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Sri Lanka Encompassed

15 days

PRIVATE TOUR: Experience the best of Sri Lanka. Colourful Colombo, ancient cities, Buddhist temples, colonial relics, spice and flower gardens, tea plantations, abundant wildlife and spectacular scenery in the National Parks, topped off with some blissful beach time in Kalutara!

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

15 days

Starts

Colombo

Ends

Range

Private

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: 14, Dinner: 1
1
of 3 pages
Per Person From
R 64,455.00
Deposit From
Final payment
R 19,998.00
R 108,912.00

Tour Highlights

Dambadeniya - Visit this exquisite 13th century city
Anuradhapura - See the archaeological wonders of Sri Lanka's first capital and birthplace of Buddhism
Polonnaruwa - Explore the remarkable ruins of the ancient capital city of Ceylon
Kandy - Take in the highlights of Kandy including the famous Temple of the Tooth, enjoy a tuk tuk ride and watch a cultural performance
Sigiriya - Climb to the top of the iconic 5th century Lion Rock fortress and see the Heavenly Maidens
Matale - Learn all about Sri Lanka's herbs and spices at the spice gardens in Matale
Dambulla Rock Temples - Visit the largest, best-preserved cave-temple complex in Sri Lanka
Horton Plains National Park – Trek to the scenic viewpoint at World’s End
Dehiwela - Stroll around the beautiful Zoological gardens
Kelaniya - Explore the famous Buddhist temple of Raja Maha Vihara
Colombo - Enjoy a guided tour of the city including the Old Fort area and impressive Gangaramaya Temple
Buduruwagala - Ancient Mahayana Buddhist rock sculptures
Yala and Bundala National Park - Game drive in Yala and Spot colourful birds and Asian elephants in Bundala
Nuwara Eliya - Spend time in this highland community, referred to as 'Little England', surrounded by Central Sri Lanka's picturesque tea country hills
Galle - Explore the impressive Galle Dutch Fortress
Kalutara - Relax on the laid back, beautiful palm fringed beaches of this resort

Included

Breakfast daily and 1 dinner
14 nights 3-5 star hotels
Tea Plantation and tasting - Nuwara Eliya region
4x4 Jeep safari to Horton Plains. Game drives in Yala NP and Bundala NP
Touring - Dambulla, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya, Matale, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Udawalawe NP, Yala NP, Bundala NP Galle and Colombo
Entrance and park fees to all included sites
Escorted by a licensed English speaking chauffeur guide
Specialist local guides at some sites
An airport arrival transfer day 1 and a departure transfer day 15
All transfers and transportation in private air-conditioned tourism vehicles

Not Included

International flights and visa
Tipping - An entirely personal gesture

Itinerary

Day 1 - Welcome to Sri Lanka

Welcome to Sri Lanka and the start of your holiday! On arrival in Colombo there's an included transfer to the hotel. Tonight, we enjoy a Sri Lankan dinner.

Overnight: Colombo
Meals: Dinner

Day 2 - Sightseeing in Colombo

Enjoy a guided sightseeing tour of Colombo including the Fort which was once a colonial stronghold, and Galle Face Green, a seaside expanse popular for informal cricket games. We will also visit the noisy oriental Pettah bazaar, Gangaramaya Temple, the Cinnamon Gardens and Independence Square. End the day with a tour of the National Museum (closed Friday).

Overnight: Colombo
Meals: Breakfast

Day 3 - Buddhist Temple & Zoological Gardens

At Kelaniya, we explore the Raja Maha Vihara, a temple graced by Buddha on one of his three visits to Sri Lanka. The day continues with a visit to the beautiful zoological gardens at Dehiwela.

Overnight: Colombo
Meals: Breakfast

Day 4 - Temple ruins and rock fortress

Colombo - Dambadeniya - Anuradhapura. En route to Anuradhapura, we pay a visit 13th century Dambadeniya, once a royal capital. Its principal surviving ruins are the Dalada Maligawa Temple and the Dagoba, locally revered thanks to some corporeal relics of Buddha it is said to contain. Explore Panduvas Nuwara which features a well-preserved walled citadel, Padeniya, Arankele and the rock fortress of Yapahuwa.

Overnight: Anuradhapura
Meals: Breakfast

Day 5 - Anuradhapura

Today we take in the site of Anuradhapura, the fascinating ancient city and one of Sri Lanka’s most important archaeological sites. It contains vast artificial lakes, temples and statues including the Samadhi Buddha, dagobas (solid hemispheres topped with spires), royal baths and museums. Gaze at the holy Sri Maha Bodhi tree under which Prince Siddharta attained enlightenment, and it is also the oldest historically documented tree on earth. Later, we take a trip to Mihintale.

Overnight: Anuradhapura
Meals: Breakfast

Day 6 - Dambulla & Polonnaruwa

Anuradhapura - Polonnaruwa - Dambulla. Today we make a stop to see the stunning Aukana Buddha statue and the impressive Dambulla cave temple, which contains beautiful images and statues of Buddha. We then explore ancient Polonnaruwa, an 11th century city of compact size. Here we discover the ruins of the Royal Palace and Gal Vihara, which boasts four enormous Buddha figures.

