Sri Lanka Highlights 2025 – 2026

Day 1: Arrive Negombo (No Meals)
Fly to Colombo. (Flight not included.). Meet your English speaking local driver on arrival and take a private transfer to your hotel. Stay one night in Negombo.

Day 2: Negombo – Sigiriya – Dambulla  (B)
After breakfast proceed to Sigiriya and its 5^th century rock fortress, a World Heritage site, built by King Kashyapa. The rock was the innermost stronghold of the 70-hectare fortified town. A moat, rampart, and extensive gardens ring the base of the rock. Continue on to your accommodation in Dambulla. Stay two nights in Dambulla.

Day 3: Anuradhapura Day Excursion (B)
Morning depart for a private road travel to Anuradhapura, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. See Ruwanweliseya stupa, the Thuparama dagoba and the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, a sacred fig tree grown from a branch of the Sri Maha Bodhi tree in India under which Lord Buddha attained enlightenment.

Day 4: Dambulla – Kandy (B)
Visit the Dambulla rock temple, built in a series of caves then travel by road to Kandy in the foothills of the central highlands. Stop at a spice garden in Matale and learn about how the fragrant spices are grown and processed.
In culturally rich Kandy, visit the Temple of the Tooth Relic, the Queen’s Bathing Pavillion, the Kandy Garrison Cemetery and the Devales.
Stay two nights  in Kandy.

Day 5: Kandy (B)
Visit Peradeniya Royal Botanical Garden, first established as a pleasure garden for a king. Balance of
the day free. This evening, enjoy a cultural dance show at Kandy Lake Club

Day 6: Kandy – Nuwara Eliya (B)
Travel by road from Kandy onto the hill station of Nuwara Eliya which has a distinctly English village style, a journey of up to 3 hours. Stop en route to visit a tea plantation for a tour and to observe the tea making process before tasting a cup of pure Ceylon tea. In the afternoon, enjoy a “high tea” at the historic Grand Hotel. Stay one night in Nuwara Eliya.

Day 7: Nuwara Eliya – Ella – Tissamaharama (B) 
Check out this late morning, followed by a short private road transfer to the Nanu Oya train station for a ride on a scenic train from Nanu Oya (ETD 12:30 pm) to Ella (ETA 15:00 pm). You may leave some of your suitcases in the vehicle with the driver. On disembarking the train at Ella train station, meet your (same) driver and visit the famous Nine Arches Bridge, followed by a 2-hour private scenic road transfer to Tissamaharama. Stay two nights in Tissamaharama, near Yala National Park

Day 8: Udawalawe Park & Elephant Transit Home (B)
This morning travel to Udawalawe for safari by jeep in Udawalawe National Park, followed by a visit to the Elephant Transit Home Udawalawe for a heartwarming conservation experience.

 Day 9: Tissamaharama – Galle (B)
Early morning travel to Yala National Park for a safari by jeep. Yala is the largest National Park in Sri Lanka, believed to have the world’s highest concentration of leopards, and home to wild elephants, boars, buffaloes, bears, deer and crocodiles.  Large flocks of migratory and indigenous birds are also found there. Continue by road onto Galle, once the chief port of Ceylon, stopping at Galle International Stadium, a cricket ground situated near the Galle Fort and surrounded on two sides by the Indian Ocean. It is considered to be one of the world’s most picturesque cricket grounds. Balance of the day free. Stay two nights in the Galle Fort.

Day 10: Galle (B)
After breakfast, enjoy a walking tour of the Galle Fort. Influences of the Portuguese, Dutch and British can be found in the architecture and fortifications of the city. The area is well known for its handmade lace. Balance of the day free.

Day 11: Galle – Bentota (B)
Morning of leisure. Early afternoon private transfer to your accommodation in Bentota.
Stay two nights in Bentota.

Day 12: Bentota (B)
Day at leisure.  

Day 13: Bentota – Colombo (B)
Morning of leisure.
Check out by 12noon then take a private road transfer to Colombo. On arrival, enjoy a city tour of the capital city. Like in many capital cities, a building boom is changing the city skyline, yet in parts the old world charm is retained. You will see the 100 year old clock tower and several British built colonial buildings. Visit the Pettah Bazaar for bargain shopping, a Hindu and a Buddhist temple, and residential areas of stately homes. At the end of the tour, you will be dropped off at a local restaurant for a dinner break (dinner is not included).
Meet your driver at the local restaurant later in the evening for private transfer to Colombo airport. (Flight not included.)

Day 14: Colombo – Tba (Inflight Meals)
0000: Depart Colombo on …….. Airlines flight ……..
0000: Arrive ……

HOTELS – as listed below or similar

4* locally-rated hotels

• Negombo  – Goldi Sands Hotel (Standard room)
• Dambulla – Oakray Elephant Lake Hotel (Super Deluxe room)
• Kandy – Radisson Hotel Kandy (Deluxe room)
• Nuwara Eliya – Araliya Red Hotel (Deluxe room)
• Tissamaharama – Oak Ray Wild Yala (Superior Deluxe room)
• Galle – Nyne Hotels Landesi (Deluxe room)
• Bentota – The Palms (Deluxe room)

4* & 5* locally-rated hotels

• Negombo – Jetwing Blue Hotel (Deluxe room)
• Dambulla – Jetwing Lake (Deluxe room)
• Kandy – Radisson Hotel Kandy (Deluxe room)
• Nuwara Eliya – Araliya Green Hills Hotel (Deluxe room)
• Tissamaharama – Thaulle Ayurveda Resort (Superior room)
• Galle – The Fort Printers (Church/Pedlar Wing room)
• Bentota – Taj Bentota Resort & Spa (Superior Garden View room)

Included Meals: (B)= breakfast