Sri Lanka · Art & Craft

Sri Lankan Crafts and Spices Tour from Kandy

9 Hours Round trip from Pickup service provided in Kandy. Easy pace

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The journey

Trip highlights

01 Visit a spice and herbal garden in Matale
02 Learn how Sri Lankan spices and herbs are grown and processed
03 See the traditional batik-making process in Kandy
04 Watch skilled woodcarvers at work
05 Explore a gem museum and learn about gem crafting
06 Browse for spices, batik products, wooden souvenirs, and jewelry
07 Travel in a private air-conditioned vehicle from Kandy

Discover Sri Lanka’s rich traditions on a full-day journey from Kandy to Matale, combining hands-on cultural insight with time to browse for locally made products. Visit a spice and herbal garden to learn how Sri Lankan spices and herbs are grown, processed, and used, then continue to Kandy’s craft centers to see skilled artisans at work.

Along the way, watch the detailed process of batik-making, explore woodcarving techniques and materials, and visit a gem museum to learn more about Sri Lanka’s renowned gems and jewelry. With private transport and hotel pickup included, this tour is a great choice for travellers interested in crafts, culture, and shopping.

You will get there by 10:00am and will go on ‘The Spice Tour’, an educational tour that shows you the spices and herbs of Sri Lanka and how they are grown and processed at the Spice Garden.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 9 Hours

Tour type Private

Activity level Easy

Accommodation Included

Transport Included

Wheelchair access No

Cities Kandy, Matale

Languages English

Day by day

The itinerary

Day 01

Sri Lankan Crafts and Spices Tour from Kandy

You will start your tour at 9:00am when you are picked up from your hotel in Kandy. You will proceed to Euphoria Spice and Herbal Gardens in Matale, which is the first place in your itinerary. You will get there by 10:00am and will go on ‘The Spice Tour’, an educational tour that shows you the spices and herbs of Sri Lanka and how they are grown and processed at the Spice Garden. You will also learn how to use them to their best effect. Afterwards you will get an opportunity to make purchases of various fresh spices and herbal products.

After finishing the spice gardens tour at approximately 11:30am, you will be moving back to Kandy to visit the Jayamali Batik Factory. You will get there by 12:30 pm. Though it is called a factory, this craft industry is not as large scale as you would expect from its name. Instead it involves a few expert craftspeople, usually women, and a few apprentices. You will get to see the elaborate batik-making process with its detailed crafting. You will also have a chance to purchase some beautiful products made with batik fabrics; such as wall hangers, table cloths, clothing and etc.

After a one-hour visit to the batik factory, you will go for lunch at 1:30pm. You can choose to have lunch at a place of your choice according to your own affordability. The Cinnamon Citadel, Mahaveli Reach or Helga’s Folly are recommended for a delicious lunch.

At 3:00pm after lunch (At your own expense), you will be visiting a Oak Ray Wood-carving center. You will spend an hour at the center and see the process of woodcarving and get to know more about the types of wood used. You will be able to buy purchase some carved wooden souvenirs, if you so wish.

At 4:00pm you will leave the woodcarving center to visit the gem museum, which you will reach by 4:2 pm. You will spend a fun hour and a half at the Tiesh Gem Museum, increasing you knowledge on the gems of Sri Lanka, and the gem crafting process. You will also be able to purchase both crafted gems and gem studded jewelry at the retail shop attached.

You will be finishing your tour and getting back to your hotel at 6:30pm.

The route