Premium Sri Lanka in Depth

14 days
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Small Group Tour
Encounter a country that radiates warmth – from its glorious sunshine to its scorching cuisine and incredibly kind people. This 14-day Premium adventure through Sri Lanka will take you straight to the heart of the country’s wealth of cultural riches. Explore the ancient ruins of past civilizations, search for rare and beautiful animals, relax on palm-fringed ...
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$4,922
From$3,646
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Overview

Trip type
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Full schedule

Highlights

    • Learn about the country’s colonial past first-hand during your Feature Stay at the gorgeous Grand Hotel in Nuwara Eliya – first established in 1891, this historic hotel has a modern outlook on sustainable practices.
    • Discover the breadth of Sri Lanka’s food scene during Exclusive Experiences, including a cooking class in Galle, a tea plantation tour and a sophisticated high tea in Nuwara Eliya, and barbecue dinner in Dambulla.
    • Search for crocodiles, elephants, monkeys and the ever-elusive leopards under the cover of darkness on an evening safari through the wild grasslands of Yala National Park.
    • Uncover ancient treasures in Sri Lanka’s cultural triangle as you explore the temples, ruins and stupas of Sigiriya, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Kandy with the expert guidance of your local leader.
    • Enjoy Exclusive Experiences in Kandy – dine at the Hela Bojun restaurant which is focused on empowering and employing local women, and enjoy a private cultural dance performance.
    • By travelling on this trip, you’ll directly support our Intrepid Foundation partner, Zero Plastic. Donations help them educate Sri Lankan communities about the impact of plastic on the environment and reduce plastic pollution in the UNESCO-listed Sigiriya.

What's this trip about?

    Encounter a country that radiates warmth – from its glorious sunshine to its scorching cuisine and incredibly kind people. This 14-day Premium adventure through Sri Lanka will take you straight to the heart of the country’s wealth of cultural riches. Explore the ancient ruins of past civilizations, search for rare and beautiful animals, relax on palm-fringed beaches and receive a welcoming embrace from the locals. A shining gem in the Indian ocean, the teardrop isle will bring nothing but smiles.

Details

Itinerary focusClassic Highlights
Group sizeIntimate group - max of 12 people
Age range15 years and up
Flights and transportAll internal ground transport included
Start CityNegombo
End CityColombo

Travel Themes

  • High Adventure

Destinations

  • Asia
  • Sri Lanka

Attractions

  • Colombo
  • Dambulla
  • Ella
  • Kandy
  • Negombo
  • Nuwara Eliya
  • Polonnaruwa
  • Yala
  • Yala National Park

Trip includes

    • Complimentary Arrival Transfer
    • Negombo - Welcome Dinner
    • Sigiriya - Lion Rock Fortress Visit
    • Negombo - Fish market
    • Dambulla - Local BBQ dinner
    • Anuradhapura - Bodhi Tree Temple
    • Anuradhapura - World Heritage Site of ancient kingdom ruins
    • Anuradhapura - Isurumuniya Temple
    • Anuradhapura - Ruwanweliseya Stupa
    • Anuradhapura - Jetawanaramaya Stupa
    • Polonnaruwa ancient ruins
    • Polonnaruwa - Statue of Parakramabahu I
    • Polonnaruwa - Rankot Vihara
    • Polonnaruwa - Quadrangle
    • Polonnaruwa - Lankatilaka
    • Polonnaruwa - Gal Vihara
    • Matale - Spice Garden
    • Dambulla - Cave Temples
    • Kandy - Botanical Gardens
    • Kandy - Temple of the Tooth
    • Kandy - Lunch at Hela Bojun
    • Kandy - Gem museum & lapidary workshop visit
    • Kandy - Private Cultural Dance Performance
    • Nuwara Eliya - High Tea
    • Kandy - Scenic train ride to Nuwara Eliya
    • Nuwara Eliya - Visit to Tea State & Tea Factory
    • Nuwara Eliya - Single Tree Hill hiking
    • Nuwara Eliya - Lunch at Nuwara Eliya Golf Club
    • Ella - Ella Gap view point
    • Yala/Bundala National Park - Wildlife safari
    • Yala/Bundala National Park - Wildlife safari
    • Galle - Galle Fort Walking tour
    • Galle - Farmer's market and home cooking class
    • Galle - Traditional Sri Lankan Wood Carving - demonstration and participation
    • Colombo - City walking tour

