Sri Lanka (formerly known as Ceylon) is an island nation south of India in the Indian Ocean. The best of Sri Lanka tour lets you explore its diverse landscapes, rainforest and arid plains, highlands and sandy beaches. It’s famed for its ancient Buddhist ruins, including the 5th-century citadel Sigiriya, with its palace and frescoes. The tour also takes you to the city of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka’s ancient capital, which has many ruins dating back more than 2,000 years.

The unique thing about Sri Lanka is that it has something for everyone, year-round. Designed to accommodate everything for everyone, the tour takes you to all major attractions o Sri Lanka.

Overview

Itinerary

Cost

Overview

The unique thing about Sri Lanka is that it has something for everyone, year-round. Designed to accommodate everything for everyone, the tour takes you to all major attractions o Sri Lanka.

Highlights

Visit beautiful Little England Town Nuwara Eliya
Enjoy cooling weather at Hilly town
Experience Sri Lankan rich culture
Visit elephants orphanage
visit Dambula temple in the cave

Day 1 :

Arrive at Colombo International Airport – Transfer to Negombo [about 30 minutes drive]

Welcome to Sri Lanka! Arrival at Bandaranaike International Airport. You are greeted at the airport and transfer to beach hotel in Negombo. Overnight stay at Hotel in Negombo

Day 02 :

Negombo- Sigiriya [4 -5H drive – 170km ]

After breakfast, you will drive towards the central north of the island to the famous Cultural Triangle. Accommodation at the hotel. In the afternoon, visit the fortress of Sigiriya, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Get ready to climb a few flights of stairs to the top, where you can enjoy a stunning view of the sunken gardens and the surrounding countryside. The famous ”Demoiselles” painted on the wall of the rock have lost none of their magnificence even if the mystery of their identity remains till date. Dinner & overnight stay at hotel

Day 03 :

Sigiriya – Polonnaruwa – Minneriya – Sigiriya [2 -3H road , 120 km]

After breakfast, drive to Polonnaruwa, stopping at Habarana tank, surrounded by the forest and dug in the 12th century to irrigate crops. You can visit Polonnaruwa wooded walk or travel by bike from the well-preserved remains of the former royal capital. In the afternoon, you can go on a safari in Minneriya National Park. Each year, the reserve is the scene of a large gathering of elephants in August and September, it's the time when huge herds can be seen on the lake. Dinner & overnight stay at hotel

Day 04 :

Sigiriya – Anuradhapura – Sigiriya [about 4/5h drive – 210 km round trip]

After breakfast, head to the northern tip of the Cultural Triangle towards Anuradhapura, listed on the World Heritage List of UNESCO. On foot or by bicycle, find the remains those are all witnesses of the history of this ancient capital, ever bustling with activity and temples. Do not miss the Sri Maha Bodhi, a plant from the sacred 2500 year old Bodhi tree under which Buddha attained enlightenment. Arm yourself with courage and climb the thousand steps that lead you to the top of the sacred hill of Mihintale. Enjoy a superb panorama. In the month of Poson (June), Buddhists make their pilgrimage to Anuradhapura and Mihintale during the full moon. This festival is celebrated with fervor. Pilgrims come from all over the island to the historical site of the introduction of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. Dinner & overnight at hotel.

Day 05 :

Sigiriya – Kandy (via Dambulla and Matale) [about 2/3h drive – 110km]

After breakfast, begin your descent to the heart of the island. Accompanied by monkeys just hanging out, visit the Dambulla Rock Temple with five caves containing an impressive collection of Buddha statues in the orange colored frescoes representing the key stages of his life. Continue to Matale where culture is king of spices. A visit to a garden is the perfect opportunity to uncover the secrets of aloe vera, cinnamon or vanilla. Arrive in the afternoon in Kandy. Accommodation at the hotel. Discover the sacred city of the Buddhists strolling around the lake, while walking through the market before the evening ceremony at the Temple of the Tooth. The faithful flock to collect, deposit offerings and light oil lamps. The Esala Perahera is an annual 10-day Buddhist festival that occurs during the full moon of the Sinhalese month of Esala, i.e. August. An elephant procession takes place every evening for the duration of the event. Dinner & overnight at hotel

Day 06 :

Kandy and surrounding areas

After breakfast, transfer to Peradeniya Railway Station and travel by train to Rambukkana (subject to availability) then by car to the Pinawela Elephant Orphanage. In the afternoon, visit the beautiful botanical gardens of Peradeniya. Then the end of the day is left free for you to explore Kandy. Dinner & overnight at Hotel.

Day 07 :

Kandy – Nuwara Eliya [about 2/3h drive – 120km]

After breakfast, visit Kandy, the last capital of the Sinhalese kingdom. Walk and stroll through the bustling market and explore the rest of the city. By the lake which the city is built around, you will see the Temple of the Tooth, which contains the most important Buddhist relic of the country, a tooth of Lord Buddha. Then in the evening, head south to reach the highest town in Sri Lanka, Nuwara Eliya. Dinner & overnight stay at hotel.

Day 08 :

Nuwara Eliya – Colombo [ 3hrs Drive]

After breakfast, drive to Colombo (capital city of Sri Lanka). Afternoon make a sightseeing tour of Colombo. Visit 100-year-old clock tower and several British built colonial buildings, Pettah bazaar where one can shop for bargain, a Hindu and Buddhist temple, residential areas where you can find the stately homes of affluent, the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference. Evening at leisure. Dinner & overnight stay in Colombo

Day 09 :

Colombo – Airport & fly home

After breakfast relax in the morning till transfer back to airport.