On this 8-day tour through the best of Sri Lanka, we'll visit European heritage towns, natural landscapes, tea fields, ruins and even the Buddha's tooth. A real immersion in Sri Lankan culture!
Tour Description
Day 1: Colombo – Negombo
After picking you up from the airport in Colombo, the commercial capital of Sri Lanka, we'll head to Negombo, a fishing village 12 kilometres (7.4 miles) to the north. There, we'll have dinner and spend the night.
Day 2: Negombo – Dambulla – Habarana
We'll start the day by having breakfast at the hotel in Negombo, before we start our journey to the Dambulla Cave Temple.
Once at our destination, we'll discover caves 150 metres (492 feet) above sea level, and the refuge of King Walagama during his 14 years of exile. Did you know that these caves have been a World Heritage Site since 1991? We'll be amazed by their interior!
Finally, we'll arrive in Habarana, a small town in the district of Anuradhapura, where we'll have dinner and spend the night.
Day 3: Habarana – Polonnuruwa – Sigiriya – Habarana
After a hearty breakfast at the hotel, we'll leave Habarana for a visit to Polonnuruwa. We'll walk among the ponds, stop to admire the fortified complex of Parakrama Samudra, and arrive at the ruins of what was the second capital of Sri Lanka during the 11th and 12th centuries. A walk through the medieval jewel of the country!
Our second destination for the day is Sigiriya, where we can climb the emblematic Lion's Rock. Would you like to see the frescoes of the Golden Maidens? We'll also discover the Mirror Wall and visit the Royal Gardens, one of the first landscaped gardens in Asia.
In the evening, we'll return to Habarana, where we'll enjoy dinner before retiring to rest.
Day 4: Habarana – Matale – Kandy
After breakfast at the hotel, we'll say goodbye to Habarana and head to Matale, where we'll discover its most deeply rooted tradition: the cultivation of spices. We'll feel like locals as we walk through the garden and learn about the properties of the most typical herbs and spices.
If you want to explore one of the cities most closely linked to Buddha, you can do so in Kandy. There, we'll visit the historic Temple of the Tooth. In its octagonal building, we'll discover the relic of the Buddha's Tooth while the Kandyan trumpets and drums announce the moment of religious contemplation. A unique experience in Sri Lankan style!
In the afternoon, we'll arrive at our accommodation in Kandy, where we'll have dinner and spend the night.
Day 5: Kandy – Nuwara Eliya
After breakfast at the hotel, we'll go on a trip to Nuwara Eliya for an unforgettable walk through the tea plantations and the surrounding mountains. You'll be enchanted by the scenery of this village located at 1,900 metres (6,233 feet)!
Afterwards, you'll have an afternoon free to explore the centre of the town. You can also visit one of the tea factories in the area on your own—they say it's the best tea in the world!
Finally, you'll be dropped off at your hotel in Nuwara Eliya for dinner and rest until the next day.
Day 6: Nuwara Eliya – Yala
We'll start the day at the hotel, where we'll eat breakfast before we say goodbye to Nuwara Eliya and head to Yala National Park. There, we'll enjoy a safari where we'll see 100 species of birds, herds of deer and even leopards. We'll wander through jungle vegetation, and as we make our way through brackish lagoons and rocky areas, we'll come across picturesque bungalows. A haven in the middle of nature!
Next, we'll return to the lodge in Yala for dinner and to rest up for the next day.
Day 7: Yala – Galle – Kalutara
After an energising breakfast in Yala, we'll start our journey to Galle. There, we'll discover its fortress, which occupies 63 hectares (155 acres). As we wander through the streets of the old town, we'll witness its Portuguese, Dutch and British heritage.
Finally, we'll arrive in Kalutara, where we'll have dinner and spend the final night.
Day 8: Kalutara – Colombo Airport
We'll have breakfast at the hotel in Kalutara, and leave the city behind to return to Colombo. There, we'll bring you to the airport to end our adventure together.
Important
If you take the trip in September or October, the Yala National Park will be closed. Therefore, on day 7 of the trip, we'll visit Lunugamvehera National Park instead, which is near Yala.
Accommodation
This activity includes 7 nights of accommodation with breakfast at the following hotels divided by category. Category A is for 4-star hotels and category B is for 3-star hotels:
- Negombo (1 night): Mt. Lavinia Hotel or similar, valid for both categories.
- Habarana (2 nights): category A (Occidental Paradise, Sigiriya Village or similar) and category B (Sungreen Resorts & Spa, Tropical Life Resorts & Spa or similar).
- Kandy (1 night): category A (Cinnamon Citadel, Earl's Regent or similar) and category B (Swiss Residency, Oak Ray Regency or similar).
- Nuwara Eliya (1 night): category A (Araliya Red, Lyndon Grove or similar) and category B (Rippon Grand or similar).
- Yala (1 night): category A (EKHO Safari, Chaarya Resorts & Spa or similar) and category B (Elephant Reach, Oakray Wild or similar).
- Kalutara (1 night): category A (Cinnamon Bey, Tangerine Beach Hotel or similar) and category B (The Palms, Earl's reef or similar).
Price Info
The minimum number of participants is two. If you book for one person only and no one else signs up for the tour on the same dates, you'll be offered two options: to pay a supplement to do it privately or an alternative date to do the tour without an additional supplement.
In the case of odd-numbered group bookings, i.e. those where double and single rooms are booked (which involve a supplement), the booking must be made in two parts: first, the double room or rooms must be booked, and then the single room or rooms must be booked. In both cases, in the comments section to the local tour operator, you must indicate that in these bookings all people are travelling together.
Additionally, in the case of early arrivals, an extra night must be paid for.
Flights
It's important that you arrive at the airport on the first day of the tour before 11:30 am. If you're going to arrive later, you'll have to pay an additional fee of 65USD per person for the transfer.
