13-Day Sri Lanka Cultural Tour with Half-Board and Beaches

1

Day 01

Arrival at Bandaranaike International Airport and Transfer to Negombo

• Arrival at Bandaranaike International Airport. A representative will accompany you to Negombo. Check in to the hotel and relax there in the evening.

2

Day 02

Negombo to Unawatuna via Galle

• After breakfast, proceed to Galle City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site originally built by the Portuguese in the 16th century and then further developed by the Dutch and the British over the next 350 years. It covers nearly 4 sq km and is protected by 12 bastions and connecting ramparts.

3

Day 03

Unawatuna to Ella via Udawalawa

• Breakfast at the hotel. Leave for Ella. Ella is surrounded by hills covered with cloud forests and tea plantations. Due to its elevation, the town has a cooler climate than the surrounding lowlands. The Ella Gap allows views across the southern plains of Sri Lanka. En route, visit Ravana Falls, a popular sightseeing attraction in Sri Lanka. Optional - Udawalawa Safari.

4

Day 04

Sunrise Trek and Sightseeing in Ella

• Early in the morning, trek to Little Adams Peak to catch the sunrise, then return to the hotel for breakfast. After breakfast, proceed to Nine Arch Bridge and swim in a beautiful waterfall. Return to the hotel, then enjoy an evening walk in Ella City to have dinner in fancy restaurants before heading back to the hotel.

5

Day 05

Ella to Kandy via Nuwara Eliya

• After breakfast at the hotel, proceed to Kandy via Nuwara Eliya. Travel to the heart of the country at the highest elevation and reach the rolling clouds above you. Nicknamed "Little England," Nuwara Eliya has many British colonial buildings and architectural wonders that earned it this name. See the mountains covered with tea bushes and cascading waterfalls, and visit the waterfalls and a tea factory.

6

Day 06

Kandy Sightseeing and Cultural Dance Show

• After a lovely breakfast in Kandy, enjoy sightseeing at the Temple of the Tooth Relic, the Royal Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya, an arts and crafts workshop, an oriental marketplace, a bazaar, and a gem lapidary where you can see how rough gems, particularly the famous blue and star sapphires, are mined, cut, and polished using traditional methods. In the evening, enjoy a cultural dance show.

7

Day 07

Kandy to Pasikudha with Dambana Village Visit

• After breakfast at the hotel, proceed to Pasikudha, a small coastal village situated in the east of Sri Lanka, about 35 kilometres from Batticaloa. It is famous for its golden bay and clear, shallow waters where you can wade 50 meters into the sea. On the way to Pasikudah, visit Dambana Indigenous People Village, after which you will proceed onward. Check in to the hotel and relax.
• Activities:
  • Snorkelling in Elephant Rock.
  • Whale watching tour
  • Water sports

8

Day 08

Pasikuda to Trincomalee

• After a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, proceed to Trincomalee. Check in to the hotel and relax. In the evening, proceed to visit the biggest Hindu temple, Koneshwaram.

9

Day 09

Whale Watching and Marble Beach in Trincomalee

• Breakfast at the hotel, then go whale watching, if available on the date, and relax at a beautiful beach called Marble Beach. Afterward, return to the hotel and relax.

10

Day 10

Trincomalee to Sigiriya with Village Experience

• After breakfast at the hotel, proceed to Sigiriya, an ancient city in Sri Lanka. Continue with a Sri Lankan traditional village tour featuring a bull cart ride, a lake ferry ride, and a traditional Sri Lankan rice and curry meal experience. Afterward, check in to the hotel and relax.
• In the evening, leave for a visit to Sigiriya Lion's Rock. Sigiriya, or Lion's Rock, is an ancient rock fortress and palace built during the reign of King Kassapa I (AD 477 - 495). Contemporary with the paintings of Ajantha and Ellora Caves in India, its highlights include the frescoes, Mirror Wall, and the Lion's Paw, and it is one of the Seven World Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka. After visiting Sigiriya Rock, proceed back to the hotel and relax.

11

Day 11

Polonnaruwa and Dambulla Excursion from Sigiriya

• After breakfast, leave for Polonnaruwa. Enjoy a sightseeing tour in the ancient city of Polonnaruwa (11th Century AD), and visit the many sites of archaeological and historical interest in the Sacred City, including the Great Statue, Quadrangle, Royal Palace, Gal Viharaya, Kumara and Lotus Ponds, Thiwanka Image House, and many more. Also see one of the country's most extensive water reservoirs, Parakrama Samudraya, then proceed to Dambulla Cave Temple before returning to the hotel to relax.