Discover Sri Lanka's famous cultural triangle and visit the rock fortress of Sigiriya, the exquisite Dambulla cave temple and the historic Temple of the Tooth in Kandy. Add a scenic train journey through the verdant tea plantations and go in search of Sri Lanka’s abundant wildlife at Udawalawe National Park, all this and more in an exciting one week holiday.
Trip Highlights
Included
Not Included
Itinerary
Colombo - your way
Saturday. Welcome to Sri Lanka! Airport arrival transfer and remainder of the day at leisure. Our start hotel located on the seafront is a short walk from Galle Road and many of the city highlights. Choose to head out and explore, take a dip in the pool or enjoy a cocktail whilst you watch the perfect sunset over the Laccodive Sea.
Overnight: Colombo
Dambulla & Polonnaruwa
Colombo - Dambulla - Polonnaruwa - Dambulla. Bidding farewell to Colombo this morning we drive inland to Dambulla, stopping en route at a fruit and vegetable market in Naramwela Town. Dambulla Rock Temple is an incredible ancient complex of caves which date back to the 1st Century BC. The five caves contain over 150 images of Buddha including an impressive 14 metre carved statue.
After exploring this ancient site, we continue to Polonnaruwa. This fascinating 11th century city is home to many interesting ruins and famous monuments including the Royal Palace and the Gal Vihara. Polonnaruwa was once the capital and is also the second most ancient city in Sri Lanka. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This evening we return to Dambulla for an evening at leisure.
Overnight: Dambulla | Breakfast
Sigiriya & Kandy
Dambulla - Sigiriya - Kandy. This morning we explore Sigiriya and 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.
From Sigiriya we take a bullock cart ride and short canoe trip to the village of Kayanwala. Here, at Kayanwala Village we take part in a cookery demonstration in a mud brick home of a local woman and enjoy a freshly prepared lunch of curry, dahl, spiced rice, pickle and more. En route to Kandy we stop off a spice garden in Matale, to see the different herbs and spices, which Sri Lanka is famous for. You will be introduced to different spices and shown how some of these spices are grown and processed.
Overnight: Kandy | Breakfast, Lunch
Kandy Temple of the Tooth
This morning we take a sightseeing tour of Kandy - the last capital of the Sri Lankan kings. Our first stop will be the Temple of the Tooth Relic. Legend has it that one of Buddha's teeth was taken from him as he lay on his funeral pyre. It was then smuggled into Sri Lanka in 313AD. It now attracts daily pilgrims who come bearing lotus flowers and frangipani. After driving around Kandy Lake - built by the last Sinhala king, we visit the local bazaar and a gem museum, we then enjoy a Tuk Tuk ride up into the surrounding hills.
Overnight: Kandy | Breakfast
Scenic train trip & tea plantations
Kandy - Nuwara Eliya. This morning offers free time before transferring to the railway station for our scenic train trip. Passing kilometre upon kilometre of verdant tea plantations that hug the winding mountain passes, we'll see waterfalls, suspension bridges and tea pickers on our journey up to Nuwara Eliya - Sri Lanka’s most popular hill resort. Nuwara Eliya is also the heart of Sri Lanka’s tea country producing a significant share of the world’s best tea.
This afternoon we take a beautiful drive through Nuwara Eliya - an area known locally as 'Little England'.
Overnight: Nuwara Eliya | Breakfast
Udawalawe National Park jeep safari
Nuwara Eliya - Udawalawe National Park. Today we head south to Embilipitiya, our base for exploring Udawalawe National Park. This national park is probably one of the best places to spot the famous Sri Lankan Elephant, the biggest of all the Asian Elephants. It is thought that there are around 400 elephants here. The park is also home to the elusive leopard, the Sri Lankan sloth bear and varies types of deer. We take an afternoon game drive here before returning to our hotel for the night.
Overnight: Udawalawe National Park | Breakfast
Colombo city tour
Udawalawe National Park - Colombo. This morning we visit the Gem Mine and Museum at Ratnapura. Sri Lanka is famous for its gem industry and is home to 40 out of the 85 types of gems in the world.
Arrival Colombo and commence a city tour, seeing the Fort area in the north of the city famous for its government buildings and interesting shops. We'll see the stunning Gangarama Temple and take a stroll along Galle Face Green, a popular spot for kite flying and games of cricket.
Overnight: Colombo | Breakfast
Goodbye Sri Lanka
Saturday. Today offers free time for you to independently explore the city, before your included departure transfer to the airport.
Breakfast
Buddha & Beach
Extend your stay at the beach! If you want to extend your holiday and enjoy some rest and relaxation on Sri Lanka's beautiful coast, take a look at our 12 day Buddha and Beach itinerary.
For information about visas, top travel tips, best time to travel and much more, take a look through our travel guide.
Prices & Dates
Departure dates are guaranteed with a minimum of 4 persons. 'Twin Share' prices are per person when there are 2 people sharing a room. 'Single Room' prices are applicable to those who don’t have anyone to share a room with or anyone wanting the privacy of a single room.
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Extra Prices
Hotels
The hotels listed below are ones which we frequently use on this tour. We reserve the right to substitute these hotels to ones of a similar standard.
OZO Colombo, Colombo
OZO Colombo is a modern and stylish hotel, with sweeping Indian Ocean views from its rooftop infinity pool and many of its rooms. There's free WIFI access throughout the hotel and the guestrooms are bright and airy with all modern amenities. To top it off, there's also a fantastic fitness center and a restaurant serving delicious, authentic Sri Lankan cusine. OZO is centrally located on Marine Drive, near Galle Road and just a 10 minute drive from the city centre.
