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9 Days 1 Country 7 Cities
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15 Days 1 Country 9 Cities
Departure date
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Return date
Colombo, Sri Lanka
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i Flights available
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15 Days 1 Country 9 Cities
Departure date
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Return date
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Book and Pay By:
i Flights available
Early payment discount
Was: PP
Save: PP
Code: XXXXX
Extensions available for this trip
Secure your trip with a deposit today
Please read our Trip Notes before booking
From a rock fortress to a royal city, experience the flavours of Ceylon - a spicy sojourn crisscrossing the Cultural Triangle, tropical rainforests, tea plantations and centuries-old spiritual sites to the beat of the Beraya and surrounded by the warm hospitality of the Sri Lankan people.
Trip type: Country Explorer i
Trip code: SRLA
accommodation
8 buffet breakfasts
3 lunches (including Be My Guest)
4 dinners
All transport shown.
What's Included
City Tour of Colombo
Visit the Kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya Temple in Colombo, the Lion Rock at Sigiriya, the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy
What's Included
8 buffet breakfasts
3 lunches
(including Be My Guest)
4 dinners
What's Included
Audio Headsets for flexible sightseeing
Daily breakfast and an average of 50% of evening meals
Luxury air-conditioned coach or alternative transportation (such as rail journeys)
Cherry-picked hotels, all tried and trusted
Hand-picked Insider Experiences
Optional Experiences and free time
Porterage and local charges included
Must-see sightseeing and surprise extras
An expert Travel Director and separate Driver
All hotel tips, charges and local taxes
Airport transfers on the first and last day of your guided holiday
Airport Transfers
Specific transfer information can be found on the airport transfers page
Wonders of Sri Lanka
Day 1
Arrive Colombo (2 Nights) Day 1 - Arrive Colombo (2 Nights)Welcome to Sri Lanka. Upon arrival at Colombo Airport transfer to your hotel. This evening join your Travel Director and fellow guests for a Welcome Reception with drinks and local appetisers.
Hotel
Galle Face Authentic Accommodation
Meals
Hotel
Galle Face Authentic Accommodation
Meals
Day 2
Colombo Sightseeing Day 2 - Colombo SightseeingBegin your City Tour this morning at Kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya; one of the most sacred Buddhist worshipping places in Sri Lanka. Marvel at its eastern architecture, remarkable frescoes and learn of the many legends that surround this religious site. In the past Kelaniya itself was a large city and the Kelani Raja Maha Viharaya was one of the largest and one of the most beautiful temples on the island. See the Old Parliament House, the Town Hall and Independence Square before making a stop at the oldest Hindu Kovil in Colombo, Sri Kailawasanthan Swami Devasthanam. This afternoon enjoy some free time to relax, explore further or take part in an Optional Experience. Later see a different and more charming side of Colombo as you drive around the city by 'tuk tuk'. Make a stop to sample some local snacks and experience the flavours and spices of Ceylon, a Cultural Insight, before returning to your hotel.
Meals
Meals
Optional Experiences
Colombo Art Tour
Join Michael Anthonisz, a contemporary Artist for a fantastic art tour of Colombo and discover the iconic works of George Keyt, Harry Pieris, and other famous contemporary artists of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka’s rich heritage in the arts, and its continued vitality, can be attributed as much to its contemporary pioneers as to its ancient predecessors.
Adult Price: US$50.00
Day 3
Colombo – Sigiriya (2 Nights) Day 3 - Colombo – Sigiriya (2 Nights)This morning get a deeper insight into a rather simpler lifestyle as you leave the city behind and head for the village of Horakelle. Take a walk around a tranquil garden surrounded by a coconut plantation, spices and fruit trees. A bit later meet a local villager and assist in preparing lunch, a Cultural Insight. Then continue on to your next destination the Cultural Triangle and enroute visit the Dambulla Rock Cave Temple. It is one of the eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the country and renowned for its unique sculptures and large mural paintings.
