Itinerary

1. Day 1: Arrival - Sigiriya

   • On your arrival, meet your tour guide at the airport and drive towards Sigiriya. 
   • Visit the Sigiriya Rock. Deep in the middle of Sri Lanka, a massive column of rock juts out from the green tropical forest. It reaches 660 feet tall and features frescoes, graffiti, and landscaped gardens. The rock is known as “Sigiriya” and holds a special place in the island’s cultural history. 
   • Then, head to see Ritigala Rain ruins. Ritigala is a mountain in central Sri Lanka that is home to an ancient Buddhist monastery. It is located 43 km (27 mi) away from the ancient monastic city of Anuradhapura. The ruins and rock inscriptions of the monastery date back to the 1st century BCE.

2. Day 2: Sigiriya

   • Visit Minneriya National Park, situated in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka. The area was designated as a national park on 12th August 1997, having been originally declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 1938. 
   • You can see around 200 elephants here at the same time.
   • Next, head to Pidurangala Rock which is one of the oldest places in the Sigiriya area. You can see a spectacular view of Sigiriya from Pidirangala rock.

3. Day 3: Polonnaruwa

   • Drive to Polonnaruwa for a sightseeing tour. Kings ruled the central plains of Sri Lanka from Polonnaruwa 800 years ago, when it was a thriving commercial and religious center. The glories of that age can be found in the archaeological treasures that still give a pretty good idea of how the city looked in its heyday. 
   • You'll find the archaeological park a delight to explore, with hundreds of ancient structures – tombs and temples, statues and stupas – in a compact core. The Quadrangle alone is worth the trip. That Polonnaruwa is close to elephant packed national parks only adds to its popularity. And with good accommodation and plenty of bikes for hire, the town itself makes a pleasant base for a day or two. Nearby Kaduruwela, 4km east of Polonnaruwa, has the lion's share of banks, shops and other facilities.
   • Return to the hotel.

4. Day 4: Kandy

   • Travel to Kandy, a large city in central Sri Lanka. It is set on a plateau surrounded by mountains, which are home to tea plantations and biodiverse rainforest. The city's heart is scenic Kandy Lake (Bogambara Lake), which is famous for strolling. Kandy is famed for sacred Buddhist sites, including the Temple of the Tooth (Sri Dalada Maligawa) shrine, celebrated with the grand Esala Perahera annual procession. 
   • Visit Dambulla Cave Temple, also known as the Golden Temple of Dambulla. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Sri Lanka, situated in the central part of the country.  The Buddhist temple complex of Dambulla consists of five cave temples carved under a huge overhanging rock. The temples were carved out over several centuries, but the oldest dates back to the 1st-century B.C.E.
   • Many spice gardens exist in and around Kandy, such as the New Ranweli Spice Garden in Kandy, which is located within the Royal Peradeniya Gardens, New Paradise Spice and Herbal Garden in Mawanella, which is on the way to Kandy, Isiwara Ayurvedic Village in Matale which is an hour drive away from Kandy. 
   • See the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic or Sri Dalada Maligawa, 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 Gem Museum, which exhibits rare minerals in the world found in Sri Lanka and the oldest fossils of living beings from the Cambrian era about 541 – 485 million years ago. The museum also gives its visitors detailed knowledge of how Sri Lankan minerals and gems outshine the ones found worldwide. 
   • Visit Peradeniya Botanical Garden and then attend a Kandyan Dance Program.

5. Day 5: Ella

   • Travel to Ella, which has become to go-to town in the hill country for tourists and, as a result, has a reasonably well-established tourism-orientated economy. For example, there is espresso coffee and fish and chips on offer and lounge/backpacker-style bars aimed solely at the visitor. Unfortunately, there is not much more than the touristic infrastructure, which means no local life. The recent push in popularity also means most things you get here are costly. Ella is situated in the middle of beautiful countryside, with small vegetable plots in the valleys, tea plantations on the hill slopes and forests on the tops. 
   • Go for a hike to Little Adam`s Peak and visit Ella Rock. 

6. Day 6: Explore Yala

   • Go for a wildlife safari in Yala National Park. Nestled in the south-eastern corner of Sri Lanka, Yala National Park is the island’s principal national park. It offers the most incredible diversity of animal and birdlife in the country. The habitats found in the park are wide-ranging, from freshwater lakes to beaches, rocky outcrops to green plains and jungle. This creates an area of immense biodiversity and is one of the world’s most popular destinations to spot the elusive leopard, who love to lounge on the huge granite boulders that dot the parkland. 
   • Don't forget to look for pugmarks and follow them! If you’re lucky, a leopard will oblige you with a sighting. If you are fortunate, you might spot a hunt. The grace with which the cat conducts itself is quite a sight to behold. Allow the wilderness to capture your heart fully, just before you capture it on your lenses.  
   • Next, go to Kataragama, a pilgrimage town sacred to Buddhist, Hindu and indigenous Vedda people of Sri Lanka. People from South India also go there to worship. The town has the Kataragama temple, a shrine dedicated to Skanda Kumara, also known as Kataragama deviyo.

7. Day 7: Mirissa

   • Travel to Mirissa, a small town on the south coast of Sri Lanka, located in the Matara District of the Southern Province. It is approximately 150 kilometres south of Colombo and is situated at an elevation of 4 metres above sea level. Mirissa's beach and nightlife make it a popular tourist destination.
   • You will see Dondra, which was historically known as Devinuwara temple port town or Devinuwara temple town. Dondra was, until the late 16th century, a historic temple port town complex. A multi-religious site, its primary deity was the Buddhist god Upulvan. At its zenith, it was one of the most famous religious sites of the island, containing a thousand statues of the various sects of Hinduism and Buddhism. 
   • Next, visit Hummanaya Blowhole, the only known blowhole in Sri Lanka, which is considered the second-largest blowhole in the world. Hummanaya refers to the noise, "hoo", which can be heard a distance away from the active blowhole. 
   • Go for whale and dolphin watching in Mirissa, one of the most exciting water activities you can do during your holiday in Sri Lanka. Often spotted blue whales are the most giant animals globally, and Mirissa is the best place for whale and dolphin watching tours in Sri Lanka. 
   • You can also go for a snorkelling experience in Mirissa.

8. Day 8: Explore Galle

   • Visit Galle Fort, in the Bay of Galle on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka, which was built first in 1588 by the Portuguese, then extensively fortified by the Dutch during the 17th century from 1649 onwards.
   • Return to your hotel. Then, transfer to the airport for departure.