When to go
January – March and October – November
Price
From £1,995 pp (including flights) | Private: £2,195pp (including flights)
Flight time
11hrs 20mins
Introduction
Discover the natural beauty, serenity, and historical significance of Sri Lanka, a small country with a lot to explore. During your trip, you will witness majestic elephants, travel through sprawling forests and jungles, and learn about the birthplace of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. And this is just a taste of what you can expect.
At a Glance
Duration
14 days & 12 nights
Guide price
Group: £1,995pp
Private: £2,195pp
Cities/Destinations (in order)
Colombo - Dambulla - Anuradhapura - Mihintale - Sigiriya - Polonnaruwa - Dambulla - Kandy - Nuwara Ellya - Horton Plains - Ella - Yala - Galle - Ahungalla - Colombo
Tour Type
Experienced local tour manager and guided sightseeing
Tour Theme
Group Tour
Activity Level
Age Range
N/A
Star Rating of Tour
Superior
Accommodation
Cinnamon Lakeside - Heritance Kandalama - Earls Regency -Heritance Tea Factory - Cinnamon Wild - Heritance Ahungalla (or upgrade to Taj Bentota Resort & Spa)
Board Basis
Varied - please see the sample itinerary for details
Min|Max Group Size
Average 14 people with a maximum of 18
Start/Finish
Colombo - Colombo
Extensions
Maldives extension (5 days & 4 nights) from £2,495
Highlights
See the Dambulla Cave Temple and Sigiriya Rock Fortress
The Dambulla Cave Temple is a sacred pilgrimage site. A UNESCO Heritage Listed Site, it features Buddhist mural paintings, 157 statues, and 5 sanctuaries. Meanwhile, the Sigiriya Rock Fortress is a massive column of rocks that reach nearly 200 meters high. The site dates back to 477-495 AD and features the ruins of a once-historic palace.
Enjoy a Puja Ceremony at the Temple of the Tooth
A puja ceremony occurs when people provide offerings and prays in a heavily guarded room at the Temple of the Tooth. The temple is most famous for containing Sri Lanka’s most important relic – a tooth of the Buddha. The temple is also ornately decorated with historical artefacts, and there are surrounding smaller temples, shrines, and museums to explore.
Stay in a Traditional Converted Tea Factory
Enjoy a 2-night stay at the Heritance Tea Factory in Nuwara Eliya. The factory is located at the highest peak of Sri Lanka, offering gorgeous views of the mountain ranges. While there, you will enjoy comfortable accommodation and modern amenities, and you will get the chance to explore the tea terraces and sample a wide variety of exotic tea flavors.
Complete Your Tour With a Relaxing Stay on a Beach
After an exciting and memorable tour of Sri Lanka, unwind and relax with a 2-night stay at Heritance Ahungalla. The hotel is conveniently located near a beach, giving you the opportunity to sunbake in the pleasant warmth, enjoy a splash in the water, and walk across the sandy terrain as the sun sets.
Recommended Hotels
Cinnamon Lakeside – Heritance Kandalama – Heritance Tea Factory – Cinnamon Wild – Heritance Ahungalla (or upgrade to Taj Bentota Resort & Spa)
Sample Itinerary
Shri Lanka: The Enchanted Island
This sample itinerary will give you a clear and detailed explanation of what to expect during your journey. Along the way you will explore magical national parks full of wildlife, visit a local tea plantation and sample a variety of locally brewed flavors, and visit the town of Sigiriya to marvel at the unique rock formations. Not to mention the Royal Botanic Gardens, which contains 60 hectares of more than 10,000 trees.
Day 1: Fly to Colombo
Fly overnight from London to Colombo. Regional connections available.
(N)
Day 2: Colombo
Arrive in the afternoon and transfer to Cinnamon Lakeside for 1 night. Enjoy afternoon tea at the Galle Face Hotel, located in the heart of Colombo, along the seafront and opposite the Galle Face Green ocean-side urban park.
(N)
Day 3: Dambulla
Transfer to Dambulla in the morning. Stay 3 nights at the Heritance Kandalama, a luxury hotel surrounded by dense green forest and impressive wall rocks.