Overnight: Dambulla
Meals: Breakfast

Day 7 - Sigiriya & spice gardens

Dambulla - Sigiriya - Kandy. Today sees you exploring the mighty Sigiriya, an elevated and mysterious 5th century fortress. The ‘Lion Rock’ is a citadel of unusual beauty rising 200 metres from the scrub jungle, it can be seen for miles. Visit the world-renowned frescoes of the ‘Heavenly Maidens’ of Sigiriya, which are in a sheltered pocket of the rock approached by a spiral stairway. At Matale, we visit an exotic spice garden before arriving in Kandy for the evening.

Overnight: Kandy
Meals: Breakfast

Day 8 - Kandy & Temples of Embekke

Today we see the ruined temples of Embekke, Gadaladeniya, Lankatilleke and the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens. Back in Kandy, a scenic lakeside city, we visit the lake, bazaar, gem museum and lapidary. There'll also be a stop made at the Ceylon Tea Museum, housed in a beautifully refurbished old building with lots of vintage tea-processing machinery. Tonight, we enjoy a tour to the Temple of the Tooth and later take in a traditional cultural dance show

Overnight: Kandy
Meals: Breakfast

Days 9-10 - Nuwara Eliya & tea plantations

Kandy - Nuwara Eliya. Departing Kandy, we head further into Sri Lanka’s hill country, surrounded by tea plantations. Situated at 1,990m, Nuwara Eliya is one of the highest towns in the region, here we take a sightseeing tour and wander through Hakgala Gardens. On day 10, we take a jeep ride to scenic Horton Plains National Park. Located on a high windswept saddle, Horton Plains offers hikers stunning panoramic views. We hike to Bakers Fall passing the Gem Pit Pool, the Chimney Pool, and the Leg of Mutton Pool before returning to Nuwara Eliya.

Overnight: Nuwara Eliya
Meals: Breakfast x2

Day 11 - Buddhist rock sculptures & Yala NP

Nuwara Eliya - Yala National Park. Continuing to famous Yala National Park, stopping en route at Mahayana Buddhist rock sculptures, Buduruwagala. This evening, we enjoy a jeep safari in Yala National Park, the largest national park in Sri Lanka. The reserve is home to many rare species including elephants, wild boar, buffalo, leopard, crocodile and diverse bird life.

Note: Yala NP is usually closed sometime between Sept - early Oct due to drought. The length of this closure varies from year to year.

Overnight: Yala National Park
Meals: Breakfast

Day 12 - Bundala NP & Galle

Yala National Park - Kalutara. This morning, we sightsee Bundala National Park - a bird sanctuary. Explore 17th century Galle Fort and stroll down its narrow streets filled with churches and colonial buildings. Continue to Kalutara, an ideal tropical beach location with its sparkling blue seas and lush fringe of palm trees, all bathed in warm golden sunshine.

Overnight: Kalutara
Meals: Breakfast

Days 13-14 - Beach time in Kalutara

With two days at leisure on Sri Lanka’s tropical palm-fringed coast – soak up the sun, splash in the ocean or join an optional excursion to Ratnapura, home of Sri Lanka’s famous gem trade. There are around 200 gem pits in Ratnapura and many lapidaries where the mined stones are dressed, cut and polished (you’ll tour some pits, a lapidary and the museum).

Overnight: Kalutara
Meals: Breakfast x2

Day 15 - Colombo

Kalutara - Colombo. Today you'll travel via the coast road to Colombo and there's an included onward transfer to the airport to meet your onward flight.Consider spending some more time exploring Sri Lanka's beautiful tropical coastline or simply relax and soak up the sun with a good book. Extend your stay by a day, a week or even two! We offer a variety of properties for you to choose from. Browse our best places to visit, Sri Lanka's best beaches or wildlife in Sri Lanka pages for suggestions on what to see and do. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, please let us know so we can accommodate your request.

For information about visas, top travel tips, best time to travel and much more, take a look through our travel guide.

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
15 Dec - 29 Dec
Sold Out
Sold Out
16 Dec - 30 Dec
Sold Out
Sold Out
17 Dec - 31 Dec
Sold Out
Sold Out
18 Dec - 1 Jan
R 65,155
R 85,465
19 Dec - 2 Jan
R 65,155
R 85,465
20 Dec - 3 Jan
R 72,905
R 94,645
21 Dec - 4 Jan
R 72,905
R 94,645
22 Dec - 5 Jan
R 72,905
R 94,645
2025
Twin/Double
Single
1 Jan - 15 Jan
R 72,905
R 94,645
2 Jan - 16 Jan
R 72,905
R 94,645
3 Jan - 17 Jan
R 72,905
R 94,645
4 Jan - 18 Jan
R 72,905
R 94,645
5 Jan - 19 Jan
R 72,905
R 94,645
6 Jan - 20 Jan
R 72,905
R 94,645
7 Jan - 21 Jan
R 72,905
R 94,645
8 Jan - 22 Jan
R 72,905
R 94,645

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