Premium Sri Lanka in Depth
Overview
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?
Details
Travel Themes
Destinations
Attractions
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
Itinerary
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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
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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