Complete Sri Lankan Cultural Tour

Upon arrival at Bandaranaike International Airport, in Colombo, you will be picked up by a guide and transferred to your hotel. Depending on the arrival time, you might get a chance to go out on an excursion today.

Start the day with a city tour of Negombo. Head to the original fishing village, one of the most important places on the west coast. The village is known for its lively fish market.

You also have the option to go on a Dutch canal boat excursion in Negombo's lagoon, a vast expanse of water dotted with a number of islands. The lagoon is rich in aquatic life with various types of fish, lagoon crabs and prawns making it their home. Birds such as herons, cormorants and strokes can also be seen.

Travel to the ancient city of Anuradhapura, an important pilgrimage site in Sri Lanka. Along the way, visit Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, a sacred tree regarded as the oldest-surviving human-planted tree in the world with a known planting date, and Isurumuniya, a Buddhist rock temple built by King Devanampiya Tissa.

You also have the option of booking an excursion to explore Anuradhapura's main sights today.

Give alms in the temples of Anuradhapura today. Ensure that you take your shoes off and remain covered up, which means no outfits that end above the knee while shoulders should also be covered. Opt for light-coloured clothes.

You also have the option to go on a jeep safari in Wilpattu National Park.

After breakfast, check out of your hotel in Anuradhapura and transfer to Jaffna. Along the way, visit Mihintale and the Nallur Kandaswarmy Temple.

Mihintale is a mountain peak near Anuradhapura. It is believed to be the site of a meeting between the Buddhist monk Mahinda and King Devanampiya Tissa, after which Buddhism started spreading in Sri Lanka. It is now a pilgrimage site and houses several religious monuments and abandoned structures.

Check into a hotel in Jaffna on arrival.

Take a public boat to Nagadeepa Purana Vihara, one of the sixteen most sacred Buddhist places of worship in Sri Lanka. Pilgrims have been visiting Nagadeepa since about the first century AD to worship its famous Rajayathana Stupa. Participate in a crab-cooking session on the island before heading back to the hotel for the night.

Check out of your hotel in Jaffna and transfer to Trincomalee. En route, visit Girihadu Seya in Thiriyaya.

You are free to explore Trincomalee today. You have the option to go on a boat ride to Pigeon Island, one of the two marine national parks in Sri Lanka. The national park is situated a kilometre off the coast of Nilaveli and is home to some of the best remaining coral reefs in the country.

Visit the Koneswaram Temple and the hot springs of Kanniya. The Koneswaram Temple is a medieval Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is situated atop Konesar Malai, a promontory that overlooks the Indian Ocean as well as Trincomalee Harbour.

The Kanniya hot springs are seven, square-shaped wells whose origins are believed to go back to the rule of Ravana from the Ramayana. You’ll also visit a Dutch fort along the way.

Today, enjoy a scenic catamaran ride across a man-made reservoir in the south of Sigiriya. Enjoy the relaxing trip and listen to your tour guide tell you about the different species of birds and wildlife that call the area their home.

You also have the option to visit the ancient city of Polonnaruwa. It remains one of the best-planned archaeological sites in the country.

Today, you can either choose to visit the lion’s rock of Sigiriya or go on a jeep safari to eiether Minneriya or Kaudulla national parks.

Sigiriya is a large, ancient rock fortress surrounded by the remains of an extensive network of gardens, reservoirs and other structures. The fortress is a Unesco World Heritage site and is of great historical and archaeological significance. To reach the fortress, you'll need to climb to the top of a rock 200 metres high. It is one of the most dramatic locations in Sri Lanka.

Minneriya and Kaudulla national parks are the best places in the country to see wild elephants, which are often present in huge numbers in these places, and wading birds.

After breakfast, check out from the hotel and transfer to Kandy. Along the way, we can also arrange for you to visit an ayurvedic village if you want to (optional).

Kandy is nestled amid verdant hills by the Mahaweli River and the beautiful Kandy Lake. It is certainly the most picturesque city on the island and thus the most visited. The city still retains much of its old-world charm and traditions, crafts and the typical Sri Lankan way of life.

Join your guide for a tour around the city. Visit a batik and wood-carving centre to get an insight to the local arts and crafts. Whatever your interest, be it pottery, intricately carved spoons, weaving, lacquer, sinewy silver ware or finely cut gems, you are like to find them in Kandy.

Relax or explore Kandy on your own. You have the option to visit the Temple of Tooth, which is said to house the tooth relic of Lord Buddha. Go for a cultural show in the evening.

Today, take a local train from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya. Along the way, visit a tea plantation and a tea factory to learn more about the famous Sri Lankan tea.

Please be aware that train is a local one and is less comfortable than the one you may be used to. We will try to change the departure date or book a train traveling through a different route if there are chances of the train being crowded or getting delayed on the day of your travel.

Go on a city tour of Nuwara Eliya. You also have the option to visit Horton Plains National Park if you want to.

After breakfast, it's time to check out of your hotel and transfer to Udawalwe. Visit Udawalwe’s Eth Athuru Sevana, or Elephant Transit Home. This transit home was established in 1995 as a pilot project by the Department of Wildlife Conservation to look after abandoned baby elephants until they become able to take care of themselves in the wild.

You also have the option to visit Udawalwe National Park. The park lies in the lower catchment areea of Udawalawa Reservoir and is the second largest park when it comes to herds of wild elephants.

Check out of your hotel and transfer to a beach hotel in Kalutara. Along the way, explore Galle. One of the highlight of the tour is Galle Fort. It is the best-preserved sea fort in South Asia that superbly blends beautiful architecture with fortifications. You are free for the rest of the day.

Spend the day at your leisure, exploring the area or relaxing on the beaches.

Spend the day at your leisure, exploring the area or relaxing on the beaches.

Your Sri Lanka tour has come to an end today. We will drive you to the airport for your flight home.