Colombo, Caves & Kandy ( 8 Days )
$2,048.00 per person
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All prices are dynamic and may change
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Final pricing is based on availability at time of booking
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Hotel Rating
-4-5 star & heritage hotels
Trip Outline
Saturday. Upon arrival at Colombo Airport, you’ll be met and transferred to our seafront hotel. The remainder of the day is free to relax and settle in.
If you’re arriving early, why not join our optional Backstreets of Colombo tour before the main tour begins?Get off the beaten track and experience the real Colombo on this immersive morning adventure. Hop into a colourful tuk tuk and travel to Bambalapitiya to catch a local train into the city centre. Wander through the vibrant streets of Pettah, admire the striking Red Mosque and colonial-era Old Town Hall, and visit the historic Dutch-built Wolvendaal Church. Wrap up the experience with a delicious mutton roll and iced coffee at the legendary Nippon Hotel.
Please note: To join this optional tour, flights must arrive in Colombo before 5:00am on Day 1. We strongly recommend booking pre-tour accommodation.
For those arriving later on, our hotel is just a short stroll from Galle Road and many of Colombo’s key sights. Choose to head out and explore, take a dip in the pool, or simply unwind with a cocktail as you watch the sun set over the Laccadive Sea.
Colombo – Dambulla – Polonnaruwa – Dambulla. Bidding farewell to Colombo this morning we drive inland to Dambulla, stopping en route at a fruit and vegetable market in Naramwela Town. Dambulla Rock Temple is an incredible ancient complex of caves which date back to the 1st Century BC. The five caves contain over 150 images of Buddha including an impressive 14 metre carved statue.
After exploring this ancient site, we continue to Polonnaruwa. This fascinating 11th century city is home to many interesting ruins and famous monuments including the Royal Palace and the Gal Vihara. Polonnaruwa was once the capital and is also the second most ancient city in Sri Lanka. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This evening we return to Dambulla for an evening at leisure.
Dambulla – Sigiriya – Kandy. This morning we explore Sigiriya and the famous ‘Lion Rock’ fortress. Built over 1500 years ago, this beautiful citadel stands 200 meters high in the middle of verdant jungle and was an important stronghold of the 70 hectare fortified town. It can be viewed from miles around and is definitely one of Sri Lanka’s most iconic and famous sites. You’ll be able to view the world famous paintings of the Heavenly Maidens which stand in a sheltered pocket of the rock approached by a spiral stairway.
From Sigiriya we take a local hand tractor ride and short canoe trip to the village of Kayanwala. Here, at Kayanwala Village we take part in a cookery demonstration in a mud brick home of a local woman and enjoy a freshly prepared lunch of curry, dahl, spiced rice, pickle and more. En route to Kandy we stop off a spice garden in Matale, to see the different herbs and spices, which Sri Lanka is famous for. You will be introduced to different spices and shown how some of these spices are grown and processed.
This morning we take a sightseeing tour of Kandy – the last capital of the Sri Lankan kings. Our first stop will be the Temple of the Tooth Relic. Legend has it that one of Buddha’s teeth was taken from him as he lay on his funeral pyre. It was then smuggled into Sri Lanka in 313AD. It now attracts daily pilgrims who come bearing lotus flowers and frangipani. After driving around Kandy Lake – built by the last Sinhala king, we visit the local bazaar and a gem museum, we then enjoy a Tuk Tuk ride up into the surrounding hills.
This afternoon, we stop at a working tea factory at Geragama. Geragama Tea Factory is located in close proximity to the city of Kandy and was established in the year 1903, manufacturing ‘Low Grown’ and ‘Long Leaf’ tea. This evening, we watch a cultural performance of traditional Sri Lankan music and dance.
Kandy – Nuwara Eliya. This morning offers free time before transferring to the railway station for our scenic train trip. Passing kilometre upon kilometre of verdant tea plantations that hug the winding mountain passes, we’ll see waterfalls, suspension bridges and tea pickers on our journey up to Nuwara Eliya – Sri Lanka’s most popular hill resort. Nuwara Eliya is also the heart of Sri Lanka’s tea country producing a significant share of the world’s best tea.
