Explore Sri Lanka

Hotel Features

Day 1 – Arrival into Colombo 

Be met by our English-speaking representative and national guide at Colombo airport and be transferred (10km, 25 mins) to your hotel in Negombo.

Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure, and dinner and overnight at your hotel.

5 star tour: Stay at Wallawwa, Negombo for 1 night on half board basis.

4 star tour: Stay at Jetwing Beach, Negombo for 1 night on half board basis.

Day 2 – Negombo via Dambulla to Sigiriya (150km, 3 hours)

The Dambulla cave temple, also known as the Golden Temple of Dambulla was founded in the 1st century. Ancient sculptures and paintings of the Buddha and various Hindu deities and are located in five central caves. The original sculptures and paintings have gained additions throughout the centuries and stand monument to evolving artistic styles of the ancient Ceylonese. Arrive in Sigiriya, the centre of Sri Lanka’s Cultural Triangle, in the late afternoon.

5 star tour: Stay at Water Garden, Sigiriya for 3 nights on half board basis.

4 star tour: Stay at Aliya Resort and Spa, Sigiriya for 3 nights on half board basis.

Day 3 – Sigiriya to Polonnaruwa to Minneriya to Sigiriya: (110km, 2 hours 20 mins)

Formally Sri Lanka’s medieval capital, Polonnaruwa is home to various masterpieces of Buddhist sculpture, architecture and remarkable feats of engineering.  See Gal Vihara, with its famous rock carvings of Lord Buddha, The Sacred Quadrangle, including the Vatadage, which houses the Tooth of Lord Buddha, and, Parakrama Samudra,  a vast reservoir.

Minneriya  is one of the best areas of Sri Lanka in which to see wild elephants. Plenty of scrub, forest and wetlands also provide shelter for toque macaques, sambar deer, buffalo, crocodiles, leopards and abundant birdlife. During the dry season, from May to September, witness as many as 200 elephants feeding and bathing during what is known as the Gathering. Large numbers of elephants can be seen here at other times of year too.

Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 4 – Sigiriya to Sigiriya Rock to Thalkote Lake to Sigiriya: (40km, 1 hour 20 mins)

An early morning start to hike the Rock Fortress of Sigiriya, an ancient and exceptional architectural, artistic and engineering landmark. Carved into the rock on the orders of King Kashyapa, he used the rock to build a fortress to provide the ultimate protection against attack. Near vertical granite walls soar above the canopy of the rainforest to the ruins of an almost impregnable ancient fortified palace. Having scaled the vertiginous staircases attached to sheer rock walls, the rewards are unforgettable: spellbinding views of mist-wrapped forests, water gardens and cave shrines. In the late afternoon take a boat trip on Thalkote Wewa, the beautiful lake in Dambulla with truly stunning views of the surrounding area.

Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 5 – Sigiriya to Matale to Kandy: (100km, 3 hours)

After breakfast check out from the hotel and proceed to Kandy, with a visit, en route, to the Spice Garden in Matale. Spices have always been a famous and important export of Sri Lanka. For years they have been cultivated in gardens and have been used not only to aromatise food but also in the production of medicine and cosmetics. The visit to Matale will add to your knowledge of spices such as cinnamon, ginger, pepper, vanilla and cardamon.

Enjoy free time, dinner and overnight stay at your hotel.

5 star tour: Stay at Mountbatten Bungalow, Kandy for 2 nights on half board basis.

4 star tour: Stay at Amaya Hills, Kandy for 2 nights on half board basis

Day 6 – Kandy to Peradeniya to Kandy (25km, 1 hour)

After breakfast, visit Peradeniya Royal Botanic Garden. Established in 1821 the garden now covers 140 acres within a loop of Sri Lanka’s longest river, the Mahaweli. Host to over 4,000 species, it is home to one of the largest collections of sub-tropical plants in the world. The orchid collection is of particular note.

An evening visit to the Sacred Temple of Tooth follows.  This temple houses the famous relic of Lord Buddha’s tooth and is Kandy’s most important landmark. Daily ceremonies are held  every morning and night to honour the relic. Visitors see the golden casing, where the relic is kept, during the ceremony.  The ritual includes traditional drummers and is a must for all those visiting the holy city.

Dinner and overnight at your hotel.

Day 7 – Kandy to Nanu Oya by road (88km, 2 hours 30 mins) and a train journey from Nanu Oya to Ella (3 hours 30 mins)

En route from Kandy to Nanu Oya you’ll visit a tea plantation to learn how differing climatic conditions impart a unique variety of flavours and aromas to Sri Lankan tea. The cultivation and manufacture of tea is presently a highly skilled scientific process, with Sri Lanka producing some of the most fragrant teas in the world.

Sri Lanka packs in some of the world’s most thrilling rail journeys and the scenic train ride from Nanu Oya to Ella is no exception. The original steam engines may have been replaced by colourful diesel locomotives, but they have still have a thrilling evocative effect as they weave and dissect their way amidst the emerald green Sri Lankan landscape.

Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 8 – Ella

Tackle the gentle hike which is the Mini Adam’s Peak. Walk through the lush green tea estates, talking to those who are plucking and collecting tea leaves and other workers on the estate. Afterwards, visit the famous Nine Arch Bridge. This glorious bridge between Ella and Demodara train stations is one of the engineering marvels of the early 20th century.

Dinner & overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 9 – Ella to Yala  (120km, 3 hours)

Travel from the hill stations south to the coast at Yala, and after arrival at your hotel enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

5 star tour: Stay at Chena Huts, Yala, in luxury cabins for 2 nights on all-inclusive basis.

4 star tour: Stay at Cinnamon Wild Yala for 2 nights on half board basis.

Day 10 – Yala

Visit Yala National Park located in the south eastern corner of Sri Lanka. This thorny, shrub forest, reminiscent of the African bush, has the world’s highest concentration of leopards. Other animals of note include elephants, deer species, wild buffalo, wild boar, sloth bears, monkeys, crocodiles and peacocks.

Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 11 – Yala to Galle (5 star tour) (160km, 3 hours) or Unawatuna (4 star tour) (160km, 3 hours)

Galle is the south coast’s major city, whose oldest landmark is the massive 17th century Portuguese and Dutch Fort in which the central city is contained. Enjoy an afternoon visit to the fort, perhaps the finest example of colonial architecture in the country.  As you walk the streets see strong Dutch influences in the architecture, along with some old British residences and various Arabic mosques. Most buildings have been restored to their former glory and many are home to a vibrant culinary scene, with various fashionable restaurants and cafes. In addition, the city has a thriving art scene; you’ll find boutiques selling handicrafts, home décor, old posters and antiques.

5 star tour: Stay at The Fortress Resort & Spa, Galle for 2 nights on half board basis

4 star tour: Stay at Coco Bay, Unawatuna, for 2 nights on half board basis.

Day 12 – Galle

Enjoy a full day at leisure.

Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 13 – Return to the UK

Transfer to Colombo airport (150km, 2 hours 30 mins) for your return flight to the UK.