This 10-night grand tour spans the entire breadth of Sri Lanka — from ancient rock fortresses and sacred Buddhist temples to misty tea plantations, colonial hill towns, a wildlife safari in Yala, and the serene beaches of Bentota. Beginning at Bandaranaike International Airport, you'll visit the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, climb the iconic Sigiriya Rock Fortress, explore Dambulla Cave Temple, and discover the sacred Temple of the Tooth in Kandy. Journey through Nuwara Eliya's tea country, marvel at Ella's Nine Arch Bridge and Ravana Falls, go on a jeep safari in Yala National Park (famous for leopards), explore the historic Dutch Fort in Galle (UNESCO), relax on Bentota's golden beaches, and discover the colonial charms of Colombo before your departure.
About This Tour
Overview
Duration
10 Nights / 11 Days
Tour Type
Multi Day · Private · Package
Region
Sri Lanka, South Asia
Unique Feature
Sigiriya · Yala Safari · Galle Fort · Nine Arch Bridge
Cultural
Buddhist Heritage · Ceylon Tea · Wildlife · Beaches
Language
English
Top Experiences
Highlights
Sigiriya
The 5th-century "Fortress in the Sky" — a UNESCO wonder carved atop a 600-foot rock, with ancient frescoes and water gardens
Pinnawala
Over 65 rescued elephants, including babies — watch feeding time and the daily river bathing ritual at this famed orphanage
Kandy
The sacred Temple of the Tooth Relic — Sri Lanka's most venerated Buddhist shrine, set beside the serene Kandy Lake
Ella
The iconic Nine Arch Bridge — a colonial-era viaduct through emerald hills, plus Ravana Falls and the legendary Ravana Caves
Yala
Sri Lanka's premier national park — home to leopards, elephants, sloth bears, crocodiles and over 130 bird species
Galle
The magnificent 17th-century Dutch Fort — a UNESCO World Heritage site with colonial streets, ramparts, and ocean views
Visual Journey
Sri Lanka at a Glance
What's Covered
Includes / Excludes
✓ Included
- Hotel accommodation as per package (10 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 traditional chena experience
- Cultural dance show in Kandy
- Jeep safari at Yala National Park (shared basis)
- Driver allowance, parking, tolls & transport taxes
- Basic assistance for sightseeing schedule throughout
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
- Sigiriya, Dambulla, Temple of the Tooth & Botanical Garden entry fees
- Pinnawala & Yala National Park entry fees
- Camera fees, tips & personal expenses
- Visa processing fees
- Travel insurance
- Anything not specifically mentioned in inclusions
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 when all elephants are taken to the river
- Proceed to Dambulla after the visit
- Check in to hotel; overnight stay in Dambulla
DAY02
Dambulla → Sigiriya → Habarana → Dambulla
Sigiriya Rock Fortress, Village Tour
🏛 UNESCO Heritage Day
- Breakfast at hotel
- 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 because of the huge lion that once guarded the entrance to the palace atop the 600-foot rock
- On the summit: foundations of the Royal Palace, ancient water tanks, and guardhouses. Climb the stairway past the only surviving ancient Sinhala secular paintings — 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: a Village Tour in Habarana — experience authentic rural life and interact with locals. Walk through vegetable fields, rice paddies, and various crops farmed by villagers
- Visit a Chena — the oldest form of cultivation in Sri Lanka, dating back 5,000 years. Learn about traditional farming techniques that ensured the environment remained unharmed
- Return to Dambulla; overnight stay in Dambulla
DAY03
Dambulla → Matale → Kandy
Cave Temple, Spice Gardens, Cultural Show
🏯 Temple Trail Day
- Breakfast at hotel
- Visit Dambulla Cave Temple — a vast isolated rock mass 500 feet high, dating to the First Century B.C. The caves sheltered King Walagamba during his 14 years of exile. When he regained the throne, he built the most magnificent of Rock Temples
- In the First Cave: a recumbent image of the Buddha 47 ft long cut out of the rock. The frescoes on walls and ceiling are the oldest here, over-painted in the Kandy period