Hotel
Aliya Resort and Spa
Meals
Hotel
Aliya Resort and Spa
Meals
Day 4
Sigiriya and Polonnaruwa Sightseeing Day 4 - Sigiriya and Polonnaruwa SightseeingThis morning make an early start to avoid the heat of the day and visit the famous UNESCO World Heritage Site of Sigiriya, an ancient rock fortress from the 5th Century which dominates the jungle from all sides. Choose to climb to the top of 'Lion Rock' or just go up halfway to the 'Lions Paw'. Alternatively for anyone not feeling energetic take a stroll around the gardens at the base and admire the scenery. A bit later enjoy breakfast before continuing to Polonnaruwa which was once the site of Sri Lanka's second medieval capital. The landscape is studded with sites of well-preserved archaeological importance. Return to your hotel for a relaxing evening or choose to take part in an Optional Experience.
Meals
Meals
Optional Experiences
ELEPHANT SPOTTING AT DUSK AND DINNER
For dinner take the opportunity to try a local spicy dish known as ‘Bonnet Chicken’ prepared by a local family in an outdoor but sheltered kitchen in a tranquil countryside setting. Be sure to ask your Travel Director how the dish got its name! Later travel by four wheeled vehicle along the virtually traffic free road to try and spot the magnificent animals as they wander about at night. The wild elephants and other animals generally avoid the road during the day due to the heat and the traffic but at night they wander very close to the road and can be spotted and observed in their natural habitat.
Adult Price: US$70.00
Day 5
Sigiriya – Kandy (2 Nights) Day 5 - Sigiriya – Kandy (2 Nights)This morning your choice of activities gives you two Cultural Insight experiences in the village of Habarana. Choose between taking part in a traditional folklore dance lesson with a Local Specialist or visit a forest hermitage to see the dwelling of a Buddhist monk and learn about the art of meditation. Continue your journey on to Kandy and on arrival check in to your hotel. Enjoy some free time this afternoon and this evening visit the Temple of the Tooth where a sacred tooth relic of the Lord Buddha is enshrined. At dusk observe a religious service (pooja) accompanied by traditional music and drumming.
Hotel
Mahaweli Reach
Meals
Hotel
Mahaweli Reach
Meals
Day 6
Kandy Day 6 - KandyThis morning depart the hotel by tuk-tuk and travel to the village of Katugastota to meet a Local Specialist, a senior from the village who will demonstrate how to play a beat or two on the 'Beraya' (a traditional drum). Ancient sources reveal that these drums were used for special occasions and have become an integral part of life in Buddhist Temples and are also used in processions, especially in Kandy. Next take a walk through the village to the home of a local family for a special Be My Guest lunch. The family lives in a small traditional house built in the late 1950's with a Kandyan style garden which has many spice trees planted for their own personal use. The staple food of Sri Lanka is rice and this is eaten for lunch with a combination of spicy curries served with a hot coconut sambol locally known as "Pol Sambolaya" or green leaves sambol known as "Malluma". Engage in conversation with the family to learn all about local life in the village before returning to Kandy for some free time. This evening travel to a rural village and see a performance by a group of local school children, a Cultural Insight.
Meals
Meals
Day 7
Kandy – Gampola - Nuwara Eliya Day 7 - Kandy – Gampola - Nuwara EliyaThis morning travel by train through Sri Lanka's tea country to Gampola, a fabulous way to see the hill villages and to observe the daily lives of the local people. See how Ceylon tea is made and gain an insight into becoming a discerning tea taster on a Tea Factory tour, a Cultural Insight. Learn the art of picking the tender tea shoots which is generally referred to as 'plucking'. Take part in a tea plucking competition; it is not as easy as it looks but is great fun! For lunch enjoy a Regional Meal of 'lamprais', rice boiled in stock accompanied by curry and baked in a banana leaf in the oven. Continue to Nuwara Eliya, dubbed the 'Little England of Sri Lanka' and located in the misty hills of the island. The colonial atmosphere remains preserved and it resembles a British countryside complete with rose gardens, hedges and red-roofed bungalows.
