A grand circuit of the island in nine days: the ancient rock fortress of Sigiriya, the sacred hill city of Kandy, the tea country of Nuwara Eliya, the Nine Arch Bridge at Ella, leopard country at Yala, colonial Galle and the beaches of Bentota, finishing in Colombo.
Meeting and greeting at the airport by the My Holiday representative. Transfer to your hotel in Sigiriya.
Visit the Golden Cave Temple at Dambulla. Dambulla Cave Temple area is thought to have been inhabited from the 7th–3rd century BC. Statues and paintings in the caves date to the 1st century BC, with repairs and repainting in the 11th, 12th and 18th centuries. The caves sheltered King Valagamba during his 14-year exile, and on regaining the throne he built a magnificent rock temple here in gratitude to the monks.
Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel in Sigiriya.
Breakfast at the hotel.
Sigiriya is a remarkable geological formation and archaeological site, 22 km north-east of Dambulla in the North Central Province. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1982, it lies within the cultural triangle formed by Anuradhapura, Kandy and Polonnaruwa.
Transfer to Kandy. En route, visit a spice garden to see cloves, pepper, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon and more growing naturally and to learn about their healing properties.
Visit the Temple of the Tooth Relic. The 17th-century Temple of the Tooth (Sri Dalada Maligawa) in Kandy, long a centre of the Buddhist faith, is believed to house the left upper canine tooth of the Lord Buddha. White-clad pilgrims bring lotus blossoms and frangipani every day. Legend says the relic was smuggled to Sri Lanka in 313 AD, hidden in the hair of Princess Hemamali, and it was moved to Kandy with the capital. The present temple was built under the Kandyan kings between 1687 and 1707.
Cultural show at Kandy. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel in Kandy.
Breakfast at the hotel. City tour of Kandy: lake drive, Gem Museum, silk shop, batik and more.
Transfer to Nuwara Eliya. Sri Baktha Hanuman Temple, built by the Chinmaya Mission at Ramboda, stands where Rama’s forces are believed to have gathered against Ravana. Its presiding image of Hanuman is 16 feet tall.
Ramboda Falls drops 109 m (358 ft), the 11th highest waterfall in Sri Lanka, at Ramboda Pass on the A5 highway, 945 m above sea level.
Tea factory visit. Sri Lanka produces tea all year, about 340 million kg a year, mostly Ceylon Black Tea, with green and prized silver-tip and golden-tip white teas as well.
Gregory Lake in Nuwara Eliya, named after Sir William Gregory in 1873, has paved walkways, swan-shaped paddle boats, pony rides and boat rides.
Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel in Nuwara Eliya.
Breakfast at the hotel.
Hakgala Botanical Garden is the second largest in Sri Lanka, 10 km from Nuwara Eliya in cool hill country. Legend places Sita here, in what was one of King Ravana’s pleasure gardens.
Seetha Amman Temple is linked to the Ramayana: Sita is believed to have been held captive here by Ravana, bathing in the stream beside the temple, where three idols were found centuries ago.
Moon Plains (Sandathanne), opened to the public in 2014, is a park about 6 km from town, sometimes called Mini World’s End. It offers a 360-degree view of nine peaks, including Pidurutalagala, the highest. Private vehicles are not allowed, so jeeps can be hired to reach the top.
Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel in Nuwara Eliya.
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer from Nuwara Eliya to Yala via Ella.
Nine Arch Bridge, Ella: the nine stone arches amid tea plantations are a must-do for travellers to Sri Lanka.
Little Adam’s Peak and the Flying Ravana zip line.
Ravana Falls is one of the widest falls in the country, named after the legendary king Ravana, said to have hidden Sita in the caves behind it.
Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel in Yala.
Packed breakfast at the hotel.
Yala is home to more than 200 species of birds and 40 species of mammals and is best known for its leopards, with some of the highest leopard density in the world. January to July is best for sightings, and elephants are most likely during the dry season, May to August. Crocodiles, sloth bears, water buffalo, deer, jackals and about 130 bird species, including pelicans, storks and flamingos, are also seen.
Galle Fort, on the southern coast, was built by the Portuguese in 1588 and extensively fortified by the Dutch in the mid-1600s. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988, it illustrates the meeting of European architecture and South Asian traditions.
Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel in Bentota.
Breakfast at the hotel.
Visit the turtle hatchery. Kosgoda Sea Turtle Conservation Project, running since 1988, monitors turtle activity and protects local nesting sites. Its hatchery lets rescued and collected eggs hatch safely away from predators before the young are released into the sea at night, and it raises awareness of how endangered sea turtles are.
Madu River safari. Madu River flows through Balapitiya, about 80 km south of Colombo, and is one of the unspoiled attractions of Sri Lanka. Its path is dotted with 64 small islands, most covered in mangroves and uninhabited. The largest, Ma Doowa, is home to about 300 families, and the smallest, Satha Paha Doowa, holds a tiny shrine to the gods of Kataragama.
Water sports at Bentota.
Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel in Bentota.
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer from Bentota to Colombo.
Colombo city tour and shopping. Colombo is the commercial capital of Sri Lanka, a vibrant city mixing modern life with colonial buildings. Landmarks include the National Museum, World Trade Center, Viharamahadevi Park and Galle Face Green.
Visit Gangarama Temple and the Colombo Museum. Colombo Museum was founded on 1 January 1877 by Sir William Henry Gregory, the British Governor of Ceylon, and is housed in an Italian-style building that opened in 1877 to display the cultural and natural heritage of the country.
Evening at Galle Face Green. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel in Colombo. Guests may enjoy the nightlife using their own transport.
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer from Colombo to the airport for your departure flight. End of tour.
Indicative rates for Indian nationals, in USD per person. Rates can change without prior notice.
Note: All information in this itinerary is accurate to the best of our knowledge, but changes can occur due to flight schedules, traffic, weather or government policies. Journey DMC will keep you informed of any changes but cannot be held liable for alterations to the published itinerary.