HIGHLIGHTS - DISCOVER SRI LANKA
- Relaxed arrival stay at 5 star Negombo Beach hotel
- Deluxe 4-5 star hotels
- Visit Mineriya National Park by safari jeeps to witness Wild Elephants.
- A local village visit by jeep with lunch, Dambulla
- Cooking demonstration by local villagers
- Sigiriya Rock Fortress visit
- Dambulla Rock Cave Temple
- A tea factory visit & tea tasting
- The Royal Botanical Gardens, Kandy
- The Temple of the Tooth, Kandy
- An evening Kandyan Dance Performance
- The renowned train journey from Kandy to Nanu Oya
- Udawalawe National Park entrance and jeep safari
- Visit The Elephant Transit Home
- Historic Galle
- A Madu River boat ride
PRE TOUR STAY
Consider arriving a day before the tour starts or staying on after the tour ends. Some flights that arrive early on day 1 of the tour require a pre tour night of stay to guarantee morning check in. The cost of the additional night/s of stay applies. Ask our travel team about this option, and the additional costs.
DAY 1
Arrive in Negombo
Welcome to Sri Lanka! Travellers arrive on various flights throughout the day. By mid-afternoon, meet your fellow group members and tour director for a welcome drink and briefing at the hotel.
This evening, a sightseeing tour of Negombo takes in the local fishing village and market, before we gather for a welcome dinner at our beachside hotel.
Meals: Welcome Dinner
Snapshot - What's Included
- Welcome drink and tour briefing, 3:00pm
- Negombo sightseeing tour: fishing village and market
- Welcome dinner at the hotel
DAY 2
Negombo to Dambulla
After breakfast we depart for Dambulla, our base for the next three nights. This afternoon we visit the remarkable Dambulla Rock Cave Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of Sri Lanka's most extraordinary places of worship.
Dating to the 1st century BC, the complex of five caves holds over 150 images of the Buddha, including a colossal figure carved from rock spanning 14 metres. The cave walls and ceilings are covered in more than 2,000 square metres of paintings, the largest such area in the world. A relaxed dinner at the hotel rounds out the evening.
Encounter Moment Three nights in one place. Time to settle in and start to find our feet together.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Snapshot - What's Included
- Transfer Negombo to Dambulla (approx. 3.5 hours)
- Dambulla Rock Cave Temple visit (UNESCO World Heritage site)
- Dinner at the hotel
DAY 3
Polonnaruwa and Minneriya National Park
After breakfast we head to Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka's second ancient capital, built in the 11th and 12th centuries and recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site. We explore the ruins of the Royal Palace, the rock-carved Buddha statues at Gal Viharaya, the Audience Hall, the Lotus Bath, and the vast Parakrama Samudraya reservoir, along with significant religious monuments including Lankathilake, the Watadage, Kiri Vehera, and the site of a former Temple of the Tooth Relic.
In the afternoon we transfer to Minneriya National Park for a jeep safari in search of wild elephants. The ancient Minneriya Tank, built in the 3rd century AD, draws large herds to its shores to bathe and graze alongside flocks of cormorants, painted storks, and an abundance of other wildlife. We return to Dambulla for dinner and an overnight stay.
Encounter Moment Two very different Sri Lankas in one day: ancient ruins in the morning, wild elephants in the afternoon.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Snapshot - What's Included
- Polonnaruwa UNESCO World Heritage site visit
- Minneriya National Park jeep safari
- Dinner at the hotel
DAY 4
Sigiriya and Village Visit
An early start for one of Sri Lanka's most iconic experiences. We climb Sigiriya Rock Fortress, the 5th-century Lion Rock rising 200 metres from the surrounding jungle, ringed by moats, ramparts, and renowned water gardens. At the summit, breathtaking views and the celebrated frescoes of the Heavenly Maidens, painted in earth pigments on the rock face. A UNESCO World Heritage site and a genuine highlight of the journey.