(B)
Day 4: Anuradhapura • Mihintale
Drive to the ancient city of Anuradhapura. A UNESCO Heritage Listed Site, the city was once engulfed in dense, inaccessible jungle and debris, but after a successful restoration effort, the palaces, monasteries, and monuments are now open to the public.
Visit Mihintale in the afternoon, a mountain peak near Anuradhapura. The site is believed to be the birthplace of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, due to a meeting between the Buddhist monk Mahinda and King Devanampiyatissa.
(B)
Day 5: Sigiriya • Polonnaruwa
In the morning, visit the town of Sigiriya. This place features an ancient rock fortress that reaches 200 meters high, and it dates back to the reign of King Kasyapa between 477 – 495 AD. At the top of the summit lies the ruins of an ancient capital, which has a series of galleries and staircases that emerge from the mouth of a gigantic lion structure.
From there, head to the ancient city of Polonnaruwa, the former second capital of Sri Lanka after the destruction of Anuradhapura in 993. The site contains various monumental ruins and archaeological treasures, giving visitors a rough idea of what the building looked like all those years ago.
(B)
Day 6: Dambulla • Kandy
In the morning visit Dambulla, home to the UNESCO Heritage Listed cave temples. The temple structure contains 5 separate caves, about 150 authentic Buddha statues and paintings, and superb views of the surrounding countryside outside.
Then proceed to the hill station of Kandy and stay 2 nights at the Earls Regency. In the afternoon, take a tour of Kandy. Top attractions here include the Sir Dalada Museum, the Kandy Garrison Cemetery, and the World Buddhism Museum.
In the evening, watch a traditional Kandyan dance performance, and then visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic to watch the puja ceremony, which includes a combination of prayers and offerings to a deity.
(B)
Day 7: Kandy
In the morning, visit the Royal Botanical Gardens, the largest and most extensive in Sri Lanka. The 60-hectares large gardens are home to more than 10,000 trees, which showcases Sri Lanka’s unique flora and lavish native species.
Enjoy afternoon leisure.
(B)
Day 8: Nuwara Eliya
Drive to Nuwara Eliya hill station in the early morning via a tea plantation. Often referred to as ‘Little England,’ this charming station is rich with exciting winding roads and lush green valleys that exude warmth and elegance. Stay at the Heritance Tea Factory for 2 nights.
(B)
Day 9: Horton Plains
Visit Horton Plains in the early morning. During this 2.5 hour walk, you will witness one of Sri Lanka’s highest plateaus, which provides breathtaking panoramic views of the mountain ranges and hillsides.
Horton Plains is also inhabited by a large population of monkeys and sambar deer. The monkeys have thick blankets of fur to ward off the night chill, while the sambar deer roam in large herds across Horton Plains. Enjoy leisure for the remainder of the day.
(B)
Day 10: Ella • Yala
Transfer to Ella, a popular hill-country village in the Badulla District of Uva Province. Ella is most notable for its incredible scenery. In particular, the Ella Gap, where the break in the mountains gives you a clear view of what is ahead and is a true sight to behold at night time.
Visit the Rawana Ella Falls and Buduruwagala statues before proceeding to Yala. Stay 2 nights at the Cinnamon Wild.
(B)
Day 11: Yala
Take a morning wildlife safari trip in Yala National Park. Yala is the most visited national park in Sri Lank and is home to 44 varieties of mammal and 215 bird species.
Also, the animals are in a variety of beautiful settings, including riversides, scrubs, and brackish lagoons. Common animals you will see include leopards, elephants, a wide variety of bird species, crocodiles, wild pigs, and sambar deer.
(B)
Day 12 & 13: Galle • Ahungalla
Drive to the small coastal town of Ahungalla. Along the way, visit the Elephant Transit home and tour the Galle Fort. Upon arrival, stay at the Heritance Ahungalla for 2 nights. Optional upgrade to the Taj Bentota Resort & Spa (Superior Charm Seaview room) from £85. The next day enjoy leisure.
(B)
Day 14: Fly to London
Transfer to Colombo. Fly to London.
(B)