Popular Trips

Itinerary

Travel Map

Day 1 Negombo

Welcome to Sri Lanka! Upon arrival at Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo, you will be met by an Intrepid representative and transferred to your hotel in nearby Negombo. Here you will meet your leader and fellow travellers during a 6pm welcome meeting. If yo...

Day 2 Dambulla / Sigiriya

Rise early this morning for a visit to the Negombo fish market. Morning is the best time to visit the market – your leader will help you navigate the organised frenzy of vendors displaying delicacies like crab, lobsters, and squid. Say goodbye to Negombo and make the ...

Day 3 Dambulla / Anuradhapura

Today you will head to Anuradhapura, the northern point of Sri Lanka’s ‘cultural triangle’, which also contains Polonnaruwa to the east and Kandy to the south-west. This area is bursting with stunning temples and sites of cultural and religious importance. The city of...

Day 4 Dambulla / Polonnaruwa

After breakfast you will make your way to Polonnaruwa to continue your explorations of the cultural triangle. Following Anuradhapura as the Sinhalese and Chola capital in the 10th century, the area is strewn with ancient riches, in better condition than the ruins of i...

Day 5 Kandy

This morning you will take a short drive to the incredible Dambulla Cave Temple. Here you’ll discover five caves filled with around 150 beautiful statues and paintings of Buddha – some as many as 2000 years old. Explore the magical cave complex as your leader explains...

Day 6 Kandy

This morning, meet with a local botanist and enjoy their expert insight as you take a guided tour of the Royal Botanical Garden. Your guide will help you spot Yellow Fronted Barbets, Layards Parakeets and Sri Lankan Hanging Parrots, and introduce you to an unbelievabl...

Day 7 Nuwara Eliya

Depart Kandy and board a morning train bound for Nuwara Eliya. Nestled even deeper into tea plantation country, Nuwara Eliya sits at an elevation of 1800 metres, making it one of the coolest regions in Sri Lanka. Favoured by the Scots and English during the colonial-e...

Day 8 Nuwara Eliya

Make a morning visit to Tea State & Tea Factory. Built in 1885, this fascinating factory still features some original pieces of machinery. You’ll have a new appreciation for your humble morning brew after learning about the production process and discovering how t...

Day 9 Yala National Park

This morning, make your way to the sacred town of Kataragama. On the way there, make a stop at a beautiful small town in the highlands, Ella. Here, visit Ella Gap which offers beautiful vistas out across the plains. In the evening, head to Yala National Park, Sri Lank...

Day 10 Yala National Park

Today you will enjoy another safari in Yala National Park. As Sri Lanka’s second largest national park, there’s so much to uncover here. Perhaps take the chance to do some birdwatching; Yala is home to some 215 bird species, including the Sri Lanka Wood Pigeon, Painte...

Day 11 Galle

Take an optional visit Kataragama Temple in the morning to see the shrine dedicated to Kataragama Deviyo (resident god). Later you will transfer to Galle, a beautiful seaside town near Sri Lanka's southernmost tip. Settle into your hotel, then follow your leader on a ...

Day 12 Galle

This morning you will join your leader who will take you to the farmers market to learn about all the fresh ingredients that make up Sri Lanka’s flavoursome and fragrant recipes. After perusing the colourful market stalls, head back to your local host’s Dutch style ho...

Day 13 Colombo

Bid farewell to Galle and make your way to Colombo, Sri Lanka’s bustling capital city. On arrival, head to the charming courtyard restaurant in a former home of a family from Jaffna and enjoy a fantastic lunch comprising of dishes from northern Sri Lanka. In the after...

