Sri Lanka North East & Beach

Colombo - Chilaw. Upon arrival at Colombo International Airport you will be met and transferred north to your beach front resort in the charming coastal of town of Chilaw. Spend the remainder of today at leisure.

Chilaw - Anuradhapura. This morning, we journey north to Anuradhapura, stopping en route for a jeep safari in Wilpattu, Sri Lanka's largest national park. The park is home to up to 50 elephants and more than 50 leopards, as well as spotted deer, sloth, bears, wild pigs and more.

This afternoon explore Anuradhapura, the first capital and grandest city of ancient Sri Lanka, home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites. A sightseeing tour of the city takes in both historical and archaeological sites of interest. Highlights include the sacred bo-tree, the oldest documented tree in the world, the 1600 columns of Brazen Palace and Ruwanweliseya - the most famous dagobas in Sri Lanka.

Anuradhapura - Jaffna. Transfer to Anuradhapura Railway Station for our scenic train journey to Jaffna, located on the northern most peninsula of the island. During the three hour journey sit back and relax and enjoy the lush scenery. As the train gets closer to Jaffna you can enjoy the views of the shallow lagoons and salt pans. Upon arrival at Jaffna Railway Station, you will be met and transferred to our hotel..

After two decades of isolation, the remote and vibrant city of Jaffna is now open to visitors. After breakfast, we enjoy a sightseeing tour of Jaffna, highlights include the star shaped Jaffna Fort, the second largest in Sri Lanka, built by the Dutch in 1619 and the huge Nallur Hindu Temple, which is one of the most important places of Hindu worship in Sri Lanka. Another highlight is Nagadeepa Buddhist Temple, which is said to be the site where Buddha came during his second visit to Sri Lanka.

Jaffna - Trincomalee. Leaving Jaffna on day 5, we travel south to Trincomalee on the north eastern coast. Overlooking the beautiful Kottiyar Bay, the historic city of Trincomalee is one of the main centres of the Tamil speaking culture. Upon arrival and check in to our hotel and we spend the rest of day at leisure.

On day 6 we embark on a sightseeing tour that takes in Thirukonamalai Konesar Temple and Hot Water Wells, the Temple of the Thousand Pillars and Dakshina-Then Kailasam - a classical medieval Hindu temple complex. The rest of the afternoon is free for some R&R on the beach.

Trincomlaee - Passekudah. On day 7 bid farewell to Trincomalee and travel down the east coast to Passekudah, stopping en route to see Seruwavila, an ancient Buddhist temple. The coastal resort of Passekudah is blessed with miles of beautiful, white sandy beach, a shallow coastline and crystal clear waters. After hotel check, spend the rest of our time here at leisure, soaking up the sunshine and enjoying one of Sri Lanka's finest beaches.

Passekudah - Sigiriya - Negombo. This morning we travel west to Sigiriya to visit the famous ‘Lion Rock’ fortress. Built over 1500 years ago, this beautiful citadel stands 200 meters high in the middle of verdant jungle and was an important stronghold of the 70 hectare fortified town. It can be viewed from miles around and is definitely one of Sri Lanka’s most iconic and famous sites. You’ll be able to view the world famous paintings of the Heavenly Maidens which stand in a sheltered pocket of the rock approached by a spiral stairway and climb to the top of the rock for wonderful panoramic views.

From Sigiriya, we drive to the laid-back coastal town of Negombo, just north of Colombo where we spend our final night.

Negombo - Colombo. Breakfast and hotel check out. Departure transfer to Colombo Airport or consider extending your stay to explore the capital.