Experience the Glamour of Sri Lanka with Group Tours
OVERVIEW
19 days of thrilling adventures around the island that focuses on Sri Lanka’s ancient historic wonders, exciting wildlife, and Buddhism-inspired culture, featuring wonders of the ancient temples in the town of Mihintale, The world famous Sigiriya Fortress, breath-taking northern hills, a trek to, adventurous white water rafting through rivers, stopovers at wildlife parks, and whale watching in the azure-blue ocean down south.
This is an exciting detailed tour package for families interested in the island’s most celebrated locations.
TOUR PLAN
Check in to the hotel and relax.
Overnight stay at hotel in Negombo.
(Airport / Negombo – approximately 20 minutes)
Full day of leisure on the beach
(Driver and vehicle will not be at disposal)
Overnight stay at hotel in Negombo
In the evening, visit Mihinthale.
Mihintale is regarded as the cradle of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. The mountain peak is home to many shrines and rock dwellings. The grand stairway (1,840 steps made out of granite slabs 4.5 metres wide) leads to the summit and its panoramic view of the surrounding countryside.
Overnight stay at hotel in Anuradhapura
(Negombo / Anuradhapura – approximately 4 ½ hours)
After a hotel breakfast, transfer to visit Anuradhapura
Visit Anuradhapura. It was the first capital and arguably the grandest city of the ancient Sri Lanka. It is the home of two World Heritage Sites. Visit many places of historical and archaeological interest, including Sri Maha Bodhi (Sacred Bo Tree) was brought as a sapling that grew into the tree under which Prince Siddhartha attained enlightenment. At over 2,200 years, it is the oldest historically documented tree in the world. At Brazen Palace (2nd century BC), the 1600 stone columns you’ll see are the remains of a magnificent multi-storey monastery. Ruwanwelisaya (2nd century BC) is the most famous of all the dagobas. It originally depicted the perfect bubble shape that modern restoration has not been able to accurately reproduce. Samadhi Buddha statue (4th century AD) is one of the most famous statues, depicting the Buddha in a state of Samadhi or deep meditation. Isurumuniya Rock Temple (3rd century BC) is well known for its rock carvings.
Afterwards, visit Aukana.
The Aukana Buddha statue is undoubtedly the most magnificent, preserved statue in Sri Lanka. It was built in the reign of King Dhatusena in the 5th century and is 12 metres high. The name Aukana means ‘sun-eating’.
Overnight stay at hotel in Anuradhapura
After a hotel breakfast, transfer to Sigiriya.
En route, visit Ritigala.
Visit Ritigala, a 2nd-century BC Forest Hermitage Site. Beautiful stoned-paved meditation paths and stone bridges wind across the wooded mountains.
Arrive and visit Sigiriya.
Climb the 5th-century Sigiriya Rock Fortress which is a World Heritage Site, built by King Kashyapa (477-495 AD). The ‘Lion Rock’ is a citadel of unusual beauty rising 200 metres from the scrub jungle. The rock was the innermost stronghold of the 70-hectare fortified town. A moat, rampart, and extensive gardens including the ethereal water gardens ring the base of the rock. Sheltered in a pocket of rock, the world-renowned frescoes of the ‘Heavenly Maidens’ of Sigiriya can be approached by a spiral stairway. These frescoes are painted in earth pigments on plaster.
Overnight stay at a hotel in Dambulla
Trek in Hiriwadunna and enjoy a village lunch.
Take an old style ride on a bullock cart; enjoy a nature walk through a scrub jungle; wade through a local stream with low hanging branches; cross a lake in an oruwa, the traditional mode of water transport; spend time with a farmer harvesting crops, and taste authentic village cuisine prepared by the framer’s family with freshly picked produce and local herbs cooked in clay pots over an open hearth.
