7 Nights / 8 Days
If this is your first visit and you are not sure where to start, this is the trip we usually suggest. In eight days it covers the ancient sites, wild elephants, Kandy, the tea country and the coast, with a city tour of Colombo at the end. It also works well with extra nights on the beach.
Day 1: Negombo
We meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel in Negombo. We can also start from Colombo.
Day 2: Dambulla and Minneriya
You drive inland to the Dambulla cave temple, then on to Minneriya National Park for an afternoon jeep safari. Minneriya is known for "the gathering": in the dry season, roughly August to October, hundreds of elephants can come to the reservoir in the evening. You then settle into your base near Habarana or Sigiriya.
Day 3: Sigiriya, village life and Polonnaruwa
An early climb up the Sigiriya rock fortress, to the ruins of King Kassapa's palace on the 200-metre rock, is followed by a village tour on foot and by bullock cart, with a home-cooked lunch. In the afternoon you drive to Polonnaruwa, the medieval capital, for the royal palace, the Vatadage and the Buddha figures of Gal Vihara.
Day 4: Kandy
After a stop at a spice garden you reach Kandy, with a tour of the lake, the market and a gem museum. In the evening you visit the Temple of the Tooth and see a show of Kandyan dancing and drumming.
Day 5: Nuwara Eliya
The drive up from Kandy takes about three hours through the tea estates. The railway between Kandy and Nanu Oya was damaged by Cyclone Ditwah in November 2025, so we plan this leg by road unless the line is running when you travel. In Nuwara Eliya you visit a tea plantation and factory.
Days 6 to 7: the south-west coast
A long drive takes you down to the coast, with an optional stop at Kitulgala for rafting or a jungle walk. On day 7 you take a boat on the Madu River through the mangroves, try a fish pedicure, visit a turtle hatchery and see the stilt fishermen, then spend the afternoon in Galle Fort.
Day 8: Colombo and departure
On the way back north you tour Colombo: the Fort, the Old Parliament, Galle Face Green, Viharamahadevi Park and Independence Square, with free time to shop before we drop you at the airport.
Extending your stay
Most people add a few nights on the beach in the south, the south-west or Negombo. Tell us your budget and we will suggest hotels. Accommodation, meals and inclusions are listed day by day below.
Day 1: Airport to Negombo (10 km, about 25 minutes by road)
We meet you at the airport and drive you to your hotel in Negombo to rest after the flight. If you are already in the country, we can start the tour from Colombo or Negombo instead.
Meals: None
Accommodation: Suriya Luxury Resorts, Amaluna or similar
Entrance tickets and excursions included: None
Other inclusions: Transport in an air conditioned vehicle, guiding services
Day 2: Negombo to Dambulla, Minneriya and Sigiriya (170 km, about 4.5 hours by road)
Drive inland to Dambulla and climb up to the Dambulla cave temple, five caves filled with Buddha statues and painted ceilings, in use for more than 2,000 years.
In the afternoon go on a jeep safari in Minneriya. In the dry months, roughly August to October, hundreds of elephants come to graze on the shore of the reservoir, an event known as the gathering. You spend the next two nights near Sigiriya, Habarana or Dambulla.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Accommodation: Sigiriya Village, Oak Ray Elephant Lake or similar
Entrance tickets and excursions included: Dambulla cave temple, Minneriya National Park Safari
Other inclusions: Transport in an air conditioned vehicle (safari jeeps are not air conditioned), guiding services
Day 3: Sigiriya, village tour and Polonnaruwa (110 km round trip, about 3 hours by road)
Climb the Sigiriya Rock Fortress early, before the heat and the crowds. King Kashyapa built his palace on top of this 200 metre rock in the late 5th century; on the way up you pass the water gardens, the frescoes and the giant lion paws.
Late morning is a village tour, on foot, by bullock cart and by canoe across the village tank, ending with lunch cooked by a village family and served on lotus leaves.
