8-Day Sri Lanka Heritage and Wildlife Tour from Colombo

• Meet the guide and driver at your Colombo or Negombo hotel. Pick up can be arranged from Bandaranaike International Airport for morning arrivals only.

• Start the 3-hour drive to Pinnewala. 

• Reach Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage in time to see the orphaned baby elephants being bottle-fed. You can also feed and pet them. Have lunch at the restaurant overlooking the river, where the elephants – both young and adults – can be seen bathing and playing.

• Proceed to Sigiriya (Lion's rock), a popular tourist attraction and UNESCO World Heritage Rock Fortress. 

Check-in to the hotel in Sigiriya. Dinner and overnight in Sigiriya.

• Have an early breakfast at the hotel and head straight to the Dambulla Cave Temples. Climb up to these world-renowned cave temples and admire the fascinating interiors with vibrant décor and impressive Buddha statues.

• Head for Kandy, and en route, visit a Spice & Herb Garden and the vibrant Hindu Temple in Matale, with packed lunch.

• Reach Kandy by evening and check-in to the hotel.

• Visit the famous Tooth Temple in Kandy. At 6:30 pm, you can join the “ceremony” to get a glimpse of ‘Buddha’s tooth’.

Overnight in Kandy.

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

• Get back on the road for the drive to Nuwara Eliya. On route, see tea plantations and spectacular views, including those of waterfalls. 

• On the way to Nuwara Eliya, you can visit a Tea factory to see the tea making process and have a nice tea with cake.

• Reach Little England (Nuwara Eliya) after the tea factory and stay overnight.

• Proceed for a sightseeing tour of Nuwara Eliya

• Choose to go boating on Gregory lake, taking a stroll in Victoria Park, visiting the Post Office operating in a colonial Tudor Manor or walking through the Hakgala Botanical Garden. Explore the markets, farms and tea plantations.

• Head to Nanu Oya Railway Station to catch your train to Ella. After dropping you off at the station, your driver will travel to Ella with your luggage by road and wait for your arrival.

• De-board and meet your driver outside the station.

• Begin the 3-hour drive towards Yala and reach by evening. 

Overnight in Yala.

• Go on a game drive in Yala National Park.

• Get back on the road to Mirissa, which will take around 3 hours to reach. 

• Reach Mirissa by afternoon.

Overnight in Mirissa.

• Choose to go on a Whale Watching tour.
• Spend the day on the beaches of Mirissa and enjoy activities like diving and snorkelling.
• Drive to Galle in the evening.

Overnight in Galle.

• Have your breakfast at the hotel.

• Visit the UNESCO Heritage-listed Galle Fort - a Portuguese-built and Dutch-fortified 16th-century fort. You will also see the lighthouse here.

• Take a walk through old town Galle and the Dutch Hospital – now home to a myriad of upmarket boutiques and restaurants.

• Go to the Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery on the way to Colombo and see how they are attempting to raise the survival rate of sea turtles. You will see tiny turtles in tanks and learn about their lifecycle. 

• Reach Colombo late in the evening.

Overnight in Colombo.

• Have your breakfast at the hotel

• Go on a sightseeing tour of Colombo. Enjoy a half-day drive around or full-day tour, depending on the time of your departure.

• Drop off at the international airport for your onward journey.