Arrival in Sri Lanka 

Transfer to Colombo and sightseeing tour of the city.

Colombo is Sri Lanka’s largest city and the former administrative capital. It is a vibrant and lively city with a mix of nightlife and remnants of a bygone colonial era. Due to its large harbour and its strategic position along the East-West maritime trade routes, Colombo was already known to ancient traders 2,000 years ago. However, it became the capital of the island when Sri Lanka was ceded to the British Empire in 1815. Today it is the city where most of the big companies, restaurants and entertainment venues are located. We will visit many of Colombo’s historical, religious and bazaar sites, including the historic fortress, the bustling Pettah Bazaar, the upscale Cinnamon Gardens neighborhood, Galle Face Green (waterfront esplanade that fills with people and food stalls on weekends), Viharamahadevi Park and much more.

Continue towards Hikkaduwa

Arrival and check-in at the hotel – Standard check-in time: 14h00.

Dinner and overnight stay at Hikka Tranz by Cinnamon or similar.

Breakfast at the hotel.
 
Visit of the fortified city of Galle.
The old part of the city inside the Dutch fortress built in the 17th century has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A walk from the Point Utrecht bastion to the Flag Rock will give you an excellent view of the old harbor. The new part of the city, to the north of the fortress, was badly affected by the tsunami in 2004, and the famous international cricket stadium is located here, which has been completely rebuilt.

Continue to Yala National Park.

Afternoon Jeep Safari in Yala National Park

Yala National Park is Sri Lanka’s most visited nature reserve. Yala covers an area of 1260 square kilometers. In the park, the landscape of the dry zone is of unparalleled beauty and the wildlife that inhabits it has a special charm with storks perched on caravans of elephants marching peacefully, while rabbits scamper through the undergrowth. Leopards, bears, and elephants are numerous but the park is also home to other species such as crocodiles, jackals and a variety of birds.

Note: In some years, Yala National Park takes the opportunity to close temporarily in September and October. Should this be the case in 2019, the safari would instead take place in Lunugamwehera National Park (in the vicinity of Yala). The rest of the itinerary would remain unchanged.

Arrival and check-in at the hotel.

Dinner and overnight stay at Chaarya Resort or similar.

Breakfast and departure to Nuwara Eliya.

On the way, we will visit the famous Nine Arches Bridge and also enjoy a short hike to the Little Adam’s Peak.
 
Optional: If visits end before 11:30 a.m., we can take the train to Nanuoya from Ella Station (seats can be booked only 30 days in advance and always subject to change at the time of booking confirmation / Delays or sudden cancellations cannot be guaranteed).
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Arrival in Nuwara Eliya, which means ‘the city of the dawn’. This is the highest town in Sri Lanka (situated at about 2,000 metres above sea level). From here you can see the highest peak in the country (Pidurutalagala at 2,555m). Founded by the British in the 19th century and known as ‘Little England’, it is a popular destination for its pleasant climate with cool temperatures throughout the year and its colonial atmosphere. Nuwara Eliya is also considered the heart of the ‘Ceylon Tea Country’.

Transfer to the hotel.
 
Dinner and overnight stay at Blackpool Resort or similar.

Breakfast at the hotel.
 
Optional visit in the morning: Half-day trek through Horton Plains, a National Park (1988) and protected area of grassland and rainforest characterised by frequent mist. At an altitude of 2100 – 2300 meters it is rich in biodiversity and many of the species that live there are endemic to the region.
Supplement: USD 70.00 per person
 
Departure to Kandy.

On the way we will visit a tea factory and tea plantation.
 
At the end of the afternoon, we will witness a typical dance of the city, with a spectacular flame-walking finale.
 
Arrival in Kandy. Check-in.
 
Dinner and overnight stay at Cinnamon Citadel or similar.

Breakfast at the hotel.
 
The Royal Botanical Garden of Peradeniya is famous for its variety of orchids (over 300 varieties), spices, medicinal plants and palms. Next to it is the National Herbarium. In total 147 hectares of land.