Day 14 Colombo

Your trip comes to an end after breakfast this morning. If you’d like to stay on in Colombo, we can help arrange additional accommodation for you on request.

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Dates & Availability

Price From $3,646
Price per day$260
Last Updated: 3/22/2024
Start Date
Finish Date
Base Price
Availability
01 Apr 2024
14 Apr 2024
$3,995
4 spots left
07 Apr 2024
20 Apr 2024
$4,410
1 spots left
14 Apr 2024
27 Apr 2024
$4,615
2 spots left
21 Apr 2024
04 May 2024
$4,285
3 spots left
28 Apr 2024
11 May 2024
$3,646
5 spots left
12 May 2024
25 May 2024
$4,205
4 spots left
26 May 2024
08 Jun 2024
$3,970
6 spots left
16 Jun 2024
29 Jun 2024
$4,010
8 spots left
07 Jul 2024
20 Jul 2024
$4,125
5 spots left
14 Jul 2024
27 Jul 2024
$4,370
5 spots left

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Intrepid Travel.

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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Tour Operator

Intrepid Travel

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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

 

Why we love this operator
They’re very committed to sustainable and responsible tourism and contribute to important initiatives like climate action.
What they’re known for
Small group tours for active and adventurous travelers at a range of different price points and service levels.

Associations

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Logistics

Accommodation

Hotels (11 nights),Feature Stay (2 nights),

Transportation & Flights

Private vehicle,Train,

Transportation & flights

Private vehicle,Train
Guides
All group trips are accompanied by one of our group leaders. The aim of the group leader is to take the hassle out of your travels and to help you have the best trip possible. Premium leaders are Intrepid’s most experienced, with in-depth knowledge and extensive local networks to make it a trip of a lifetime. Your leader will provide information on the places you are travelling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues and introduce you to our local friends. While not being guides in the traditional sense, you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the places visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious, and social aspects. At Intrepid we aim to support local guides who have specialised knowledge of the regions we visit. When not already included in your trip, your leader will be able to recommend a local guide service who can share more detailed or specialised information at specific sites should you be interested in delving deeper.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is compulsory on all our trips for those travelling internationally. We require that at a minimum you are covered for medical expenses including emergency repatriation. If you are travelling within your home country or region please confirm before travel that you are entitled to access the public medical system easily should an accident occur. We strongly recommend all travellers have a policy that also covers personal liability, cancellation, curtailment and loss of luggage or personal effects. For international trips, you will not be permitted to join the group until evidence of travel insurance and the insurance company's 24-hour emergency contact number has been sighted by your group leader or local representative. If you have credit card insurance your group leader or local representative will require details of the participating insurer/underwriter, the level of coverage, policy number, and emergency contact number rather than the bank's name and your credit card details. Please contact your bank for these details prior to arriving in-country. For travellers who reside within the European Union, Switzerland or USA the requirement to purchase travel insurance cannot be compulsory. However the purchase of travel insurance is still highly recommended, and travellers from these regions who decline travel insurance when travelling outside of their home region must sign a Travel Insurance Waiver Form at the Group Meeting, recognizing personal responsibility for emergency medical and repatriation costs should they arise. For assistance with travel insurance or other services, please visit the link below: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/booking-resources/our-services
Visa requirements
PASSPORT You’ll need a valid passport to travel internationally and most countries require your passport to have a minimum of 6 months validity, so remember to check the expiry date. We need your passport information to get everything ready for your trip so it’s important that the information on your booking matches your passport exactly. Please take care to provide the correct details. We recommend carrying a copy of the photo page of your passport while travelling and leaving a copy at home with family or friends. VISAS & ENTRY REQUIREMENTS Many countries require a visa and obtaining the correct visa for your trip and any countries you may transit through is your responsibility. We recommend you check your visa requirements as soon as you have booked your trip. This will ensure you have time to prepare your documents and for your visa application to be processed. You can check the entry requirements for your nationality on your government's foreign travel advisories, consular websites or on our page here:  www.intrepidtravel.com/visa-entry-requirements INFORMATION REQUIRED FOR SRI LANKA TRAIN TICKET BOOKINGS Train tickets in Sri Lanka must be booked with passport numbers. Please make sure you provide us with your correct passport number no later than 60 days prior to departure. If you have to renew your passport after booking please notify us as soon as you have a new passport number.
