Discover Sri Lanka

15 Days Tour

The magnificent cave temples at Dambulla
Cycle through rice paddy fields
Search leopard in Yala National Park
Climb the rock fortress at Sigiriya for breathtaking views
The trip “Discover Sri Lanka – In Comfort” starts in Negombo and ends in Colombo. It is a cultural, religious and historic sites tour that takes 15 days taking you through Kataragama, Kandy, Giritale and 7 other destinations in Sri Lanka. “Discover Sri Lanka – In Comfort” is a guided small group trip that includes accommodation, transport, meals and others.

Lapped by the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka is a natural paradise with a landscape of verdant mountains, rainforests, paddy fields, tumbling waterfalls and sweeping gorges. From ancient Buddhist temples, the fortress of Sigiriya, the towns of Kandy and Nuwara Eliya in the hill country, the wildlife of Yala National Park (which has one of the highest concentrations of leopards in the world), to the idyllic palm-fringed beaches of the south coast, this small island offers incredible variety, made extra special by its laid back atmosphere and hospitable people.

Day 1, Negombo
The group flight arrives at Colombo’s Bandaranaike Airport and we transfer to our hotel approximately 30 minutes away. Those not flying with the group will meet us at the hotel.

Overnight Stay at Negombo

Day 2, Dambulla-Sigiriya
We depart after breakfast and for approximately 4 hours’ drive through the lush green countryside (a mix of coconut palms, paddy fields and banana plantations) from Kurunegala to Dambulla. Here we visit the magnificent Cave Temple, for some, the most impressive sight in Sri Lanka. There are colourful, well-preserved paintings and statues of Buddha inside the caves, which date back to the 1st century BC. After lunch, we continued to Sigiriya where we stayed for the night. From our hotel, we can see Lions Rock rising from the plains Overnight Stay at Sigiriya

Day 3, Climb to the Rock Fortress
This morning we drive to the foot of the Lions Rock at Sigiriya. The imposing 5th century rock fortress of Sigiriya rises 600 feet from the plains overlooking the surrounding countryside and giving far-reaching views. Used as a haven from invaders, the route to the top goes via a series of steep steps and gangways. From the base, where a moat surrounds impressive water gardens, we ascend 200m, passing an overhanging rock under which superb portraits of native maidens holding flowers and temple offerings still adorn the rock wall. Crowning the flat-topped summit of the rock are extensive remains of the King’s Summer Palace.

During the afternoon, there is a chance to enjoy an optional game drive in either Minneriya or Kaudulla National Park or the Hurulu Eco Park to see elephants in their natural habitat. For those who don’t want to take part, there is time to relax at the hotel. Overnight Stay at Sigiriya

Day 4, Giritale
This morning we have a short drive to Giritale where our usual hotel overlooks the scenic Giritale Tank. The island’s early inhabitants solved the dual problem of heat and lack of water in this dry area by constructing large tanks to act as reservoirs and cool the warm breeze. Nowadays they provide an important habitat for bird life, particularly from August to April. Today we take bikes and cycle at a leisurely pace through a series of small villages and lakes (if you do not wish to participate you can hire a tuk-tuk locally for approximately £10 and follow the group but not cycle). We should see plenty of bird life including Egrets, Brahmany kites, Kingfishers and Bulbuls. Stopping for lunch in a traditional village will break up the journey. In the late afternoon, we returned to our hotel in Giritale.

Day 5, Polonnaruwa-Kandy
After breakfast, we take a short drive to the 10th-century capital of Sri Lanka; Polonnaruwa, the ancient capital of the Sinhalese. Here many Buddhist relics and ruins are dating from a thousand years ago when Sinhalese culture reached its zenith. The city flourished in the 12th century after the decision was made to move the capital from Anuradhapura, so it was further away from incursions from Southern India. The ruins are therefore younger and better preserved than those at Anuradhapura. We visit many of the temples, palaces, huge dagobas (Buddhist stupas) and remarkable Buddhist sculptures. After lunch, we head into the hills to the picturesque town of Kandy. On the way, we stop at a spice garden near Matale where we can see various spices and herbs growing, and there is a chance to stock up on massage oils, spices and Ayurvedic medicines. This is a long but fascinating day and we arrive at Kandy in the early evening. Overnight Stay at Kandy

Day 6,7, Kandy explore or relax
Kandy is located by a small lake and we spend two full days in and around the town. On the first day, we will visit the Temple of the Tooth, which houses Sri Lanka’s most important Buddhist relic. The Tooth of Buddha was taken from the funeral pyre in 543 BC and only found its way to Sri Lanka in the 4th century AD. Hundreds of worshippers visit the temple each day and in August, the most spectacular ceremony takes place. Some of our trips in August should coincide with the Kandy festival, but the exact dates, decided by priests, are not known until 5 months before the event. After our visit, we drive to a beautiful viewpoint over Kandy overlooked by a huge Buddha, and visit a gem museum where you can see the products of the traditional methods of gem extraction. Another highlight is the vast Peradeniya Botanical Garden with species of orchids that are endemic to Sri Lanka. In the evening, we may have the chance to attend a performance of dancing and fire eating. The second day is free to explore this wonderful town. The surrounding hills are wonderful, offering fantastic views of the town below and there are many handicraft stores and antique shops in which to browse. Overnight Stay at Kandy

