Secrets of Sri Lanka
Overview
Highlights
- Discover past and present Colombo with a guided tour
- Climb the 1,144ft (349m) ancient fortress at Sigiriya
- Tuck into lunch overlooking paddy fields and a private spice garden
- Whip up a feast at a hands-on Sri Lankan cooking class
- Plunge down white-water rapids on a river rafting trip
- Experience the beautiful train journey from Nanuoya to Haputale
- Explore two national parks, home to wild elephants and leopards
What's this trip about?
Details
Travel Themes
Destinations
Activities
Max Group Size
Trip includes
- One night eco-lodge accommodation
- Four nights boutique resort accommodation
- Six nights premium hotel accommodation
- Private and local transport
- 11 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 10 dinners
- Local Insider
- Colombo city tour
- Dodgy bar experience
- Cycling tour of Polonnaruwa Archaeological Site
- Game drive at Minneriya National Park and Yala National Park
- Galle Fort and Sigiriya Fortress entry
- Private spice garden visit
- Private cooking lesson
- White-water rafting
- Abseiling at Sandun Ella
- Scenic train journey
- Tea factory visit and tasting
- Guided hike around Ella
- Buduruwagala Temple visit
Itinerary
Accommodation: Jetwing Colombo Seven
Activities Included: Colombo city tour, Dodgy bar experience, Welcome dinner
Arrive at your Colombo hotel and drop your bags in your room. Kick-start your trip on the rooftop bar, where you'll be served a passion-frui...
Accommodation: Jetwing Lake
The next day, you’ll travel to Dambulla – one of the vertices of the Cultural Triangle and home to the best preserved cave temple in Sri Lanka, built more than 2,000 years ago. Here, you’ll check into a secluded boutique villa surrou...
Accommodation: Jetwing Lake
Activities Included: Cycling tour of Polonnaruwa Archaeological Site, Game drive at Minneriya National Park
After breakfast at the hotel, you’ll head to the ancient ruins of Polonnaruwa. Cycle or drive to see the finest carved...
Accommodation: Thilanka Hotel
Activities Included: Sigiriya Fortress entry, Private spice garden visit
Few attractions earn the title "wondrous" quite like Sigiriya, so you’ll need to start early today to beat the crowds. Climb the winding steps up the 3...
Accommodation: Thilanka Hotel
Activities Included: Private cooking lesson, Private dance lesson
Following a hearty breakfast, you’ll meet a local host. Hop in a tuk-tuk to the village market, where the host will talk you through the local produce, before...
Accommodation: Borderlands Eco Lodge
Activities Included: White-water rafting
You'll be checking out after breakfast, before a scenic drive through forest-clad hills to Kitulgala. Enjoy lunch in this rural setting; you'll then embark on a white-water raf...
Accommodation: Melheim Resort and Spa
Activities Included: Abseiling at Sandun Ella, Scenic train journey
The adventure continues today as you grab a packed breakfast and hit the trail early in your hiking boots. You’ll arrive at the Sandun Ella waterfal...
Accommodation: Melheim Resort and Spa
Activities Included: Tea factory visit and tasting, Guided hike around Ella
Optional Activities: Koththu cooking experience and lunch
Start your day with a visit to the Uva Halpewatte tea factory, where you’ll...
Activities Included: Buduruwagala Temple visit
After breakfast in the evergreen hills, you’ll travel south to the lakeside town of Tissa, on the edge of Yala National Park. On the way, you’ll stop at two towering waterfalls...
Accommodation: The Habitat
Activities Included: Game drive at Yala National Park, Galle Fort visit
You’ll depart the hotel at 5am sharp to arrive at the Yala National Park gates as they open. With one of the highest densities of leopards in the world – a...
Accommodation: The Habitat
Activities Included: Farewell dinner
Optional Activities: Whale-watching tour in Mirissa
Take advantage of a lie-in this morning. We can help you book a whale-watching tour, although a day spent between the pool and the ...
