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Sri Lanka Safari, Tour & Trek

8 days

PRIVATE WILDLIFE TOUR & TREK: Release your wild side in Sri Lanka, with game drives in three of Sri Lanka's best national parks - Yala, Udawalawe and Gal Oya. Go trekking in picturesque Horton Plains, visit tea plantations, discover Kandy's Temple of the Tooth and much more on this unique 8 day tour.

For a detailed itinerary and information about visas, money, weather and more download our Trip Notes

Free cancellation
Free amends
Available on all departures booked at least 40 days in advance. Cancel or change your booking for FREE for up to 7 days after booking

Tour Overview

Duration

8 days

Starts

Colombo

Ends

Colombo

Range

Active

Tour Guide

Yes - for all included sightseeing

Group Size

Minimum age

15 yrs, accompanied by an adult

Departs

Any day of the year

Hotel Rating

3-5 star & heritage hotels

Countries

Sri Lanka

Arrival Transfer

Yes

Departure Transfer

Yes

Meals included

Breakfast: 7
1
of 4 pages
Per Person From
AUD$3,665.00
Deposit From
Final payment
AUD$2,254.00
$5,076.00

Tour Highlights

Udawalawe National Park - Go in search of the nation's largest herds of Asian Elephants
Yala National Park - Game drive in Yala which is home to Sri Lanka's highest population density of leopards
Horton Plains, Sri Lanka's highest plateau - Trek in the beautiful World's End Nature Reserve
Gal Oya National Park - Spot wildlife on a boat safari and a game drive in one of the island's best preserved and least visited national parks
Kandy - Watch a cultural performance and visit the sacred Temple of the Tooth
Sinharaja Rainforest - Go trekking in this UNESCO listed lowland forest
Nuwara Eliya - Visit a tea plantation and tea factory
Colombo - Explore Sri Lanka's capital

Included

Breakfast daily
7 nights 3-5 star & heritage hotels
Touring - Colombo, Kandy and Nuwara Eliya tea plantation visit
Trek in Siharaja Rainforest and Horton Plains
Morning and afternoon game drives in Udawalawe National Park and Yala National Park, in jeeps. A game drive and boat safari in Gal Oya National Park
Escorted by a licensed English speaking chauffeur guide
Specialist local guides at some sites
Entrance and park fees to all included sites
An airport arrival transfer day 1 and a departure transfer day 8
All transfers and transportation in private air-conditioned tourism vehicles

Not Included

International flights and visa
Tipping - An entirely personal gesture

Itinerary

Day 1 - Colombo to Kalutara

Colombo - Kalutara. Upon arrival at Colombo International Airport you will be met and transferred to your hotel in the coastal town of Kalutara, approx. 40km south of Colombo. The remainder of today is at your leisure.

Overnight: Kalutara

Day 2 - Sinharaja Rainforest

Kalutara - Sinharaja - Udawalawe. After an early breakfast, we depart for Kalawana to enjoy a trek in the Sinharaja Rainforest. Designated a UNESCO Nature World Heritage Site, this area of Sri Lankan tropical lowland forest spans 8900 acres and found within its lush green is an abundance of wildlife including leopard, monkeys, birds and butterflies. Due to the dense vegetation, it is not always easy to spot the rare animals whilst trekking but there is the possibility of seeing a good number of endemic bird species.

From Sinharaja Rainforest we continue to Udawalawe National Park for our first game drive. Udawalawe National Park covers 31,800 hectares and was declared a protected sanctuary with national park status in 1972. Surrounded by mountain ranges, the terrain of the park is a mixture of grassland (rivalling the savanna of Africa) and shrub jungle. Teak plantations, water holes and two important factors make the park special - the large Udawalawe Reservoir and the Walewe River, which ensure a supply of water for the fauna within. Internationally renowned for its large herds of elephants, the park is also known for several species of deer, wild boar, wild buffalo, jackal and the ever illusive leopard.

Overnight: Udawalawe National Park
Meals: Breakfast

Day 3 - Udawalawe & Yala National Parks

Udawalawe - Tissamaharama. Before breakfast, we go in search of wildlife on an early morning game drive through Udawalawe National Park. On return we enjoy breakfast before travelling to the pretty lakeside town of Tissamaharama (Tissa), which is ideally located for excursions to nearby Yala.

This afternoon, we partake in our first game drive in Yala National Park, Sri Lanka's most famous national park and s home to elephants, bears, crocodiles, wild boars and of course, leopards! With 97,800 hectares of land, Yala is Sri Lanka's second largest national park (after Wilpattu).