Afterwards, a very different kind of experience: a tractor ride through village paths to a lake, a canoe crossing, and a cookery demonstration by local women followed by a traditional lunch. We return to the hotel by tuk-tuk or jeep, with dinner at the hotel this evening.
Encounter Moment From a rock fortress to a village kitchen. Today is one of the fullest days of the journey.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Snapshot - What's Included
- Sigiriya Rock Fortress visit (UNESCO World Heritage site)
- Village tractor and canoe ride
- Cooking demonstration with local women
- Traditional village lunch
- Dinner at the hotel
DAY 5
Sigiriya to Kandy via Matale
This morning we depart for Kandy, stopping in Matale to visit a spice and herb garden, a wonderful introduction to the crops that have shaped Sri Lanka's history and cuisine. We enjoy lunch at the village before moving on to a nearby temple, where we are welcomed for a discussion with a Buddhist monk on the philosophy of Buddhism.
On arrival in Kandy, there is time to relax or explore at the hotel.
Encounter Moment Spices, monks and mountain roads. A day that moves through many layers of Sri Lankan life.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Snapshot - What's Included
- Spice and herb garden visit, Matale
- Lunch at the village
- Temple visit and conversation with a Buddhist monk
- Dinner at the hotel
DAY 6
Kandy
A full day in Kandy, beginning with a walking orientation tour of the city followed by a visit to the magnificent Peradeniya Botanical Gardens. At 147 acres, it is an extraordinary collection of trees, plants and flowers, first established as a royal pleasure garden and later expanded by the British.
The afternoon is yours to explore, relax or venture out at your own pace. This evening we visit the Temple of the Tooth Relic, one of the most sacred Buddhist sites in Asia, before gathering to watch a cultural performance of traditional Sri Lankan dance. Tonight is something a little special: dinner at a local family home, a warm and personal way to end a full day in the city.
Encounter Moment A full day in one of Sri Lanka's most beloved cities, with a spectacular evening to close it.
Meals: Breakfast, Local Family Dinner
Snapshot - What's Included
- Walking orientation tour of Kandy
- Peradeniya Botanical Gardens visit
- Free time in the afternoon
- Temple of the Tooth Relic visit
- Traditional Kandyan dance performance
- Dinner at a local family home
DAY 7
Kandy to Nuwara Eliya
After breakfast we depart for Nuwara Eliya by road, stopping en route to visit a tea plantation and factory. The tour takes us through the process of turning freshly picked tea leaves into the finished product, and we have the chance to enjoy a cup brewed straight from the factory.
On arrival we check in to our grand colonial hotel in Nuwara Eliya, in time for a late afternoon high tea.
Encounter Moment Hill country air, a tea factory, and high tea at a grand old hotel. Some days just work.
Meals: Breakfast, Packed Lunch, High Tea
Snapshot - What's Included
- Transfer Kandy to Nuwara Eliya by road
- Tea plantation and factory visit
- Packed lunch
- Afternoon high tea at the Grand Hotel
DAY 8
Nuwara Eliya to Udawalawe
An early breakfast before we transfer to Ambewela railway station to board the morning train for a scenic journey through tea plantations and waterfalls down to Ella. This is one of the most celebrated rail routes in Sri Lanka, and it is easy to see why.
On arrival at Ella, we transfer to Udawalawe via Wellawaya, checking in to our hotel with the rest of the day at leisure. Dinner at the hotel.
Encounter Moment One of the world's great train journeys, and a landscape that changes with every kilometre.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Snapshot - What's Included
- Scenic train journey, Ambewela to Ella
- Transfer Ella to Udawalawe via Wellawaya
- Dinner at the hotel
DAY 9
Udawalawe
We rise early this morning for a dawn jeep safari in Udawalawe National Park, one of the most reliable places in Asia to see wild elephants year-round. Herds of up to 50 roam the open plains and riverbanks, and the park is also home to leopards, toque monkeys, spotted deer, wild pig, and a remarkable range of birds including the white-bellied sea eagle and crested serpent eagle.
