Sri Lanka Grand Tour
| country: | Sri Lanka |
| departures: | This Sri Lanka tour can be arranged at any time and can be tailored to fit your own unique requirements, interests and budget. |
| price: | From US $1640 (14 days) excluding flights. |
read 10 travellers reviews
the amazing things you'll be doing
As its name suggests the Sri Lanka Grand Tour covers the “must sees” of Sri Lanka.
From glorious ancient cities, the beautiful hill country with its spectacular views and wildlife parks this Sri Lanka tour offers it all.
Beginning our tour in Colombo we head north visiting Yapahuwa, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Dambulla and Sigiriya all part of Sri Lanka’s ancient past. We then visit Kandy which was the last Kingdom of Ceylon before heading further up into the mountains to Nuwara Eliya. From Nuwara Eliya our Sri Lanka tour descends through some spectacular scenery to visit Uda Walawe and Yala. Uda Walawe with its elephant population and Yala with its leopard population offer some close wildlife encounters.
Finally you will spend the last three nights of your Sri Lanka tour in a luxurious resort and spa in total relaxation before heading to your airport for your flight back home.
Sri Lanka tour highlights: Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya, Dambulla, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Uda Walawe National Park, Yala National Park
Sri Lanka tour price includes: Airport transfers, accommodation at star class hotels and eco lodges with dinner and breakfast included, air-conditioned transport with English speaking chauffeur guide, entrance fees per itinerary, Jeeps when visiting national parks and present government taxes.
From glorious ancient cities, the beautiful hill country with its spectacular views and wildlife parks this Sri Lanka tour offers it all.
Beginning our tour in Colombo we head north visiting Yapahuwa, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Dambulla and Sigiriya all part of Sri Lanka’s ancient past. We then visit Kandy which was the last Kingdom of Ceylon before heading further up into the mountains to Nuwara Eliya. From Nuwara Eliya our Sri Lanka tour descends through some spectacular scenery to visit Uda Walawe and Yala. Uda Walawe with its elephant population and Yala with its leopard population offer some close wildlife encounters.
Finally you will spend the last three nights of your Sri Lanka tour in a luxurious resort and spa in total relaxation before heading to your airport for your flight back home.
Sri Lanka tour highlights: Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya, Dambulla, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Uda Walawe National Park, Yala National Park
Sri Lanka tour price includes: Airport transfers, accommodation at star class hotels and eco lodges with dinner and breakfast included, air-conditioned transport with English speaking chauffeur guide, entrance fees per itinerary, Jeeps when visiting national parks and present government taxes.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Colombo. On your arrival in Sri Lanka you will be met at the airport by your chauffeur and transferred to Colombo. During the 60 minute journey from the airport you can catch a glimpse of life in Sri Lanka: throngs of street vendors, tuk-tuks weaving crazily about in traffic, 60 seater buses that always seem come right at you are all part of the sights and sounds that would greet you on your way. Upon arrival at the Galle Face Hotel, you can rest, relax and recover from jetlag. We will host you to a complimentary dinner in the evening. During this dinner we will answer all your questions regarding the Sri Lanka tour and also familiarize you with general information. |
| Day 2: | Anuradhapura via Yapahuwa. Leave Colombo after an early breakfast and head north towards Anuradhapura. On the way visit the Yapahuwa rock fortress. Yapahuwa was the capital of Sri Lanka around the 13th Century AD and was used by King Buvanaikabahu 1 (1273-1284) as his capital. The tour continues to Anuradhapura arriving there towards late afternoon. Relax and enjoy the facilities of the hotel. |
| Day 3: | Anuradhapura. After an early breakfast depart to explore the vast ancient city of Anuradhapura. Anuradhapura was the first capital of Sri Lanka and held this position for approx 1300 years (3BC – 10 AD). The city is also a UNESCO world heritage site. After exploring the ancient city depart to Giritale. Spend the night overlooking the Giritale tank. |
| Day 4: | Polonnaruwa and Sigiriya. Explore the ancient city of Polonnaruwa after breakfast, the second capital of Sri Lanka from the 11th to the 13th Century AD. Witness a beautiful sunset from its summit before descending to spend the night in Dambulla. |
