Classic Sri Lanka Tour

At time, you will drive to Sigiriya (04-05 hours) for three night stay. On the way, your stops include a scenic coconut estate where you can discover how coconuts are grown, their many uses and their importance as the second largest crop grown after tea. On arrival in Sigiriya, you will be taken to your hotel for a three night stay. In the afternoon, you can explore a nearby village on a walking tour. Included is a visit to a local mud house to see country way of life including the variety of fruit and vegetables which are grown.

It’s a day of culture today starting with a visit to Anuradhapura UNESCO World Heritage Site. Anuradhapura is Sri Lanka’s first Capital Kingdom founded in the 5th Century BC and has  been predominantly influenced by Buddhism. The tour continues with a visit to the ‘Samadhi’ Buddha statue, a granite statue of Buddha in a meditative pose and a masterpiece of sculpture. Later, drive to Mihintale, the place where Buddhism was introduced and popularly referred to as the cradle of Buddhism in Sri Lanka.

This morning’s drive to the Sigiriya Rock fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage site takes about 40 minutes. It is an enormous rock boulder rising 200 metres from the jungle below. You should have good fitness levels to be able to climb the Rock fortress. Minimum duration to ascend to the top is about 1 hour at a moderate climbing pace. Later, go to Polonnaruwa, the ancient capital of Sri Lanka from 7th till 13th century, a town which exhibits an interesting array of archaeological monuments.

A short drive of half an hour brings you to Dambulla, known for its richly painted cave temple. Dambulla’s vast cave complex was converted into a rock temple in the 1st century BC. After exploring Dambulla Cave Temple, drive on for another hour to Matale, the spice capital of Sri Lanka. Enjoy a tour of the plantation to learn about various spices grown & processed here. Later drive to Kandy (03-04 Hrs)

This morning you will visit the Royal Botanical Gardens at Peradeniya. After exploring the Botanical Garden, you will discover Kandy on an orientation tour. It is the best place to see traditional Sinhalese arts and crafts like mat weaving, silverware, lacquer ware and wood carving. This is followed by a visit to the famous Temple of the Tooth Relic. Built during the 16th Century AD, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is one the most important temples for Buddhists as it houses the Sacred Tooth Relic of Buddha. This evening you will witness the cultural show featuring Kandyan dance performance.

This morning you will be transferred to Kandy Railway Station for an exciting train ride to Nuwara Eliya, traveling in an air-conditioned first class carriage You will be picked up from the station and transferred to your hotel. In the afternoon enjoy a sightseeing tour of Nuwara Eliya, a former retreat for British civil servants away from the heat of the plains. Many buildings still retain features from the colonial period.

In the morning, it’s a scenic drive to Horton Plains National Park the only national park in the central highlands. A UNESCO nature site, the plains protect the sources of important rivers and host many species of plant, endemic birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and butterflies. In the afternoon, there is a visit to one of many tea plantations around the city. It includes a tour of tea plantation and a visit to the tea factory where you will be taken through the process of making the finest Ceylon tea.

After breakfast, drive to Yala National Park (05-06 Hrs). Yala is one of Sri Lanka’s oldest and largest national parks. If you’re lucky, you may be able to spot three of Sri Lanka’s ‘Big Five’ endangered animals on a single safari, since the Sri Lankan leopard, the sloth and the elephant can all be found here.

You can enjoy a morning and afternoon game drive through the park today. The park’s rich wildlife includes spotted deer, wild boar, wild buffaloes, langurs, crocodiles and peacocks. There are over 200 species of birds including large flocks of migratory birds.