Experience Sri Lanka’s arid zone and village life through a trek to the Hiriwadunna hamlet, which both showcase the ecological setting of the area and provide a glimpse of authentic village life. An excellent way to absorb culture is to be present as the villagers go about their daily chores; it also throws light on traditional methods of farming and life in a farming community such as the tree house where the farmer spends his nights to protect his crops from elephants and other nocturnal marauders.
Afterwards, visit Polonnaruwa, a World Heritage Site and the second capital of Sri Lanka built in the 11th and 12th centuries AD. Here you can see the ruins of the Royal Palace, the Gal Viharaya with four splendid statues of the Buddha in ‘Upright’, ‘Sedentary’, and ‘Recumbent’ postures carved out of rock; the Audience Hall, the Lotus Bath, the statue of King Parakramabahu, and the Parakrama Samudraya—a lake built by King Parakramabahu the Great. There are also famous places of worship such as the Shiva Temple, the Lankathilaka, the Watadage, the Galpotha, the Kiri Vehera, and the remains of a former Temple of the Tooth Relic.
On your way back to the hotel, witness a wood carving shop where you’ll find all the types of timber and hardwood available in Sri Lanka and all the creative furniture made by master craftspeople.
Overnight stay at the hotel in Dambulla.
(Habarana / Polonnaruwa – approximately 1 ½ hours)
Dambulla Cave Temple is a World Heritage Sitebuilt by King Walagambahu in the 1st century BC It is also the most impressive of Sri Lanka’s cave temples. The five-cave complex has over 2000 sq. metres of painted walls and ceilings and is the largest area of paintings found in the world. It contains over 150 images of the Buddha, of which the largest is the colossal figure of the Buddha carved out of rock, spanning 14 metres long.
Afterwards, visit a spice garden in Matale.
Continue the journey to Kandy and take a tour of the city.
Kandy was the last capital of the Sri Lankan kings which is another World Heritage Site, Kandy was the last capital of the Sri Lankan kings, its name conjuring visions of splendour and magnificence. Many of the legends, traditions, and folklore are still lovingly kept alive. Drive around the Kandy Lake built in 1798 by the last Sinhala king, Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe. Visit the bazaar, arts & crafts centre, a gem museum, with an active lapidary at work.
In the evening, visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic and afterwards witness the cultural show.
Overnight stay at the hotel in Kandy.
(Dambulla / Kandy – approximately 2 ½ hours)
After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to visit the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage.
The Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, Est. 1975, started with seven orphans. Today some of these orphans enjoy the fortune of seeing their grandchildren born in the same location. The original objective of establishing the orphanage inclined more towards tourism, but it soon became a conservation and educational centre. With the help of local and foreign elephant experts, Pinnawala started a scientific breeding programme for elephants.
The free movement of the herd enhances mating. The nearby river played a dominant role in this regard, and in 1984, the first baby of Pinnawela was born.
The success story of Pinnawala has drawn global scientific attention. A considerable number of books and research articles on Pinnawala have been published in several languages. Ongoing professional documentation takes place year round.
There after visit Peradeniya Royal Botanical Gardens.
This botanical garden was first built as a pleasure garden by a 16-th century Sinhala king and expanded by the British. The landscape sits at nearly 60 hectares and offers an amazing variety of trees, plants, and flowers—a true place of beauty and for birdwatchers and nature lovers alike.
Overnight stay at the hotel in Kandy
(Kandy / Pinnawela – approximately 1 ½ hours)
After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to Ella.
Enjoy a scenic train ride to Ella. (OPTIONAL)
En route, visit a tea plantation and factory in Nuwara Eliya.
Check in to the hotel and relax.
Overnight stay at a hotel in Ella
After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to Maskeliya.
Check in to the hotel and relax.
Ascend Adam’s Peak, known locally as Sri Pada, is Sri Lanka’s fourth highest mountain at 2,243 metres. It is one of the island’s most important pilgrimage sites and is situated in the Ratnapura district. The giant footprint at the top is sacred to Buddhists, Hindus, and Muslims, attracting visitors to the conical-shaped mountain, worthy of its climb for the views and spiritual experience, regardless of your belief.
