Discover the Best of Sri Lanka tours are the best of the diverse regions of the "Pearl of the Indian Ocean". Like discovering the ancient cities in the cultural triangle, summiting Lion Rock in Sigiriya, majestic views from Little Adam's Peak and the Nine Arch Bridge, and exploring Galle Fort, Turtle Hatchery & the historical Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic.
The best is also a hands-on cooking class in a local Sri Lankan home, a traditional cultural show, elegant high tea, sunrise yoga, and your feet in the sand on the beautiful beaches and hiking through the tea plantations and villages in Nuwara Eliya. Majestic train ride via the tea plantations and misty mountains. In fact, we think the best is doing all that and more in our Discover the Best of Sri Lanka Itineraries.
Explore the highlights of Sri Lanka - from ancient cities and scenic landscapes to cultural experiences and relaxing beaches.
Why Sri Lanka Escapes?
We Include Accommodation:
Hotel options
· Comfortable 3-star hotels, double share with private ensuite bathroom
· Elegant 4-star hotels are available on request for a touch of extra luxury
· Optional 3 - 4 star hotel mix
· Single supplement available on request
We Include Transport & Guide:
· Smooth, hassle-free return airport transfers
· Friendly, professional English-speaking chauffeur/guide to make your journey effortless
· Spacious, air-conditioned vehicle for relaxing travel
· Refreshing bottled water daily
We Include Meals:
· Delicious daily breakfast and dinner (breakfast - beach hotels)
· 4-star upgrade: gourmet daily breakfast included
We Include Experiences:
· Exciting wildlife elephant safari with park entry, 4x4 jeep adventure, and expert tracker
· Scenic, memorable train ride through lush tea country (subject to class availability)
· Relaxing Ayurvedic massage and vibrant cultural dance performance
· Authentic traditional cooking class in a local home
· Charming visits to local farm villages, rice paddies, with a hands-on lunch experience
· Invigorating spice garden walk with wellness talk
We Include Trip Highlights:
· Explore UNESCO sites Sigiriya Lion Rock, Dambulla Cave Temple
· Temple of the Tooth Relic
· Nine Arch Bridge, Little Adam’s Peak, Tea plantations & factory to
· Visit Ancient Cities, Negombo Fishing Village
· Royal Botanical Garden, Cultural Show
· Turtle Hatchery, Galle Fort
· Waterfalls viewpoints, Treks & hidden gems
· Gem Museum visit, walk the Local markets & local villages
· Traditional curd/treacle and exotic fruit tasting on tour
· Tea shops & refreshing King coconut stops
We are an Australian Boutique agency, happy to customise a Dream itinerary for your family and friends. With our wealth of experience, our local team in Sri Lanka, is here to offer a personal and unique unforgettable experience in Sri Lanka.
*Itineraries may vary slightly and are subject to availability. Flights are not included.
Optional:
All UNESCO Monuments & optional entrance fees will be paid directly by the client on the day, we will visit all these during your tour as these are all optional, you can decide on the day if you wish to enter. Refer to your itinerary to check if you will visit these UNESCO sights
UNESCO Sites/Visits and UNESCO qualified guides
All temples and sights are optional and on the day you decide if you wish to see them
· Dambulla Cave Temple
· Sigiriya Lion Rock
· Royal Botanical Garden
· Temple of the Tooth Relic
· High Tea in Nuwara Eliya
Arrive at the Bandaranaike International Airport Colombo, where you will be welcomed by a representative of Sri Lanka Escapes.
Let your adventure and journey begin. Acclimatise yourself with Sri Lanka as we transfer you to your hotel in Negombo, a unique, picturesque fishing village and transfer to your hotel to relax.
This morning, after a leisurely breakfast, you will be welcomed by your experienced Chauffeur who will be with you for the duration of the trip. He is a local with exceptional years of experience and knowledge and is very excited to show his beautiful country.
Enjoy a city tour of the coastal town of Negombo is set alongside a picturesque lagoon and canals built by the Dutch colonies.
Negombo was a very important port for the trade of cinnamon and has been ruled by the Portuguese, Dutch, and British empires. Drive past the famous seafood markets with the fisherman selling their catch. Visit the architecturally designed Christian churches, enjoy an optional boat ride in the Lagoon to see beautiful wildlife, visit local beaches and enjoy a spectacular Sunset.
Includes Breakfast/Dinner
Negombo City tour
Optional Lagoon boat ride
After a leisurely breakfast, we venture to Sigiriya. This is home to at least 8 UNESCO World Heritage-listed sites. Five of these ancient sites are situated in what is known as the cultural triangle, in the center of the island. Habarana – Sigiriya is the gateway to Sri Lanka’s cultural triangle.
Dambulla was named a UNESCO World Heritage site for its Buddhist caves perched at the top of a hill. A bonus is the beautiful panoramic view that you get of the surrounding area. Visiting the stunning Cave Temples of Dambulla, built by King Valagamba back in the 1st century BC.
