Itinerary

1. Day 1: Negombo

   • Welcome to Sri Lanka, and upon touchdown at the airport, our representative will facilitate your transfer to your hotel. Once there, put your bags in one corner of your room, fish out your sandals and head for the warm beaches of Negombo to get a taste of that warm Sri Lankan air.
   • Remember you have a meeting scheduled with your Tour Leader at 6 pm and a chance to spin some yarns over an optional group dinner thereafter.

2. Day 2: Dambulla

   • Following breakfast, watch the locals pick their fish and bargain back and forth like a skilful orator as you meander through the bustling fish market in Negombo. 
   • Pick your way through the stingrays, pearl spots, snappers and a dazzling variety of fish that lie dormant in sharp contrast to the constant chatter of voices. Knives being sharpened and the real hustle of vendors trying to make themselves heard over the fierce competition. 
   • Once you’re done, climb on board your bus and stop at the bewitching 2000 years old Cave Temple en route to Dambulla, where we retire for the night.

3. Day 3: Sigiriya Fortress

   • Rise early today to visit the mysterious Sigiriya Fortress or Lion Rock, rising almost 200 metres from the ground. Getting to the top might do something awful to your thighs, but once you’re there, the views are as spectacular as the frescos that adorn the walls.
   • After you’re done contemplating the mysteries of what instigated the building of this fortress and watching the clouds collect over the canopy of a luxuriant forest, chew on some real food before heading out to Kandy. 
   • Before reaching Kandy, however, treat your stomach to a delicious lunch at a spice garden and also make a pit stop at the Dalada Maligawa Temple to witness (if you’re lucky) the cleansing ceremony of the Buddha’s Tooth Relic.

4. Day 4: Kandy

   • Wake up to a wholesome breakfast and a free day today at Kandy. A good starting point to get a feel of the city might be the lake itself, where you can take a boat ride, step back from the bustle of it all and observe the city at a distance. Alternatively, if you want to get up close to the city’s pulse, there’s no one to stop you from taking a walk around the lake. 
   • Top it off by joining a cooking class and getting yourself acquainted with the country’s culinary delights. Try your hand at that tablespoon of care and a pinch of spice to perfect that local recipe. 
   • However, if all you want to do is raise your feet, there’s no better way to do it than by booking a relaxing massage. 
   • Check with your Tour Leader to coordinate these activities for you and ask for a few more suggestions on how to spend your day.

5. Day 5: Ella

   • Travel from Kandy to Ella by bus and train. 
   • En route, we visit a local tea plantation and factory where we’re taken on a tour and where words such as curl and twist, withering and twining unravel to acquire new meaning. 
   • Step out with your head buzzing with knowledge about what makes Sri Lankan tea one of the best in the world, and step onto another high as we board the scenic train trip to Ella from Nuwaraeliya.

6. Day 6: Ella

   • Make the most of your free day by considering a walk up to Ella Rock via changing vistas of railway tracks, tea plantations, verdant forest and eucalyptus trees standing sentinel to guide you on your way.
   • Trudge through the scarred path that delivers you to the cliff and sit down to decode whether your quickening heartbeat is the result of breathtaking views of Ella town or your effort at getting there. If the walk sounds a bit too physical for your liking, try the Nine Arch Bridge.

7. Day 7: Yala

   • We make our way to the Yala National Park today to hunt for the elusive leopards, bears, elephants, deer and monkeys that might play the understudy to the top feline, but to see them wild and free is indeed a rare opportunity that’s not to be missed.
   • While at the National Park, get as close as you will with elephants at the Elephant Transit Home, an organization that seeks to rehabilitate orphaned elephants and then release them to the wild when they’re fit to begin their life anew.

8. Day 8: Mirissa

   • Today we edge further away to the southern coast of Sri Lanka and one of its most famous beaches. 
   • Join your tour leader as you’re shown the rope whilst you circle the sand and the many restaurants and bars for an evening of music and fun.

9. Day 9: Mirissa

   • There’s more of that lazy vacation feeling today since you’ve got no schedule to keep to today. Blue sea, balmy sun, a crunchy sound of the sand, wide-brimmed hats and cocktails till midnight.
   • Enjoy your free day at Mirissa. However, if you’re visiting Mirissa between November to April, don’t miss out on the opportunity to go whale watching.

10. Day 10: Galle

    • Step into the distinctly different world of Galle Fort with its cobbled streets, neat little pathways, art galleries, coffee shops and Dutch-style houses; the only semblance of a Sri Lankan identity stamped by a carelessly parked tuk-tuk or the inevitable rickety bicycle. 
    • Explore this corner of Sri Lanka and get some historical perspective of the country’s relationship with Europe and the changing fortunes of the fort itself. 
    • Wander around to the Clock Tower and perhaps take a moment to reflect on the views of the ocean rushing to embrace the cliffs – a hint of serenity after the buzz of Galle City.

11. Day 11: Colombo

    • Whiz through the city of Colombo on a whirlwind tour as we hit the most interesting and diverse spots the city has to offer. Put a finger to its cultural texture, embrace its bustling streets, visit bargain markets, and uncover a path that is a blend of cultures, religions, and socio-economic classes.
    • From the traditional to the offbeat, discover a life lived by an everyday Sri Lankan right from the Floating Market of Pettah to the Red Mosque, the Ganga Ramaya Buddhist Temple and a lot more. 
    • Later, with the evening closing in, join your tour mates for the last dinner together and drink up to the experiences shared on your Sri Lankan adventure.

12. Day 12: Colombo

    • It’s time now to bid farewell to your tour leader and new friends but, not without a backpack full of memories.