Luxury Highlights of Sri Lanka Tour

Day 1 - Welcome to Sri Lanka

Ayubowan! Welcome to Sri Lanka!

Your chauffeur-guide will meet you in the arrivals hall at the airport and transfer you to the nearby Wallawwa. He will be there to answer any questions, offer advice and to generally look after you. The Wallawwa is an award-winning country hotel and is the perfect place to relax and unwind after your flight. We recommend booking a spa treatment – the perfect way to begin your holiday!

Day 2 - The Cultural Triangle

This morning you will journey to the Cultural Triangle. Check into your villa at Water Garden Sigiriya, explore the vast gardens, waterways and hotel facilities and enjoy the incredible views of Sigiriya rock with a drink in hand.

In the afternoon visit the Sigiriya Lion Rock Fortress. The site was the domain of King Kashyapa whose aim was to build an impregnable fortress and within it, a heavenly abode. Today, the climb of 1200 footsteps rewards you with a scenic view and a fascinating perspective of 5th century urban-planning.

Day 3 - Ancient City of Polonnaruwa

This morning, visit the ancient city of Polonnaruwa, recognised as one of the most intricately planned sites in the country. Enjoy the impressive sculptures and temples  before returning to the hotel for a restful afternoon.

Optional Excursion – Safari at Minneriya National Park

Journey into the jungle and over plains with your driver/naturalist in the search for elephants, crocodiles, monkeys, wild deer, buffalo and even the elusive sloth bear or Sri Lankan leopard if you’re lucky.

Day 4 - Hues of Habarana

Simply relax at your hotel today, go for a bike ride or a village tour/experience.

Optional Tour – Hues of Habarana

Embark on a village cycling tour with a local guide and explore the lifestyle of the local villagers, keeping a lookout for birdlife en route. The terrain will be flat and the pace is manageable/up to you.

Make a few stops to discover more about local, traditional industries including clay brick maying , crafting of brooms, ayurvedic oil blending and sone local village dancing. Finish the experience off with a traditional  Sri Lankan rice and curry lunch. 

Day 5 - Dambulla Cave Temples & On To Kandy

Travel south towards Kandy,  stopping at one of Sri Lanka’s eight UNESCO World Heritage Site, Dambulla Cave Temple, en route. This is a very interesting and well-preserved cave temple complex.

Continue onto the cultural city of Kandy, check into your tranquil hotel away from noise of the bustling city, but close enough to visit easily.

Day 6 - Explore the Cultural City of Kandy

Your chauffeur guide will take you to visit the cultural city of Kandy. Notice the colonial touches in the architecture and and stop to soak up the atmosphere in the markets. Visit the iconic Temple of the Tooth, Sri Lanka’s most sacred temple and home to the sacred tooth relic. Other optional visits to The Royal Botanical Garden and the Commonwealth War Cemetery can be arranged.

Optional Tour: Curries, claypots and kandyan flavours. 

Should you wish to, move your tour of Kandy to the afternoon and start the day with a special Sri Lankan cooking and dining experience. Shop in the markets for some incredible spices and seasonal vegetables, then join a local woman to learn the authentic Sri Lankan cooking techniques, using claypots and more modern techniques and sampling everything you create, of course.

Day 7 - Scenic Train Journey

After breakfast, your driver will take you to Nanu Oya, just outside Nuwara Eliya, known as little England (and the tea capital of Sri Lanka) to join the scenic train as it journeys through the hill country. If time allows, there is the option of looking  around Nuwara Eliya with your driver (earlier start required for this).

Your chauffeur guide will follow with the luggage and pick you up at the Demodera Railway Station, near Ella. It’s a hassle free process, just sit back and enjoy the ride!

Check in to your hotel, perched high in the hills with stunning views across the tea plantations and mountains.

Day 8 - Hiking and Exploring the Hill Country

Set out on a short hike to the Little Adams Peak. Views of the valley and surrounding hills are breathtaking. An early start is recommended as the skies are clear and the morning air is fresh and cool.

Later, visit the Nine Arches Bridge, built in the 1920s

Optional excursion: Ziplining, mountain biking, abseiling or archery

In the afternoon if you would like to something a little more adrenalin-fuled head over to the flying Ravana adventure park located nearby and go ziplining through the jungle or alternatively ATV riding, mountain biking, abseiling and archery

Day 9 - Tea Tour & Sampling

Early this morning, you could set out on a more challenging trek to Ella Rock. The walk will take you along the railroad tracks and onto a hanging metal bridge, then through a eucalyptus forest, rewarding you with stunning views from Ella Rock.

Return to the hotel for breakfast and free time to rest and enjoy the facilities at the hotel such as the inviting swimming pool.

In the afternoon, meet Salinda, a retired Tea Planter who will take you on a trip down memory lane, for him, learning what life was like as tea planter years ago and how the tea estates have evolved over the years, meet some of the ladies tea picking, learn about the tea-making process and sample some tea!

Day 10 - Safari at Yala

Drive to Yala National Park after breakfast.

Check into your luxury cabin at Chena Huts. Have a  dip in your own  plunge pool, go for a walk along the beach, and observe the birdlife and wildlife from your deck. Later, have sundowners overlooking the beach and jungle.

In the afternoon, dress in your most neutral colours and set out for a safari  at Yala National Park.

Yala National Park is Sri Lanka’s most famous park and with good reason as it is home to an amazing range of wildlife; including elephants, peacocks, leopards and bears. Expect thick lush foliage so pay close attention!

Day 11 - South Coast Stay

After breakfast it’s time to drive south east for your relaxing beach stay. 

Settle into your villa at Cape Weligama, one of the most iconic hotels in Sri Lanka. Stunning panoramas await you. The hotel’s bar and restaurants capture Weligama’s iconic sunsets, as does the 60-meter crescent-shaped infinity pool that appears to flow seamlessly into the shimmering sea. If you can tear yourself away from the pool, bar and beach, you could go for a private sunset cruise on a yacht, go whale and dolphin watching, snorkelling or scuba diving. Cycle through paddy fields, cinnamon and rubber plantations, through local villages and past temples.

Spend 5 nights here.

Day 15 - Galle Fort & Departure

This morning, your driver will collect you from your hotel and drive the short distance to Galle for a look around.  The cobbled streets of Galle Fort hat have seen four hundred years of history from Arab merchants to the adventurous Portuguese and the industrious Dutch. The streets are filled with colonial homes, galleries, boutiques, museums and restaurants and the fort walls give way to an impressive rampart surrounding a small peninsula jutting out to the Indian Ocean.

Take the day at your pace, enjoy some lunch and go shopping, then continue to the airport for your departure flight this evening.

Sadly, it’s time to leave the Isle of Serendipity!