After breakfast, it’s time to pack your bags and say goodbye to your fellow travellers. Checkout is by 12pm. You can either extend your stay on the beach in Kosgoda or return to Colombo (transfers can be booked separately) to catch your flight home.
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Dates & Availability
Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Culture Trip.
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.
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For over a decade, people have trusted Culture Trip to help them discover some of the world’s coolest and unexpected destinations and experiences - now we can take you there. Book our curated multi-day TRIPS by Culture Trip itineraries, to truly experience extraordinary places, together with a small group of culturally curious travellers.
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Culture Trip was created in 2011 to inspire people to go beyond their cultural boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people, and its culture special, unique, and meaningful. So for over a decade now, Culture Trip’s global community of travel experts and Local Insiders have hand picked the world’s best bits to share travel stories and unbiased recommendations, together with curated collections of places to stay, hotels, things to do, experiences - and now also TRIPS by Culture Trip which are unique small-group adventures.
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Together with a small group of culturally curious travellers, you get to truly experience - not just visit - the world. Groups will welcome up to 18 travellers and you can join solo or with others. Our small groups enable you to get to know the other travellers, bond quickly and enjoy your trip to the fullest whilst building friendships and forming life-long memories.
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For our curated, diverse itineraries, our travel experts do all the planning and hand-pick the best bits of a place: all itineraries combine hyper-local, authentic activities and immersive experiences, with quality accommodation that has a personal feel. Whether that’s well-known hotspots or more off-grid trails, city or nature - with us, they will all feel like hidden gems. Thoughtfully planned with ample free time to unwind or explore solo, our trips offer the right balance of action and relaxation.
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Accommodation
Jetwing Colombo Seven, Colombo
You can’t leave this central Colombo hotel without a dip in the rooftop infinity pool with panoramic city views. Modern minimalist rooms provide respite from the busy streets below. Make the most of the onsite gym and spa.
Jetwing Lake, Dambulla
This modernist, lakeside hotel in the Dambulla hinterland runs on sustainable practices. Solar panels and an onsite farm complete with bee colonies fuel the hotel and rooms are dressed in earthen tones, complementing the surrounding greenery.
Thilanka Hotel, Kandy
Set apart beside the Udawatta Rainforest, this Kandy hotel mixes elegant, traditional architecture with refined amenities. Savour city and lake views from your room or from the outdoor infinity pool and surrounding terrace.
Borderlands Eco Lodge, Kitulgala
Rest your weary limbs at this rustic lodge in Kithulgala, primed for white-water river rafting. Expect riverfront cabins with thatched roofs and open walls, allowing the jungle sounds to serenade you at night.
Melheim Resort and Spa, Haputale
Drink in mountainous views from this chic hotel in Haputale. Floor-to-ceiling windows flood the rooms with natural light. Take a dip in the outdoor pool, surrounded by shady trees, to escape the midday heat.
Chaarya Resort and Spa, Tissa
Just 30 minutes from the Yala National Park, Charya Resort is primed for relaxation after a day of wildlife spotting. Pamper yourself at the onsite spa or take a dip in the pool with a swim-up bar and jacuzzi amidst lush landscape gardens.
The Habitat, Kosgoda
Steps from a long sweep of sandy beach, all the rooms in this contemporary hotel treat you to views of the Indian Ocean from a private balcony. Time spent by the large, central pool can be followed by more relaxation at the on-site spa.
The world of travel is changing – and that's why we’re offering flexible booking conditions, to take the stress out of booking in times of uncertainty. Our Ultimate Covid Booking Guarantee means that if Covid-19 changes your plans, we'll rebook you for free. If we cannot rebook you we'll refund your trip. You can get a full refund should you need to postpone or cancel your trip up to 35 days prior to departure. Or you can simply transfer your deposit and any funds paid to a different date without incurring any additional fees.
11 Breakfasts, 5 Lunches & 10 Dinners
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