palace - the nine-storey Buddhist monastery and serene Samadhi Buddha statue.
Accommodation - Hotel in Dambulla or Sigiriya / Meals - Dinner & Breakfast
Climb Sigiriya Rock – UNESCO World Heritage Site
Visit the ancient city of Polonnaruwa – UNESCO World Heritage Site
Accommodation - Hotel in Dambulla or Sigiriya / Meals - Dinner & Breakfast
In the morning climb the 5th-century 'Lion Rock' fortress of Sigiriya, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, built by King Kashyapa (477-495 AD), a citadel of unusual beauty that rises 200m from the low jungle. The rock was the innermost fortress of the 70-hectare fortified city. A moat, rampart and water gardens, surround the base of the rock. Visit Sigiriya's renowned 'Heavenly Maidens' wall paintings, which are known among world’s oldest paintings. Through the giant paws of a huge carved lion, continue to the top of the rock where you will see the ruins of the palace of the V century monarch.
In the afternoon we visit the ancient city of Polonnaruwa by tuk-tuk, the second capital of ancient Sri Lanka, declared as a UNESCO world heritage site. Visit the temple of Gal vihara where you can see the statues carved into the rock, and many other ruins of the tenth century.
Polonnaruwa is the second largest city in North Central Province, and is known as one of the cleanest and more beautiful cities in the country. The green environment, amazing ancient constructions, the massive tank of Parakrama Samudra, make it a famous tourism hotspot.
Accommodation - Hotel in Dambulla or Sigiriya / Meals – Dinner & Breakfast
Visit Matale spice garden. Transfer to the city of Kandy – UNESCO World Heritage Site (2-hour drive)
Kandy city tour. Evening cultural show and the Temple of Tooth Relic in Kandy
Accommodation - Hotel in Kandy / Meals - Dinner & Breakfast
Leave Dambulla and proceed to the spice garden in Matale. Gain an insight into how spices that you have used to flavor your food at home, and many other tropical herbs that you have known or heard of, are grown.
Later on, transfer to the city of Kandy, which is another UNESCO world heritage site. In the afternoon, set out on a city tour of Kandy, which also offers great shopping opportunities. In the evening, enjoy a cultural dance performance, followed by a visit to the Temple of the Tooth Relic which houses the most revered Buddhist relic on the island – a tooth of the Lord Buddha.
Accommodation - Hotel in Kandy / Meals – Dinner & Breakfast
Transfer to the tea-grown Nuwara Eliya town (2½ hour drive)
Ramboda Falls. Visit a tea plantation and a tea factory. Experience picking tea leaves with your own hands
Accommodation - Hotel in Nuwara Eliya / Meals - Dinner & Breakfast
Sit back and enjoy spectacular views of endless lush tea fields as we drive this morning to Nuwara Eliya, a mountainous town located at 1800 m above sea level. On the way, visit the beautiful Ramboda Falls and visit a tea factory. At the factory, experience picking tea with your own hands. Explore the town of Nuwara Eliya. Spend the afternoon leisurely.
Accommodation - Hotel in Nuwara Eliya / Meals – Dinner & Breakfast
Scenic train ride from Nanu Oya to Ella (3-hour ride)
9-arch bridge in Demodara. Transfer to hotel in Ella
Accommodation - Hotel in Ella / Meals - Dinner & Breakfast
This morning enjoy a train ride from Nanu Oya to Ella, which is rated one of the most scenic train rides in the world. On arrival in Ella, visit the famous nine-arch railway bridge of Demodara. The iconic bridge was built almost a century ago during the British Era. Today it is still in use and offers great photo-shoot opportunities.
Accommodation - Hotel in Ella / Meals – Dinner & Breakfast
Hike ‘Little Adam’s Peak’ in Ella. Ravana Falls in Ella. Transfer to Yala (3.5-hour drive).
Evening safari in Yala National Park
Accommodation – Hotel in Yala / Meals - Dinner & Breakfast
From the cool hill country, descend to Yala, the dry zone rich in wild life. On the way, spend a blissful moment at the Ravana Falls in Ella. And visit the mystic rock carvings in Buduruwagala, dating back to the 10th century AD. The complex consists of seven colossal Buddha-Bodhisattva statues. One of the gigantic carvings, that of the standing Buddha – at 16m, is the tallest in the island. Check-in to the hotel in Yala.
In the afternoon you will be taken on an exciting jeep safari in the Yala National Park. Yala is known for the highest density of leopards in the world, although seeing one is pure luck. Spotted deer, wild boar, wild buffalo, crocodiles, macaques and elephants are common here, but sightings of sloth bears and leopards are rare.
Accommodation - Hotel in Yala / Meals - Dinner & Breakfast
Transfer to beach town in Weligama (3.5-hour drive)
Day at leisure
Accommodation – Hotel in Weligama / Meals - Dinner & Breakfast
Check-out from Yala and proceed to Weligama, a vibrant beach town in southern coast. Days at leisure.
Accommodation - Hotel in Weligama / Meals - Dinner & Breakfast
Morning leisure at beach. (Optional activity: Early morning whale watching in Mirissa)
Evening visit the Dutch Fort of Galle – UNESCO World Heritage Site
Accommodation – Hotel in Weligama / Meals - Dinner & Breakfast
Spend the morning hours at leisure at beach. Optionally, you can enjoy an early morning whale watching tour (to be booked in advance).
In the afternoon, drive to Galle Fort. Explore the Dutch Fort of Galle (UNESCO World Heritage Site). At the site of the present Fort, back in 1588 the Portuguese colonizers built a modest fort using palm trees and mud. As you stroll along the 400-year-old streets, learn many interesting stories of the colonial era. On completion transfer back to your hotel in Weligama.
Accommodation - Hotel in Weligama / Meals - Dinner & Breakfast
Turtle Hatchery in Kosgoda (1-hour drive)
Transfer to the international airport (2-hour drive)
Your last day in Sri Lanka! Check out from hotel and visit the Turtle Hatchery in Kosgoda. Beaches in Sri Lanka are the nesting grounds for five species of marine turtles. Turtles are known to lay eggs instinctively in the same area where they were born. The Hatchery administration at Kosgoda carries out constant night-watch along the coast to find laid eggs or purchases them from the fishermen, incubate them for a specific period, then feed and keep the hatchlings up to 3 days at the farm before releasing to the ocean at night.
Transfer to the airport for departure. Reach 3 hours before the flight.
• To book this tour, we will need the names of the clients, number of pax (ages if any kids) and arrival dates.
• We will proceed to book the hotels. If any hotels are sold-out, we will propose alternatives of the same standards for your approval before proceeding to book.
• Once all hotels are booked (this may take up to 3-5 working days), we will issue an invoice to you. All bank charges are at the expense of the payer. Our invoices are in US Dollars.
• If you wish to cancel the trip after payment, no cancellation fee/penalty will be charged up to 04 weeks prior to the arrival (this period can be longer, up to 06 weeks during peak or festive seasons). We will refund your payment in full (bank charges will be deducted from the refunding amount).
• Any cancellation within 04 weeks prior to arrival may incur penalties from hotels up to 100%, depending on the hotel.
• Sri Lanka Tourist Visa can be applied through the official ETA government website about a month prior to arrival.