Highlights
Sri Lanka by bike - Ride the backroads, villages, Knuckles Range and central highlands of this beautiful island. Ancient and spiritual sites - Explore the ancient site of Polonnaruwa, the cave temples of Dambulla and climb the Sky Fortress in Sigiriya. Hill Country - Cycle through the highlands to discover lush tea plantations and the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy.
Itinerary
Ready to see Sri Lanka like never before? The 'Cycle Sri Lanka' tour invites experienced travelers to pedal through the island’s most captivating sights on a 14-day, moderate-activity bicycle trip. Starting in Negombo and ending in Colombo, this adventure circles the country, offering a diverse blend of history, nature, and vibrant local culture.
Wind through backroads and scenic highlands, ride past lush tea plantations in the Knuckles Range, and explore ancient wonders like Polonnaruwa and the cave temples of Dambulla. The route also includes a thrilling climb up the Sky Fortress in Sigiriya and a visit to the revered Temple of the Tooth in Kandy.
The journey culminates with wildlife spotting in Yala National Park—keep your eyes peeled for leopards!—followed by relaxation on the sun-kissed sands of Koggala. The unique selling point of this tour package is its all-encompassing route, offering both active adventure and well-earned downtime, all supported by expert guides and inclusive amenities.
day 1Join tour Negombo
Our tour starts today in Negombo, a coastal town that's famous for its fishing industry and golden sands. The perfect introduction to Sri Lankan life, Negombo is a busy coastal town with a lively fish market, traditional ketti-maran (catamaran) fishing boats scudding across the waters - the capital, Colombo, is a short distance away, too. Head down to the water to catch the sunset and spot locals bringing in the day's catch. For those arriving in time, our tour leader plans to meet you in the hotel reception at 6pm for a welcome meeting and for those that wish, there is the chance to go out for dinner. There are no other activities planned today, so you're free to arrive in Negombo at any time. If you'd like an airport transfer, you'll need to arrive into Colombo's Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB), which is a 30-minute drive from our hotel. If you miss the welcome meeting, your tour leader will inform you of any essential information as soon as you catch up. If your flight arrives earlier in the day, there's the option to take a short cycle ride in the late afternoon, exploring the coast of Negombo with its colourful fishing boats - a gentle introduction to Sri Lanka's beautiful landscapes. If you want to join, we'll meet at reception at 4pm. First, we'll take some time to ensure everybody is happy with their bikes and make any necessary adjustments. The ride covers some 10 kilometres/6.2 miles, and we'll head back to the hotel before dark.
day 2Morning cycle ride. Afternoon visit Dambulla cave temple
day 3Climb Lion Rock, then cycle to Polonnaruwa
day 4Pedal to Polonnaruwa archaeological site
day 5Cycle and drive to Kandy, visit spice gardens en route
day 6Explore Kandy on foot. Included lunch at social enterprise run by local women
day 7Into the beautiful highlands, colonial Nuwara Eliya and tea plantation visit
day 8Highlands cycle. Visit Bambarakanda waterfall
day 9Cycle to Udawalawe National Park; optional safari. Visit Elephant Transit Home
day 10Cycle country roads to Yala National Park; optional safari
day 11Ride along the coast through Bundala National Park
day 12Cycle the coastal backroads and visit Galle
day 13Day at leisure in Koggala
day 14Tour ends at Colombo airport
What's Included
Customer Reviews
Sri Lanka is a fabulous country with lots of lush scenery, abundant wildlife and excellent food - many meals were buffets with lots of choice. The itinerary is fairly packed, but there was a good balance between cycling, bus journeys and sight-seeing. The local crew and support team of drivers and cyclists were amazing and did a great job of making sure everything went smoothly. A special mention has to go to our tour leader (Ashan) who did a fantastic job and was clearly enthusiastic to share his extensive knowledge of the island's culture and wildlife - he really did make the trip exceptional.
Great tour, covered a lot of interesting areas and doing it by bike allows you to get a bit closer to the people than sitting on a coach all day. Cycling was of a moderate difficulty - one heavy climb day but mostly 40-50km days undulating. Not too much time travelling on the bus, so you got a good balance of activity, sight-seeing and rest Ash as a tour leader was exceptional. Knew his stuff, had great rapport and kept things moving well
Excellent local staff and tour leader (Ash), who couldn't have done more to make our trip enjoyable, interesting and easy. Super bike routes, wildlife and birdlife. Ash is a natural communicator and clearly enjoyed explaining the wildlife and culture. Great food and company too.
me. Best regards. David.
Wow this trip was absolutely amazing from the very start. The hotels were all fabulous with very large rooms and comfortable beds. Most days we had buffet lunches and dinners and the choices were out of this world. The staff were so kind and friendly. The cycling was great and the sightseeing to caves and temples etc was beautiful. Our guide Ashan was so attentive and made our trip the best ever.
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