Day 8, Kitulgala
Leaving Kandy early, we have a spectacular drive through the countryside on the way to Kitulgala. Here we have the opportunity to go on a walk through the jungle or local villages followed by an optional white water rafting excursion. The rafting costs extra (see the Optional Excursions section), lasts a maximum of hours and there is a choice of gentle or wild water (grade 3 rapids) depending on your preference. Those of us who do not wish to go rafting will be able to freshen up and relax by the water until the rafters return in time for lunch. Afterwards, we will drive to our hotel in Nuwara Eliya.

(Please note that from the full moon day of December to the full moon day of May it is possible to climb Adams Peak. This is optional and you need to be very fit to attempt this. You would leave Nuwara Eliya around midnight on day 8 and drive to the base of the peak. The drive takes approximately 2 hours. From here, it is a strenuous 4-hour climb to the top in time for sunrise. We then return to Nuwara Eliya to join the group for lunch on day 9).

Day 9, Nuwara Eliya
This morning we will have free time to explore the beautiful town of Nuwara Eliya. Nuwara Eliya was a popular hill station during the British era and was situated in the cool highland air at 1890m. Known locally as ‘Little England’ it is dotted with British-style houses and parks and features a golf club and a racecourse! Following lunch, we will visit a nearby tea factory and learn about the process of tea production. Overnight Stay at Nuwara Eliya

Day 10, Early Morning to Horton Plains
We have an early start this morning and take a 30km drive south to Horton Plains, a large plateau over 2,000m high, overlooked by the second and third-highest peaks in Sri Lanka. The scenery is beautiful and the best way to explore is on foot. We take a guided walk through the rolling grasslands where we hope to see such as the Sambur and Purple Faced monkey. We also visit ‘World’s End’, which is one of the most stunning sights in Sri Lanka where the ground drops 1050m to the plains. Following this, we catch a train from the highest railway station in the country – within an hour and a half we drop from 1889m to 1097m. The train travels through the cloud forest into the tea plantations, with breathtaking views of the lush valley below.

We get off at Bandarawela, a town relatively untouched by tourism.

Day 11, Ella to Yala NP
Today we continue to Ella Gap where we have spectacular views of the coastal plain nearly 1,000m below. Almost the entire southern part of the island is in view and on a particularly clear day the shimmering silver of the Indian Ocean is visible. Heading south out of the hills we travel to Kataragama on the plains; this is our base for visiting Sri Lanka’s best-known national park, Yala. The park is popular for elephants, leopards, bears, crocodiles and Wild boar. At 97,800 hectares, this is the second largest of Sri Lanka’s national parks. Its open undulating terrain made it famous for elephants for many years, but recently the park has also become better known for leopards. The park, which is primarily a shrub jungle with several salt and freshwater lagoons, has one of the highest concentrations of leopards per square kilometre in the world. (Please note that the sanctuary may be closed for 4-6 weeks from September to October allowing the park authorities to check the welfare of the animals. We therefore go to an alternative area close by, usually Udawalawe National Park). Overnight Stay at Tissamaharama

Day 12, Tissamaharama to Galle
Today we leave for the coast, with its beautiful palm-fringed bays. Stopping on the way to Tissamaharama and walking to a nearby farmhouse where you’ll be offered tea in a coconut shell along with a local snack. We will mix with real Sri Lankan life and take part in some traditional Sri Lankan games, returning to our bus in tractors used by the farmers. Continuing to Ahangama, in the afternoon we arrive at our coastal hotel and you can relax for the rest of the day. Overnight Stay at Unawatuna

Day 13, Galle
Today is a free day to relax on the beach or by the hotel pool. There are also optional activities during the day including a boat ride through mangrove swamps to a cinnamon plantation or, from November to April you can go whale watching off Dondra head, one of the best places in the world for seeing Blue and Sperm whales. Huge pods of dolphins are also often seen playing alongside the boats. Overnight Stay at Unawatuna

Day 14, Galle to Colombo
We set off today and drive along the coastal road to the historic port of Galle, which dates back to the 17th century and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. On the way, we stop at a small folk museum inspired by the local writer Martin Wickramasinghe. The museum is a typical house from the Koggala region and is set amongst beautiful gardens. We continue along the expressway to Colombo reaching our hotel in the late afternoon. Overnight Stay at Colombo

Day 15, End Colombo
The trip ends after breakfast. Those on the group flights will be taken to the airport in time for their flight home.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

All accommodation
All breakfasts and 1 lunch
All transport and listed activities
Tour leader throughout

WHAT’S EXCLUDED
Travel Insurance
Single accommodation (available on request)
Visas or vaccinations