8-Day Sri Lanka Heritage Tour with Ella and Udawalawa Safari

• Proceed early in the morning at 7:30 to Anuradhapura. Anuradhapura is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, famous for its well-preserved ruins of ancient Lankan civilization. From the 4th century BC, it was the capital of Sri Lanka until the beginning of the 11th century AD. During this period, it remained one of South Asia's most stable and enduring centres of political power and urban life. The ancient city, considered sacred to the Buddhist world, is today surrounded by monasteries covering an area of over sixteen square miles (40 km²).

• Visit:

  • The Sri Maha Bodhi: an offshoot of the historical Bodhi tree under which Buddha became enlightened, planted in Anuradhapura in 288 BC.

  • Abhayagiri Dagaba: one of the world's most sacred Buddhist pilgrimage sites with extensive ruins.

  • Ruwanwelisaya Stupa, considered a marvel for its architectural qualities.

  • Thuparamaya: the collarbone of Buddha is enshrined in the chaitya of Thuparamaya. It is the first dagaba built in Sri Lanka.

  • Lovamahapaya: also known as Brazen Palace, Lovamahapaya is a complex that was once a remarkable structure of its kind.

  • Jetavanaramaya: the largest stupa in Sri Lanka. It was the third-largest structure in the ancient world.

  • Mirisaveti Stupa: built by King Dutugamunu after defeating King Elara. A legend associates it with the relics of Lord Buddha.

  • Lankarama: a stupa constructed by King Valagamba in an ancient place.

Overnight stay in a 3-star hotel in Anuradhapura

• Drive to Dambulla after breakfast.

• Proceed to the Dambulla Caves. Dating back to the 1st century BC, this is Asia's most impressive cave temple. It has five caves under a vast overhanging rock, carved with a drip line to keep the interiors dry. In 1938, the architecture was embellished with arched colonnades and gabled entrances. Inside the caves, the ceilings are painted with intricate patterns of religious images following the contours of the rock. There are images of the Lord Buddha and bodhisattvas, as well as various gods and goddesses.

• Go to Sigiriya Rock and climb the rock. Sigiriya is one of the most valuable historical monuments of Sri Lanka. Referred to by locals as the Eighth Wonder of the World, this ancient palace and fortress complex has significant archaeological importance and attracts thousands of tourists annually. It is probably the most visited tourist destination in Sri Lanka.

Overnight stay in a 3-star hotel in Sigiriya

• Go to Kandy. The name Kandy is derived from the Sinhalese. In Sinhala, Kandy is called Maha Nuvara, meaning 'Great City' or 'Capital', although this is most often shortened to Nuvara.

• Visit the Royal Botanical Garden. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya, are about 5.5 km west of Kandy in the Central Province of Sri Lanka. It attracts 2 million visitors annually and lies near the Mahaweli River. It is renowned for its collection of orchids.

• Make the second stop of the day at the famous Kandy Temple of Tooth. Sri Dalada Maligawa, or the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, is a Buddhist temple in Kandy, Sri Lanka. It is located in the royal palace complex of the former Kingdom of Kandy, which houses the relic of the tooth of the Buddha.

• Visit the Bahirewonkanda Temple. Rising from a hill adjoining the holy city of Kandy is the Buddha statue of Bahirawa Kanda. The statue is a mere 2 km from the Temple of the Tooth Relic and was built in 1972.

• Take a stroll around Kandy Lake after lunch. Kandy Lake, also known as Kiri Muhuda or the Sea of Milk, is an artificial lake in the heart of the hill city of Kandy, Sri Lanka, built in 1807 by King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe next to the Temple of the Tooth.

• End your first day in Kandy with the Kandy Cultural Dance Show. Sri Lanka, a country rich in culture and tradition, offers a very vibrant and unique show of Sri Lankan traditional dances in the form of a Kandy cultural show. The beat of dancing from 'Salupliya' depicts several demons, and 'Thelme' is a vibrant expression of low-country rhythm. Fire and Harvest dances are accompanied by ceremonial drums and the drum orchestra, rising and falling to a lively tempo. The Kandy Lake Club dance troupe performs as many as 12 different folk and traditional dances within one hour.

Overnight stay in a 3-star hotel in Kandy

• Visit the Spice Garden in Mawanella, where you can gain knowledge of the various spices used for medicines, cosmetics, as well as to flavour foods.

• Make the second stop at Pedro Tea Factory, Nuwara Eliya, Central Province.

• Transfer to Nuwara Eliya, the heart of the tea industry. On your way, you will see acres and acres of greenery, tea plantations all around, and tea pluckers working on the slopes, butterfly-like in their colourful sarees.

• Visit a tea plantation, step into a nearby tea factory, and experience an instructive glimpse of the manufacture of Ceylon Tea.

• Go to the third stop at Nuwara Eliya Golf Course, Nuwara Eliya, Central Province.

• Explore the city of Nuwara Eliya in the evening. The town of Nuwara Eliya enjoys spring-like weather throughout the year. A favourite retreat of the British during colonial times, the town is dotted with English country-style houses and half-timbered bungalows.

