Jewels of Sri Lanka

Our tour allows you to experience the beautiful interior of Sri Lanka, exploring the delights of Dambulla, Sigiriya Rock and the colonial cities of Kandy and Galle. Visit ancient temples of past civilisations, wonder at the beautiful botanical gardens in Peradeniya, meet the elephants at the Pinnawala Orphanage and take a safari through Yala National Park.

Highlights

Explore the magnificent UNESCO World Heritage Site of Sigiriya Rock Fortress

• Marvel at the incredible Dambulla Rock Temple

• Uncover the Buddhist relics at the Temple of the Tooth

• Watch elephants being bathed and fed at Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage

• Wander the beautiful botanical gardens of Peradeniya

• Spot exotic wildlife on a safari through Yala National Park

• Embark on fascinating city tours of Kandy and Galle

• Experience the hustle and bustle on a tea plantation tour in Nuwara Eliya

Itinerary

DAY 1

UK to Colombo

Depart on your scheduled, overnight flight to Colombo International Airport.

DAY 2

Colombo to Dambulla

Dinner

On arrival you will be met by your local guide and transferred to Dambulla which will take approximately 4 hours. The rest of your evening at leisure.

DAY 3

Dambulla

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Depart in the morning to explore the stunning Sigiriya Rock Fortress, a World Heritage Site dating back to the 5th century AD. Also known as the 'Lion Rock', it is a citadel of unusual beauty rising 200 metres from the jungle. Following lunch continue on to the ancient city of Polonnaruwa which was once a royal capital of the Sinhalese kingdom and is over 1000 years old. It was chosen as the capital as it was advantageously positioned to safeguard against possible attacks from the southeast, as well as supposedly having fewer mosquitoes! Here you can admire the ruins of the Royal Palace and wander around the Gal Vihara, famous for its splendid carved Buddha statues. Please note: photography is prohibited in parts of the Sigiriya Rock Fortress. Prohibited areas will be clearly signposted.

DAY 4

Dambulla to Kandy

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

After breakfast, visit the Dambulla Rock Temple, where the impressive caves contain over 2000sq metres of painted walls and ceilings which were once gilded by the ancient King to mark his place of worship. You will then travel to Kandy en route visiting a spice garden followed by lunch and check in at your hotel. Continue to the famous Temple of Tooth Relic in the afternoon - Sri Lanka's most important Buddhist relic and one of the holiest shrines in the Buddhist world. Before dinner relax whilst watching an eclectic cultural show, where performers will dazzle you with ornate costumes and traditional dances.

DAY 5

Kandy

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Today you will travel to the beautiful botanical gardens in Peradeniya, boasting more than 4,000 species of trees, plants, orchids and creepers. Next, a highlight of this tour is a trip to the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, established in 1975 to care for abandoned and wounded elephants. Witness these magnificent creatures in close quarters and see elephants being fed, bathed and trained by the wildlife authorities. This evening enjoy a city tour of Kandy, including the bazaar and arts and crafts centre and a gem museum. Kandy was the last capital of the ancient kings and after defending themselves for over three centuries from the Dutch and Portuguese it finally fell to the hands of the British in 1815.

DAY 6

Kandy to Yala

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Departing Kandy this morning, breathe in the divine scent of Ceylon tea on a morning tour of a sweeping tea plantation, before participating in a walking tour of Nuwara Eliya, whose idyllic mountainside setting strikingly overlooks its neighbouring valleys, meadows and peaks. A truly tranquil district often referred to as the ‘Little England’ of Sri Lanka, take in vistas of misty hillsides, peppered with brightly dressed tea pickers en route to your hotel near Yala.

DAY 7

Yala

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

The morning is at leisure before your exciting jeep safari around the magnificent Yala National Game Park, the largest national park in Sri Lanka with a unique ocean front setting. The park is home to elephants, wild boars, buffaloes, bears, deer and crocodiles as well as a number of migratory and indigenous birds. You may even spot a leopard!

DAY 8

Yala to Colombo

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Following breakfast, you will arrive in Galle, once the chief port of Ceylon and the centre of the Dutch regime in the 17th century. A city tour lets you discover the majestic Galle Fort and the surrounding historic buildings which reflect the Dutch heritage which once reined the country. Travel north, to Colombo, for your final night.

DAY 9

Colombo to UK

Breakfast

Transfer to the airport for your flight to the UK.