In the afternoon we visit the Elephant Transit Home, established in 1995 to care for orphaned and abandoned baby elephants until they are ready to be returned to the wild. It is an affecting experience, unhurried and quietly moving. Dinner at the hotel.
Encounter Moment Wild elephants at dawn, orphaned calves in the afternoon. A day that stays with you.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Snapshot - What's Included
- Dawn jeep safari, Udawalawe National Park
- Elephant Transit Home visit
- Dinner at the hotel
DAY 10
Udawalawe to Galle via Weligama
After breakfast we head for the coast, stopping at Weligama to watch the stilt fishermen perched on their wooden poles above the waves, a tradition that has endured for generations. On arrival in Galle we check in to our hotel before an afternoon sightseeing tour of the Galle Dutch Fortress, a living 17th-century walled city of cobbled streets, colonial architecture and sea views in every direction.
Time to wander, browse and soak it in. Dinner at the hotel this evening.
Encounter Moment From the inland plains to the Indian Ocean. The south coast of Sri Lanka is something else entirely.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Snapshot - What's Included
- Stop to observe the stilt fishermen at Weligama
- Galle Dutch Fortress sightseeing tour
- Free time in the fortress to explore at your own pace
- Dinner at the hotel
DAY 11
Galle, Madu River and Kosgoda
After breakfast we head north along the coast to Balapitiya for a scenic cruise along the Madu River. Travelling by canopied motorboat through mangrove-lined waterways, we pause to visit a 200-year-old riverside temple, watch locals cultivating and processing cinnamon, and see demonstrations of traditional coir rope weaving. With luck, we may also observe fishing techniques practiced just as they have been for centuries.
Along the way, we stop at the Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery, where sea turtle eggs are collected, incubated and hatchlings released into the ocean. We return to Galle for the evening, with dinner at a local restaurant in the fort.
Encounter Moment A gentle morning on the water. Mangroves, temples, turtles and cinnamon.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Snapshot - What's Included
- Madu River cruise by canopied motorboat
- Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery visit
- Dinner at a local restaurant in Galle Fort
DAY 12
Galle
A day of genuine leisure in Galle. The morning is yours. Perhaps a stroll through the fort's atmospheric streets, a visit to one of its galleries or boutiques, or simply time to sit with a coffee and watch the world go by from a rooftop cafe.
Use the time however it suits you best. Dinner at the hotel.
Encounter Moment A day with no agenda. Perhaps the most valuable day of all.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Snapshot - What's Included
- A full day at leisure in Galle
- Dinner at the hotel
DAY 13
Galle to Colombo
After breakfast we depart Galle via the expressway for Colombo, Sri Lanka's vibrant capital. On arrival, a sightseeing tour takes us through the commercial heart of the Fort district, past the colour and energy of Pettah bazaar, through the elegant residential streets of Cinnamon Gardens, and on to Independence Square and the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall. We also visit the Gangaramaya Temple, one of the most important and eclectic Buddhist temples in the country.
This evening, a memorable farewell dinner at the Vertical Lounge at Elevate Restaurant: a four-course meal with a glass of wine or beer, and a fitting close to our Sri Lankan Encounter.
Encounter Moment Our farewell dinner. A night to raise a glass to the journey and the people we have shared it with.
Meals: Breakfast, Farewell Dinner
Snapshot - What's Included
- Transfer Galle to Colombo via expressway (approx. 2.5 hours)
- Colombo city sightseeing tour: Fort, Pettah, Cinnamon Gardens, Independence Square
- Gangaramaya Temple visit
- Farewell dinner: Vertical Lounge at Elevate Restaurant (4-course meal with wine or beer)
DAY 14
Colombo
A final breakfast together before your Sri Lankan Encounter comes to a close. Private or group transfers to the airport are arranged to connect with your onward flight.
Meals: Breakfast
Snapshot - What's Included
- Transfer to Colombo Airport (approx. 37km, 1 hour)
Special Notes
- Late hotel checkout is available for evening departures at an additional charge.
Itineraries may be subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances. We aim to inform you of significant changes prior to departure. Any changes while on tour will be communicated by your tour leader.