• Proceed to the fourth stop at Victoria Park of Nuwara Eliya, Nuwara Eliya, Central Province. It is an attractive and well-used oasis. It is popular with birdwatchers at quieter times because of the good opportunities it gives to see various species.

• Head to the fifth stop at Gregory Lake, Nuwara Eliya, Central Province. Gregory Lake was constructed during the period of British Governor Sir William Gregory in 1873.

Overnight stay in a 3-star hotel in Nuwara Eliya

• Visit the Tea Lands. Ceylon tea is known all over the world for its taste and flavour. Ella is a place enriched with tea plantations, so why not see how your tea is made?

• Climb up Little Adam's Peak. Little Adam's Peak is the nephew of Adam's Peak. Enjoy the view over the valley from the top, relax, and connect with other travellers. From Ella Town to the foot of the mountain takes 45 minutes, and getting to the top takes around 15 minutes. The first 45 minutes are also very pleasing as you pass a local village and tea plantations.

• Do your third activity by walking along the rails on the Nine Arch Bridge. This now world-famous bridge is located just outside Ella Town and in the same area as Little Adam's Peak. With a 30-minute walk through the woods, you will find beautiful architecture hidden between lush green tea fields.

• Visit the Demodara Loop; this spiral railway is recognised as one of the fascinating civil engineering marvels in Sri Lanka.

Overnight stay in a 3-star hotel in Ella

• Hike up to the top of Ella Rock for sunrise. If you are up for a more significant challenge, hike to the top of Ella Rock. Little Adam's Peak is a laugh compared to this one. It takes 2 hours to hike from bottom to top.

• Get a shower at Ravana Falls.

• Ready to escape a bit of the afternoon heat? A quick 10-minute drive from town is Ravana Falls. It is located next to the main road, so you can easily take a dip - much easier than Diyaluma Falls. Ravana Falls has become a viral site, with locals and foreigners stopping by to enjoy nature and cool down in the water.

• End the day with a visit to the historical Ravana Cave. History says that King Rawana used the cave to hide Princess Sita. Located about 2 km from Ella town, the cave lies on the face of a cliff.

Overnight stay in a 3-star hotel in Ella

• Dedicate this day to a jeep safari tour in Udawalawa National Park. Udawalawe is undoubtedly the best place in Sri Lanka to see wild Asian elephants throughout the year. There are about 500 elephants in the park, and they often roam in herds of up to 100. Comprised mainly of grasslands and bush forests, it is also one of the best national parks in Sri Lanka for game spotting. Keeping company with the herds of elephants, the main attractions of the park are the water buffalo, wild boar, spotted deer, sambur deer, jackal, black-naped hare, mongooses, bandicoots, foxes, the endemic toque macaque and gray langurs. Sighting a leopard and other smaller cats, like fishing cats and jungle cats, would be a bonus.

Overnight stay in a 3-star hotel in Udawalawa

• Take a magical boat ride down the beautiful Madu River, a wetland estuary spreading over 900 hectares, of which 770 hectares are covered with water and inhabited by 64 islands. The boat ride is a beautiful way to look at this complex wetland ecosystem, a world heritage site protected by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, and one of the last wetlands in Sri Lanka to contain a pristine mangrove forest.

• Journey past massive mangrove forests and glide under the canopy of forest tunnels as they curve playfully towards the watercourse.

• Take in the unique biodiversity of the Madu River and its surrounding islands, which boast hundreds of birds, plants, fish and animals.

• Drive down to Galle on the highway after an exciting Madu River boat trip.

• Visit a turtle hatchery near Galle to see various species of sea turtles; if you wish, you could even release a baby turtle into the ocean.

• Proceed to Koggala to witness Sri Lanka's most photographed iconic stilt fishermen, who sit on perched poles in the shallow waters of the Indian Ocean waiting for their daily catch, followed by a visit to Galle market and fishermen selling their daily catch by the beach in Galle town.

• Take a leisure stroll in the best-preserved colonial fort in South Asia, relive 500 years of history, and be captivated by its glorious past. The Portuguese initiated this magnificent piece of architecture, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the 16th century. It saw some of its best days during Dutch rule in the 18th century until the British took over in 1796.

• Enter the fort through the main entrance, which bears the carved logo of the British monarch on the outer wall and the VOC symbol of the Dutch East India Company on the inner wall.

• Observe the magnificent buildings with their old stone walls, the ramparts, Dutch colonial villas, the clock tower, the Old Dutch Hospital, Dutch-period houses, the beautiful Dutch Reformed Church, and the old breadfruit tree, thought to be the oldest breadfruit tree in the country.

• Hear about the fascination of the countryside, a living historical site and not just another well-preserved piece of architecture. The countryside, covering 52 hectares of land, is one of the busiest places in Galle, with a multi-ethnic population living within its walls.

• Walk around the old town and the ramparts; visit the Maritime Museum, countryside temple, antique shops, countryside mosque, and the many hotels and restaurants.

• Enjoy the beautiful view of the Indian Ocean over the fort walls.