Jetwing Lake, Dambulla
The Jetwing Lake hotel is a brand new property with spacious and comfortable rooms that enjoy a contemporary design blended with splashes of Eastern influenced decor. The ensuite facilities are magnificent and in keeping with the luxurious feel of the property as a whole. Each room also comes with a balcony, from which guests can get some fresh air and enjoy the spectacular views. Within the complex there is a pool, spa and fitness centre, where guests can while away their free time. There is also a restaurant, which serves sumptuous meals.
OZO Kandy Hotel, Kandy
The stylish OZO Kandy prides itself on its smart facilities and stunning mountain surrounds. Its highlight being the rooftop pool and BOMMU Bar where you can soak up panoramic views over Kandy whilst enjoying a cocktail or two. The hotel’s all-day dining restaurant serves a tasty array of Asian and international cuisine using only fresh and handpicked produce. Other amenities include a fitness centre and complimentary WiFi, with guestrooms boasting signature soft beds and rain showers.
Jetwing St Andrew's, Nuwara Eliya
Jetwing St. Andrew's is a unique colonial retreat set in a former country house and surrounded by landscaped gardens. All the spacious rooms are classically furnished with elegant wood and offer free WiFi and flat-screen TVs. The grounds of the hotel give a great feel of colonial splendour and guests can wake up to a typical English breakfast and enjoy a stiff brandy at the bar later in the day. Fine dining is offered at the Old Course Restaurant and the hotel also boasts an antique snooker table, which is the oldest in Sri Lanka.
Araliya Green Hills, Nuwara Eliya
Recently opened, the Araliya Green Hills is a modern property with beautiful mountain views. Rooms are spacious and well appointed with slightly garish carpets. Sumptuous buffets are served in the restaurant - look out for the hoppers - perfect to have your eggs in! Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel and there is even a pool table for you to challenge your friends on. Perfectly located close to the centre of Nuwara Eliyah.
Grand Udawalawe Safari Resort, Udawalawe National Park
Situated on 7 acres of land, the Grand Udawalawe Safari Resort is the only hotel of its class in the area. Rooms are spacious with beautiful hard wood flooring and artwork depicting the wildlife of Udawalawe. Food here is delicious and plentiful with an extensive breakfast menu. The outdoor pool is a great place to relax by and enjoy a refreshing splash in after a good day on safari. Well located just a few minutes drive from Udawalawe National Park.
Has been absolutely an amazing trip. Everything has been superb from day one till last day ,selections of the hotel tour itinerary and comfortable AC bus was amazing ”
The tour guide was great and there was a good balance of sightseeing and downtime.”
Thanks for a fantastic trip. We were very lucky to have meet a great group of people and all got along so well. Lots of laughs along the way. Our guide Manoj & bus drivers were excellent & always so happy, helpful and polite. I would recommend that a 2 night stay at Jetwing Lake would of been nice as such a beautiful place. All the hotels were great along the way. Our highlights were Caves Dambulla, climbing Sigiriya, train ride to Nuwara Eliya and safari through Udawalawe National Park. 2 nights per place would of been better so not as rushed & more time to relax. I would recommend On the Go Tours to my family and friends. ”
We loved this tour. We felt like it gave a good mix of different things to see in Sri Lanka. Our tour guide Akhtar was amazing. He was incredibly knowledgeable and was constantly sharing his expertise and interesting facts with us. He was very helpful and nothing was too much trouble for him. The tour was very 'On the Go' (up early and lots to do) but this was what we wanted. It was a great week full of interesting activities and tourist sights. My personal highlights would be walking up Sigiriya, the train ride through the mountains and the safari to Udawalawe National Park.
I would recommend this tour to others who wanted to experience some highlights of Sri Lanka.”
Monroe was a fantastic guide, giving us plenty of options and information about the history of places. The hotels were all of a higher quality than I expected, which was superb.
I would definitely consider On The Go for future tours.”
I cant say enough about this tour! travelled with a great bunch of travellers from Australia, South Africa and England.
Akhtar was an amazing guide he had a wealth of knowledge and a love for his country. Even though I was only in Sri Lanka for a week I feel like I have a wealth of knowledge now! I enjoyed the local stop at the mark on the first day. The hotels we stayed in were fantastic and having the varying styles from traditional to modern and the eco lodge. I cant wait to travel with On The Go Tours again! ”
An absolute fantastic tour, amazing guide with tremendous knowledge. The tour was very well structured, really showing Sri Lanka as it is, with the home-stay meal a major highlight. The only slight concern was the quality in Nuwara Eliya, the hotel needs some TLC, the bedding is old and small minor touch ups are needed, rather a 3 star than a 4 star. But that is nitpicking, everything was amazing. Akthar is an amazing guide and person, really going out of his way to cater for everyone on tour and always available ”
Our guide, Akhtar, was amazing, so knowledgeable and passionate about his country. Nothing was an issue for him and he found solutions to any problems. A true gentleman.
The tour was fantastic but felt a little too rushed at times - perhaps an extra day in length would benefit the guests. My only disappointment was too pass through all the tea plantations but not get to visit them.”
The tour briefing with Richard was excellent and set us up for what to expect in the coming week - he was approachable, professional, very knowledgeable, organised with a great sense of humour! He clearly loves what he does and is very good at it! The tour was first class - my only complaint was that on a couple of occasions (the Paradise Hotel and the lovely one when we visited UtlaWalwe) we arrived and left the following morning in darkness and so really did not have a chance to appreciate how great these places were! ”
Fantastic saw all the places that where listed , very lucky with the weather the group on the bus where fabulous the guide he was great and it was my daughters birthday they decorated the bus with balloons and streamers and plus a birthday cake. Would definitely book On The Go Tour again. Sandra. ”
In Brief
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Has been absolutely an amazing trip. Everything has been superb from day one till last day ,selections of the hotel tour itinerary and comfortable AC bus was amazing ”
