Sri Lanka Explorer
Overview
Highlights
- Considered to be off-limits for years due to the civil war, the gates to culture filled Jaffna are open to adventurers once more. Discover Tamil culture in this colourful city.
- Open skies, swaying palm trees and glittering waters – Trincomalee beach is a postcard-perfect landscape for relaxation. Kick back in the sun on this bright and sandy shoreline. Stop by a local village to join the community in making a traditional Tamil meal.
- Witness ritual and devotion in the spiritual heart of the country during a visit to Kandy’s Temple of the Tooth
- Observe wild elephants from basic 'tree houses' and hopefully catch an outstanding sunset in Wasgamuwa National Park, one of the most biodiverse protected areas in Sri Lanka.
What's this trip about?
Details
Travel Themes
Destinations
Attractions
Activities
Trip includes
- Anuradhapura - Bodhi Tree Temple
- Anuradhapura - World Heritage Site of ancient kingdom ruins
- Anuradhapura - Bike tour
- Jaffna - Jaffna Peninsula tour
- Jaffna - Nagadeepa Temple
- Jaffna - Cooking class & family visit
- Jaffna - Jaffna Library
- Trincomalee - Palmyrah Toddy and Food experience
- Dambulla - Cave Temples
- Sigiriya - Lion Rock Fortress Visit
- Minneriya National Park - Entrance Fee
- Kandy - Spice garden visit
- Kandy - Cultural Dance Performance
- Kandy - Temple of the Tooth
- Kandy - Tea factory visit
- Colombo - City Tour
Itinerary
Ayu-bowan! Welcome to Sri Lanka. Your adventure begins in the town of Negombo, located close to the international airport. You can arrive at any time on Day 1 as there are no activities planned until the important welcome meeting at 5.30 pm. Those arriving early can g...
Travel north by private vehicle (approximately 4 hours) to Anuradhapura along the way visit the Negombo Fish Markets. The grand ruins of Anuradhapura point to its status as Sri Lanka’s ruling city for almost one and a half millennia. Take a guided cycling tour of the ...
Travel north by train (approximately 4 hours) to the coastal Tamil town of Jaffna, inaccessible for years due to the civil war. Journey around the Jaffna Peninsula, taking in Point Pedro (Sri Lanka’s northernmost point), the healing waters of Keerimalai Spring, the ru...
Today we have plenty of time to explore more of Jaffna. Visit Nagadipa Temple on Nainativu Island, the only major Buddhist site in the north of the country (where Buddha himself is said to have visited to settle a dispute between two local kings) and accessible by loc...
Leave Jaffna today and travel to Trincomalee (approximately 4 hours). Discover the beach vibes of "Trinco", relax in the shade of a palm tree and try ‘toddy’ straight from its flowers. Trincomalee was one of the world’s finest deep-water harbours, attracting famous sa...
Today, visit a local village and witness how local tappers extract toddy from Palmyrah and learn on how palmyrah leaves are weaved to make different items. Then join the local women and see how ‘Odiyal Kool’ are prepared and have a taste of this authentic tamil seafoo...
Drive from Trincomalee towards Dambulla (approximately 2 hours), your base to explore the colourful Anuradhapura district of Sri Lanka. Visit the Dambulla Cave Temple. This wondrous UNESCO Heritage-listed site is the largest and best preserved cave temple complex in S...
Today visit Sigiriya's Lion Rock, an ancient carved-rock fortress that rises dramatically above the surrounding plains. Then enjoy a wildlife safari at Minneriya National Park, home to Sri Lankan elephants and Sri Lankan sloth bears, and also claimed to be the best Na...
Leave Dambulla and head onwards to Kandy (approximately 3.5 hours), the last capital of Sri Lanka’s ancient kings era. As you continue on, a stop in at a spice garden might yield scents of cinnamon, pepper, cardamom, clove, nutmeg, vanilla and more as you learn the se...
