6-Day Sri Lanka Heritage Tour with Sigiriya and Kandy

• Meet your tour guide upon arrival at the airport and transfer to Negombo. Negombo is a major city in Sri Lanka, situated on the west coast and at the mouth of the Negombo Lagoon in the Western Province.
• Visit the following sites:
  • Negombo Beach
  • St. Mary's Catholic Church
  • Negombo Lagoon
  • Negombo Fish Market
  • Dutch Canal
  • Sri Singama Kali Amman Kovil
  • Negombo Dutch Fort

Overnight stay and dinner at the hotel.

• Enjoy a delicious breakfast at your hotel. En route to your destination, visit one of the most important tourist attractions, the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. Volunteers and caretakers provide shelter and care for orphaned, abandoned, and injured elephants within the park. You can watch the 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.
• Continue to 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 Cūḷavaṃsa, this area was once a large forest, and after storms and landslides, it became a hill 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; Sīnhāgiri, the Lion Rock, an etymology similar to Sinhapura, the Sanskrit name of Singapore, the Lion City. The capital and 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.

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, 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 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.
  • Habarana is a small city in the Anuradhapura District of Sri Lanka. The location has some mid-range and up 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 Minneriya 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 have added 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 Habarana, Sigiriya, or Dambulla hotel and drive by tuk-tuk to Hiriwadunna village, a beautiful rural area in Habarana city. The tour starts with a bullock cart ride near the village pond, followed by a boat ride to the other side of the rural village. After a short walk through the paddy fields and vegetable cultivation, you will 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, visit a spice garden in Matale to see many different types of spices Sri Lanka is famous for. 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 these spices are grown and processed. A processing and training unit has been set up in the area, and 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 an Ayurveda massage based on natural products from the garden.
• Watch a cultural show in Kandy and visit the Dambulla Cave Temple.

Overnight stay and dinner at the hotel.

• Enjoy a delicious breakfast at your hotel. Lying amidst the hills, Kandy is the last capital of the ancient kings of Sri Lanka. While being the second largest city in Sri Lanka, it is also famous for its immense beauty and is named one of the seven UNESCO-declared World Heritage Sites in the country. With its luxuriant prairie, picturesque lake, longest river in the country, and misty mountains, Kandy successfully mesmerizes every visitor. During your city tour, you will visit one of the world's heritage sites as well as a sacred place for Buddhists all over the world, namely:
  • Temple of the Tooth Relic
  • Kandy Viewpoint
  • Royal Botanical Garden
  • World-famous Gem Museum
  • Wood carving workshop
  • Sri Lankan Batik Centre

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.