11 DAYS CLASSIC SRI LANKA (11 Days / 10 Nights)
A classical round tour of the Island, covering Ancieant sites, Tea country, Wild life and Beach drive.
Day 1: Colombo - Pinnawela - Dambulla - Sigiriya
Monday, April 29, 2024 - Tuesday, April 30, 2024
Let’s set off to the Cultural Triangle! First stop and a chance to stretch your legs at Kadjugama, the Cashew Nut town of Sri Lanka. Purchase some of Sri Lanka’s finest nuts. A great gift for someone back at home or to keep as a snack whilst travelling around the island. If it’s your dream to feed an elephant then you must not miss Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage – home to many abandoned or injured elephants. It is one of Sri Lanka’s most visited sites.Our guests love it! Before arriving at your overnight destination - Sigiriya - make a stop at Dambulla and discover the Dambulla Caves Rock Temple dated from First Century B.C.
Arrive in Sigiriya and check into the hotel.
In the morning around 7:30 am leave for Polonnaruwa - a UN World Heritage Site and was the Capital of Sri Lanka from 11th - 13th Centuries. It contains some splendid and spectacular statues. After exploring the ancient ruins, head back to Sigiriya with a stop in Habarana for an 1 hour elephant back safari into the surrounding jungles.
Day 3: Sigiriya - Anuradhapura - Aukana - Sigiriya
Wednesday, May 1, 2024 - Thursday, May 2, 2024
See the 5th century B.C Aukana Buddha. The most magnificent & most well preserved ancient image in Sri Lanka. Visit our most extensive & important ancient city of Anuradhapura from 4th century B.C. Stop of at the 7th century Mahakandarawa stone bridge situated a midst a forest. Visit the local village temple and get an inside into Buddhism from the head monk.
Day 4: Sigiriya - Kandy
Thursday, May 2, 2024 - Friday, May 3, 2024
Climb to the top of the UN World Heritage Site of Sigiriya at 7am. An ancient rock fortress from the 5th Century. Amazing views of the Cultural Triangle!
Continue to Kandy with en route stops. Visit an exotic Spice Garden in Matale where you can be treated to a garden tour and cooking demonstration to understand the taste and aroma of the world famous spices. It is quite touristy however everyone learns something and most love it. Also take time to see the art of batik -the ancient art of dyeing cloth using a resist. Dutch traders were so impressed by this craft that in 1835, they brought Batik artists back to Holland with them when they returned from trading trips.
Arrive into the last stronghold of Sinhala Kings & UN World Heritage Site – the Hill Country capital of Kandy. Late evening witness a cultural dance performance
Day 5: Kandy
Friday, May 3, 2024 - Saturday, May 4, 2024
Explore the city’s Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic.
Wander around the lake and the streets of Kandy getting a feel for this wonderful city. For those interested in shopping for gems, antiques, clothes and leather use our shopping guide and explore the local markets and shops.
Kandy excursions:
- Gem Museum & Factory tour
- Art & Craft Village
- Visit the beautiful Royal Botanical Gardens and see its treasures of tropical flora. Keep an eye out for the amazing fig tree!
Day 6: Kandy - Nanu Oya - Nuwara Eliya
Saturday, May 4, 2024 - Sunday, May 5, 2024
Train journeys in Sri Lanka are an absolute must. Take the most magical train journey through Sri Lanka’s tea country. A fabulous way to see Sri Lanka’s hill villages, tea country and see the daily lives of the local people. (Observation carrage seats only on availability )
Your driver will take your luggage and meet you at the other. It’s hassle free!
Arrive in Nuwara Eliya - land of tea-laden hillsides, gurgling waterfalls, stirring mountains and clear hill-country air. Here, in temperatures akin to a beautiful English summer’s day, is wonderful walking country, a chance to experience Sri Lankan scenery at its finest.
Day 7: Nuwara Eliya - Horton Plains - Nuwara Eliya
Sunday, May 5, 2024 - Monday, May 6, 2024
Its a early start today at 5:30 am! Take a jeep ride around Horton Plains national park a beautiful, silent, strange world with some excellent hikes in the shadows of Sri Lanka. The ‘plains’ themselves form an undulating plateau over 2000m high, covered by wild grasslands and interspersed with patches of thick forest, rocky outcrops, filigree waterfalls and misty lakes.
The plateau comes to a sudden end at World’s End, a stunning escarpment that drops almost straight down for 880m.
Day 8: Nuwara Eliya - Yala - Tissamaharama
Monday, May 6, 2024 - Tuesday, May 7, 2024
Wind past misty mountain peaks and cascading waterfalls and drive down to Yala. After a long journey, we suggest that you spend the rest of the vening unwinding, relaxing and taking in the beauty of the natural surroundings.
Day 9: Yala - Tissamaharama
Tuesday, May 7, 2024 - Wednesday, May 8, 2024
It’s Safari time! Leopard, elephant, crocodiles, bears, deer, amazing birds….they are all here in Yala National Park. For many people, a safari here is an essential part of their visit to the island
Day 10: Tissamaharama - Yala - Galle
Wednesday, May 8, 2024 - Thursday, May 9, 2024
Stop off at Dondra – Sri Lanka’s southern tip and visit the oldest stone building in Sri Lanka.
Dondra was formerly home to a great temple dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. In 1588 the Portuguese destroyed all temples except for this one. Learn more about its colourful history when you visit.
In the afternoon wander on the ramparts and explore the historic town of Galle and the 17th century Dutch Fort, a UNESCO-protected World Heritage site. Walk down Galle Forts narrow streets lined with Dutch and British colonial era buildings which are still in use, sturdy ramparts looking out to sea, the lighthouse, and a growing collection of art galleries.
There is so much to discover and it is best to do it on foot.
Day 11: Galle - Colombo
Thursday, May 9, 2024 - Friday, May 10, 2024
Drive along the west coast to Colombo. The sandy beaches are the main attraction in the string of small towns such as Kalutara, Beruwela, Bentota, Ambalangoda, Ahungalla and Hikkaduwa, but they also share a vibrant cultural heritage including folklore, music and dance as well as architectural influences from the Dutch period.
Visit Kosgoda’s Marine Turtle hatchery – a valuable conservation project that protects the endangered Marine Turtles of Sri Lanka.
Experience Ambalangoda’s cultural heritage with a visit to the Mask Museum where intricate masks used in various southern traditional dance forms are on display. Masked dancing is also performed here regularly