- In the Second Cave (the finest and largest): 150 life-size statues of the Buddha in various postures, with statues of Gods and Kings, and ceiling frescoes depicting great events in the life of the Buddha
- Proceed to Matale — visit a Spice Garden to see the many types of spices Sri Lanka is famous for. You'll be introduced to different spices and shown how they are grown and processed
- Continue to Kandy
- Evening: witness a traditional Cultural Dance Show in Kandy
- Overnight stay in Kandy
DAY04
Kandy → Peradeniya → Kandy
Temple of the Tooth, Royal Botanical Gardens
🪷 Sacred Relic Day
- Breakfast at hotel
- Kandy city tour — visit the sacred Temple of the Tooth Relic. When King Wimaladharmasuriya I became King in Kandy, he searched for the Tooth Relic and the Bowl Relic and found them kept at Delgomuwa Buddhist Temple, hidden in a grinding stone for over 44 years
- The King brought the Sacred Tooth Relic to Kandy in a grand procession. The first temple was built by Wimaladharmasooriya I next to the Royal Palace. The Portuguese burned it down; a 3-storied building was erected by King Wimaladharmasooriya II. After another fire, a new 2-storied building was constructed by King Narendra Singhe (1707–1739 AD), who also painted 32 Jataka Stories on the outer walls
- Visit Peradeniya Royal Botanical Garden — 147 acres in extent, started in 1374 as a pleasure garden of the Kings of Gampola and Kandy. Over 5,000 species of trees, plants and creepers, with some rare and endemic flora from the tropical world
- Explore the Spice Garden, Orchid House, and the 5 Palm Avenues — the earliest and tallest Royal Palm Avenue was planted in 1905. See the Double Coconuts from the Seashells Island, with the largest seed of all plants in the world
- Overnight stay in Kandy
DAY05
Kandy → Ramboda → Nuwara Eliya
Tea Country, Hanuman Temple, Waterfall
🍃 Tea Country Bound
- Breakfast at hotel; depart Kandy for the hill country
- En-route, visit a Tea Factory and Tea Garden — see how Ceylon tea is processed from leaf to cup, and walk through sprawling tea estates
- Stop at Ramboda Waterfall — a spectacular cascade surrounded by lush greenery
- Visit Hanuman Temple in Ramboda (Ramayana sight) — a significant site in the Ramayana trail, believed to be where Lord Hanuman rested while searching for Sita
- Proceed to Nuwara Eliya — the "Little England" of Sri Lanka, set against beautiful backdrops of mountains, valleys, waterfalls and tea plantations
- Experience the cool, misty climate (often like an English spring day)
- Overnight stay in Nuwara Eliya
DAY06
Nuwara Eliya
Gregory Lake, Hakgala Gardens, Seetha Temple
🦌 Ramayana Trail Day
- Breakfast at hotel
- Explore Nuwara Eliya city — all around you'll see evidence of British influence: houses like country cottages or Queen Anne-style mansions
- Visit Gregory Lake — a beautiful man-made lake perfect for a scenic stroll or boat ride
- Visit Victoria Park — a lovely place for a stroll or picnic, and also excellent for birding with some rare species
- Visit Ashok Vatika at Hakgala Botanical Garden (Ramayana sight) — the second largest botanical garden in Sri Lanka, contiguous to Hakgala Strict Nature Reserve, home to bears, monkeys and birds
- Visit Seetha Amman Temple (Ramayana sight) — the famous temple marking the spot where Ravana is believed to have held Sita captive
- Overnight stay in Nuwara Eliya
DAY07
Nuwara Eliya → Ella → Yala
Nine Arch Bridge, Ravana Falls, Transfer to Yala
🌉 Mountain & Waterfall Day
- Breakfast at hotel; depart Nuwara Eliya and drive towards Ella
- Visit Ella City and witness the stunning Ella Gap — a breathtaking mountain pass with sweeping views of the southern plains
- Visit the iconic Nine Arch Bridge (also called the "Bridge in the Sky"). Guests need to hire a tuk-tuk & pay directly to go near the bridge. This colonial-era viaduct is one of the best examples of railway construction in Sri Lanka, built with stone bricks and cement without steel due to wartime steel reallocation during WWI
