7-Day Sri Lanka Sightseeing Tour with Heritage, Safari and Beaches

• Arrival at Bandaranaike International Airport.

• Transfer to the hotel.

• Pick up from your hotel and begin the drive to Pinnawala (3 hours).

• Reach the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage in time to see the orphaned baby elephants being bottle-fed. You can also feed and pet them.

• Have lunch at a restaurant overlooking the river, where both young and adult elephants can be seen bathing and playing.

• Visit the Pinnawala Millennium Elephant Foundation, where you can enjoy many activities with elephants, such as riding, walking with them, bathing them, and feeding them. You can also visit an elephant museum.

• Proceed to Dambulla to see the UNESCO World Heritage cave complex.

• Climb up to the world-renowned cave temples and admire the fascinating interiors with vibrant decor and impressive Buddha statues. Then, visit the Golden Temple.

Later in the evening, get back on the road to Sigiriya.

Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel in Sigiriya.

• Head straight to Sigiriya Lion Rock early in the morning. This is the ideal time to beat the heat and crowds at this popular tourist attraction and UNESCO World Heritage rock fortress.

• Make your way up Lion Rock to the ancient citadel at the top and take in the breathtaking scenery around you.

• Climb down and explore the Royal Water Gardens at the base, then take stunning photos of the rock after walking around the terraced summit and learning all about the ancient capital.

• Proceed to the Polonnaruwa archaeological site and begin exploring one of the best-kept ruins of ancient Ceylon - the UNESCO World Heritage City of Polonnaruwa. This was the capital of Sri Lanka from the 11th to 13th century, a well-planned medieval city defended by enclosing walls and graced by palaces, shrines, monasteries, pavilions, parks, ponds, and irrigation lakes. Polonnaruwa is strewn with ruins in a resplendent state of preservation.

• Visit Gal Vihara, which consists of recumbent, standing, and seated Buddha statues cut from a single granite wall and ranked among the true masterpieces of Sri Lankan art.

• Have lunch and proceed for a wild elephant safari at Minneriya or Kaudulla National Park.

Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel in Sigiriya.

• Proceed to Kandy. This lovely city was the last capital of the kingdoms of Sri Lanka before it became a colony of the British Empire.

• Visit a Spice and Herb Garden, Nalanda Gedige, and the vibrant Hindu Temple in Matale (3-5 hour drive depending on stopovers).

• Reach Kandy by afternoon, check in to the hotel, and relax for a few hours.

• Explore the Upper Lake viewpoint, Kandy Lake, and enjoy the Kandyan Dancers' Cultural Show in the evening.

Dinner and overnight stay at a hotel in Kandy.

• Visit the world-famous Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. The temple itself is a sight to behold, and you will also see beautiful white and gold stupas around it. There is also a small museum here that showcases stories and information on Buddhism. Make sure you are there early for the ceremony and join the devotees to get a glimpse of 'Buddha's Tooth Relic'.

• Proceed to Peradeniya Royal Botanical Garden and enjoy the scenic beauty.

• Stop for lunch.

• Visit a Gem Museum after lunch.

• Continue for a sightseeing tour of Kandy or go on a shopping spree. Kandy is well known for gemstone shopping, and your guide can recommend some shops. Ceylon tea, batik textiles, and local crafts also make good souvenirs.

Relax in the evening and overnight stay at the hotel in Kandy.

• Have breakfast and proceed to Nuwara Eliya. On the way, see tea plantations, a tea factory, and spectacular views, including waterfalls (4-6 hours' drive).

• Reach Little England and enjoy the change of scenery as well as the weather, which is a relief from the sweltering cities.

• Go boating on Gregory Lake and visit the Post Office operating in a colonial Tudor manor.

• Head to Nanu Oya Railway Station to catch your train to Ella and experience one of Sri Lanka's most scenic train trips.

• Enjoy one of the most sought-after train journeys in the world, even though it is only for a short distance. The train meanders through tea plantations, hills, and untouched nature, giving you about 3 hours of uninterrupted picturesque views.

• Get picked up from the station at Ella.

• Enjoy lunch in Ella and begin the drive towards Mirissa.

• Visit Ravana Falls en route (5 hours' drive).

Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel in Mirissa.

• Go on a whale and dolphin watching tour early in the morning.

• Proceed to Hikkaduwa.

• Visit Galle Fort, see stick fishing, and stop at other spots en route.

• Enjoy the coral reef and colourful fish by glass-bottom boat at Hikkaduwa Beach.

• Spend some time on the beach or enjoy activities like diving and snorkelling.

• Enjoy the untouched beauty of this quaint beach town for the rest of the day.

• Have dinner and an overnight stay at the hotel in Hikkaduwa.

• Spend some time on the beach early in the morning or enjoy activities like diving and snorkelling.

• Have breakfast, pack up, and start your drive along the coast to Colombo.

• Take a quick tour of the Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery, where you will learn how they are attempting to raise the survival rate of sea turtles.

• Visit the Sri Lanka Tsunami Centre and Photo Museum.

• Opt for a Madu Ganga river boat safari. The ride starts from the place where the Madu Ganga falls into the Indian Ocean. Madu Lagoon is a very wide and beautiful lagoon in Sri Lanka. It is in the wet zone of Sri Lanka and has high biodiversity. Madu River was proclaimed a Ramsar wetland in 2004 and is very famous and popular among nature lovers around the world.

• Reach Colombo by evening and proceed to Colombo Airport for departure.