Itinerary
- Day 1
Negombo
You'll arrive in Negombo, a coastal town built around its fishing industry and golden beaches. Your tour leader meets you at the hotel at 6pm for the welcome meeting. Before that, you have time to wander through the fish market, watch traditional catamaran boats in action, or head down to the beach to catch the sunset. If you get there early enough, the hotel has a swimming pool overlooking the Indian Ocean.
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Earls Regent Hotel), Hotel (Earls Regent Hotel (or similar))
Optional Activities
- Dinner with tour group after welcome meeting
- Beach exploration and sunset viewing
- Fish market visit
- Hotel swimming pool
Landmarks Negombo Fish Market Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport 
- Day 2
Negombo to Wilpattu National Park
The drive north to Wilpattu National Park takes around 4 hours 30 minutes with stops included. Once there, you'll switch to jeeps for an afternoon safari where you might spot leopards, elephants, and sambar deer roaming the park. The overnight camp features fixed tents set near the southern boundary by a lake surrounded by bush forest. After dinner, you'll gather around the campfire before heading to bed.
- Meals
- Dinner
- Accommodation
- Camping (Big Game Safari Camp Wilpattu), Camping (Big Game Safari Camp Wilpattu (or similar))
Included Activities
- Afternoon safari in Wilpattu National Park
Landmarks Wilpattu National Park 
- Day 3
Wilpattu to Polonnaruwa
You'll drive inland for two hours to reach Habarana, Sri Lanka's cultural hub. Tuk-tuks take you to a community vegetable garden where you help pick homegrown vegetables for lunch. Then you'll watch or jump in to help locals prepare curries and rice, and eat the meal together. After lunch comes a quiet canoe ride on the village lake. Later, you drive under an hour to Polonnaruwa and explore the ancient city by bicycle and on foot, visiting the Royal Palace, Audience Hall, Bathing Pool, and Quadrangle before settling in near Polonnaruwa for the night.
- Meals
- Lunch (Traditional Sri Lankan lunch with homegrown vegetables, curries and rice prepared by local community)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Acme Hotel), Hotel (Acme Hotel (or similar))
Included Activities
- Community vegetable garden visit and harvest participation
- Traditional Sri Lankan lunch preparation and meal
- Canoe ride on village lake
- Bicycle and walking exploration of Polonnaruwa ancient ruins
- Royal Palace visit
- Audience Hall visit
- Bathing Pool visit
- Quadrangle visit
Optional Activities
- Join in cooking traditional curries and rice
Landmarks Habarana Polonnaruwa Royal Palace Polonnaruwa Audience Hall Polonnaruwa Bathing Pool 
- Day 4
Polonnaruwa to Kandy
An early start gets you to Sigiriya (Lion Rock) before the crowds. This 5th-century UNESCO-protected fortress rises dramatically from the plains and you'll see the massive lion paw carvings at the gateway before climbing switchback steel stairs to the 200-metre summit for jungle and countryside views. Back at the hotel, you'll have a late breakfast. Then it's a 2 to 3 hour drive to Kandy, where you explore the Royal Botanical Gardens with over 4,000 plant species. After walking through Kandy's old streets and colourful markets, there's an optional visit to the Temple of the Tooth, then browsing craft workshops at the Kandyan Art Association. Your hotel sits 4km from the city centre overlooking the Mahaweli River.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Late breakfast at hotel after Sigiriya climb)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Mahaweli Reach Hotel), Hotel (Mahaweli Reach Hotel (or similar))
Included Activities
- Sigiriya climb including summit ascent
- Royal Botanical Gardens visit
- Walking tour of Kandy city centre
- Market exploration in Kandy
Optional Activities
- Temple of the Tooth visit
- Kandyan Art Association craft workshops visit
Landmarks Sigiriya Royal Botanical Gardens, Kandy Temple of the Tooth Kandyan Art Association 
- Day 5
Kandy to Kitulgala
You'll head to Kitulgala through the scenic western highlands on a 3-hour journey. There, you tackle white-water rafting on the Kelani River with grade 2-3 rapids, usually covering the section in about one hour depending on water levels, with lunch along the way. The simple hotel where you'll stay has around 20 en suite rooms with fans. If time allows and you have energy, there's an optional trek across the river through jungle to a hidden waterfall, though it may be smaller or dried up depending on seasonal conditions.
- Meals
- Lunch (Lunch taken en route during rafting)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Kitulgala Resthouse Hotel), Hotel (Kitulgala Resthouse Hotel (or similar))
Included Activities
- White-water rafting on Kelani River (grade 2-3 rapids)
Optional Activities
- Trek to hidden waterfall across river and through jungle
Landmarks Kelani River 
- Day 6
Kitulgala to Hikkaduwa
You wake up to jungle sounds and have breakfast before heading to Hikkaduwa on the Indian Ocean coast. The 4-hour journey gets you there by afternoon, leaving the rest of the day free to relax and settle in.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Hotel Lanka Super Corals), Hotel (Hotel Lanka Super Corals (or similar))
Landmarks Hikkaduwa 
- Day 7
Hikkaduwa
The morning brings a surf lesson in Weligama, about an hour south of Hikkaduwa. The 2-hour lesson can work for beginners or advanced surfers. If surfing isn't your thing, you can go snorkelling, get an Ayurvedic massage for relaxation, or visit the historic colonial city of Galle with its UNESCO World Heritage fort, one of the best-preserved examples of colonial fortification. The choice depends on what appeals to you most.
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Hotel Lanka Super Corals), Hotel (Hotel Lanka Super Corals (or similar))
Included Activities
- Surf lesson in Weligama (2 hours, beginner or advanced)
Optional Activities
- Snorkelling trips
- Ayurvedic massage
- Visit to Galle and historic colonial fort
Landmarks Weligama Galle Fort - Day 8
Hikkaduwa to Negombo
You have free time at the beach this morning. In the afternoon, a local train heads up the west coast to Colombo, giving you views of the Indian Ocean and chances to meet local families who use this coastal network daily. Keep in mind that seated tickets can't be reserved, so some or all of your group might need to stand, or you may travel by tour bus instead. You'll finish the journey by bus and return to Negombo for your final night.
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Earls Regent Hotel), Hotel (Earls Regent Hotel (or similar))
Included Activities
- Local train journey to Colombo (west coast route)
Optional Activities
- Tour bus option instead of train
- Day 9
Negombo
The tour ends after breakfast at your hotel in Negombo. You can depart whenever works for your schedule. If your flight leaves later in the day, the hotel has luggage storage available.
- Meals
- Breakfast