Health & Safety
Most national governments provide regularly updated foreign travel advice on safety issues involved with international travel. We recommend that you check your government's advice for their latest travel information before departure and ensure that your travel insurance covers you for all destinations and activities on your trip. Please refer to our website's safety page for links to major travel advisories and updates on safety issues affecting our trips here: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/travel-alerts We strongly recommend the use of a neck wallet or money belt while travelling, for the safe-keeping of your passport, flight tickets, cash and other valuable items. Leave your jewellery at home - you won't need it while travelling. Many of our hotels have safety deposit boxes, which is the most secure way of storing your valuables. A lock is recommended for securing your luggage. Your group leader or local representative will accompany you on all included activities, however, during your trip you'll have some free time to pursue your own interests or relax and take it easy. While your group leader or local representative will assist you with the available options in a given location, please note that any optional activities you undertake are not part of your Intrepid itinerary, and Intrepid makes no representations about the safety of the activity or the standard of the operators running them. Please use your own good judgement when selecting an activity in your free time. Please also note that your group leader or local representative has the authority to amend or cancel any part of the trip itinerary if it's deemed necessary due to safety concerns. Intrepid's operational safety policies can be viewed on our website at the link below. We recommend that you take a moment to read through this information before travelling, and would appreciate any feedback on how safety is being managed on our trips. https://www.intrepidtravel.com/safety-guidelines CURRENT SITUATION: The recent terrorist attacks were a tragic event and have had a serious impact on tourism in the country. Intrepid has a strong commitment to our local staff and the communities we visit and are continuing to operate all our trips in Sri Lanka. While the security situation is now much more stable, you will still see a high police presence in towns and cities and many check points are still in place. We continue to follow government travel advisories and local authorities in operating our trips in Sri Lanka. We don't anticipate major changes to your itinerary at this time, however it’s important to be aware that the country is still recovering and things like travel times between destinations and time taken to go through security at the airport may be affected. POLITICAL TENSION: Demonstrations and large public gatherings can turn violent or be a target for politically-motivated attacks. Police have used tear gas and water cannons in response to protests. Curfews can be imposed at short notice. You should avoid all large public gatherings and follow advice of your leader. Some security forces maintain a visible presence, particularly in the northern and eastern provinces. Military and police checkpoints can be established and road closures can occur without warning. PETTY CRIME: Pick-pocketing, bag snatching and other petty crime occurs in Sri Lanka, particularly in crowded places such as tourist areas, markets and on public transport. Carry only what you need an always use hotel safes where available. Card skimming has been known to occur - only use ATMs attached to banks or at major hotels. Some tourists unwittingly buy counterfeit goods, particularly jewellery and gems - be aware you may not be buying the real thing. LOCAL LAWS: You must carry a form of official photo identification with you at all times - a copy of your passport is a good idea. Be aware that smoking and drinking in most public places is illegal. WOMEN'S SAFETY: Women should exercise caution when travelling in Sri Lanka. While the risk of an incident occurring on your trip is very low, below are some things you can do for your safety and peace of mind when travelling: - Respect local dress codes and customs, perhaps dressing more conservatively than you do at home - Avoid isolated areas, including beaches, unlit city streets and village lanes when alone at any time of day - Avoid travelling alone on public transport, or in taxis or auto-rickshaws at night - If you’re being collected at the airport by a driver make sure they have properly identified themselves before you set off. BICYCLE HELMETS: Please note that helmets are not always provided for sightseeing on bicycles. If you wish you can bring along your own.
Age Requirements
15 years and up
Additional Information
Finish point The Kingsbury Hotel 48, Janadhipathi Mawatha, Colombo 01, Colombo SRI LANKA
Trip ID
intrepid-HPPS

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