11-Day Sri Lanka Highlights Tour with Bentota Beach and Sigiriya

• Meet your tour guide upon arrival in Sri Lanka and transfer to Negombo. Negombo is a major city in Sri Lanka, situated on the west coast at the mouth of the Negombo Lagoon in the Western Province, 38 km (24 mi) from Colombo via the Colombo-Katunayake Expressway. It is one of the major commercial hubs in the country and the administrative centre of Negombo Division. Negombo has a population of about 142,136 within its divisional secretariat division, and its municipal boundary fully extends throughout this area. The city is known for its long sandy beaches and centuries-old fishing industry. Negombo also has a large bilingual (Sinhala/Tamil) population with a clear Roman Catholic majority.
• See the following sites in Negombo:
  • Main fish market (Each day, fishers take their oruvas, or outrigger canoes, and go out in search of the fish for which Negombo is famous.)
  • Negombo Beach
  • Hamilton Canal
  • Fish market
  • Dutch Fort
  • Negombo Beach Park
  • Angurukaramulla Temple
  • St Mary's Church

Overnight stay and dinner at the hotel.

• Enjoy a delicious breakfast at your hotel. Bentota and its breathtaking sandy beach pretty much transform your dreams and visions of a tropical paradise into an everyday reality.
• Indulge in water sports, visit a turtle hatchery, and enjoy a safari on the Madu River.

Overnight stay and dinner at the hotel.

• Spend another day indulging in various activities in Bentota.

Overnight stay and dinner at the hotel.

• Enjoy a delicious breakfast at your hotel. Head to Nuwara Eliya, a city in the tea country hills of central Sri Lanka. The naturally landscaped Hakgala Botanical Gardens display roses and tree ferns and shelter monkeys and blue magpies. Nearby, Seetha Amman Temple, a colourful Hindu shrine, is decorated with religious figures. Densely forested Galway's Land National Park is a sanctuary for endemic and migratory bird species, including bulbuls and flycatchers.
• See the following sites:
  • Devon Waterfall
  • St. Clair Waterfall
  • Kithulgala River Rafting

Overnight stay and dinner at the hotel.

• Enjoy a delicious breakfast at your hotel. While on your city tour, you will visit Nuwara Eliya. You can see the following:
  • World's End
  • Hanuman Kovil
  • Victoria Park
  • Gregory Lake
  • Seethammann Kovil
  • Haggala Botanical Garden
  • Arvada Spa

Overnight stay and dinner at the hotel.

• Enjoy a delicious breakfast at your hotel. Go to Kandy, a city situated in the centre of Sri Lanka and the socio-cultural capital of the country. Settled in the middle of a glorious mountain setting, Kandy is a delightful holiday destination for travellers who want to experience both the natural beauty and the rich, vibrant culture of the island.
• Visit the tea factory and Ramboda Waterfall.

Overnight stay and dinner at the hotel.

• Enjoy a delicious breakfast at your hotel. While on your city tour, you will visit Kandy, where you can see the following:
  • Temple of Tooth Relic
  • Batik Factory
  • Gem Museum
  • Cultural Show
  • Wood Carving workshop
  • Royal Botanical Garden
  • Kandy Viewpoint

Overnight stay and dinner at the hotel.

