Itinerary
- Intro
Introduction
- Day 1
Veyangoda
Veyangoda- Meals
- Dinner (Group dinner arranged by tour leader)
- Day 2
Dambulla - Sigiriya
Dambulla - Sigiriya- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Visit Dambulla Cave Temple with colorful paintings and Buddha statues from the first century BCE
Landmarks Dambulla Cave Temple Sigiriya (Lion Rock) - Day 3
Sigiriya
Sigiriya- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Climb Sigiriya rock fortress ascending 200m (655ft) via steep steps and gangways to the summit palace ruins
Optional Activities
- Game drive in Minneriya National Park, Kaudulla National Park or Hurulu Eco Park to see elephants in their natural habitat (location depends on elephant herd movements)
- Relax by the hotel pool
Landmarks Sigiriya (Lion Rock) Minneriya National Park Kaudulla National Park Hurulu Eco Park - Day 4
Girithale
Girithale- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Family-cooked lunch in a traditional village under a banyan tree with authentic Sri Lankan dishes)
Included Activities
- Cycle through small villages and lakes (approximately 18km/11 miles) with stops for local bird watching
- Family-cooked lunch in a traditional village under a banyan tree with authentic Sri Lankan dishes
Optional Activities
- Hire a tuk tuk locally for approximately 4,000 rupees as an alternative to cycling to follow the group's trail
Landmarks Girithale Tank - Day 5
Polonnaruwa - Kandy
Polonnaruwa - Kandy- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Visit ancient Buddhist temples, palaces, dagobas and sculptures at 10th-century Polonnaruwa
- Visit spice garden near Matale to learn about various spices and herbs
Optional Activities
- Purchase fresh spices, massage oils and Ayurvedic medicines at the spice garden
Landmarks Polonnaruwa Ancient Capital - Days 6 - 7
Kandy
Kandy- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Visit Temple of the Tooth, housing the most important Buddhist relic in Sri Lanka
- Visit viewpoint overlooking Kandy with huge Buddha statue
- Visit gem museum showcasing traditional extraction methods
- Explore Peradeniya Botanical Garden with endemic orchid species
Optional Activities
- Attend a traditional performance of dancing and fire eating on either evening
- Browse handicraft stores and antique shops
- Relax by the hotel pool on second day
Landmarks Temple of the Tooth Peradeniya Botanical Garden - Day 8
Kitulgala - Nuwara Eliya
Kitulgala - Nuwara Eliya- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Walk through jungle or local villages in Kitulgala
Optional Activities
- White-water rafting excursion (requires minimum 4 people, supplement cost, maximum 1.5 hours, choice of gentle water or wild water with grade III rapids)
- Climb Adam's Peak (Sri Pada) - available December to April only - depart around midnight, approximately 2-hour drive to base, strenuous 4-hour climb to summit for sunrise, return for Day 9 lunch
Landmarks Adam's Peak (Sri Pada) - Day 9
Nuwara Eliya
Nuwara Eliya- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Visit tea plantation and factory tour to learn about tea production process
Optional Activities
- Explore the town of Nuwara Eliya at your own pace
Landmarks Nuwara Eliya - Day 10
Horton Plains - Ella - Kataragama
Horton Plains - Ella - Kataragama- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Guided walk through Horton Plains (3-4 hours, 9km/5.5 miles) through rolling grasslands with views of World's End where ground drops 1,050m (3,445ft)
- Train ride from highest railway station in the country dropping from 1,889m to 1,097m through cloud forest and tea plantations
- Stop at Ella Gap for views of coastal plain nearly 1,000m below
Landmarks Horton Plains World's End Ella Gap Yala National Park - Day 11
Tissamaharama - Yala National Park
Tissamaharama - Yala National Park- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Walk through rural farmland to Kalu farmhouse with tea in a coconut shell and local snack
- Participate in traditional Sri Lankan games
- Game drive in Yala National Park Block 5 area to see elephants, leopards, bears, crocodiles and wild boars
Landmarks Yala National Park - Day 12
Udawalawe - Ahangama
Udawalawe - Ahangama- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Visit Elephant Transit Home in Udawalawe rehabilitation center for orphaned and sick elephants
Landmarks Elephant Transit Home Udawalawe National Park - Day 13
Ahangama
Ahangama- Meals
- Breakfast
Optional Activities
- Boat ride through mangrove swamps to a cinnamon plantation
- Whale watching off Dondra Head (November to April only) for blue and sperm whales with dolphin pods often playing alongside boats
Landmarks Dondra Head - Day 14
Ahangama - Galle - Ahangama
Ahangama - Galle - Ahangama- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Visit Martin Wickramasinghe Folk Museum in Koggala
- Walk historic streets of Galle tracing colonial history
Optional Activities
- Stroll along Galle ramparts with views across the Indian Ocean
Landmarks Martin Wickramasinghe Folk Museum Galle Fort - Day 15
Ahangama
Ahangama- Meals
- Breakfast
