5-Day Sri Lanka Highlights Tour with Sigiriya and Minneriya Safari

• Get picked up by your Sri Lankan tour guide from Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) or your hotel and head towards Dambulla via a Spice Garden.

• Experience Sri Lanka's renowned spices inside an artificial forest, including a free 10-minute head massage.

• Explore and learn about Sri Lankan spices, herbs, and the benefits of Ayurveda in the garden.

• Then, enter the historic caves of the Golden Temple of Dambulla, dating back to the 1st century BC. View the ancient murals depicting the life story of Lord Gautama Buddha and see the hundreds of figurines of Buddha and other deities scattered throughout the five main caves.

• Visit the Cave of the Divine King, the Cave of the Great King, and the Great New Monastery. See the giant golden Buddha statue just a short distance outside the cave complex.

• Later, head to Minneriya National Park and enjoy the sight of over 150 elephants congregating in one place during the famous Great Elephant Gathering, which takes place in the dry season between May and October, on a jeep safari.

• Also, get a chance to see other mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians in the scrublands, forests, and surrounding areas.

Overnight stay at Sigiriya

• Today, climb the 5th-century AD rock fortress of Sigiriya, built by King Kasyapa.

• Walk through the entrance framed by the paws of a lion, which is quite appropriate for its name, "The Lion Rock." View the beautiful unfading murals that brought Sigiriya its fame.

• Climb the steep staircase to see the terraced gardens and still-working cisterns. Walk through the tunnels leading to the palace as you get a feel of the past.

• Get a chance to go on an oxen cart ride and experience the world from the perspective of a village farmer.

• Have a relaxing catamaran safari through a calm lake and walk past the golden fields, ripe with their harvest of paddy.

• Watch an enjoyable traditional cooking demonstration that will teach you the basics of Sri Lankan cuisine.

• Delight your taste buds with a home-cooked lunch made on firewood and served on fragrant lotus leaves placed over woven trays.

Overnight stay at Sigiriya

• Today, head to Kandy with your Sri Lankan tour guide.

• Upon arrival, visit the Temple of the Tooth Relic, a UNESCO World Heritage Site built in the 16th century as a place of veneration and protection for Lord Buddha's sacred tooth.

• Walk through the beautifully embellished passageways and elaborately painted halls in red, cream, and black, lounge against the delicately carved pillars, and admire the beautiful golden statues.

• Then, visit the Gemological Museum and see the history of gem cutting and polishing.

• In the evening, see the Cultural Dance Show.

Overnight stay at Kandy

• Visit the famous Royal Botanical Gardens of Peradeniya, formed in the early 19th century.

• Walk through the vast area containing over 4,000 species of plants. Enjoy learning more about the orchids, spices, and medicinal plants. Wander down avenues shaded by large and rare trees or bordered by flowering plants, and enjoy seeing the cannonball tree.

• Walk over the wobbly suspension bridge and the short hedge mazes, or climb the twisty trees that make excellent jungle gyms.

• Head towards Colombo and explore the local markets and busy streets. Experience the colourful lights and bright life of Colombo, the capital city of Sri Lanka.

• Visit historical monuments such as the Old Lighthouse, the Old Parliament, Galle Face Hotel, Galle Face Green, the National Museum, and more.

• Enjoy the malls of Independence Square or the Race Course, visit boutique shops and designer stores, and enjoy the nightlife as you party till morning.

Overnight stay in Colombo

• Today, head to the airport 4 hours before your flight.