DAY 01
AIRPORT | SIGIRIYA
Upon arriving in Sri Lanka, transfer to a convenient hotel close to the international airport. Relax and unwind after your flight, preparing yourself for the adventure ahead.
Overnight Stay in Sigiriya.
Upon arriving in Sri Lanka, transfer to a convenient hotel close to the international airport. Relax and unwind after your flight, preparing yourself for the adventure ahead.
Overnight Stay in Sigiriya.
Explore the lion rock of Sigiriya; Dambulla’s Buddhist Cave Temples, and the ancient kingdom of Polonnaruwa.After visiting Polonnaruwa museum, which will provide an overview of this ancient city and its heritage, move onto exploring the ruins themselves. You might also consider a safari at Minneriya National Park when you visit Polonnaruwa.
Recommended Activities: Dambulla Cave Temple , Polonnaruwa , Sigiriya Rock Fortress , Minneriya National Park
Overnight stay in Dambulla or Sigiriya
The journey to Sri Lanka's hill capital – the small lakeside city of Kandy – will occupy most of the morning. Visit the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy where a sacred tooth relic of the Lord Buddha is enshrined since 4th Century AD. The temple has decorative walls, a golden roof and fine woodwork. Religious services with traditional music and drumming are held daily at dawn, mid-day and in the evening where guests can participate. You might also want to see Kandy's Botanical Gardens.
Recommended Activities: Royal Botanical Gardens , Temple of the Tooth
Overnight stay in -Kandy 2 nights
Travel on into Sri Lanka’s tea-growing highlands. You might like to enjoy the “Tea Experience”, which involves a visit to a plantation to observe the process, starting from the plucking field where it all begins with the picking of “two leaves and a bud” to the factory where the processing begins. Temperatures in Sri Lanka's hill country are akin to an early English summer's day and you can go trekking, cycling, canoeing or just soak up the magnificent scenery. Consider an all-day trek to see Ella’s three iconic landmarks: Nine Arch Bridge, Little Adam’s Peak and Ella Rock. Further afield, in the west of the highlands, an all-night climb up Adam's Peak is another option that we could offer by special request
Recommended Activities: Nine Arch Bridge , Little Adam's Peak
Overnight stay in Ella
Head southeast to Yala National Park. En-route visit Buduruvagala to see Sri Lanka's tallest rock-cut Buddha statue (51 ft. in height) and other Mahayana Buddhist statues that date back to the 8th-century AD. Yala National Park consists of scrub plains, lagoons and rocky sections and is probably the best place to see all of Sri Lanka's Big Three: Elephant, leopard and water buffalo. If you wish to limit your journey consider Uda Walawe game park instead.
Recommended Activities: Yala National Park
Overnight stay in Yala
Journey along the scenic south coast to the historic city of Galle and spend a night in Galle's 17C Dutch Fort, a UNESCO-protected World Heritage site. Several hours can be spent wandering along the narrow s treets and well-preserved ramparts, exploring iconic historic building s such as the lighthouse and Dutch Reform Church. Art and craft shops and cute little cafes now abound in Galle, making it one of Sri Lanka’s great meeting places. The thick, high ramparts that protect and distinguish the Fort are today used for romantic evening strolls and knockabout cricket games.
Recommended Activities: Galle Dutch Fort
Overnight stay in Galle
We have saved the last three nights for a taste of the Sri Lanka beaches. Our Classic Island tour keeps you on the sought-after Galle Coast, but you may prefer the west coast resort of Bentota, a family-friendly resort where the beaches are as broad as anywhere on the island: as always the choice is yours. Consider a visit to Balapitiya puppet museum where a fourth-generation puppeteer will explain the history of this great art. Bentota offers a wide range of water-sports on the coast and along a river estuary. When your tour is over it is conveniently placed within two-and-a-half hours of the international airport.
Overnight stay in Habaraduwa