Overnight stay at the hotel in Maskeliya
Descend Adam’s Peak and transfer to Kithulgala.
Check in to the hotel and relax.
Overnight stay at the hotel in Kithulgala
(Adam’s Peak / Kitulgala – approximately 2 hours)
Enjoy a session of white water rafting!
This thrilling adventure on the white water section of the Kelani River is suitable for amateurs and advanced rafters alike. During the run, you experience the thrill of shooting rapids and the euphoria of the aftermath. The river’s clear water rushes through the heart of the peak wilderness reserve and tumbles down a rocky gorge just above Kithulgala. As the river widens, you pass the scenic location used to film “The Bridge over the River Kwai”, filmed in 1956—a great place to jump in for a refreshing swim! On a clear day, you may even dive to see the remains of the actual bridge and the carriages used for the film (only for experienced divers with proper equipment).
Transfer to Rathnapura and check in to the hotel.
Overnight stay at the hotel in Rathanapura
(Kithulgala / Rathnapura – approximately 2 ½ hours)
Sinharaja is the only Biosphere Reserve, UNESCO World Heritage Site rain forest in Sri Lanka, with a very high rate of biodiversity. The tropical evergreen forest and the area under the reserve are 11,187 hectares. Out of the 331 woody trees and lianas identified, 192 (60%) are endemic to Sinharaja. Regarding fauna species: 141 bird (28 endemic); 65 butterfly (1 endemic); fish 10 (7 endemic); 19 amphibious (8 endemic); 29 reptiles & snakes (14 endemic), and 40 mammals (07 endemic). Sinharaja is the only relatively undisturbed rain forest of any considerable size and home to many of the exclusive, very rare plants in a large area.
Afterwards, transfer to Udawalawa.
Overnight camping in Udawalawa
(Rathnapura / Sinharaja – approximately 1 ½ hours Sinharaja / Udawalawe – approximately 2 ½ hours)
With a picnic breakfast, visit Udawalawe National Park.
Udawalawe National Park is renowned for its outstanding scenic beauty and wealth of faunal species, particularly mammals and birds. It is a famous tourist attraction throughout the year for its unique fauna and flora. The park is situated in the arid zone and conditions of the physical features are characterized by an annual dry season coinciding with the southwest monsoon. The predominant ecosystem of the park area is the forest area with scattered grasslands and thorny shrubs. There are herds of elephants and the populations of sambhar, spotted deer, barking deer, wild boar, and water buffalo are gradually re-establishing themselves.
There after transfer to a beach stay.
Overnight stay at the hotel in Ahangama
With a picnic breakfast, transfer to a whale watching session in Mirissa (winter seasonal)
Return to the hotel. En route, visit Galle.
Galle was once the chief port of Sri Lanka. It is still well known for its handmade lace. You can also visit the World Heritage Site, Galle Fort (spanning 36 hectares), originally built by the Portuguese and later extended by the Dutch in 1663.
Overnight stay at a hotel in Ahangama
After a hotel breakfast, the day spent at your leisure.
Overnight stay at the hotel in Ahangama
After a hotel breakfast, the day spent at your leisure.
Overnight stay at the hotel in Ahangama
After a hotel breakfast, transfer to Colombo.
Visit Colombo.
Take a city tour of Colombo. Like many commercial capitals in developing countries, this city is rapidly changing. The swift development of skyscrapers arose from where old buildings once stood. Yet in some parts, the Old World charm is retained. For example, there is a 100-year-old clock tower and several British colonial buildings. Other places of interest are the Pettah Bazaar where one can enjoy bargain shopping; a Hindu and a Buddhist temple; residential areas where you find stately homes, and the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH), an outright gift to Sri Lanka from the People’s Republic of China.
Overnight stay at the hotel in Colombo
After a hotel breakfast, transfer to the airport for the departure flight home.