This afternoon we take a beautiful drive through Nuwara Eliya – an area known locally as ‘Little England’.
Nuwara Eliya – Udawalawe National Park. Today we head south to Embilipitiya, our base for exploring Udawalawe National Park. This national park is probably one of the best places to spot the famous Sri Lankan Elephant, the biggest of all the Asian Elephants. It is thought that there are around 400 elephants here. The park is also home to the elusive leopard, the Sri Lankan sloth bear and varies types of deer. We take an afternoon game drive here before returning to our hotel for the night.
Udawalawe National Park – Colombo. This morning we visit the Gem Mine and Museum at Ratnapura. Sri Lanka is famous for its gem industry and is home to 40 out of the 85 types of gems in the world.
Arrival Colombo and commence a city tour, seeing the Fort area in the north of the city famous for its government buildings and interesting shops. We’ll see the stunning Gangarama Temple and take a stroll along Galle Face Green, a popular spot for kite flying and games of cricket.
Saturday. Today offers free time for you to independently explore the city, before your included departure transfer to the airport.
Trip Includes
- Breakfast daily and 1 lunch
- 7 nights 4-5 star hotels and heritage properties
- Guided sightseeing – Dambulla, Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya, Nuwara Eliya, Udawalawe and Colombo
- Scenic train trip from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya, canoe ride and tuk tuk trips
- Jeep safari/game drive in Udawalawe National Park
- Escorted by an English-speaking national guide for groups of 6 or more (professional chauffeur guide for groups of 5 or fewer)
- Airport arrival and departure transfer on days 1 and 8
- All relevant transfers and transportation in private air-conditioned tourism vehicles
Trip Highlights
- Colombo – Enjoy a guided tour of the city including the Old Fort area and impressive Gangaramaya Temple
- Polonnaruwa – Explore the remarkable ruins of the ancient capital city of Ceylon
- Sigiriya – Climb to the top of the iconic 5th century Lion Rock fortress and see the Heavenly Maidens
- Dambulla – Discover over 150 images of Buddha in the incredible complex of caves at Dambulla Rock Temple
- Kayanwala Village – Canoe to the village and help cook a delicious traditional lunch with a Sri Lankan family
- Matale – Learn all about Sri Lanka’s herbs and spices at the spice gardens in Matale
- Kandy – Take in the highlights of Kandy including the famous Temple of the Tooth, enjoy a tuk tuk ride and watch a cultural performance
- Giragama Tea Factory – Take a tour of a working tea factory with a long history
- Take a scenic train ride passing waterfalls and tea plantations en route from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya and drive though Nuwara Eliya’s ‘Little England’
- Udawalawe National Park – Go in search of wildlife on a game drive in Udawalawe, home to the nation’s largest herd of Asian Elephants
Trip Excludes
- International flights and visa
- Tip for your tour guide. We recommend you allow USD$3-7 per day, per traveller. Tipping your guide is an entirely personal gesture
- Entrance Fees: USD$150-$170pp, paid in USD
- Tipping Kitty: USD$50-$60pp, paid in local currency
Tipping is not a natural part of many Western cultures and many of us feel uncomfortable, or unsure, about when, or how much, to tip. However, in the places you will visit, tipping makes up a significant part of many people’s wages so it’s important that we get it right. For this reason we’ve developed a very simple system to take all the hassle out of tipping. With our ‘tipping made easy’ policy, a nominal pre-determined amount is collected from all group tour participants to cover tips en route. This then saves you the hassle of when and how much to tip bellhops, luggage handlers, local guides and other support staff through the tour. Our ‘tipping made easy’ doesn’t include a tip to your group tour leader. Naturally, though, the amount is up to you as tipping is an entirely personal gesture.
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