About This Tour
Overview
This 14-night grand tour covers the full spectrum of Sri Lanka — from the ancient Buddhist kingdoms of the Cultural Triangle to the wilds of Yala National Park, the colonial charm of Galle Fort, and the golden beaches of Bentota. Begin at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, climb the iconic Sigiriya Rock Fortress, and explore the ancient capitals of Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura (both UNESCO). Visit Dambulla Cave Temple, the sacred Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, and the misty tea plantations of Nuwara Eliya. Marvel at Ella's Nine Arch Bridge, go on a jeep safari in Yala (famous for leopards), explore the Galle Fort (UNESCO), cruise the Madu River, visit a turtle hatchery, enjoy water sports in Bentota, and discover the colonial charms of Colombo before departure.
Duration
14 Nights / 15 Days
Tour Type
Multi Day · Private · Package
Region
Sri Lanka, South Asia
Unique
Ancient Capitals + Yala Safari + Madu River + Turtles
Cultural
Buddhist Heritage · Wildlife · Water Sports · Ramayana Trail
Language
English
Top Experiences
Highlights
Cultural Triangle
Polonnaruwa & Anuradhapura — two UNESCO ancient capitals with colossal dagobas, royal palaces, and the sacred Bo Tree (2,250 years old)
Sigiriya
The 5th-century "Fortress in the Sky" — a UNESCO wonder atop a 600-foot rock with ancient frescoes and symmetrical water gardens
Yala Safari
Sri Lanka's premier national park — one of the world's highest leopard densities, plus elephants, sloth bears, crocodiles & 130 bird species
Turtles & Rivers
Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery — five species protected — and a Madu River boat safari through 64 islands, mangroves, and diverse birdlife
Tea Country & Ella
Nuwara Eliya's misty tea plantations, the Nine Arch Bridge in Ella, and Ravana Falls — the most scenic highlands of Sri Lanka
Bentota Beach
Golden beaches, water sports on the Bentota River, and sunset views — the perfect tropical finale to your Sri Lanka adventure
Visual Journey
Sri Lanka at a Glance
What's Covered
Includes / Excludes
✓ Included
- Hotel accommodation as per package (14 nights)
- Daily breakfast at hotel; meals as per property inclusions
- Private air-conditioned vehicle for all transfers & sightseeing
- Airport arrival & departure transfers at Colombo (CMB)
- English-speaking guide throughout the tour
- Village tour in Habarana with chena experience
- Cultural dance show in Kandy
- Jeep safari at Yala National Park (shared basis)
- Driver allowance, parking, tolls & transport taxes
We will arrange and confirm your hotel stays as per the trip and budget — hotel options are not fixed and can be customised to your preference. Contact us for details
✗ Excluded
- Airfare to / from Colombo
- Lunch, dinner & drinks unless mentioned
- Monument entry fees (all sites, Yala park fees, turtle hatchery)
- Madu River boat ride & water sports (payable directly)
- Camera fees, tips & personal expenses
- Visa processing & travel insurance
- Anything not specifically mentioned
Day by Day
Itinerary
DAY01
Airport → Pinnawala → Dambulla
Arrival, Elephant Orphanage, Transfer to Dambulla
🐘 Elephant Encounter Day
- Arrive at Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) — greeted by your English-speaking guide and driver
- Proceed to Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage (approx. 55 miles from Colombo)
- Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage — established in 1975 to house abandoned and wounded elephants. The herd has grown to over 65, including baby elephants born through the captive breeding programme. Best time to visit: feeding time from 09:30–10:00 hrs and 13:30–14:00 hrs, and bathing time from 10:00–10:30 hrs and 14:00–14:30 hrs
- Proceed to Dambulla; check in to hotel
- Overnight stay in Dambulla
DAY02
Dambulla → Sigiriya → Habarana → Dambulla
Sigiriya Rock Fortress, Village Tour
🏛 UNESCO Heritage Day
- Visit the magnificent Sigiriya Rock Fortress (Ramayana sight) — a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the 5th-century "Fortress in the Sky." Also known as Lion Rock
