Classic Tour Of Sri Lanka

A Relaxing Tour Of Sri Lanka

If you want to tour Sri Lanka at a relaxed pace by spending a couple of nights at each location, our Classic Tour is an ideal combination of sightseeing and leisurely travel between destinations.

This tour includes an extended stay in the Cultural Triangle visiting all the fascinating temples and ancient cities including the impressive Sigiriya Rock Fortress. After relaxing for a few days at the lovely town of Kandy you will take a train journey through the tea covered Hill Country to the old British Hill Station of Nuwara Eliya at an elevation of over 6000 ft above sea level.

Lovely winding roads take you down to the lowlands through magnificent mountain scenery to reach the island’s famous tropical beaches. A beach stay in addition to this tour will make a memorable 2 week holiday in Sri Lanka.

Recommended For: those who wish to see the island’s main sights in a relaxing tour.

Day 01

Depart UK

Depart UK – Overnight flight.

 

Day 02

Colombo

Mount Lavinia Hotel  

Relax On Arrival At Colombo
Arrive in Colombo and relax in Old World style and comfort at The Mount Lavinia Hotel with its private beach.

Day 03

Dambulla

Kandalama Hotel

Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage
Set in a pretty riverside location, this is home to the largest group of orphaned Elephants in the world! Most of the 70 animals have been found injured or abandoned in the wild. Baby calves, some only a few  weeks old are fed by bottle and the whole herd is then bathed in the adjoining river. A tour highlight for many visitors to Sri Lanka.

The Golden Cave Temples Of Dambulla
The island’s artistic masterpiece consists of a series of 5 cave temples containing Buddhist images and paintings which date back 2000 years.

Day 04

Dambulla

Kandalama Hotel

The Ancient City Of Polonnaruwa
The Capital of Sri Lanka from 11th-14th Centuries contains ruins of stupas, temples and palaces which are still in an excellent state of preservation.

The Gal Vihare with 3 huge rock-cut images of the Buddha is considered to be one of the world’s great masterpieces of sculpture.

Elephant Back Ride At Habarana
Fast becoming one of the most popular activities at Habarana are elephant back rides through villages and forests.

Day 05

Kandy

The Citadel

Sigiriya Rock Fortress
The remarkable ‘Fortress In The Sky’ is a magnificent rock citadel dating from 470 A.D. Highlights include an ancient gallery containing frescoes of the voluptuous Sigiriya Maidens and The Water Gardens, now known to be one of the oldest in the world.

Spectacular views from the top but getting there is not for vertigo sufferers!

You may also if you like, visit a Spice Garden en-route to Kandy. Upon reaching this wonderful town you can spend the evening watching a colourful Kandyan Dance And Cultural Performance, to the sound of rhythmic temple drums.

Day 06

Giritale

The Citadel

Peradeniya Gardens And Its Orchid Houses
One of the finest botanical gardens in the East including an Orchid House with 300 varieties of orchids. Lord Mountbatten’s famous South East Asia Command Headquarters were located inside these gardens during WW 2.

Kandy And The Temple Of The Tooth
Beautifully located in a valley surrounded by hills, Kandy was the last capital of the ancient kings. The ‘Old City’ area with its charming lake contains the Royal Palace complex and a timeless colonial atmosphere.

Visit The Temple Of The Buddha’s Tooth in time for the evening ‘pooja’ when the temple is illuminated with flickering lamps -a magical experience.

Day 07

Nuwara Eliya

The Tea Factory  

By Train Through The Hill Country To Nuwara Eliya
The Highland Queen leaves Kandy railway station at 9am each morning for a spectacular journey through the Hill Country. There are lovely views of waterfalls and tea estates among the magnificent scenery of the Great Western mountain ranges.

Nuwara Eliya
The original Hill Station of the British tea planters who came to Ceylon, as it was then known. There is a Hill Club, Grand Hotel, a Golf Course that is the oldest in Asia and even a Race Course - all of which are bygone reminders of an English social life which once thrived here.

Day 08

Sri Lanka’s Beaches

Devon And St Clair’s Falls
An exhilarating journey down to the coast winds its way through tea estates passing Devon Falls and nearby St Clairs Falls, two of the islands most beautiful waterfalls.

Kithulgala
Famous as the picturesque location for Sir David Lean’s film Bridge Over The River Kwai. Film buffs can still see the actual site of the ‘bridge’.

Sri Lanka’s Beach Resorts
A beach stay on Sri Lanka’s famous palm fringed coastline combined in addition to this tour will make for an excellent 2 week holiday on the island.

The beach resorts of Wadduwa, Kalutara and Bentota are easiest to get to from the Hill Country. For easy return transfers to Colombo Airport, you may consider Mount Lavinia, Negombo or even Waikkal and Marawila.

NOTE: You can choose as many beach nights as you require.

 

Depart Sri Lanka

 

Depart Sri Lanka – Daytime flights arrive back in UK the same day.

* We will send you a detailed quote with flight options, descriptions of hotels used and daily schedules.