In the afternoon drive about an hour east to Polonnaruwa, the royal capital of the 11th and 12th centuries. A guide takes you round the palace of Parakramabahu I, the Vatadage and the Quadrangle and the four great Buddha figures of Gal Vihara, then you return to Sigiriya.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Sigiriya Village, Oak Ray Elephant Lake or similar
Entrance tickets and excursions included: Sigiriya rock fortress, village tour, Polonnaruwa ancient city
Other inclusions: Transport in an air conditioned vehicle, guiding services
Day 4: Sigiriya to Kandy (90 km, about 3 hours by road)
On the way south, stop at a spice garden near Matale to see how cinnamon, pepper, cardamom and cloves are grown and used. In Kandy, a city tour covers Kandy Lake, the market and a gem museum.
In the evening visit the Kandy Temple of the Tooth Relic for the evening ritual, then watch a show of Kandyan dancing and drumming.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Accommodation: Suisse Hotel Kandy, Hotel Topaz Kandy or similar
Entrance tickets and excursions included: Spice garden, Kandy city tour, Temple of the Tooth, Kandyan dance show
Other inclusions: Transport in an air conditioned vehicle, guiding services
Day 5: Kandy to Nuwara Eliya (77 km, about 3 hours by road)
The road climbs out of Kandy past Gampola and through the tea country around Pussellawa and Ramboda to Nuwara Eliya, at about 1,900 metres. The town is still called Little England for its colonial buildings, cool air and gardens.
Stop at a tea estate and factory to see how the leaf is withered, rolled and dried, with a cup of fresh tea to finish. Then tour the town, with time by Lake Gregory and in the parks and market.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Accommodation: Heaven Seven Nuwara Eliya, Oak Ray Summer Hill Breeze or similar
Entrance tickets and excursions included: Tea estate and factory visit, Nuwara Eliya town tour
Other inclusions: Transport in an air conditioned vehicle, guiding services
Train note: the line between Kandy and Nanu Oya was damaged by Cyclone Ditwah, so that section is driven if trains are not running when you travel.
Day 6: Nuwara Eliya to Kitulgala and the south west coast (250 km, about 6.5 hours by road)
A long day of driving, from the hills down to the sea. The route passes through Hatton and Kitulgala, where you can break the journey for white water rafting on the Kelani river or a jungle walk (optional, at extra cost). You reach your hotel on the south west coast by evening.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Accommodation: Hikka Tranz by Cinnamon, Avani Kalutara Resort or similar
Entrance tickets and excursions included: None, Kitulgala activities are optional
Other inclusions: Transport in an air conditioned vehicle, guiding services
Day 7: South west coast, Madu River and Galle
Take a boat on the Madu River through the mangroves and past small islands, with a stop for a fish pedicure. Next is a Turtle Hatchery, where eggs from the beach are hatched before the young are released into the sea, and a roadside stop to watch the stilt fishermen.
The afternoon is in Galle. The fort was started by the Portuguese and rebuilt by the Dutch, and its ramparts, churches and cobbled lanes are best seen on foot, with plenty of cafes and small shops along the way.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Accommodation: Hikka Tranz by Cinnamon, Avani Kalutara Resort or similar
Entrance tickets and excursions included: Madu River boat trip and fish spa, turtle hatchery, stilt fishermen, Galle Fort
Other inclusions: Transport in an air conditioned vehicle, guiding services
Day 8: South west coast to Colombo and the airport (150 km, about 3 hours by road)
Drive north to Colombo for a city tour: the Fort, the old Parliament, Galle Face Green, Viharamahadevi Park and Independence Square, with free time to shop before we drop you at the airport.
Hotels are as listed, or a similar class if one is not available. The price covers the meals shown each day.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: None
Entrance tickets and excursions included: Colombo City Tour
Other inclusions: Private air conditioned transport throughout, English speaking guide, entrance tickets for the sites listed except those marked optional, meet and assist on arrival, two 500 ml bottles of water per person per day in the vehicle and two in each room, 24 hour emergency support