- On the summit: foundations of the Royal Palace, ancient water tanks, and guardhouses. See the frescoes of 21 life-sized damsels still shining in their original colours
- Don't miss the Water Gardens, Fountain Garden, Summerhouses, Boulder Gardens and caves within the enclosed area
- Afternoon: Village Tour in Habarana — walk through vegetable fields, rice paddies, and experience authentic rural life. Visit a Chena — the oldest form of cultivation in Sri Lanka, dating back 5,000 years
- Return to Dambulla; overnight
DAY03
Dambulla → Polonnaruwa → Dambulla
Polonnaruwa Ancient City UNESCO
🏛 Ancient Capital Day
- Breakfast at hotel; proceed to Polonnaruwa Ancient City — a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Polonnaruwa was the capital of Sri Lanka from the 11th to 13th Centuries and contains some splendid and spectacular statues
- Lankatilake, Tivanka and Thuparama — the most beautiful and largest Image Houses. Tivanka has the best examples of frescoes of the Polonnaruwa period
- Rankoth Vehera and Kirivehera — well preserved large stupas
- Gal Vihare — a rock shrine with four Buddha statues: two seated, one standing and one reclining — masterpieces of Sinhalese stone carving
- Vata-da-ge — a unique creation of Sri Lankan artists. The Parakrama Samudra reservoir lies on the western side of the city
- Return to Dambulla; overnight
DAY04
Dambulla → Anuradhapura → Dambulla
Anuradhapura Ancient City UNESCO
🏛 Sacred City Day
- Breakfast at hotel; proceed to Anuradhapura Ancient City — the capital of Sri Lanka from the 5th Century B.C. to the 10th Century A.D., the most celebrated of Sri Lanka's ancient ruined cities
- The city's greatest treasures are its dagobas — hemispherical brick structures. Ruvanveliseya (2nd Century B.C.) is 300 feet in diameter, Jetawanarama is 370 feet — one of the largest structures in the ancient world
- Thuparama Dagoba — enshrined with the collarbone of the Buddha
- The city's most renowned relic is the Sacred Bo Tree (Sri Maha Bodhi) — grown from a branch of the tree under which the Buddha gained Enlightenment, planted 2,250 years ago — the oldest historically authenticated tree in the world
- Anuradhapura is a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Return to Dambulla; overnight
DAY05
Dambulla → Matale → Kandy
Cave Temple, Spice Gardens, Cultural Show
🏯 Temple Trail Day
- Visit Dambulla Cave Temple — a vast rock mass 500 feet high, dating to the First Century B.C. The caves sheltered King Walagamba during 14 years of exile
- First Cave: a recumbent image of the Buddha 47 ft long cut out of rock. Second Cave: 150 life-size statues of the Buddha and ceiling frescoes
- Proceed to Matale Spice Garden — see how Sri Lanka's famous spices are grown and processed
- Continue to Kandy; evening witness a traditional Cultural Dance Show
- Overnight in Kandy
DAY06
Kandy → Peradeniya → Kandy
Temple of the Tooth, Royal Botanical Gardens
🪷 Sacred Relic Day
- Kandy city tour — visit the sacred Temple of the Tooth Relic. The first temple was built by King Wimaladharmasooriya I next to the Royal Palace. The Portuguese burned it down; a 3-storied building was erected by Wimaladharmasooriya II. King Narendra Singhe (1707–1739) constructed the current 2-storied building, painting 32 Jataka Stories on the outer walls
- Visit Peradeniya Royal Botanical Garden — 147 acres, started in 1374. Over 5,000 species of trees and plants, with the Royal Palm Avenue (planted 1905) and the Double Coconuts with the largest seed in the world
- Overnight in Kandy
DAY07
Kandy → Ramboda → Nuwara Eliya
Tea Country, Hanuman Temple, Waterfall
🍃 Tea Country Bound
- En-route, visit a Tea Factory and Tea Garden; stop at Ramboda Waterfall
- Visit Hanuman Temple in Ramboda (Ramayana sight)
- Proceed to Nuwara Eliya — the "Little England" of Sri Lanka
- Overnight in Nuwara Eliya
DAY08
Nuwara Eliya
Gregory Lake, Hakgala Gardens, Seetha Temple
🦌 Ramayana Trail Day
- Explore Nuwara Eliya city, Gregory Lake, and Victoria Park
- Visit Ashok Vatika at Hakgala Botanical Garden (Ramayana sight) — the second largest botanical garden in Sri Lanka, contiguous to Hakgala Strict Nature Reserve
- Visit Seetha Amman Temple (Ramayana sight) — marking where Ravana held Sita captive
- Overnight in Nuwara Eliya
DAY09