Start the day off in Kandy with a visit to the Giragama Tea Factory for an insight into local production techniques, then head to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. This golden roofed temple is home to Sri Lanka’s most important Buddhist relic – a tooth of the Budd...
Drive on towards Colombo today, the nation's capital. Stop by some of the city's main sights on a bus tour including Independence Square, Parliament, and past the National Museum, finishing with a shopping opportunity for a good cause at the Barefoot Fair trade Store...
There are no activities planned for day 12 and you are able to depart the hotel at any time. Check out time from the hotel is 12 noon. If you are departing later, you can arrange luggage storage at the hotel. Additional accommodation is available through your booking agent at the time of booking your trip.
Want a tailor-made trip instead?
Your trip, your way, planned by an expert:
- You choose budget, destinations, activities, transport & lodging type
- Expert designs the itinerary for you, and once approved, takes care of logistics
Dates & Availability
Check current availability, prices, specials & more.
The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.
Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.
Intrepid Travel Reviews & Ratings
Other Intrepid Travel Reviews
Completed 3 trips with Intrepid this…
Completed 3 trips with Intrepid this year. A prior last year. The Leaders are well organized, informative and fun. Travelling inland in Greece and the Greek Island...
The intrepid group were excellent to…
The intrepid group were excellent to work with and were very helpful at all times and made organising the trip a breeze. This was an excellent trip, and was enjoyed ...
Awful waste of time and money.
I’m aware that Intrepid responds to reviews, so here’s my updated take. I paid approximately $1,800 USD for a 9-day trip to Costa Rica. However, between the arrival...
Tour Operator
The Intrepid Travel Experience
If you’re looking for adventure, you’ve come to the right place. For the past 25 years, we’ve been taking small groups of travelers on unforgettable trips around the world. What makes them unforgettable? Take a look for yourself and discover the Intrepid experience.
Our travelers have three styles of tour to choose from: Basix, Original and Comfort. Each has a different level of inclusions and accommodation, but all have unforgettable real life experiences as part of the package. Travellers can also choose themed trips, such as Family, Sailing or Food, to suit their interests.
Our group size has an average of just ten travellers, which allows us to get off the beaten track, use local accommodation and transport, and really get to know the culture. It also ensures we are contributing to the local economy; by choosing local suppliers we were able to keep AUD 60 million in local economies in 2012. We’re also working hard to reduce our carbon footprint and were the first in our sector to introduce carbon offset trips. This, along with our many corporate sustainability activities, has meant we’re one of the travel industry’s leaders in responsible travel.
Why Intrepid?
- Small groups - average of 10 people per trip
- Sustainability - pioneers for the industry
- Local leaders - authentic perspectives
- Local transport - get close and personal
- Local accommodation - experience real living
- Intrepid travelers - like-minded companions
History
Intrepid Travel has come a long way since its beginnings in 1989. From two university friends, a typewriter and a kitchen desk, it is now a proud member of The Intrepid Group, taking over 100,000 travelers every year.
Intrepid Travel is part of The Intrepid Group of companies, alongside leading small group adventure companies Peregrine, Urban Adventures and PEAK DMC.
Despite growing into a global business with over 1,000 staff based all over the world and over 800 different trips across every continent, we’ve remained devoted to the same grassroots values and responsible travel philosophies that we had at the very beginning.
Values
On every trip we operate and in every interaction we have with a client, supplier or local, we live our core values everyday:
- Integrity – Doing the right thing
- Responsible – Think global, act local
- Growth – Stakeholders in our own success
- Innovation – Thriving on new ideas and embracing change
- Fun – It’s engrained into who we are and what we do
- Passion – We are inspired by the work we do and the trips we offer
Associations
About Travelstride
Find your perfect trip
Save time
Save money
Travel confidently
Logistics
Accommodation
Transportation & Flights
Transportation & flights
Finish point
- Zest Metropole
- 43 Hospital St
- Colombo 01
- Colombo
- 00100
- SRI LANKA
- Phone: +94 112110550
Become a member
- Save up to $700 per person
- Access members-only specials
- Personalize trip recommendations