8 Days Splendour of Sri Lanka
Colombo
Group Size
20 persons
Location
Sri Lanka
Overview
Day 1: Arrival in Colombo
You'll arrive at the airport and connect with your Apple Vacations representative who introduces your English-speaking driver. After getting through immigration and collecting your bags, the transfer takes you to your Colombo hotel. Once you've checked in, head out that evening to explore the city's main areas, walking through Fort, Cinnamon Gardens, and Sea Street, plus the bazaar and the historic Dutch Church.
Start point: Colombo, Sri Lanka (Bandaranayake International Airport / Negombo / Colombo, 00:05 - 23:55)
Meals: Dinner
Included Activities: Colombo city tour including Fort, Cinnamon Gardens, Sea Street, bazaar area, and Dutch Church of Wolfe dhal
Landmarks: Fort, Cinnamon Gardens, Sea Street, Dutch Church of Wolfe dhal
Day 2: Colombo to Dambulla
Starting after breakfast, you'll drive toward Dambulla with a stop at Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage to see the herd of captive Asian elephants. From there, continue to Dambulla Cave Temple where you can walk through the Buddhist site featuring 2,000-year-old frescoes and a 14-meter recumbent Buddha statue. You'll settle into your Dambulla hotel for the night.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities: Visit Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, Visit Dambulla Cave Temple
Landmarks: Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, Dambulla Cave Temple
Itinerary
Day 1
Negombo/Colombo to Sigiriya
Day 1
Negombo/Colombo to Sigiriya
Your tour leader meets you at the airport and drives you toward Sigiriya, which takes about 3 hours and 20 minutes covering 146 km. During the journey, you'll stop at the Golden Cave Temple in Dambulla to walk through the caves and see the Buddha statues. Later in the afternoon or evening, depending on where the elephants are that day, you'll head out for a 4x4 safari at one of the nearby parks like Minneriya, Kaudulla, or Hurulu Eco National Park to spot wildlife.
Day 2
Sigiriya to Kandy
Day 2
Sigiriya to Kandy
Get up early to climb Sigiriya Rock and take photos before the heat gets intense. After coming back down, you'll have breakfast at your hotel, then head out toward Kandy, which is about 2 hours and 30 minutes away. Along the route, you stop at Nalanda Gedige for its historical significance and the Matale Spice Garden to learn about local spices. Once in Kandy, you'll do a city tour that includes visiting a Hindu temple for some cultural insight. By evening, you'll watch the traditional Kandyan cultural dance performance and go to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic.
Day 3
Kandy to Nuwara Eliya
Day 3
Kandy to Nuwara Eliya
After breakfast, you'll check out the Peradeniya Royal Botanical Gardens and the Gem Museum and Workshop, both in Kandy. Then you'll travel to Nuwara Eliya, which is about 3 hours away. During the drive, you'll stop at Ramboda Falls, visit a tea factory, and walk through a tea plantation to see how the tea is grown and processed. You'll be staying overnight in Nuwara Eliya.
Day 4
Nuwara Eliya to Ella
Day 4
Nuwara Eliya to Ella
This day revolves around getting to Ella by train, though the timing depends on which train you're on. If the morning train around 9:00 AM is available, you'll board right away for the scenic ride through tea plantations and misty mountains heading from Nanu Oya to Ella. When the afternoon train before 1:30 PM is what's booked, you'll spend the morning checking out Nuwara Eliya first, visiting Gregory Lake and The Grand Hotel before making your way to the train station. After arriving in Ella in the late afternoon or early evening, you'll take a hike up Little Adam's Peak to catch views across the hill country as the light starts to fade.
Day 4
Ella to Tissamaharama
Day 4
Ella to Tissamaharama
You start by visiting Rawana waterfall and the Buduruwagala Rock Temple to walk around and see the carved Buddha figures. From there, you travel toward Tissamaharama, covering 88 km in roughly 2 hours. Once you arrive and settle in, you'll head out in the evening for a 4x4 safari through Yala National Park, which is Sri Lanka's largest park and sits along the Indian Ocean coast, giving you chances to spot wildlife as the day winds down.
Day 5
Tissamaharama to Mirissa
Day 5
Tissamaharama to Mirissa
After breakfast, you'll drive to Mirissa, about 2 hours south, where you can expect beautiful beaches and coastal scenery. On the way, you'll stop at a Snake Farm to see different snake species and learn about them. You also have the option to either take a peaceful boat ride at Tissamaharama Lake or arrange a Nilwala Crocodile Safari near Matara if you want something more adventurous. Spend your evening relaxing at your beachside hotel in Mirissa. You're staying overnight there.
Day 6
Mirissa
Day 6
Mirissa
Start very early, around 6:30 AM, to go whale watching from Mirissa. You'll come back to your hotel after that and spend the rest of the day exploring Parrot Rock and catching the sunset from Coconut Tree Hill. The afternoon and evening are free for swimming or just lounging at your beachfront hotel. You're staying overnight in Mirissa.
Day 8
Mirissa to Colombo/Negombo/Airport
Day 8
Mirissa to Colombo/Negombo/Airport
Have breakfast at your hotel and check out. Depending on when your flight departs, you might visit the Sea Turtle Hatchery and Rescue Center, take a boat safari on the Madu River, and explore the Galle Dutch Fort, which was originally built by the Portuguese in 1588 and then strengthened by the Dutch starting in 1649. After these stops, you'll be driven to Bandaranaike International Airport, which is about 3 hours and 45 minutes away for your flight home.
FAQs
Meals?
7x Breakfast
Accommodation?
Night 1: Hotel Goddess Garden/ Sigiri Asna Nature Resort,
Night 2: Waters Spring Hotel /Ganga Addara Hotel,
Night 3: Queens Mount Glen Heights /The Panorama Green View Hotel, Night 4: The Peak Ella, Night 5: Resort Yala River Face Inn / Resort The Grand Yala Hotel, Night 6 & 7: Jaga Bay Resort, /Hotel Scenic Bay Weligama
Included Activities?
Visit the Golden Cave Temple at Dambulla
Optional Activities?
Day1 : 4x4 safari in the evening at Minneriya, Kaudulla, or Hurulu Eco National Park, Day2: Traditional Kandyan Cultural Dance Performance,
Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, Day: Explore Gregory Lake (time permitting)
Visit The Grand Hotel Nuwara Eliya (time permitting)
Visit Nuwara Eliya Post Office (time permitting)
Evening hike up Little Adam's Peak, Day5: Visit Rawana waterfall , Visit Buduruwagala Rock Temple,
Visit Nine Arches Bridge, Evening 4x4 safari in Yala National Park, Day 6: Boat ride at Tissamaharama Lake,
Nilwala Crocodile Safari in Matara, Day 7: Blue whale watching
Explore Parrot Rock
Watch sunset from Coconut Tree Hill
Landmarks?
Day 1: Golden Cave Temple, Minneriya National Park
Kaudulla National Park
Hurulu Eco National Park
8%
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$230
$210
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