• Enjoy a delicious breakfast at your hotel. En route to your destination, you can visit a spice garden in Matale to see many different types of spices for which Sri Lanka is famous. Just 25 km from the hill capital of Kandy, the Matale spice gardens are among the best on the island. You will be introduced to different spices and shown how some of them are grown, and how farmers are grouped in a cooperative to ensure fair prices. You will also be able to purchase spices. The gardens are open to visitors and are a delightful place to stroll through fragrant greenery while learning about nutmeg, pepper vines, clove trees, curry, cinnamon, and the precious cardamom, a relative of ginger. It grows in the shade of high jungle trees and can only be harvested by hand. Visitors may buy spices, traditional remedies, and cosmetics, taste a herbal brew, and in some venues, enjoy the full flavours of Sri Lankan spices over lunch or have an Ayurveda massage based on natural products from the garden.
• See Sigiriya, an ancient rock fortress located in the northern Matale District near the town of Dambulla in the Central Province of Sri Lanka. It is a site of historical and archaeological significance dominated by a massive column of rock approximately 180 m (590 ft.) high. According to the ancient Sri Lankan chronicle, the Culavamsa, this area was once a large forest. After storms and landslides, it became a hill and was selected by King Kashyapa (AD 477-495) for his new capital. He built his palace on top of this rock and decorated its sides with colourful frescoes. On a small plateau about halfway up the side of the rock, he built a gateway in the form of an enormous lion. The name of this place is derived from this structure: Sinhagiri, the Lion Rock, an etymology similar to Sinhapura, the Sanskrit name of Singapore, the Lion City. The capital and the royal palace were abandoned after the king's death, and it was used as a Buddhist monastery until the 14th century. Sigiriya today is a UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site and one of the best-preserved examples of ancient urban planning.
• Visit the Dambulla Cave Temple.

Overnight stay and dinner at the hotel.

• Enjoy a delicious breakfast at your hotel. Go to Polonnaruwa, also referred to as Pulathisipura and Vijayarajapura in ancient times. It is the main town of Polonnaruwa District in North Central Province, Sri Lanka. The modern town of Polonnaruwa is also known as New Town, while the other part of Polonnaruwa remains the ancient royal city of the Kingdom of Polonnaruwa.
  • The second oldest of all Sri Lanka's kingdoms, Polonnaruwa was first established as a military post by the Sinhalese kingdom. It was renamed Jananathamangalam by the Chola dynasty after their successful invasion of the country's then-capital, Anuradhapura, in the 10th century. The Ancient City of Polonnaruwa has been declared a World Heritage Site.
  • Modern Polonnaruwa is undergoing a major development project known as the "Awakening of Polonnaruwa," championed by former President Maithripala Sirisena. It envisions the development of all sectors in Polonnaruwa, including roads, electricity, agriculture, education, health, and the environment.
• Head to Habarana, a small city in the Anuradhapura District of Sri Lanka. The location has some mid-range and upper-range hotels aimed at package tourists and is a departure point for other nearby locations of greater interest. Habarana is a popular tourist destination for safari lovers, as it is the starting point for safaris in the nearby Habarana jungle and the Minnariya sanctuary, which is heavily populated by elephants. Elephant-back riding is also an attraction in this small city. Habarana is situated near the ancient rock fortress and castle/palace ruin of Sigiriya and lies on the main road from Colombo to Trincomalee, Polonnaruwa, and Batticaloa. The population of the city is expected to be in the area of 5,000-10,000. The area has some of the best hotels in the country, and the greenery and wildlife add value, making the location attractive for tourists.
• Join this 2.5-hour tour for a lifetime opportunity to immerse yourself in the nature and culture of a real Sri Lankan village. Your guide-cum-driver will pick you up from your centrally located hotel in Habarana, Sigiriya, or Dambulla and drive by tuk-tuk to Hiriwadunna village, a beautiful rural area in Habarana. The tour starts with a bullock cart ride near the village pond, and there you will experience a boat ride to the other side of the rural village. After a short walk through the paddy fields and vegetable cultivation, you can reach the village house. At the village house, you can relax and taste a delicious Sri Lankan lunch. Then take a tuk-tuk ride back to the tour start point, and after finishing the tour, you will be taken back to your hotel.
  • Places covered: Polonnaruwa Ancient City, Minneriya National Park, and village safari.

Overnight stay and dinner at the hotel.

• Enjoy a delicious breakfast at your hotel. En route to your destination, you can visit one of the most important tourist attractions in Sri Lanka, the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. Volunteers and caretakers provide shelter and care for orphaned, abandoned, and injured elephants within the park. You can watch caretakers feed, bathe, and help these gentle giants. You may also walk with the herd to the nearby river to watch the elephants bathe and play in the water.

Overnight stay and dinner at the hotel.

• Enjoy a delicious breakfast at your hotel. After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport for your departure flight.