Nuwara Eliya → Ella → Yala
Nine Arch Bridge, Ravana Falls, Transfer to Yala
🌉 Mountain & Waterfall Day
- Visit Ella City and the stunning Ella Gap
- Visit the iconic Nine Arch Bridge ("Bridge in the Sky") — a colonial-era viaduct built with stone bricks and cement without steel due to WWI steel reallocation. Designed by Harold Cuthbert Marwood (1923). Guests may hire a tuk-tuk to go near the bridge
- Visit Ravana Waterfall and Ravana Caves (Ramayana sights)
- Proceed to Yala; overnight in Yala
DAY10
Yala
Jeep Safari at Yala National Park
🐆 Wildlife Safari Day
- Early morning Jeep Safari at Yala National Park — covers 126,786 hectares. Block I (14,101 hectares) established 1938
- Yala is famous for Elephants, Leopards, Spotted Deer, Sambhur, Crocodiles, Mongoose, Wild Boar, Wild Buffalo and more. One of the highest leopard densities in the world
- Over 130 bird species recorded. The park has 7 Bungalows inside
- Return to hotel; overnight in Yala
DAY11
Yala → Galle → Bentota
Galle Fort UNESCO, Transfer to Beach Resort
🏰 Colonial Coast Day
- Visit Galle city and the magnificent Historical Dutch Fortress (UNESCO World Heritage Site). Stroll around the lighthouse and harbour
- The 90-acre Galle Fort shows Dutch engineering: a great rampart from 1663, sophisticated drainage flushed twice daily by tides. The original gate bears the British Coat-of-arms and the Dutch V.O.C. crest
- Proceed to Bentota; overnight in Bentota
DAY12
Bentota → Balapitiya → Bentota
Madu River Safari, Turtle Hatchery
🛶 River & Turtles Day
- Proceed to Balapitiya for a boat ride in Madu River (Madu Ganga) — a beautiful boat safari with picturesque landscapes, wildlife and many bird species. There are about 15 true islands surrounded by water year-round
- Visit Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery — where five species of turtles are protected: Green Turtles, Hawksbill Turtle, Loggerhead Turtle, Leatherback Turtle and Olive Ridley Turtle. Eggs collected by villagers are purchased by the hatchery and kept in sandy pens until hatched. Over 1,750,000 young turtles have been released to the sea
- Return to Bentota; overnight
DAY13
Bentota
Water Sports & Beach Leisure
🏄 Water Sports Day
- Enjoy water sports in Bentota River — Bentota is Sri Lanka's holiday paradise known for its beaches, marine life, and world-renowned water sports. There is something for people of all ages
- Options include jet skiing, banana boat rides, snorkeling, and river safaris (payable directly)
- Afternoon at leisure on the golden beaches of Bentota
- Overnight in Bentota
DAY14
Bentota → Colombo
Ramayana Sights & City Tour
🏙 Capital Discovery Day
- Proceed to Colombo; visit Sri Aanjaneyar Temple and Mount Lavinia (Ramayana sights)
- Colombo city tour — Fort, the former British administrative centre, Sea Street (Goldsmith's quarters), Kayman's Gate, the Dutch Church of Wolfendhaal (1749)
- Visit Gangaramaya Temple and BMICH with the replica of Avukana Buddha and the Independence Memorial
- Colombo is a shopping paradise — enjoy a good bargain on quality clothes and fashion accessories
- Overnight in Colombo
DAY15
Colombo → Airport
Departure
- Breakfast at hotel
- Transfer to Bandaranaike International Airport for your onward flight
- Tour concludes. Carry the warmth and wonder of Sri Lanka with you.
Important Information
Visa & Travel Tips
All foreign nationals require a valid Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) to enter Sri Lanka. Apply at the official Department of Immigration website at least 2–3 days before departure. ETA fees: USD 20 (SAARC) to USD 35–50 (other nationals). Valid for 30 days with double entry.
Temple dress code: Shoulders and knees must be covered. Remove footwear before entering temple premises. The Temple of the Tooth and Dambulla Cave Temple have strict dress codes.
Yala Safari: Early morning departures are recommended for the best wildlife sightings. Wear neutral colours, carry binoculars, and follow safari rules. The park is closed typically in September.
Water sports & boat rides: Madu River boat ride, Bentota water sports, and the tuk-tuk to Nine Arch Bridge are payable directly. Rates are negotiable — your guide will assist.
Full Route
Tour Map