Hotel
Grand
Meals
Hotel
Grand
Meals
Day 8
Nuwara Eliya – Mt. Lavinia Day 8 - Nuwara Eliya – Mt. LaviniaThis morning drive to the West Coast of Sri Lanka for your overnight stay at the Mt. Lavinia, Authentic Accommodation, a premier colonial heritage hotel situated on a picturesque rocky peninsula alongside a sandy beach. The story of the Mt. Lavinia hotel began in the year 1805 when Sir Thomas Maitland arrived on the island to assume duties as the second British Governor and decided to build a grand country mansion for himself. He apparently fell in love with a local girl, a dancer called Lavinia and they became involved in a clandestine romance away from the disapproving eyes of the English society on the island. Lavinia's name is remembered as providing the inspiration for the name of the Governor's house and it is believed that her descendants still live in the vicinity today. Enjoy the rest of the afternoon at leisure before your Farewell Dinner this evening with your Travel Director and fellow guests.
Hotel
Mt. Lavinia Authentic Accommodation
Meals
Hotel
Mt. Lavinia Authentic Accommodation
Meals
Day 9
Depart Colombo Day 9 - Depart ColomboTransfer to Colombo Airport for your onward flight.
Meals
Meals
Authentic Accommodation
Stay at one of the oldest hotels in Sri Lanka, once a Dutch villa and meeting place for gentlemen of the colonial era, today restored back to its former glory in the heart of Colombo
Be My Guest
Enjoy a traditional Sri Lankan lunch with Ganga Akka at her family home in the village of Katugastota and learn about her lifestyle
Cultural Insights
Sample local snacks and experience the flavours and spices of Ceylon in Colombo. Meet a local villager and assist in preparing lunch. Learn the art of meditation with a Buddhist monk or take part in a traditional folklore dance lesson in the village of Habarana. Learn to become a tea taster at a local estate
Hidden Treasures
Enjoy at least one surprise Hidden Treasure
Local Specialists
in the villages of Habarana and Katugastota
Find out what makes Trafalgar different.
What's Included
City Tour of Colombo
Visit the Kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya Temple in Colombo, the Lion Rock at Sigiriya, the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy
What's Included
8 buffet breakfasts
3 lunches
(including Be My Guest)
4 dinners
What's Included
Audio Headsets for flexible sightseeing
Daily breakfast and an average of 50% of evening meals
Luxury air-conditioned coach or alternative transportation (such as rail journeys)
Cherry-picked hotels, all tried and trusted
Hand-picked Insider Experiences
Optional Experiences and free time
Porterage and local charges included
Must-see sightseeing and surprise extras
An expert Travel Director and separate Driver
All hotel tips, charges and local taxes
Airport transfers on the first and last day of your guided holiday
Airport Transfers
Specific transfer information can be found on the airport transfers page
Why Trafalgar?
Simply Authentic
EnjoyEnjoy the wonder of travel, crisscrossing the globe through the seasons. On effortless adventures in breathtaking new horizons, forge lifelong friendships and memories. Our lovingly crafted itineraries are a fascinating mosaic of cultures, flavours, festivals and local stories. We’re with you all the way, guiding you and ensuring you experience the real thing: the sheer love of travel, entirely hassle-free.
Simply Authentic
Love... Travel"Is simply the best way to position what our guests love to experience and what we love to deliver" - Gavin Tollman CEO
Simply Authentic
MeetMeet warm-hearted locals and like-minded travellers. Along your journey of discovery, stop to share stories and flavours with local farmers, chefs and winemakers. Pause to admire the handicrafts and rich traditions of amazing artisans. Explore the essence of Europe through captivating accounts shared by expert historians and savvy local guides.
Simply Authentic
TasteTravelling with your tastebuds, treating them to new flavours, spices and textures along the way. From the very first breakfast to the last nightcap, travelling through Europe indulges your palate, with every meal an opportunity to discover regional fare. Savour each new flavour, try the local tipple and take home fresh culinary inspiration. Let us share our love for food and hospitality with you.
Simply Authentic
UnwindOnce you've packed your suitcase, we take care of the rest, removing all your concerns so that you can be secure in the knowledge that an award-winning global company with an impeccable reputation has taken care of every little detail. We arrange everything you'll need along your journey - meals, accommodation and travel logistics, because we are with you all the way. Travel the world with peace of mind, knowing you’re in the hands of Trafalgar.
Wonders of Sri Lanka