5-Day Sri Lanka Highlights Tour from Negombo with UNESCO Sites

• Start at 9.00 am from Negombo and drive to Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage with your Sri Lankan driver.

• Travel through coconut plantations, roof-tiled factories, and paddy fields on the way to the orphanage, where you will see the elephants in the river.

• At 1.15 pm, watch the feeding of the baby elephants before leaving the orphanage.

• Continue through Kurunegala, the town surrounded by seven rocks and the 5th ancient capital of Sri Lanka. Pass Dambulla city en route and proceed to your hotel in Sigiriya.

Overnight stay in Sigiriya

• In the morning at 8.00 am, start driving towards Anuradhapura and begin the city tour of this ancient city, dating from the 3rd century B.C. to the 10th century A.D.

• Visit Sri Maha Bodhi, the oldest tree in the world with a written history. It is a sapling from the original tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment.

• Marvel at Brazen Palace, followed by a visit to the Ruwanveli Seya Dagoba, the biggest dagoba in Sri Lanka. Then continue to Thuparama Dagoba, the oldest dagoba built in the 3rd century B.C., where the right collar bone of Buddha is deposited, and Lankarama Dagoba.

• Take in the wonders of the Elephant Pond, Abhayagiriya Monastery Complex, the world-famous Samadhi Buddha statue, Twin Ponds, the finest stone carving and the meaning of the Moonstone, the guard stone, Jethavanarama Dagoba and museum, and Isurumuniya Temple, known for the stone carving of the Sri Lankan Romeo and Juliet.

• After visiting the city, stop for lunch in Anuradhapura and proceed to Mihintale.

• Visit the Mihintale monastery complex, built in the 3rd century B.C., the place where Buddhism was established for the first time in Sri Lanka. See the ruins of an ancient hospital, the refectory hall, Lion Pond, Cobra Pond, Ambastale, and Mihindu Cave.

• Proceed to Aukana to see the highest Buddha statue in Sri Lanka, carved from a single piece of granite. Standing 13 metres high and built in the 5th century A.D., this statue was built by King Datusena while he was constructing the gigantic reservoir called Kala Wewa.

• Head to Sigiriya.

Overnight stay in Sigiriya

• Start at 8:00 am. After breakfast, leave the guest house to visit the ancient city of Polonnaruwa, dating from the 10th to 12th century A.D.

• Appreciate the artwork at the Modern Museum.

• Pause at the Samudra Parikrama, the gigantic reservoir made by King Parakrama the Great, and marvel at the statue of King Parakrama.

• Explore the popular sites of the city, including the Library Shrine, the Palace of King Parakramabahu, the Council Chamber, and the Kumara Pokuna, a pond used by the royal family with a flowing water system.

• Proceed to visit the Shiva Temple, Thuparama shrine room, glittering statues, Atadage, Hetadage, Vatadage, Stone Book, Rankoth Vehera, Alahana Monastery Complex, and Gal Vihare, a masterpiece of stone carving, as well as Thivanka Image House and the Lotus Pond.

• Head to Habarana for an Ayurveda massage or an elephant safari in the jungle, as you prefer.

• Reach Sigiriya in the evening.

Overnight stay in Sigiriya

• Start at 7:00 am and climb Sigiriya Rock Fortress, built in the 5th century A.D. by King Kasyapa, who was a patricide. Sigiriya has been claimed as the 8th wonder in the world. See the water garden, boulder garden, world-famous paintings, mirror wall, lion's paws, and the swimming pool on top.

• Return to your hotel for breakfast.

• After breakfast, proceed to Dambulla Cave Temple, built by King Walagamba in the 1st century B.C., with 22,000 square feet of ceiling paintings.

• Head next to Nalanda Gedige, a temple built in the geographical centre of Sri Lanka.

• Continue to Matale Aluvihare Temple, where Buddhism was transferred into the form of a book in the 1st century B.C., and then proceed to Kandy.

• Attend a cultural dancing program in the evening.

Overnight stay in Kandy

• Start at 08:30 am.

• Visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, the Botanical Garden, considered the best garden in Asia, Kandy city, and the viewpoint.

• Drive back to Negombo in the afternoon.

Guided tour service ends here.