- The 1923 report titled "Construction of a Concrete Railway Viaduct in Ceylon" published by the Engineering Association of Ceylon details the plans and drawings. The designer was Harold Cuthbert Marwood of the Railway Construction Department
- Visit Ravana Waterfall and Ravana Caves (Ramayana sights) — legendary sites associated with the epic Ramayana
- Proceed to Yala; check in to hotel
- Overnight stay in Yala
DAY08
Yala
Jeep Safari at Yala National Park
🐆 Wildlife Safari Day
- Early morning breakfast at hotel
- Exciting Jeep Safari at Yala National Park — Block I (14,101 hectares), established in 1938. The park covers 126,786 hectares including the Strict Natural Reserve (Block II)
- Yala is famous for its large herds of Elephants, Leopards, Spotted Deer, Sambhur, Crocodiles, Mongoose, Wild Boar, Wild Buffalo and many other animals
- Home to one of the highest densities of leopards in the world — an unforgettable wildlife experience
- More than 130 bird species recorded, including resident and winter visitors
- The park has 7 Bungalows inside with a few Camp Sites
- Return to hotel for lunch and relaxation
- Overnight stay in Yala
DAY09
Yala → Galle → Bentota
Galle Fortress, Transfer to Beach Resort
🏰 Colonial Coast Day
- Breakfast at hotel; depart Yala for the southern coast
- Visit Galle city — Sri Lanka's most historically interesting town. Stroll around the lighthouse and harbour, or visit the old town to see traditional lace makers and wood carvers and purchase some of the finest souvenirs
- Explore the magnificent Historical Dutch Fortress (UNESCO World Heritage Site) — the massive Portuguese and Dutch Fort within which the central city is contained. Some scholars believe Galle to be the "Tarshish" of the Old Testament
- The 90-acre Galle Fort shows the Dutch influence: they incorporated the Portuguese northern wall in a great rampart in 1663, and installed a sophisticated drainage system with brick-lined underground sewers flushed twice daily by tides
- The original gate by the harbour is marked by the British Coat-of-arms on the front and the Dutch V.O.C. (Vereenigde Oost Indische Compagnie) with a rooster crest on the inner side
- Proceed to Bentota — a beautiful beach resort town on the southwest coast
- Overnight stay in Bentota
DAY10
Colombo
Ramayana Sights & City Tour
🏙 Capital Discovery Day
- Breakfast at hotel; depart Bentota for Colombo
- Visit Sri Aanjaneyar Temple and Mount Lavinia (Ramayana sights) — significant locations on the Ramayana trail
- Colombo city tour — visit Fort, the former British administrative centre and military garrison
- Visit Gangaramaya Temple — one of Colombo's most important Buddhist temples, known for its eclectic mix of architectural styles
- Explore Sea Street — the Goldsmith's quarters in the heart of Pettah, the Bazaar area with a Hindu Temple featuring elaborate stone carvings
- See Kayman's Gate with the Belfry at the original gate to enter the Fort, and the Dutch Church of Wolfendhaal (dating back to 1749)
- Visit BMICH (Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall) 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 stay in Colombo
DAY11
Colombo → Airport
Departure — Onward Journey
- 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 & Entry Requirements
All foreign nationals require a valid Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) to enter Sri Lanka. Apply online at the official Department of Immigration and Emigration website at least 2–3 days before departure.
ETA fees: USD 20 for SAARC countries (standard), USD 35–50 for other nationals (depending on processing speed). Tourist ETA is valid for 30 days from arrival with double-entry permitted.
Upon arrival, your passport (valid for at least 6 months) and ETA confirmation will be verified at immigration. A return/onward ticket may be requested.
Recommended vaccinations: No compulsory vaccinations for Sri Lanka, but Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Tetanus and Yellow Fever (if arriving from an endemic country) are advised. Consult your physician 4–6 weeks before travel.
Full Route
Tour Map