Sri Lanka in Depth - December 2026
4.7
Overall, amazing trip!
From the moment I rang up and spoke to lovely Mandy, I was impressed by Explore.
I was part of a group of 8 ranging from 30s-70s, by the end of the trip, we were like old friends. I hadn’t done a group trip before and you are spending a lot of time together so be prepared for that if you are also sharing a room.
Luckily we all got on really well and had a laugh together but you do have to carve out some solo time.
Itinerary - this trip is described as moderate but it’s quite full on. So many activities are squeezed in to the available time and a fair bit of travel in between, but this is broken up by stops on an off the bus for points of interest.
It meant we saw so much of Sri Lanka, we covered 2000km. Think, temples, wildlife, food, hiking, boat / train trip, beach, cities, and history and beautiful scenery.
Accommodation - some were lovely, some not so much, but all were clean / acceptable, some just a bit more basic than others.
Most had pretty good food as we eat at the hotel most nights due to often being off the beaten track.
You are accompanied for the whole trip by your tour guide and we were very lucky to have Sam.
Sam made the trip.
He has such and in depth knowledge of Sri Lanka and was so willing to tell us everything we wanted to know about the history and customs of the country that we really felt like we had gotten to know the country in depth. He had so many little extras ‘up his sleeve’ from stopping the bus to show us how to blow bubbles with a soap plant to arranging for us to go into the signal room at the train station.
I am sure all of the guides are brilliant, but know if you are lucky to be assigned Sam, he is something special.
The trip was fantastic, so many experiences packed into two weeks and friends I hope to stay in touch with. If you’re considering this trip, 10/10 recommend.
Cultural, religious and historic sites
USD 2,760
