Sri Lanka Highlights & Wildlife - 10 days

Itinerary

1. Day 1

   Colombo

   You'll be picked up at Colombo airport and taken to your hotel. After you settle in, the rest of the day is open for you to relax by the pool or wander around Sri Lanka's capital on your own if you're not too tired from your flight.

   Optional Activities

   • Independently explore Colombo

   

2. Day 2

   Dambulla - Polonnaruwa - Dambulla

   Head inland from Colombo and stop at a fruit and vegetable market in Naramwela Town to see the local produce. Then drive to the ancient Dambulla Rock Temple, where five caves hold over 150 Buddha images carved into the rock, dating back to the 1st century BC. From there, you'll check out Polonnaruwa, an 11th-century city with ruins of the Royal Palace and Gal Vihara before heading back to Dambulla for the evening.

   Meals

   Breakfast

   Included Activities

   • Stop at fruit and vegetable market in Naramwela Town
   • Guided sightseeing of Dambulla Rock Temple complex with five caves containing over 150 Buddha images
   • Guided sightseeing of Polonnaruwa ancient city ruins including Royal Palace and Gal Vihara

   Landmarks/POIs
   Dambulla Rock Temple
   Polonnaruwa Royal Palace
   Gal Vihara

   

3. Day 3

   Sigiriya - Kandy

   Climb to the top of Sigiriya's Lion Rock fortress, a 200-meter-high structure built over 1500 years ago. Along the way you'll see the paintings of the Heavenly Maidens protected in the rock face. Later, visit a spice garden in Matale to learn about Sri Lanka's herbs and spices, then travel to Kandy where you'll spend the next two nights.

   Meals

   Breakfast

   Included Activities

   • Climb Sigiriya Lion Rock fortress with views and Heavenly Maidens paintings
   • Visit spice garden in Matale with guided tour of herbs and spices

   Landmarks/POIs
   Sigiriya

4. Day 4

   Kandy

   Join a guided tour of Kandy that includes the Temple of the Tooth Relic and a scenic drive around Kandy Lake. You'll explore the local bazaar and check out a gem museum, then take a tuk tuk ride up into the surrounding hills for views over the city. Stop at the Geragama Tea Factory before finishing your day watching a cultural performance featuring traditional Sri Lankan music and dance.

   Meals

   Breakfast

   Included Activities

   • Guided sightseeing tour of Kandy
   • Visit Temple of the Tooth Relic
   • Scenic drive around Kandy Lake
   • Local bazaar visit
   • Gem museum visit
   • Tuk Tuk ride to surrounding hills for city views
   • Visit Geragama Tea Factory
   • Cultural performance of traditional Sri Lankan music and dance

   Landmarks/POIs
   Temple of the Tooth Relic
   Kandy Lake

5. Day 5

   Nuwara Eliya

   Spend your morning at leisure in Kandy before heading to the railway station for a scenic train ride up through tea plantations in the mountain passes. Watch for tea pickers, waterfalls and suspension bridges during your journey to Nuwara Eliya. Once there, a guided tour shows you this popular hill resort, known as 'Little England' and the heart of Sri Lanka's tea country.

   Meals

   Breakfast

   Included Activities

   • Scenic train journey from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya through tea plantations
   • Guided sightseeing tour of Nuwara Eliya

   Landmarks/POIs
   Nuwara Eliya

6. Day 6

   Udawalawe National Park

   Travel south to Embilipitiya and use it as your base for exploring Udawalawe National Park, which has roughly 400 Sri Lankan elephants living there. The park is also home to leopards, sloth bears, langur monkeys and different types of deer. In the afternoon, you'll go on a game drive to search for wildlife.

   Meals

   Breakfast

   Included Activities

   • Jeep safari/game drive in Udawalawe National Park

   Landmarks/POIs
   Udawalawe National Park

   

7. Day 7

   Yala National Park

   Head to Yala, Sri Lanka's second largest national park with one of the highest leopard populations anywhere, plus around 350 Asian elephants. You'll also find sloth bears, golden palm civets, crocodiles and various snakes here. An afternoon jeep safari takes you out to spot wildlife, and the coastline attracts leatherback and loggerhead sea turtles.

   Meals

   Breakfast

   Included Activities

   • Jeep safari/game drive in Yala National Park

   Landmarks/POIs
   Yala National Park

   

8. Day 8

   Bundala National Park - Mirissa

   Drive from Yala to Bundala National Park on the coast, a mix of waterways, dunes and lagoons where over 200 bird species live, including the magnificent greater flamingo and herds of Asian elephants. You'll go on a jeep safari to see the wildlife, then transfer to the coastal town of Mirissa for the night.

   Meals

   Breakfast

   Included Activities

   • Jeep safari/game drive in Bundala National Park

   Landmarks/POIs
   Bundala National Park

   

9. Day 9

   Colombo

   If you're traveling between November and April, you'll head out very early to the boat pier for a whale and dolphin watching cruise (weather dependent, typically 4 hours round trip). You might see fin whales, bryde's whales, sperm whales, blue whales, whale sharks, orcas and dolphins. If you're visiting May through October instead, spend the morning in Galle exploring the UNESCO World Heritage fortress, first built by the Portuguese in 1588 and later expanded by the Dutch. In the afternoon, travel to Colombo for a guided city tour of the Fort area, a walk along Galle Face Green, and the Gangarama Temple. Your final night is at leisure in the capital.

   Meals

   Breakfast

   Included Activities

   • Whale and dolphin watching boat cruise (01 Nov-30 April only) OR Visit Galle fortress (01 May-31 Oct only)
   • Guided tour of Colombo city
   • Explore Fort area in Colombo
   • Walk along Galle Face Green
   • Visit Gangarama Temple

   Landmarks/POIs
   Galle Fortress
   Galle Face Green
   Gangarama Temple

   

10. Day 10

    Colombo

    Your trip wraps up with a transfer to the airport for your departure.

    Meals

    Breakfast