Cultural Sri Lanka

Welcome to Sri Lanka! Upon arrival, your chauffeur guide will greet you and transfer you to Negombo, a quiet town in the western coastal area of Sri Lanka. It takes about 20 minutes to get to your hotel. Check-in and spend the rest of the day at leisure.

Negombo is famous for its fishing industry and is home to Sri Lanka's second-largest fish market.

This morning is for you to explore Negombo at your pace. You may wake up early to catch a lively fish market. Or, you may take a 1.5-hour bird watching on the Muthurajawela Marsh via a boat.

In the afternoon, drive to the historic Anuradhapura, which has a variety of ruins spreading over a large area. It takes about 5 hours from Negombo to Anuradhapura. You can stop en route for a short break. Upon arrival, check into your hotel and spend the rest of the day relaxing.

Anuradhapura is a UNESCO World Heritage City. Today, you will visit the historical sites in the town of Anuradhapura. Then, head for Mihintale, a mountain peak near Anuradhapura. There you'll have a good view of Maha Stupa and Aradhana Gala.

After that, drive about 2 hours to Sigiriya.

Have an excursion to Polonnaruwa today. It takes about 2 hours by car to get there from Sigiriya. Polonnaruwa is a royal ancient city, consisting of numerous temples and religious buildings. Walking through hundreds of structures in this ancient city, you can imagine how it looked in its heyday. After the tour, get back to Sigiriya.

Today, you will get close to the Lion Rock (Sigiriya Rock Fortress). Get an amazing view of the whole rock from a distance before reaching its entrance. On the way climbing up to the top, you can appreciate the famous frescoes of Sigiriya damsels. In addition to the ruined palace and an extensive network of fortifications, you can also spend some time in the surrounding vast gardens, ponds, canals, alleys, and fountains.

In the afternoon, go for a rural tour of the village of Hiriwadunna. Take a jeep or a tuk-tuk trip for a glance at Sri Lanka's countryside. While you enjoy a catamaran sailing on a lake, you may encounter birds, butterflies and villagers fishing or washing clothes at the periphery of the lake.

Pay a visit to the fabulous Dambulla Cave Temple, which consists of five caves and 157 statues of the Lord Buddha.

This afternoon, drive 3.5 hours to Kandy. After arrival, watch an impressive Kandyan cultural dance. Then, walk to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, which houses the tooth of the Buddha.

After breakfast, head for the Royal Botanical Garden in Peradeniya, a suburb of the city of Kandy. The garden is known for its large variety of tropical woody plants. It has about 4,000 species of plants.

This afternoon, you could spend some time in the downtown market or walking around Kandy Lake. Then, head for Colombo city by vehicle (approx. 3.5 hours). Check in to your hotel upon arrival, and the rest of the day is at your leisure.

A city highlights tour will take you to the Independence Square, Gangarama Temple of Colombo, the Galle Face Green, the Colombo National Museum, the former British Administrative Center, etc. Stopover for taking pictures is available at any site at your request.

In the afternoon, you will be escorted to the airport for your flight back home.