Classic Sri Lanka Tour (13 nights / 14 days)

Overview

The Classic Sri Lanka Tour includes the highlights of this stunning tropical island – ancient cities, tea-growing hills, wildlife parks and stunning beaches – backed up by a selection of mid-market and upmarket hotels that emphasise quality and value. You can explore the island at your own pace, in a car or minivan, with your personal driver-cum-guide. We can tailor this itinerary according to your preferences from our select range of more than 400 properties, so feel free to ask for modifications.

Tour Highlights

Explore the great sites of Sri Lanka’s cultural triangle and Kandy’s Temple of the Tooth
Take in the magnificent hill country with its tea hills and gushing waterfalls
Go on a wildlife safari and whale and dolphin spotting
Stroll around Galle’s 17C Dutch Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Lie on the palm-fringed sandy beaches of the Galle Coast
Stay at exquisite villas and boutique hotels

Following are recommended optional activities

Dambulla Cave Temple

Dambulla, Cultural Triangle

The most famous cave temple complex in Sri Lanka, the ancient Dambulla Cave Temple boasts the largest number of Buddha statues to be housed in one place, as well as stunning ceiling paintings
Polonnaruwa

Polonnaruwa, Cultural Triangle

Sri Lanka’s medieval capital from 1073 until the late 1200s, the ruins of the Kingdom of Polonnaruwa are incredibly well-preserved and include magnificant granite sculptures of Lord Buddha.
Sigiriya Rock Fortress

Sigiriya, Cultural Triangle

Sigiriya, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the most majestic, awe-inspiring and stunning historical locations in the world, built in the 5th century AD by ‘mad’ King Kasyapa.
Minneriya National Park

Habarana, Cultural Triangle

Minneriya National Park is a small but popular wildlife park home to a wide range of Sri Lanka’s wildlife. It is also the site of the world-renowned wildlife event ‘The Elephant Gathering’.
Royal Botanical Gardens

Kandy

The Peradeniya Royal Botanical Gardens is the largest of its kind in Sri Lanka and the finest in Asia. Explore the beautiful surroundings with an expert, or simple enjoy a relaxed stroll in the sun.
Temple of the Tooth

Kandy

Tradition relates that a sacred tooth relic of Lord Buddha was brought to Sri Lanka in 4th century A.D. and has been enshrined in the Dalanda Maligawa, or Temple of the Tooth, since the late 1500s.
Little Adam’s Peak

Ella, Hill Country

Although this climb is relatively easy, the views from the top of Little Adam’s Peak are sensational. Begin the climb with a gentle stroll through a sloping tea field, passing endless neat rows of terraced tea plants.
Nine Arch Bridge

Ella, Hill Country

Located in Ella, the Nine Arch Bridge is one of the most iconic bridges in Sri Lanka and is a stunning example of the incredible engineering prowess behind the island’s railway system
Yala National Park

Yala National Park, Yala

Yala National Park, situated in the south-east corner of the island, is home to the greatest variety of Sri Lanka’s wildlife including the island’s big game – elephants, leopards and sloth bears.
Galle Dutch Fort

Galle Fort, Galle Coast

Galle Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site originally built by the Portuguese before it was further developed by the Dutch and British, covers nearly 4sqkm and houses a range of old colonial buildings.

Included/Excluded

Accommodation in a shared double / twin room
Chauffeur-guide and vehicle for the duration of the tour (including leisure days)
Both airport transfers
Expert advice and support prior to and during the tour

Cost of personal spending (tips, laundry, mini bar, telephone, fax etc.)
Cost of Extra Meals & Beverages
Entrance Tickets
Meal (Lunch) arrangement outside hotels
Rights to use cameras / video (in most places it’s free)

Tour Plan

Day 1 Pannala, North-West Coast

Pannala

Upon arriving in Sri Lanka, transfer to a convenient hotel close to the international airport. Relax and unwind after your flight, preparing yourself for the adventure ahead.

Day 2, 3 & 4 Sigiriya, Cultural Triangle

Sigiriya

Sri Lanka's famous cultural triangle offers plenty to fire both mind and body over the next three days. Explore the lion rock of Sigiriya; Dambulla’s Buddhist Cave Temples, and the ancient kingdom of Polonnaruwa, which was Sri Lanka’s royal medieval capital between the late 11th and 13th century. After visiting Polonnaruwa museum, which will provide an overview of this ancient city and its heritage, move onto exploring the ruins themselves. You might also consider a safari at Minneriya National Park when you visit Polonnaruwa.

Day 5 & 6 Kandy

Kandy

The journey from the cultural triangle to Sri Lanka's hill capital – the small lakeside city of Kandy – will occupy most of the morning. Visit the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy where a sacred tooth relic of the Lord Buddha is enshrined since 4th Century AD. The temple has decorative walls, a golden roof and fine woodwork. Religious services with traditional music and drumming are held daily at dawn, mid-day and in the evening where guests can participate. You might also want to see Kandy's Botanical Gardens.

Day 7 & 8 Ella, Hill Country

Ella

Travel on into Sri Lanka’s tea-growing highlands. You might like to enjoy the “Tea Experience”, which involves a visit to a plantation to observe the process, starting from the plucking field where it all begins with the picking of “two leaves and a bud” to the factory where the processing begins. Temperatures in Sri Lanka's hill country are akin to an early English summer's day and you can go trekking, cycling, canoeing or just soak up the magnificent scenery. Consider an all-day trek to see Ella’s three iconic landmarks: Nine Arch Bridge, Little Adam’s Peak and Ella Rock. Further afield, in the west of the highlands, an all-night climb up Adam's Peak is another option that we could offer by special request.

Day 9 & 10 Yala National Park, Yala

Head southeast to Yala National Park. En-route visit Buduruvagala to see Sri Lanka's tallest rock-cut Buddha statue (51 ft. in height) and other Mahayana Buddhist statues that date back to the 8th-century AD. Yala National Park consists of scrub plains, lagoons and rocky sections and is probably the best place to see all of Sri Lanka's Big Three: Elephant, leopard and water buffalo. If you wish to limit your journey consider Uda Walawe game park instead.

Day 11 Galle Fort, Galle Coast

Galle

Journey along the scenic south coast to the historic city of Galle and spend a night in Galle's 17C Dutch Fort, a UNESCO-protected World Heritage site. Several hours can be spent wandering along the narrow streets and well-preserved ramparts, exploring iconic historic buildings such as the lighthouse and Dutch Reform Church. Art and craft shops and cute little cafes now abound in Galle, making it one of Sri Lanka’s great meeting places. The thick, high ramparts that protect and distinguish the Fort are today used for romantic evening strolls and knockabout cricket games.

Day 12, 13 & 14 Habaraduwa, Galle Coast

Kalpitiya

We have saved the last three nights for a taste of the Sri Lanka beaches. Our Classic Island tour keeps you on the sought-after Galle Coast, but you may prefer the west coast resort of Bentota, a family-friendly resort where the beaches are as broad as anywhere on the island: as always the choice is yours. Consider a visit to Balapitiya puppet museum where a fourth-generation puppeteer will explain the history of this great art. Bentota offers a wide range of water-sports on the coast and along a river estuary. When your tour is over it is conveniently placed within two-and-a-half hours of the international airport.

Tour Map

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