Itinerary
- Day 1
Colombo
You'll land at Colombo Airport and get transferred to your seafront hotel. The day is pretty open after that for settling in and relaxing. If you're arriving before 5:00am, there's an optional tour through the backstreets using a colorful tuk tuk, local train rides, and stops at the Red Mosque and Wolvendaal Church, plus refreshments at Nippon Hotel. Otherwise you can walk around nearby Galle Road on your own, use the hotel pool, or catch the sunset with a cocktail.
Included Activities
- Airport arrival transfer to hotel
Optional Activities
- Backstreets of Colombo tour (tuk tuk ride to Bambalapitiya, local train to city centre, walking tour of Pettah district, visit Red Mosque, visit Old Town Hall, visit Wolvendaal Church, mutton roll and iced coffee at Nippon Hotel)
Landmarks Red Mosque Old Town Hall Wolvendaal Church Galle Road 
- Day 2
Colombo to Dambulla to Polonnaruwa to Dambulla
This morning you'll leave Colombo driving inland to a fruit and vegetable market in Naramwela Town. After that comes the Dambulla Rock Temple, an old cave complex holding over 150 Buddha images including a 14-meter carved statue from around the 1st Century BC. From there you'll continue on to Polonnaruwa, an 11th century UNESCO site with ruins of the Royal Palace and Gal Vihara. By evening you'll be back in Dambulla with time to relax.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Visit Dambulla Rock Temple
- Visit Polonnaruwa ruins and monuments
- Guided sightseeing tour of Dambulla and Polonnaruwa
Optional Activities
- Stop at fruit and vegetable market in Naramwela Town
Landmarks Dambulla Rock Temple Polonnaruwa Royal Palace Gal Vihara 
- Day 3
Dambulla to Sigiriya to Kandy
You'll check out Sigiriya and Lion Rock fortress this morning, a 200-meter citadel built over 1500 years ago in the jungle. Inside you'll see the famous Heavenly Maidens paintings accessed through a spiral stairway on the rock face. Then it's a local hand tractor ride and canoe trip to Kayanwala Village where you'll do a cooking demonstration at a local woman's mud brick home and eat freshly made curry for lunch. On the way to Kandy, you'll stop at a spice garden in Matale to learn about Sri Lankan herbs and spices.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Freshly prepared curry, dahl, spiced rice, pickle and more at local home in Kayanwala Village)
Included Activities
- Visit Sigiriya Lion Rock fortress
- View Heavenly Maidens paintings
- Local hand tractor ride to Kayanwala Village
- Canoe trip to Kayanwala Village
- Cookery demonstration and lunch in local home
- Visit spice garden in Matale
- Guided sightseeing tour of Sigiriya
Landmarks Sigiriya Lion Rock Heavenly Maidens paintings Kayanwala Village Matale Spice Garden 
- Day 4
Kandy
You'll start with a guided tour of Kandy, the last capital of Sri Lankan kings. First is the Temple of the Tooth Relic, which holds one of Buddha's teeth brought to Sri Lanka in 313AD and now draws daily pilgrims with lotus flowers and frangipani. You'll drive around Kandy Lake (built by the last Sinhala king), check out the local bazaar and gem museum, then take a tuk tuk into the surrounding hills. This afternoon you'll explore the Geragama Tea Factory to see how Low Grown and Long Leaf tea is made. Tonight there's a cultural performance with traditional Sri Lankan music and dance.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Guided sightseeing tour of Kandy
- Visit Temple of the Tooth Relic
- Drive around Kandy Lake
- Visit local bazaar
- Visit gem museum
- Tuk tuk ride into surrounding hills
- Visit Geragama Tea Factory
- Cultural performance of traditional Sri Lankan music and dance
Landmarks Temple of the Tooth Relic Kandy Lake Kandy Bazaar Geragama Tea Factory 
- Day 5
Kandy to Nuwara Eliya
You'll have some free time this morning before heading to the railway station for a scenic train to Nuwara Eliya. During the journey up through winding mountain passes, you'll pass tea plantations, spot waterfalls and suspension bridges, and see tea pickers working. Once you arrive in Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka's most popular hill resort and tea country heart, you'll get a guided tour of this place known locally as Little England.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Scenic train journey from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya
- Guided sightseeing tour of Nuwara Eliya
Landmarks Nuwara Eliya 
- Day 6
Nuwara Eliya to Udawalawe National Park
You'll head south to Embilipitiya as your base for Udawalawe National Park. This is one of the best spots to see Sri Lankan elephants, the largest Asian elephants in the wild, with around 400 living here. The park also has elusive leopards, Sri Lankan sloth bears, langur monkeys, and various deer. You'll do an afternoon game drive before heading back to your hotel.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Afternoon game drive in Udawalawe National Park
Landmarks Udawalawe National Park 
- Day 7
Udawalawe National Park to Colombo
You'll travel back to Colombo this morning and stop at the Gem Mine and Museum at Ratnapura to learn that Sri Lanka has 40 out of 85 types of gems found worldwide. Once in Colombo, you'll tour the Fort area in the north with government buildings and shops, visit the distinctive Gangarama Temple, and walk along Galle Face Green, a popular spot for kite flying and cricket.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Visit Gem Mine and Museum at Ratnapura
- Guided sightseeing tour of Colombo
- Visit Fort area with government buildings
- Visit Gangarama Temple
- Stroll along Galle Face Green
Landmarks Gem Mine and Museum at Ratnapura Fort area Gangarama Temple Galle Face Green 
- Day 8
Colombo to Kalutara
After breakfast you'll head south along the West Coast to Kalutara, a holiday location where you'll spend your next four nights relaxing by the beach with clear waters and palm-fringed shores.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Transfer to Kalutara beachfront resort
Landmarks Kalutara beaches - Days 9 - 11
Kalutara
You'll have three days to enjoy the beautiful palm-fringed beaches on the Indian Ocean coast. Beruwala and nearby Bentota offer water sports like snorkeling, scuba diving, water skiing, and surfing. Try Toddy, a local coconut-flavored drink, get an Ayurveda treatment at the spa (the area is known for this), or just relax on the beach with a cocktail.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Optional Activities
- Water sports (snorkeling, scuba diving, water skiing, surfing)
- Toddy tasting (local coconut-flavoured tipple)
- Ayurveda spa treatment
- Beach relaxation
Landmarks Beruwala Beach Bentota Beach 
- Day 12
Kalutara to Colombo
Your tropical island trip ends today. You'll get transferred from Kalutara to Colombo Airport for your onward international flight.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Airport departure transfer