Afterwards, enjoy a city tour around Kandy

Kandy is yet another World Heritage Site. The historic city is 480m above sea level and surrounded by mountains. It was known in Sri Lanka as ‘Kanda Uda Rata’, which means ‘The Mountainous Region’. Kandy was the centre of the last independent kingdom of Sri Lanka, which survived two centuries of colonial incursion before finally falling to the British in the early 19th century. Visit the Temple of the Tooth, the campus of the University of Peradeniya and see a panoramic view of the picturesque town of Upper Lake Drive.

Dinner and overnight stay at Cinnamon Citadel or similar.

Breakfast at the hotel and departure to Habarana.
 
On the way visit the Spice Garden in Matale.

Optional Safari in Minneriya N.P. to observe the Elephant Encounter.

The Elephant Encounter is one of the best wildlife viewing spectacles in the world that takes place from June to October every year. Every afternoon, around 150 – 200 elephants come out of the forest to graze in the green fields at the water’s edge in Minneriya and Kaudulla National Parks. You have excellent opportunities to observe the social dynamics of the Asian elephant as large bulls compete with each other and seek out females within the herd, while carefree youngsters take the opportunity to get into mischief much to the chagrin of their attentive mothers within the herd. Water birds such as painted storks, woolly-necked storks along with birds of prey such as white-bellied sea eagles and ospreys abound around these large artificial lakes.

Supplement: USD 70.00 per person

Arrival in Habarana.

Dinner and overnight stay at Habarana Village by Cinnamon or similar.

Breakfast at the hotel.
 
Visit the fortress of Sigiriya, built in the V century and World Heritage Site. It was built during the reign of Kashyapa (477-495). The citadel rises impregnable on the plains of the dry zone. It is the country’s most memorable attraction, a remarkable archaeological site and unforgettable for its spectacular setting. The rock was the innermost fortress of a fortified city of more than 70 hectares. A moat, with a wall and extensive gardens, including the famous water gardens on the base of the rock. You will visit the world-renowned frescoes of the ‘celestial maidens of Sigiriya’, which are sheltered by a spiral staircase leading up to the rock.

Visit to the archaeological city of Polonnaruwa
The ancient city of Polonnaruwa is one of the highlights of the cultural triangle and is also a World Heritage Site. The city’s 12th century heyday represented one of the milestones in early Sri Lankan civilization. Polonnaruwa has extensive and well-preserved remains of it, which offer a fascinating snapshot of medieval Sri Lanka, including some of the island’s finest monuments. The monumental complex can be thoroughly explored in about 3 hours. The Gal Vihara, a collection of magnificent Buddha statues carved from pure rock, is a must-see, and a fine example of the craftsmanship of the period.
 
Continue to Trincomalee.
 
Dinner and overnight stay at Trinco Blu by Cinnamon or similar.

Days at leisure at the hotel on HB basis 

(Guide services and the vehicle will be available with an allocation of 40Km)

Possibility of carrying out some optional activities such as:

–       Visit to Pigeon Island: The marine sanctuary of Pigeon Island, in Nilaveli, remains the most popular choice for snorkeling in the area. Deriving its name from the pigeons that live on the island, Pigeon Island contains some of the best preserved coral reefs in Sri Lanka. Nearly 100 species of coral, 300 species of reef fish, hawksbill turtles, green turtles and other species live in these waters.

Entrance fee: USD 45/pax + boat cost: USD65/boat (max 6 pax)

* subject to weather conditions.

Dolphin/ Whale watching excursion (Supplement USD 85.00 per person)

Discover the wonders of the ocean with Trincomalee’s whale watching experience. Located on the stunning northeast coast of Sri Lanka, Trincomalee offers one of the best whale watching opportunities in the world.

**The possibility of seeing whales or dolphins depends on weather and sea conditions. We cannot guarantee sightings**

Breakfast at the hotel

Depart to Negombo

Visit the Dambulla Cave temple en route.

The rock temple of Dambulla was built by King Walagambahu in the 1st century BC and is a World Heritage Site. It is the most impressive of the many temples within caves in Sri Lanka, a complex of five caves with over 2000 square meters of rock-painted walls and ceilings; the largest area of such paintings found anywhere in the world. It contains more than 150 images of Buddha, the largest of which is a colossal 14-meter figure carved into the granite rock.

Arrival in Negombo.
 
Dinner and overnight stay at Goldi Sands or similar.

Breakfast at the hotel.
 
At the indicated time transfer to the airport for departure flight – Check-out at 12:00pm.