Day 1: Arrival – Dambulla
Arrive in Sri Lanka, at Colombo’s international airport. You’ll be met by our representative and transfer to your hotel in Sri Lanka’s Cultural Triangle.
Day 2: Anuradhapura – Kandalama
Visit Anuradhapura’s ancient sacred ruins. Anuradhapura is considered the most extensive and the most important of the ancient cities in the northern region. It served as a capital city of this region for over 1000 years and hence was residence to many ancient kings from 377 BC. The city prospered and became a centre for Buddhist devotion.
Enjoy one of the most beautiful boat rides in Sri Lanka on the beautiful Kandalama Lake. Glide on the still waters as the beauty of nature and the calling of birds surround you. Experience splendid sunsets and hear the stories of the local boatmen.
Visit the Loris Conservation Project at Jetwing Vil Uyana – one of Sri Lanka’s most acclaimed wildlife research and conservation programs. It is one of the best places to see the endangered and shy creature on a late evening walk with the wardens.
Day 3: Sigiriya and Polonnaruwa
Enjoy an experience of a lifetime on a hot air balloon ride early morning, when the weather is most stable. You’ll fly at various heights – from tree top level to several thousand feet up: the perfect vantage point to observe the majesty of Dambulla – Kandalama area which includes lakes, tropical jungles, villages, farmlands and the geographical formations of Sri Lanka. The flight has a duration of roughly 1 hour, depending on weather conditions.
Visit and climb up the World Heritage site of the Sigiriya rock fortress which dominates the landscape and was both a military refuge as well as an aesthetic refuge for king who was a patron of the arts. Sigiriya became world famous for the frescos found on the western surface of the rock about 100 mts above the ground level. Ancient gardens from the 5th century survive at the foot of the rock.
Visit the ancient city of Polonnaruwa, a World Heritage site. From the tenth century AD the capital of the most powerful kingdom in the island shifted to Polonnaruwa from Anuradhapura. The greatest king of Polonnaruwa was Parakramabahu I (1153 –1186 AD). In his ‘golden reign’ the whole area flourished and several new building projects were started. The buildings were grand and impressive such as the Royal Palace and the Lankathilaka image house. The Gal Vihara with its great sculptures of the Buddha was created.
Day 4: Dambulla – Perandeniya Botanical Gardens – Kandy
Visit Dambulla Cave Temples, a World Heritage site famous for rock paintings and sculptures. Dambulla is considered as the oldest art gallery of the country. The paintings found on the rock ceiling shows the influence of Kandyan School of paintings became prominent in the 18th – 19th century in Sri Lanka.
Drive to Kandy (2.5hrs)
Visit Peradeniya botanical garden near Kandy. This is a much-acclaimed botanical garden, which is also good for birds. It is bounded on three sides by the Mahaveli River, which snakes around the 60-hectare gardens. Before its use as a botanical garden, it had served as a royal pleasure garden. Peradeniya is the second largest botanical garden in Asia. Don’t miss the orchid house. In 1905, an avenue of palms was planted and now is one of the most photographed places in the gardens.
Day 5: Kandy
Visit the Temple of the Tooth where the Sacred Tooth Relic is an object of veneration to Buddhists. The temple is one of the most sacred Buddhist sites. From ancient times kings have kept the Sacred Tooth Relic in their kingdoms as a symbol of power. It is a traditional belief that whoever takes possession of the Tooth Relic has the power to rule the people.
Enjoy a cooking lesson/demonstration, followed by a visit to the busy colourful markets of Kandy.
The Kandy Cultural Show is a must-see evening performance of various traditional forms of dance, music, and acrobatics.
The show typically includes Kandyan dances characterized by elaborate costumes and dynamic movements, Drum orchestra playing heart-thumping beats, fire walking and fire breathing demosntrations. Each act is accompanied by a narrative explaining its historical and cultural significance, offering a slice of Sri Lankan history and tradition. It’s an unforgettable cultural feast that both entertains and educates visitors.
Day 6: Kandy
Tackle the Pekoe Trail- Stage 1- Hanthana to Galaha (12.8 kms, easy). Begin your trek at the Ceylon Tea Museum (a place worth visiting if you’re keen on learning about the history of tea in Sri Lanka) and continue to walk in the shade of the tall trees that line the roads of the Hanthana Tea Estate, one of the oldest and largest tea plantations in Sri Lanka.
Walk alongside the rocky ridge of ‘Katusu Konda’ (meaning Lizard’s back in Sinhala) with sweeping views of the seven peaks of the Hanthana range, as well as the nearby peaks of the Knuckles mountain range.
Pass a dramatic mountain facade featured in the movie ‘Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom’.