| Day 5: | Dambulla and Kandy. Depart to Kandy in the morning en route stopping at the Dambulla cave monasteries, born when the fleeing King Walagamba took refuge here. Upon regaining the throne he built this monastery in memory of his days there. The tour then proceeds to Kandy via Matale, the spice capital of Sri Lanka. We stop at a spice garden where you can sample the many spices and be treated to an Ayurvedic Massage. We arrive in Kandy towards evening and witness a colourful pageant featuring drummers, dancers and the grand finale firewalking. |
| Day 6: | Kandy. Kandy was the last capital of Sri Lanka and home to the last king of Sri Lanka Sri Wickrama Rajasingha. The most famous site is the Temple of the Tooth or the Dalada Maligawa. The tour begins with the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens followed by the sites in and around Kandy. We also visit a handicrafts village and watch the workers creating fine handicrafts. Return to the hotel and spend some time relaxing. |
| Day 7: | Nuwara Eliya. Travel to the Peradeniya station where you will board the observation saloon of the Podi Menike train. The journey to Nanu Oya offers some spectacular scenery and is an experience not to be missed. Your chauffeur will meet you with your luggage in Nanu Oya and from there onwards visit a tea factory. Spend the night in leisure in Nuwara Eliya. Situated at an altitude of 2040m this town with its characteristic British architecture and climate is very popular with locals who want to escape the heat of Colombo, so no surprise this town is known as “Little England”. |
| Day 8: | Uda Walawe. The tour leaves the hill country and we travel towards the dry zone through some of Sri Lanka’s most scenic locations and prime elephant area! Rest and relax for the rest of the day. |
| Day 9: | Uda Walawe and Yala. The Uda Walawe national park is famed for its elephant population with herds as large as 200 seen in the Park. After an early breakfast we proceed to the Park and take 4WD jeeps on an exciting safari. We visit the Elephant Transit Camp and unlike the elephants at the Pinnawela orphanage, the baby elephants here are released back to the wild when they are 6 years old. We then travel to Yala where we spend the rest of the day at leisure. |
| Day 10: | Yala. Yala is Sri Lanka’s second largest wildlife park and has the largest population of leopard in Sri Lanka. We proceed to the park after a very early breakfast to enter early. Morning inside the park is the ideal time to see a variety of animals including the elusive leopard. We return to the hotel where we spend the rest of the day at leisure. You may optionally visit the Park again in the afternoon. |
| Day 11: | Beruwela. We depart to our final destination after breakfast. Travelling along the coastal road you may notice some of the devastation caused by the Tsunami. You will also see how towns and villages are rebuilding and moving on with lives. Near Weligama you will see the stilt fisherman (season based) who stand patiently on stilts and fish for their daily catch. Travelling onwards we arrive in Galle and visit the Fort complex. This World Heritage 16th century Portuguese fort reached the height of its development in the 18th century. Our tour then continues to our beach resort or villa. |
| Day 12-13: | Beruwela. The beautiful resort and spa which you will spend the last few days of the tour in Sri Lanka offers some great facilities. Relax by the pool or sample some of the invigorating therapies this luxurious resort and spa offers. You can also visit the Marina, a haven for water sports just a few minutes away. Alternatively you may choose to stay at a Villa in Bentota. |
| Day 14: | Airport. Tour ends, depart Sri Lanka. |
travellers' tales
The highlights for me were the amazing elephant ride, climbing Sigiriya Rock where the challenge is to overcome your vertigo, and the safaris in Yala National Park. The holiday was packed with different experiences.
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how this holiday makes a difference
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The current environment in Sri Lanka as a result of some unfortunate events has dropped arrivals considerably. This means that the monthly revenues are only sufficient to meet our running expenses. Therefore we are now concentrating on sustaining the individuals and the industry at large.
Our primary responsibility is to our chauffeurs and here we ensure that we pay them 5% above the going rate for mileage. Although this amount is not significant it helps maintain morale when the going is tough. We are also trying our utmost to look after the wellbeing of secondary workers in the industry like guides and craftsman by using their services for our tours. As always 93% of all your money stays in Sri Lanka. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |