1-Day Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage Tour from Kandy with Peradeniya

The journey

Trip highlights

• 01 Visit the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage near Kandy
• 02 Enjoy feeding the little elephants
• 03 Stop at a fragrant Spice Garden on the way back to Kandy
• 04 Explore the beautiful Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya near the Mahaweli River

About a half-hour drive west of central Kandy, visit the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, one of Sri Lanka's most interesting wildlife attractions. Here, you can observe elephants in a natural setting and enjoy the chance to feed the little elephants. Mid-morning is an especially rewarding time to visit, when around 80-100 elephants can be seen bathing, splashing, and enjoying themselves in the river. The tour also includes stops at a Spice Garden and the beautiful Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya near the Mahaweli River.

Mid-morning is an especially rewarding time to visit, when around 80-100 elephants can be seen bathing, splashing, and enjoying themselves in the river.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 1 Day

Tour type Shared

Activity level Easy

Accommodation Not included

Transport Included

Wheelchair access Yes

Cities Kandy, Pinnawala

Languages English

Day by day

The itinerary

1

Day 01

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, Spice Garden and Peradeniya

• Pick up from your hotel in Kandy.
• Leave for Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage and enjoy feeding the little elephants.
• Visit the Spice Garden on your way back to Kandy.
• Go to the Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya near the Mahaweli River.

The route

Where you'll travel

The fine print

Trip details

What's Included

• English-speaking Kandy driver/guide
• Bottled water
• Free Wi-Fi during the whole tour
• Transport by private vehicle
• Transport in an A/C vehicle (van or car)
• Local insurance for the vehicle
• Passenger insurance cover
• Sri Lanka Tourism Board registered license

What's Not Included

• Food
• Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
• Tips and gratuities
• Personal expenses

Know before you go

• Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage is located in Pinnawala, Kegalle District, in Sabaragamuwa Province. It was established in 1975 to shelter and care for wounded elephants and abandoned baby elephants found in the jungle. The main daily activities at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage are feeding milk to baby elephants and bathing sessions. Elephants lie down on the riverbed and allow the people who look after them to scrub and clean their bodies. During bathing time, visitors can see the elephants walk one after another, cross the road, and go down to the river.
• The Spice Garden smells of cinnamon, pepper, cardamom, nutmeg, and mace, and completely overwhelms the senses. Visitors are given an insight into the age-old spice production industry, which attracted many European and Asian merchants to the ports of ancient Sri Lanka.
• The Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya are about 5.5 km west of the city of Kandy in the Central Province of Sri Lanka and attract 2 million visitors annually. They are near the Mahaweli River and are renowned for their collection of orchids.

Logistics

Meeting & route

Meeting point

Kandy, Sri Lanka

Tour start

Kandy, Sri Lanka

Tour ends at the same location as the start point.