Encounter smaller villages scattered across the trail, and along this stage you’ll find the community of Kithulmulla, which takes you to the end of Stage 1, near the post office in Galaha.
Day 7: Ceylon Tea Trails
Drive to Castlereigh Reservoir (2 hrs) and check into your luxury bungalow, Ceylon Tea Trails, which has featured in the BBC’s Amazing Hotels: Life beyond the Lobby (Series 5, episode 4).
Day 8: Ceylon Tea Trails
Enjoy a relaxed day with activities, amenities and trails provided at your hotel.
Day 9: Ceylon Tea Trails – Horton Plains
Enjoy a relaxed morning with a leisurely breakfast.
Drive to Horton Plains (2.5hrs)
Enjoy a relaxed evening.
Day 10: Horton Plains
Visit Horton Plains National Park, the only National Park in Sri Lanka where visitors are allowed to walk freely inside. It is situated 2200 m above sea in the central highlands of SriLanka, approximately 20 km south of Nuwara Eliya and covers 3162 hectares in extent. The climate here is a wet montane climate with a mean annual temperature of 15 centigrade. The vegetation in Hor-ton Plains is defined as Montane Rainforests or Cloud Forests which shows gnarled and stunted growth not exceeding 15 meters in height. Horton Plains is famous for the World’s End, a stunning viewpoint, which is a sheer drop of 870 meters hidden in clouds, and Baker Falls.
Visit Hakgala Botanical Gardens, one of the five botanical gardens in Sri Lanka. Situated about 1745 m above mean sea level, these gardens lie under the shadow of the Hakgala Rock which towers to a height of about 2,200m behind the gardens and the surrounding forest reserve. The gardens cover several terraces upon the lower slopes of the rock and offer magnificent views of nearby mountain ranges. The flora of the gardens is distinctly sub tropical and consists of representatives of the indigenous, montane flora intermingled with those introduced from other subtropical countries, systematically planted in various sections of the gardens.
Day 11: Horton Plains – Ella
Enjoy a relaxed morning with a leisurely breakfast.
Drive to Ella (2hrs)
Explore the breath-taking beauty of Ella, where lush tea plantations, cascading waterfalls, and iconic landmarks like Ella Rock and Nine Arches Bridge await. This picturesque hill town offers a perfect blend of adventure, serenity, and stunning views.
Day 12: Ella
Stage 17 (14 km, moderate) of the Pekoe Trail begins at one of the most scenic train stations in the hill country: the Demodara train station which is famous for its spiral rail line known as the ‘Demodara Loop’, which passes under itself, going around the loop and emerging from a tunnel that runs directly beneath the railway station. Walk along the Demodara-Spring Valley Road, cross the Badulla bridge, tea fields, a small bridge over a creek and the colonial Demodara Tea Estate. Enjoy fabulous views overlooking Demodara and Ella from the highest point of the trail.
Enjoy a relaxed evening.
Day 13: Ella- Yala
Drive to Yala (3hr)
Explore Yala National Park on a half day safari.
Day 14: Yala
A full day safari is the best way to explore Yala National Park’s rich wildlife and birds. A packed lunch is taken on the safari, and all vehicles congregate at the lunch point by the beach to enjoy lunch within the jungle, avoiding lost time driving out and back in.
Day 15: Yala – Mirrisa
Enjoy a relaxed morning with a leisurely breakfast.
Drive to Mirissa (2hrs)
Enjoy time at the beach.
Day 16: Relax at the beach
Enjoy time at the beach.
Day 17: Mirissa – Galle – Bentota
Enjoy a relaxed morning with a leisurely breakfast.
Drive to Galle
Visit the historic city of Galle, where you will enjoy a guided tour of the World Heritage city of Galle, with its colonial fort, churches and lighthouse. The city has a quaint laid back charm, inviting leisurely exploration.
Drive to Bentota
Day 18: Bentota
Lunuganga Garden in Bentota is a fine example of an iconic country house and garden created by Sri Lanka’s finest architect, Geoffrey Bawa over a period of 40 years. The gardens are a revelation of his architectural evolution where many of his trademark innovations sit alongside experimental flourishes.
Bevis Bawa, a landscape architect (elder brother to Geoffre Bawa, Sri Lanka’s finest architect) started to work at the family rubber farm in 1929 and transformed it into the magnificent Brief Garden we see today. His former country estate, Brief Garden is an intimate property, with its structured gardens and low slung, simplistic house brimming with detailed murals, ghoulish statues, personal photos and colonial-era antiques.
Day 19: Departure
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast on your last day of your holiday. Depending on the time of your flight, you’ll be driven to the airport (about 2hrs) to end your Sri Lankan holiday