Dambulla is named a UNESCO World Heritage site for its Buddhist caves perched at the top of a hill. It is worth the climb to see the 5 caves and stunning temples filled with over 150 colorful religious statues and paintings while experiencing the beautiful panoramic views. The monastic ensemble of Dambulla is an outstanding example of the religious art and expression of Sri Lanka and South and Southeast Asia.
Then we can take a stroll through Dambulla Produce Market and discover new fruits and vegetables if time permits. Arrive at your hotel in the Afternoon, and relax.
Includes Breakfast/Dinner
Dambulla Cave Temples
Produce market
Todays adventures begin as we visit a local traditional village and enjoy a boat ride via the rice plantation. making our way by boat as we enjoy gliding gracefully past the beautiful lily pads. We exit the boat and walk to see a local farm and rice fields. Learn the secrets from the locals on how to cook delicious Sri Lankan rice and curry with a wood fire. We also have the opportunity to experience how you can hull the rice as it has been done for generations and enjoy a local traditional lunch, rice and curry, and fruits.
After lunch, we will join an adventurous Wildlife Elephant Safari 4 x 4 jeep to see the wild elephants. This is one of the most exciting safari experiences in Sri Lanka and a highlight. An opportunity to take photos up close and personal photos to share with family and friends.
Includes Breakfast/Dinner
Traditional Village Tour
Wildlife Elephant Safari
Sri Lanka is home to at least 8 UNESCO World Heritage listed sites. Sigiriya is nominated among travel enthusiasts as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an ancient rock fortress with awe-inspiring architecture.
This morning is the option to climb Pidurangala rock, at the top you will enjoy the amazing view of Sigiriya Lion Rock with your group and at the top you have candid photo opportunities. Or for those keen about history, Sigiriya is nominated among travel enthusiasts as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an ancient rock fortress with awe inspiring architecture, with an amazing view of Fortress Sigiriya Lion Rock’ built by King Kayapa in the 5th century for all those who are fit. It is a spectacular 200 meters high natural formation of granite some 750 steps up and at the top, preserves the ruins of an ancient fortified palace.
This archaeological site loved by tourists was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982 and is considered by locals as the "eighth wonder of the world". This palace in the sky was envisioned to be a recreation of the mythological city.
Experience true Sri Lanka hospitality, enjoy the tastes and secrets of traditional Sri Lanka with a hands-on cooking class in a local Sri Lankan home.
Time to wind down and enjoy a traditional Ayurvedic massage, commonly known as "Abhyanga", is a full-body massage performed using warm, medicinal oils, aims to harmonize the body, mind, and spirit. The idea is to stimulate specific energy points (marmas) on the body, thereby promoting physical healing, improving circulation, and enhancing mental clarity. Return to your hotel and relax.
Includes Breakfast/Dinner
Pidurangular Rock
Sigiriya Fortress
Cooking Class
Ayurvedic Massage
After a leisurely breakfast, an optional visit to the beautiful silk shop with an opportunity to visit an enchanting wood carving workshop, captivating visitors with its exquisite handcrafted pieces, showcasing the rich cultural heritage and artistic prowess of local artisans’ skills passed down for generation to generation and some beautiful handwork and talents.
We continue on and stop at Matale and visit the unique Spice garden growing a large variety of spices. Enjoy an informative talk about all the spices by a local qualified educational guide who explains all the natural remedies and an opportunity to try and take spices and remedies home to enhance your health and wellness regime.
We will visit Nalanda Gedige is an ancient complete stone temple near Matale and its original site is considered the geographical centre of Sri Lanka. The building was constructed between the 8th and 10th centuries.
An Optional visit to Muttuariamman Temple in Matale was built in 1874. This temple is used by both Hindus and Buddhists. The temple was originally a small statue under a tree prayed to by the Hindu people but has been developed by the people in Matale. Arrive Kandy and transfer to your hotel.
Includes Breakfast/Dinner.
Silk Shop
Wood Carving
Spice Garden
Nalanda Gedige
Muttuariamman Temple
This morning optional visit one of the most stunning gardens, The Royal Botanical Garden of Peradeniya. In 1821 the park was under British rule and it then became known as the Botanical Garden. Here exotic crops such as nutmeg, tea, rubber, coffee, cinchona are all unique and important to the country of Sri Lanka. The garden also includes a beautiful orchid house and a wide variety of plant species from all over the world.
Visit the Town of Kandy and walk along the local street to experience local shopping as we make our way to the Gem Factory Museum to see how the gems are cultivated from beginning to end. Sri Lanka is known as one of the largest gem producers in the world.
Early evening we will attend the Sri Lankan traditional cultural show and watch the beautiful locals dancing in a rainbow of colorful cultural costumes as they perform their dances in grace and style.
We will take a visit to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. It was founded back in the 16th century, it housed one of the most sacred relics of Buddhism – a tooth of Buddha collected from his funeral pyre, which is now protected within the gold-roofed Temple of the Tooth. Then transfer to your hotel and have time to relax. Arrive at your hotel and unwind.
