Sri Lanka Highlights – 7 Nights / 8 Days

At the airport you will be greeted by our Representative and your Chauffer Guide who will take you into the capital city of Colombo.

Your chauffeur guide will introduce you to some of Colombo such as the vibrant markets of Pettah, old city of Fort, the Hindu Temple at Sea Street and the Dutch Church at Wolfendal or alternatively to indulge in some shopping.

Route:Colombo > Pinnawela > Sigiriya > Dambulla
Drive: 4 and 1/2 hours
Hotel: Cinnamon Village
Highlights: Visit Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage & ascend the Sigiriya Rock Fortress

Set off from coastal Colombo to experience the inland delights of Sri Lanka. Drop by the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage to get your first introduction to Sri Lanka. Most infamous inhabitants. Home to the highest number of captive elephants, here you can watch these giant animals up close as they feed and bathe in the shimmering waters of the Ma Oya River.

After lunch, our sightseeing tours of Sri Lanka continue to the town of Sigiriya, within the country rich cultural triangle. In the evening, mount the mesmerizing rock fortress of Sigiriya a 5th Century Fortress in the Sky. Admire the architectural marvel of how a king fortress was carved from a massive rock in the 5th century A.D.

Route: Dambulla > Polonnaruwa > Dambulla
Drive: 3 hour
Hotel: Cinnamon Village
Highlights: Discover the ancient city of Polonnaruwa and indulge in a jeep safari.

Today learn about the better kept ruins of ancient Ceylon the UNESCO World Heritage City of Polonnaruwa which was a medieval capital of Sri Lanka from the 11th – 13th century A.D. Take a walking tour of one of the ruins of ancient Ceylon which includes a visit to Lankathilaka, Thuparamaya, Royal Palace, Rankoth Vehera and Gal Viharaya.

Late afternoon take an exciting jeep safari with the company of an expert t guide to the Minneriya or Kaudulla National Park. The Vast sanctuary is a home to about 250 wild elephants, wild buffaloes, sambar deer, crocodiles, sloth bear and more.

Route: Dambulla > Kandy
Drive: 3 hour
Hotel: Cinnamon Citadel Kandy
Highlights: Visit the Temple of the Tooth Relic & witness a cultural dance performance.

Today you will arrive in the hill capital of Kandy, surrounded by greenery and the great Mahaweli River. Eminent as the center of Buddhism and the capital of the last Sinhalese kingdom, the name Kandy evokes romantic notions in people of a lost hill kingdom, a lake, tea plantations and a famous temple.

At your convenience, become acquainted with the city of Kandy; pay your respects to the golden-roofed Temple of the Tooth Relic, which houses Sri Lanka’s most sacred relic, a tooth of the Lord Buddha. Admire the delicate hill-country breezes that urge the mist to gently part revealing colorful houses amid Kandy’s forested halo, visit the lively market places, Upper Lake drive and the grandeur of the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens. To step up the tempo, attend a dance performance featuring traditional dances from the different regions of Sri Lanka.

Route: Kandy > Nuwara Eliya
Drive: 1 hour
Hotel: Grand Hotel
Highlights: Enjoy an exhilarating train ride, visit a tea plantation and factory & explore Nuwara Eliya town.

Board the morning TRAIN and journey through the Tea Carpets of Ceylon to Nanu Oya. The slow descend through the tea fields and hill country side with its winding tracks and misty panoramas, offers an unmatched perspective and wonderful experience.

Visit a tea estate and factory to see how Ceylon tea is made. Thereafter drive around the town to see the same. Often referred to as Little England, this genteel highland community does have a rose-tinted, vaguely British-country-village feel to it, with its colonial-era bungalows, Tudor-style hotels, well-tended hedgerows and pretty gardens. Do also indulge in a guided stroll of the town; pass the 18-hole golf course, the colonial members only Hill Club and English styled country homes.

Route: Nuwara Eliya / Yala
Drive: 4 and 1/2 hours’ drive
Hotel: Cinnamon Wild
Highlights: Enjoy a leopard safari at the Yala National Park.

From the hills of Nuwara Eliya descend to the jungles of Yala. One of the foremost places to visit in Sri Lanka, the Yala National Park is famous for the elusive leopard and has one of the highest densities of leopards in the world. The sloth bear and Asian elephant that are also part of Sri Lanka. Big Five can be spotted. With some good luck you will witness all these creatures and more over an evening jeep safari accompanied by a naturalist guide.

Route: Yala > Galle
Drive: 4 hours
Hotel: Amari Galle
Highlights: Discover the Dutch Fort of Galle

Drive southward towards the Southern Coast of the island to Galle. Galle is the country’s oldest living city and is sure to capture your interest, with its historic sites and its unique fusion of European and Arabic cultural and architectural influences. In the afternoon, explore the Galle Fort with its low lined streets and history behind its Rampart. The Fort remains a hive of activity and is one of the few World Heritage listed sites in which a bustling population continues to thrive. Walk through the alleys lined with stores and restaurants. After you have explored the city you could proceed to do some shopping in the very heart of Galle. You will come across shops with fine variety of gems and jewelries, antiques, art galleries and Design stores.

Route: Galle > Airport
Drive: 2 and half hour drive

As all good things must come to an end, we bid you farewell as our Chauffeur Guide transfers you to the Airport to meet your departure flight home.