7D Best of Sri Lanka

Arrive at Colombo Airport, where your local driver guide will meet with you. Transfer to Habarana.

Note:

Colombo Airport – Habarana: Drive (~4.5hr)

After breakfast, transfer to Dambulla and visit the Dambulla Cave Temple – a UNESCO World Heritage Site also known as the Golden Temple of Dambulla. Then, head towards Minneriya for a Jeep Safari tour at the Minneriya National Park. Here on the banks of the Minneriya Reservoir, get up close with “The Gathering” – the largest sighting of Asian elephants in the wild. (May to October is a good time to witness this phenomenon.)

Note:

Habarana – Dambulla: Drive (~45min)

Start the day by visiting the Sigiriya Lion Rock Fortress – a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is also known locally as the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’. Then, head towards Kandy, stopping over at a Spice Garden in Matale along the way. In Kandy, enjoy a *Cultural Dance Performance in the late afternoon, and visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic.

Note:

Sigiriya – Kandy: Drive (~2.5hr)

*Cultural Dance Performance is not available during the Kandy Esala Perahera Festival in July.

This morning, head to Nuwara Eliya, also known as ‘Little England’. Visit the Ramboda Waterfall – a great spectacle to behold with its unique Y-shaped formation. Next, visit a tea plantation and experience picking tea leaves. In the afternoon, enjoy High Tea at Grand Hotel, and visit the Araliya Mini Mart & Shopping Complex.

Note:

Kandy – Nuwara Eliya: Drive (~3hr)

After breakfast, embark on a scenic *train ride towards Ella. At Ella, you may opt to visit the majestic Nine Arch Bridge, an engineering marvel built in the early 20th century. Thereafter, proceed to Yala.

Note:

Nuwara Eliya – Ella: Drive (~2hr) or Train (~2.5hr)

Ella – Yala: Drive (~3hr)

*In the event train tickets are unavailable, transfers will be made via car.

Go on an early morning Safari Jeep Tour at Yala National Park, the perfect location to spot Sri Lanka’s ‘Big Four’: the leopard, elephant, sloth bear and wild buffalo. Next, head off for Galle. En route, stopover at Weligama, where you can watch traditional Stilt Fishermen cast lines while perched on poles in the Indian Ocean. This unique fishing technique is handed down from generation to generation.

In Galle, visit Galle Fort, a charmingly preserved Colonial-era fortress and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its streets are lined with cafes, restaurants and boutiques waiting to be explored.

Note:

Yala National Park is closed September - October (estimated dates).

Yala National Park – Galle (~4hr)

After breakfast, head back to Colombo. Visit the Colombo National Museum, Independence Square and Gangaramaya Buddhist Temple. Dinner will be at Ministry of Crab where you’ll get to sample the restaurant’s speciality – Sri Lankan Crab. After dinner, transfer to Colombo Airport for your departing flight.

Note:

Galle – Colombo: Drive (~1.5hr)

A dining voucher worth LKR5,000 per person is included; should the bill exceed the given amount, the balance is to be paid by the traveller.