Sri Lanka Highlights(Private Tour)

The first day of your tour to Sri Lanka can be enjoyed at your own pace. You will be picked up from the airport by your private chauffeur and taken to your hotel. If you arrive during the day, you can explore the town and catch some sun on the wide, golden beaches. At night, the best place to visit is ‘Hotel Road’, which is packed with bars, seafood restaurants and hotels.

After an early breakfast we will leave Negombo and head to Yapahuwa. The drive is quite scenic and your chauffeur will make a few stops along the way to enjoy fresh, exotic fruits and refreshing King Coconut. There’s plenty to see at the ancxient stronghold of Yapahuwa including moats, ramparts, caves, ancient stupas, Chinese-style lion statues (an indication of the ties with China at the time), and its biggest showpiece, a massive ornamental stairway. You will head to Anuradhapura next, arriving in time for an authentic Sri Lankan lunch. The rest of the day is left free, for you to explore your surroundings at leisure.

This vast city is full of amazing ancient Sri Lankan architecture and you will visit: Ruwanwelisaya – one of the world’s tallest ancient monuments which houses the Buddha’s relics, Thuparamaya – the first Buddhist temple, Lovamahapaya – a nine storied skyscraper of the ancient world, Isurumuniya – famous for its intriguing carvings, the 4th century CE Samadhi Statue carved out of dolomite marble, Kuttam Pokuna and Eth Pokuna – elaborately constructed bathing ponds, and the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi – the 2,250 year-old sacred Bo tree, grown from the southern branch of the sacred Bo tree under which the Buddha gained enlightenment.

After breakfast, you will be heading to Jaffna. You will arrive at your hotel in time for an authentic local lunch featuring the famous Jaffna Crab Curry and other signature specialities. After a brief rest, feel free to explore the city at your own pace and experience the colourful culture, and sample street foods, alcoholic palm toddy (made of palm tree sap), and the popular soft drink ‘Nelli Crush’ available across the city.

After breakfast you will head out on a ferry to Nagadeepa, home to many famous temples, and then to Nallur Kandasami Kovil which has a rich history and plays host to the 25-day long Nallur Festival. After that you will head to Dambakola Patuna, the place where the sacred sapling from the Bodhi Tree first arrived in Sri Lanka. After lunch, you will visit more significant sights in Jaffna including the Fort, Nilavarai Bottomless Well, Point Pedro and other locations. In the late afternoon you will head to Jaffna’s most famous beach, Casuarina beach, on Karaitivu island to relax and take a dip in the warm, pool-like waters of the Indian Ocean.

You will head to Sigiriya after breakfast. Excursion to the Sigiriya Rock Fortress is set for late afternoon. At the Fortress, you can take your time leisurely exploring the vast boulder gardens and water gardens before heading up. The climb up the rock is quite easy, as it is made up of walkways and steps with guide rails. Halfway up the rock, you will encounter the famous Sigiriya frescoes and you will reach the summit just in time to catch a gorgeous sunset highlighting the panoramic view all around you.

After breakfast, your cultural holiday continues with a scenic drive to the UNESCO World Heritage City of Polonnaruwa. This ancient capital of Sri Lanka is steeped in historical and religious significance, and famed for its well preserved sculptures and architecture. Here you will see strong Indian influences melding with a growing Sri Lankan identity in the architecture, art and sculptures of this sprawling ancient city. At lunch you will be treated to an authentic clay pot meal experience that is packed with delicious Sri Lankan dishes and sweets. After lunch you will take off on a safari to Minneriya National Park to enjoy some wildlife sightings as well as witness ‘The Gathering’.

A short drive after breakfast will bring you to the Dambulla fruit & vegetable market which is a massive hub for fresh produce trading. After touring the market and sampling various produce, you will head over to the Dambulla Cave Temple. You can explore the 5 sacred caves of this World Heritage Site and also climb Dambulla Rock to enjoy the panoramic views. After a delicious lunch you will resume your journey and arrive in Kandy, in time to visit the Temple of the Tooth (the Sri Dalada Maligawa, where the sacred relic of a tooth belonging to Lord Buddha is kept) and also witness a daily sacred ritual known as Thewawa.

Next day is a short drive to Peradeniya, to visit the Royal Botanical Gardens. A sprawling garden of about 60 hectares, hemmed in by the Mahaweli River, it also has a suspension bridge to cross to the other side of the river! You will be amazed by the impressive diversity of flora: from orchids, local indigenous plants, magnificently tall Burma bamboo, the stately avenue of royal trees (also named as Cannonball fruit tree) and of course the iconic Javan fig tree that sits in the lawn; a singular beauty with its ever-reaching canopy of shade. You will see bats, monkeys, amidst birds and butterflies too.

After breakfast you will catch the train to Nuwara Eliya. Travelling on 19th century British-built train tracks, you will encounter the usage of Single Line Train Tablets during your ride. This is a method devised in the late 19th century to avoid collisions on a single railway line, which is still in use today on some railway lines in Sri Lanka. After reaching Nuwara Eliya you will head to a tea factory, to find out how tea goes from being a leaf on a bush, to a warm cup of golden goodness! Later on you will head out on a walking tour of Nuwara Eliya town which has a great mix of colonial and Tudor architecture, historical sites and temples. A hike in Horton Plains is set for the next morning.

A pre-dawn start will see you heading up to Horton Plains. The easy circular trek should take you a couple of hours and you will head back to your hotel for breakfast. The drive to the safari camp bordering the Yala National Park is a little long, but is quite scenic. After resting from the long drive, you will head out on an afternoon safari in a private jeep, along with a professional and experienced naturalist and tracker. At night you will be treated to a bbq dinner under the stars, and partake in a night walk along the borders of the Park, to continue your encounters in the wild!

You will be going on a morning safari to witness more wildlife at Yala National Park. After that you will be travelling to Galle. Galle is a picture book UNESCO heritage city that will mesmerize you with its many charms. Depending on what time you reach your hotel, you can relax here with the sea breeze, or venture on a walk into the city. Galle Fort itself spans 90 acres overlooking the ocean. Your chauffeur will be happy to accompany you and show you the Meeran Mosque, the Fort Lighthouse, the Dutch Reformed Church, restaurants, live music bars and quaint houses on cobblestone streets. Galle boasts of a museum you may like to visit, that offers an interesting historical insight of its past. There is also the Dutch Market and numerous spice shops to see.

Depending on when you tour in Sri Lanka, you will leave early by 6-6:30am to go whale watching from the Mirissa harbour. This is an exciting adventure when you may sight Blue whales and Bottle-nosed dolphins. Or, you will go on the

Galle Cinnamon Experience; an interactive tour which gives you a sense of a cinnamon farmer’s life – visiting a beautiful, working cinnamon estate. Another option: you will take a walk in historical Galle Fort during your stay in Sri Lanka. Your chauffeur will take you to local restaurants and craft shops where you’ll find batiks, brassware and jewellery.

We’ve reached the end of your 13-night holiday to Sri Lanka and it is time to depart. You will be taken to Colombo Airport in time to catch your departure flight.