Day 01: Climb Sigiriya rock.
Day 02: Polonnaruwa ancient city & Minneriya national park.
Day 03: Anuradhapura ancient city & Mhintale.
Day 04: Dambulla cave temple, Matale spice garden, city tour in Kandy & visit Temple of the tooth.
Day 05: Visit Peradeniya botanical garden & Giragama tea factory. End of 5 day Sri Lanka itinerary & transfer to the airport according to the flight time.
Tour start from – Colombo international airport.
Tour ends at – Colombo international airport.
Ages – 01 to 99
Group size for 10 day Sri Lanka itinerary– Min 1, Max 18
Please book this tour at least 5 days prior to the tour start date.
Detailed itinerary.
Day 01. Arrival – Habarana.
Pick up from Negombo or airport & proceeds to Sigiriya (approx. 5 h) & check-in.
Visit the Sigiriya Rock, one of Sri Lanka’s most profitable landmarks in the afternoon. Sigiriya rock fortress is the most visited tourist attraction in Sri Lanka. It is sometimes known as the Sigiriya Lion Rock, after its original name “Sinha-Giri”. The name comes from its palace entrance through a massive brick sculpture of a lion head. Only the paws of this sculpture remain at the foot of the rock today. Sigiriya rock fortress is a fifth-century fortified palace complex, which was used by King Kassapa (477CE-493CE). The Sigiriya rock abruptly rises 600 feet high from the surrounding plains. The ruins of King Kassapa’s royal palace are scattered on the peak rock plateau. Some of them were constructed at the time of King Kassapa. The foothills and immediate surroundings of the Sigiriya rock were once an elaborate royal pleasure garden. The archaeological value of the site is immeasurable, perhaps unsurpassed in South Asia. Overnight in Habarana.
Included Activities – Sigiriya rock fortress UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Accommodation – Hotel Cinnamon Lodge, Habarana Village by Cinnamon or similar.
Meals Included – Breakfast & dinner.
Day 02. Habarana – Polonnaruwa – Minneriya national park – Habarana.
After breakfast, visit the ancient capital of Polonnaruwa. The well-preserved 12th-century ruins & impressive stone culture recall an inspired past. Although nearly 1000 years old, it is much younger than Anuradhapura and generally in better repair. The monuments are arranged in a reasonably compact garden setting and their development is easier to follow.
After visiting the Polonnaruwa ancient city, you will be able to enjoy a thrilling safari in Minneriya National Park in the afternoon. This half-day Minneriya National Park safari will give you the opportunity to witness a large number of Sri Lankan elephants who are attracted to grass fields on the edges of the reservoir during the dry season. The Minneriya tank contributes to sustain a large herd. Elephants gathered here are numbering around 150-200. Some reports account for the number of elephants to be as high as 700. They migrate here from Wasgamuwa National Park and benefit from the food and shelter of the park’s forest. Tourists visit Minneriya largely because of elephants, especially in the dry season.
At the end of the visit, you will return to the hotel to relax and spend the night in the same place in Habarana.
Included Activities -Polonnaruwa UNESCO World Heritage Site and Minneriya national park.
Accommodation – Hotel Cinnamon Lodge, Habarana Village by Cinnamon or similar.
Meals Included – Breakfast & dinner.
Overnight in Habarana.
Day 03. Habarana – Anuradhapura – Mihintale – Habarana.
After breakfast, tour in Anuradhapura and visit Sri Lanka’s first capital, Anuradhapura. You will see the rest of the Brazen Palace (which used to be 9 stories high) and Sri Maha Bodhi is a Bo tree that has been in existence for more than 2,000 years and is part of a particular tree inspired by the Buddha. The top attractions you are going to visit in Anuradhpura are the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi,Ruwanweliseya Dagoba,Jetavanaramaya Dagoba,Thuparama Dagoba,Isurumuniya, Brazen Palace / Lovamahapaya, Rathnaprasada, Moonstone, Samadhi statue, Kuttampokuna & Eth Pokuna.
Mihintale is a mountain peak near Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka. It is believed by Sri Lankans to be the site of a meeting between the Buddhist monk Mahinda and King Devanampiyatissa which inaugurated the presence of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. It is now a pilgrimage site, and the site of several religious monuments and abandoned structures. Archaeologists and historians say that the ruins of the great 40-foot stupa and the surrounding caves date back to the 1st century B.C.
At the end of the visit, you will return to the hotel to relax and spend the night in the same place.
Included Activities -Anuradhapura UNESCO World Heritage Site & Mihintale.
Accommodation – Hotel Cinnamon Lodge, Habarana Village by Cinnamon or similar.
Meals Included – Breakfast & dinner.
Day 04. Habarana – Dambulla – Kandy.
After breakfast head to Dambulla caves. The Buddhist temple complex of Dambulla consists of five cave temples carved under a very large overhanging rock. The temples were carved out over several centuries, but the oldest dates back to the 1st-century B.C.E. The temples include numerous carved statues of Buddha, and his faithful disciple Ananda, as well as Hindu deities. Over hundred and fifty statues, including a life-sized granite one, are all contained inside the temple as is a small stupa surrounded by eleven seated Buddhas. The cave walls and ceiling are entirely painted with paintings depicting early Buddhist historical events and murals with traditional Buddhist designs.
After that proceed to Kandy the last capital of Sri Lankan rulers, a World Heritage Site. The name Kandy evokes quality and grand dreams. A lot of legends, traditions, and old stories are still full of energy. In 1806, the last Sinhala ruler, Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe, drove around Lake Kandy. Visit human expression and artwork focus as well as pearl history centers and gems.
The crown jewel of the city is the famed Sri Dalada Maligawa, also known as the Temple of the Tooth. ‘Maligawa’ literally translates to palace, and the temple is part of the palace complex. The entire complex is over three centuries old at least and has seen many a king’s rise and fall. It has seen bloody wars and peaceful reigns and is one of the most historical places still standing on the island. The best time to visit is during the evening ceremony. Overnight in Kandy.
Included Activities – Dambulla caves UNESCO World Heritage Site & Temple of the Tooth UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Accommodation – Hotel Cinnamon Lodge, Hotel Earl’s Regency or similar.
Meals Included – Breakfast & dinner.
Day 05. Kandy – Airport.
Breakfast, then check out and head to visit the Peradeniya Botanical Garden. This professional flower bed was originally extended by the British as the joy of the Sinhala Lord. It has 147 parts of the land and offers amazing trees, plants and flowers.
After that visit Giragama tea plantation and the factory. This visit will begin with a guided tour to a processing facility in the factory. You’ll see the sorting tools, the grinding tools, the drying tools, and the packaging machines. You will also be able to learn how tea is processed from shiny green leaves to the bits in your teabag. After enjoying a cup of high-grown processed tea, you will set out to explore the plantation to conclude your tour with the tea estate experience.
End of 5 day Sri Lanka itinerary & transfer to the airport according to the flight time.
Included Activities – Peradeniya Botanical Garden, and a tea factory visit.
Accommodation – Not included.
Meals Included – Breakfast.
