Itinerary

1. DAY 1: AIRPORT - DAMBULLA/SIGIRIYA

   • On arrival, meet & greet at the airport and transfer to hotel in Dambulla/Sigiriya. Check in to the hotel and relax to recover from the jet lag.

   Dinner and overnight stay at hotel in Dambulla/Sigiriya.

2. DAY 2: SIGIRIYA ROCK FORTRESS - MINNERIYA NATIONAL PARK JEEP SAFARI

   • Eat breakfast at the hotel.

   • Visit the Sigiriya Rock Fortress. Sigiriya Rock Fortress is a UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of the most dramatic, inspiring and beautiful historical locations in the world. A mythical past of feuding dynasties suits Sigiriya’s striking setting- it was built in the 5th century AD by a king, Kasyapa, as a fortress-palace. The palace complex at the foot of the rock still has four indoor swimming pools where the king’s 500 concubines bathed. The mirror walls of the Sigiriya rock still retain the world-famous frescoes of the king’s concubines, who originated from all parts of the world. The palace structure was built with complex water arteries in the walls that provided natural air conditioning in the hot climate. 

   • On the summit, reached with the help of metal staircases and ladders, you can see the remains of the palace walls, gardens and ponds. 

   • Head for a thrilling jeep safari at Minneriya National Park in the afternoon. The park is home to the large and ancient Minneriya Tank, and it boasts an enormous variety of habitats and wildlife, covered in dry tropical forest, grasslands and wetlands. During the safari, you can often spot large numbers of Sri Lankan Elephants gathering around grass fields on the edges of the reservoir during the dry season, offering visitors an unforgettable sight. These elephants gather to socialize, bathe, feed and mate. Minneriya also hosts more than 160 species, a few of which are endemic to Sri Lanka, such as the Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot, the Sri Lanka Jungle Fowl, and the Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill. Large mammals, including sloth bears, sambar deer, axis deer, and smaller mammals such as the Purple-Faced Langur, Toque Macaque, and the Grey Slender Loris, Saltwater crocodiles and other reptiles, including monitor lizards and snakes, add another dimension to this rich ecosystem.

   Dinner and overnight stay at hotel in Dambulla/Sigiriya.

3. DAY 3: DAMBULLA ROCK CAVE TEMPLE - MATALE - KANDY

   • Savour breakfast at the hotel.

   • Visit Dambulla Rock Cave Temple. Dambulla Cave Temple, also known as the Golden Temple of Dambulla. The largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka, the rock from which the caves were carved towers 160 meters (520ft) over the surrounding plains. A total of 153 Buddha statues, three Sri Lankan kings and four statues of gods and goddesses also stand on the site.

   • Continue your journey to the hill capital of Kandy. Eminent as the centre of Buddhism and the capital of the last Sinhalese kingdom.

   • En route, visit a spice garden in Matale to see many different spices Sri Lanka is famous for. You will be introduced to other herbs and shown how some of these spices are grown and processed. Gardens are open to visitors, a delightful place to stroll in fragrant greenery and learn about nutmeg, pepper vines, clove trees and curry, cinnamon and the precious cardamom, a relative of ginger. It grows in the shade of high jungle trees and can only be harvested by hand.

   • Enjoy a traditional cultural dance performance, a vibrant and unique fire and Harvest dance accompanied by Ceremonial Drums and the Drum Orchestra rising and falling to the lively tempo. The show's highlight is the fire walking show, where the artists walk through a specially prepared fire pit, roughly 8 feet by 3 feet covered with red-hot charcoal, completely barefoot.

   Dinner and overnight stay at hotel in Kandy.

4. DAY 4: KANDY

   • Consume breakfast at the hotel.

   • Visit the Temple of Tooth Relic for the morning ceremony, the stunning 17th century Temple of the Tooth (Sri Dalada Maligawa) is believed to house the left upper canine tooth of the Lord Buddha himself. Every day, this precious relic attracts white-clad pilgrims, bearing lotus blossoms and frangipani.

   • Make a sightseeing tour of Kandy by visiting the upper lake, oriental market place, a bazaar.

   • Visit the Royal Botanical Gardens at Peradeniya, the largest of Sri Lanka’s botanical gardens displaying over 4000 different species of plants and is regarded amongst the most superior in Asia. The focal points include the superb Orchid collection and a mighty avenue of Royal Palm Trees. In addition to a plethora of flowering plants, there is also an extensive collection of medicinal plants and spices which can be spotted on your meander across the gardens.

   Dinner and overnight stay at hotel in Kandy.

5. DAY 5: KANDY - NUWARA ELIYA BY TRAIN

   • Rise for breakfast at the hotel.

   • Transfer to Kandy Railway station.

   • Make a scenic train trip to Nuwara Eliya, also known as Sri Lanka’s “Little England”, which is the prime hill resort of the country. At approximately 2000 m above sea level, the city has an abundance of lush tea plantations and jaw-dropping scenery. Its nickname comes from the many English style bungalows and buildings still in existence today.

   • The train journey weaving through the scenic hill country is one of the most beautiful explorations in Sri Lanka. From the edge of soaring mountains, you will oversee the branching valleys from the mist capped mountains, sloping lush green tea plantations, villages dotted with houses, thick forests and whooshing waterfalls.

   • Pick up from Nanu Oya Train station.

   • In the evening, walk in the British city and visit a local market.

   Dinner and overnight stay at hotel in Nuwara Eliya.

6. DAY 6: NUWARA ELIYA - HORTON PLAINS

   • Early breakfast at the hotel.

   • Leave for visiting the Horton Plains. The Horton Plains National Park is the highest plateau in Sri Lanka and hosts a unique eco-system, and was designated a UNESCO world heritage site. The park views are dominated by panoramic rolling grass plains, with occasional peaks topped by patches of montane forests. Most of its flora and fauna are endemic to Sri Lanka. Among many unique wildlife, dusky striped squirrel, giant squirrel, brown mongoose, rhino-horned lizard, pygmy lizard and the black cheeked lizard are a few. The park has a healthy population of sambar deers frequently spotted grazing. The most popular and accessible foot trail is called the world’s end & baker’s falls round trail.

   • Visit the tea plantation and a tea factory on the island where the best tea in the world is produced. Watch the tea pluckers pick two leaves and a bud with deft hands.

   • Then to the factory, where the all-important conversion to “make” black tea happens. The machinery used is a traditional British design, some as old as 100 years, and the process is very artisanal, unchanged for a century. Observe the method of manufacturing tea, tea grading and taste a cup of pure Ceylon tea.

   Dinner and overnight stay at hotel in Nuwara Eliya.

7. DAY 7: NUWARA ELIYA - KITULGALA - NEGOMBO

   • Get up for breakfast at the hotel. 

   • Visit St. Clair Waterfall and leave for Negombo via Kitulgala. Kitulgala is a small town in the west of Sri Lanka. The Kelani River (the broadest river in Sri Lanka) flowing through Kitulgala was the main location where the Oscar-winning movie 'The Bridge over the River Kwai' was filmed. On the hill above this town, a prehistoric cave was recently discovered containing skeletal remains from some unknown civilization. Kitulgala is also a base for white-water rafting, which starts a few kilometres upstream.

   • Check-in at the hotel.

   Dinner and overnight stay at a hotel in Negombo.

8. DAY 8: NEGOMBO - AIRPORT OR BEACH

   • Appreciate the breakfast at the hotel.

   • Transfer to airport for onward flight or to the beach hotel for a continuous beach holiday in Sri Lanka.