Overnight: Tissmaharama
Meals: Breakfast

Day 4 - Yala & Gal Oya

Tissamaharama - Gal Oya. Before breakfast this morning, we head out on a second game drive. Its open undulating terrain made it famous for elephants for many years, but more recently the park has received TV fame from National Geographic and the Discovery Channel with focus on leopard research, conservation and identification projects. The park is now thought to hold the highest concentration of leopards per square kilometre. Areas popular with the leopard are the rock strewn hillocks with dense shrub in which the animals hide.

After breakfast, we continue our journey to Gal Oya, one of the best preserved and least visited national parks in Sri Lanka. It was established in 1954, primarily to protect the catchment area of the vast Senanayake Samudra Reservoir, which is the largest inland body of water in Sri Lanka. Rich in bio diversity and aquatic life, Gal Oya spans 25,000 hectares of dense evergreen forest, mountains, savannah and lake. During our time in Gal Oya we'll enjoy a game drive and a boat safari, hopefully spotting some of the park's large herds of elephant.

Overnight: Gal Oya
Meals: Breakfast

Day 5 - Nuwara Eliya

Gal Oya - Nuwara Eliya. It's another early start for a second game drive in Gal Oya before breakfast before travelling to Nuwara Eliya. Often referred to as ‘Little England’, this genteel highland community has a vaguely British-country-village feel to it, with its colonial-era bungalows, Tudor-style hotels, well-tended hedgerows and pretty gardens. This afternoon, we take a leisurely drive through Nuwara Eliya to take in the sites, before returning to our hotel.

Overnight: Nuwara Eliya
Meals: Breakfast

Day 6 - Horton Plains

Nuwara Eliya - Kandy. This morning with our packed breakfast, we leave for an excursion to Horton Plains and our trek to World's End and the beautiful Baker's Falls which takes about 2-3 hours. Horton Plains is Sri Lanka's highest plateau, 7200 feet above sea level in the central mountain country. It's a very scenic region with an astounding variety of landscapes, from mountains to grasslands, marshes to trout streams. Sri Lanka's best tea is grown in the surrounding areas and there are spectacular views from 'World's End' where the plateau plunges a thousand feet in a straight sheer drop. This is excellent hiking country with a cool climate, wonderful flora, colourful butterflies and many highland birds.

After our hike we travel to Kandy, stopping enroute to visit a local tea plantation and learn all about the tea making process at the tea factory. The Hill Capital of Kandy was the last bastion of the Sinhala kings and is rich in history and culture. This evening, we visit the famous Temple of the Tooth Relic and enjoy a show featuring traditional Sri Lankan dance.

Overnight: Kandy
Meals: Breakfast

Day 7 - Colombo sightseeing

Kandy - Colombo. After breakfast, we travel back to Colombo, during our joureny we visit the Royal Botanical Garden at Peradeniya. Sri Lanka's largest city Colombo, is located on the west coast and draws together all the cultures, religions and influences of foreign lands, to create a fascinating blend of east and west, past and present. This afternoon we take in the sights of capital on a guided tour, visiting the Fort area in the north of the city, famous for its government buildings and interesting shops, Independence Square, the stunning Gangarama Temple and more. Colombo has a great range of high quality restaurants serving tasty cuisine from around the world and wonderful shops to independently explore.

Overnight: Colombo
Meals: Breakfast

Day 8 - Colombo

After breakfast, we bid you a fond farewell with a transfer to the airport to meet your onward flight.

Meals: Breakfast

Prices & Dates

'Twin/Double' prices are per person when there are 2 people on the same booking sharing a room. 'Single' prices are applicable to solo travellers and anyone wanting the privacy of their own room, based on a travelling party of at least 2 adults.

Prices are indicative and will vary depending on your chosen hotels, room availability as well as time of travel. Please note that discounts will apply if there are more 4 our more people in your travelling party, since fixed costs like transportation and guiding are shared across the group.

2024
Twin/Double
Single
4 Dec - 11 Dec
Sold Out
Sold Out
5 Dec - 12 Dec
Sold Out
Sold Out
6 Dec - 13 Dec
Sold Out
Sold Out
7 Dec - 14 Dec
$3,665
$4,595
8 Dec - 15 Dec
$3,665
$4,595
9 Dec - 16 Dec
$3,665
$4,595
10 Dec - 17 Dec
$3,665
$4,595
11 Dec - 18 Dec
$3,665
$4,595
2025
Twin/Double
Single
1 Jan - 8 Jan
$4,245
$5,155
2 Jan - 9 Jan
$4,245
$5,155
3 Jan - 10 Jan
$4,245
$5,155
4 Jan - 11 Jan
$4,245
$5,155
5 Jan - 12 Jan
$4,245
$5,155
6 Jan - 13 Jan
$4,245
$5,155
7 Jan - 14 Jan
$4,245
$5,155
8 Jan - 15 Jan
$4,245
$5,155

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