Includes Breakfast/Dinner
The Royal Botanical Garden of Peradeniya
Kandy City tour
SriLanka traditional Cultural show
Temple of the Tooth
Sri Lanka formerly known as Ceylon is famous for its quality tea. Nuwara Eliya is Sri Lanka’s lush tea-growing region, founded by the British explorer Samuel Baker in 1846 continues to give us the experience of the British colonial past with fully operational tea plantations; En route we will see local families of generations working in the tea fields of rolling hills, picking the tea leaves manually by hand. We will visit a real-time Tea processing factory to see how the tea is produced as there are many still in full operation today giving you an opportunity to taste the delights of fresh tea and the opportunity to buy to take home for family and friends.
During our adventure today we will visit Ramboda known for its marvelous landscapes, comprising highlands, ridges, plains, streams, and hilly mountains, and see the scenic Ramboda waterfall. Optional visit to Ambulawawa Tower.
Nuwara Eylia town was originally built with Tudor-style houses featuring fireplaces, billiard tables, a golf course, a racetrack, gentlemen’s clubs, and botanical gardens. We will visit the traditional British Gentleman’s Club. The climate here makes it the coolest area in the country of Sri Lanka, so bring a sweater with you.
This afternoon, enjoy an optional traditional High Tea in the beautiful Grand Hotel
Transfer to your hotel and relax and refresh.
Includes Breakfast/Dinner
Tea Plantations
Ramboda Waterfall
Nuwara Eliya city tour
Visit the local fresh produce markets and wander through the main shopping street of Nuwara Eliya while enjoying a cultural experience and trying some local snack street food. Enjoy a spectacular viewpoint of the city and the sweeping views of the Tea Plantations for a photo candid shot opportunity.
This afternoon we board the famous train from Nuwara Eliya to Ella for approximately two hours and thirty minutes enjoying the spectacular rolling hills of plantations and meandering through the Mountains across the famous well-photographed bridges enjoying this spectacular train ride with many photo opportunities. The train ride to Ella powers down through Sri Lanka's southern hill country, crossing the tea plantations before it winds up and disappears into the clouds, weaving in and out of the many mountain tunnels as it finally arrives in Ella, allowing you to soak in the mystic vibes and cherish the beauty of slow travel.
Arrival by train in the afternoon in Ella, your chauffeur will meet you at the train station with your luggage and transfer you to the hotel and relax.
Includes Breakfast/Dinner
Produce Markets
Tea Plantations
MajesticTrain trip
After breakfast, we will walk through a beautiful path to see the Nine Arch Bridge, a connection of two mountains and also known as the ‘Bridge in the Sky’. This bridge is 300 feet in length, 25 feet in width, and 80-100 feet in height. It is an amazing example of a colonial-era railway in Sri Lanka and this is located in Demodara and happens to be one of the best places to visit in Ella.
Little Adam's peak is an easy walk to reach the viewpoint. Climbing up the Little Adams Peak in Ella is one of the favorite activities of the tourists on their Sri Lankan holiday with majestic views and photo opportunities – it is only a leisurely 2-hour walk. Enjoy the view over the valley.
The whole journey is very pleasing while passing through the local villages and tea plantations. End the day and back to the hotel via a scenic road.
Returning this afternoon and relax.
Includes Breakfast/Dinner
Nine Arch Bridge
Little Adams Peak
After breakfast, we will start our journey to the beautiful south east coast. We will stop at some beautiful viewpoints. Along one of the main travel roads in Sri Lanka, we will visit the beautiful Ravana Falls, located in the misty mountains of Ella.
We continue our journey down to the Southern coast of Sri Lanka, facing the Indian Ocean as we pass the fishing towns on the South.
We continue to Galle Fort, a unique town designed by the Portuguese and Dutch that dates back to 1584. Wander and explore the Galle Fort.
We will visit the famous Turtle Hatchery, set up to conserve the turtle population.
Your guide/driver will transfer you to your hotel and say Farewell. Enjoy a relaxing time on the beach to wind down and revive. Arrive at your hotel and relax.
Includes Breakfast
Beaches
Galle Fort
Turtle Hatchery
After a leisurely breakfast, enjoy the beautiful Southeast coast of Sri Lanka
facing out to the Indian Ocean is the beach.
Free day and enjoy a walk on the beach. swim, relax by the pool. reading a book while enjoying the beauty of the coconut trees and nature around you.
Includes Breakfast
Free Day
After a leisurely breakfast, enjoy the beautiful South eastcoast of Sri Lanka facing out to the Indian Ocean is the beach.
Free day to refresh, take a walk along the beach, and relax for the day and unwind.
Includes Breakfast
Free Day
After a leisurely breakfast, we continue to the coastal fishing town of Negombo alongside a picturesque lagoon and the impressive infrastructure of canals built by the Dutch colonial times. Negombo was an important outpost for the trade of cinnamon in colonial times.
Arrive at your transit hotel, relax & dinner before transferring to the airport for your flight homeward bound.
Includes Breakfast/Dinner
Transit hotel
Transfer to the airport
Farewell to beautiful Sri Lanka
