13-Day Sri Lanka Cultural and Wildlife Tour with Scenic Train Ride

Pick up from the airport and drive to Negombo. Visit the fish market and relax on the beach. Overnight stay at Goldi Sands or a similar hotel in Negombo.

Your next destination is Wilpattu National Park, where the safari starts at 2:00 p.m. Here, you can see the natural habitats of wild animals such as the Sri Lankan leopard and Sri Lankan sloth bear. Wilpattu is also the largest national wildlife reservoir and one of the most attractive parks in Sri Lanka. Drive back to the hotel in Wilpattu. Overnight stay at The Backwaters Lodge or a similar hotel in Wilpattu.

Visit Polonnaruwa, the former capital of Sri Lanka for about 200 years. You can explore the archaeological museum, royal palace, audience hall, swimming pool, Sacred Quadrangle, Shiva Devale, Pabalu Vehera, Rankoth Vihara, Kiri Vihara, the Buddha statue at Lankatilaka, and the Buddha figures at Gal Vihara. Overnight stay at Hotel Sudu Araliya or a similar hotel in Polonnaruwa.

Drive to Sigiriya. Remarkable tourist activities in Sigiriya include a village tour to experience ancient village life and day-to-day activities, including ox-cart rides, catamaran rides, a walk through the paddy fields, a cookery demonstration of traditional Sri Lankan foods, and a traditional meal.

You can dedicate the whole evening to visiting Pidurangala Rock in Sigiriya to catch the sunset scenery. Overnight stay at Amaya Lake or a similar hotel in Dambulla.

You are picked up at 7:00 a.m. from your residence in Sigiriya and driven straight to Lion Rock. You will visit the eighth wonder of the world, which contains enormous walls, water canals, security guard rooms, natural stone arches, the Mirror Wall, and the world-famous Sigiri paintings. It is an isolated rock kingdom more than 200 m in height. You will need to spend more than two and a half hours here.

Your second destination is Dambulla Cave Temple, the largest and best-preserved cave temple in Sri Lanka. The caves were converted into a temple complex by King Walagamba during the 1st century. There are about 153 Buddha statues and murals covering 2,100 square meters. You will need around one and a half hours to cover the entire temple complex.

Drive to Kandy. Enjoy a Kandyan dancing event in the evening between 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Finally, visit the Temple of the Tooth Relic. Lord Buddha's most sacred molar tooth is placed in seven golden caskets under a golden ceiling. Overnight stay at Queens or a similar hotel in Kandy.

Pick up at 7:00 a.m. from your hotel, then drive to Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage to see milk feeding and elephant bathing. Visit the Royal Botanical Garden, which is filled with colourful flowering plants, herbal plants, endemic and epidemic plant species, and palm family trees. Altogether, more than 4,000 varieties can be seen here. The world's giant bamboo tree species are found only here. There are more than 100 species of ferns, and the largest variety of orchid plants, as well as lotus and water lilies, are grown in artificial ponds in the garden. Then you will head to the viewpoint of Kandy. Overnight stay at Suisse or a similar hotel in Kandy.

Drive to Adam's Peak. Another World Heritage and multi-religious place in Sri Lanka, it is an isolated mountain peak rising 7,359 feet above sea level. Adam's Peak is one of the most sacred, highly valued, and attractive places among local and foreign tourists. The season begins on the full moon Poya day in December and ends on the full moon Poya day in May. It is not easy to climb the rock during the weekend because it is too crowded with local pilgrims.

You can start the journey in the evening or at midnight to avoid the heat of the sun during the daytime. Sunrise is another amazing sight you can see from the top of the hill, and the temperature is less than 15 c0. Therefore, make sure to pack warm clothes and equipment according to your needs. Stay overnight at the top of the mountain. Stay at Heaven Hills or a similar hotel in Adam's Peak.

In the morning, after seeing the sunrise, come back to the hotel. In the evening, drive to Nuwara Eliya. Overnight stay at Lourdes or a similar hotel in Nuwara Eliya.

The journey begins from Nuwara Eliya (Nanuoya) Railway Station in the morning. It takes nearly 3 hours and 30 minutes to reach Ella. This is the iconic scenic train journey in Sri Lanka. The train takes you past green hills of tea plantations, lovely old tunnels, waterfalls, stunning landscapes, and traditional village life along the way. Then, drive to the hotel in Ella. In the evening, after a walk of about 30 minutes towards the train track, you can see Nine Arch Bridge. Overnight stay at Ella's Edge Resort or a similar hotel in Ella.

Drive to Mirissa. On the way, you can see the Hummanaya blowhole and a turtle hatchery. Hummanaya Blowhole pumps seawater up to 40 feet through a natural hole between two close rocks and splashes water into the sky. Overnight stay at Paradise Beach Club or a similar hotel in Mirissa.

The dolphins and whales watching tour begins at 6:00 a.m., and you will need to spend nearly 4 hours on it. Next, you can see stilt fishing and then drive to the World Heritage site of Galle Fort, built by the Portuguese and reconstructed during the Dutch period. Overnight stay at Vibration Hotel or a similar hotel in Hikkaduwa.

First, see the coral reefs and enjoy scuba diving and snorkelling under the safety supervision of well-experienced professionals. The Hikkaduwa coastal area is most suitable for surfing from November to April. In the evening, you can enjoy a Madu riverboat safari and get natural fish therapy for relaxation. Overnight stay at Hotel Wunder Bar or a similar hotel in Bentota.

There are no itinerary plans today, and you will be dropped back at the airport according to your flight departure time.