Itinerary
Day 01: Airport – Colombo
Upon arrival at the airport, you will be met by our courteous English – speaking Chauffeur Guide and transferred to a hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka’s commercial capital.
Colombo is the gateway to Sri Lanka. It is an accepting, suave and easy-going city, and a delightful introduction to Sri Lanka. Modern Colombo is multi-cultural and vibrant and is Sri Lanka’s foremost link to the world. Colombo has a wide selection of accommodation options ranging from high-end luxury hotel chains to modest guesthouses catering to varying preferences and budgets. These hotels and the numerous fine-dining restaurants serve cuisine of almost all origins. The city has a reasonable selection of shopping, recreation, and nightlife options.
Spend the rest of the day relaxing and unwinding, considering you have just arrived in the country.
Overnight at a trendy city hotel in Colombo.
Day 02: Colombo – Trincomalee
After breakfast leave for Trincomalee.
Trincomalee is a city famed for its natural harbour, which is one of the world’s largest deep-water anchorages. Its topography is dotted with breathtaking bay-beach and underwater landscapes, a centrepiece colonial era fort, colourful temples, and many appealing beachfront resort hotels.
You will be taken on a tour of Trincomalee, including visits to sites and attractions such as the Seruwawila Mangala Rajamaha Vihara, Lankapatuna Samuddragiri Vihara, Fort Fredrick, the natural Hot Springs in Kanniya and Koneswaram Hindu Temple. Whilst exploring Koneswaram Temple, do not forget to gaze at the deep azure sea every now and then, as you are likely to spot blue and sperm whales swimming past.
Overnight at a selected hotel in Trincomalee.
Days 03: Trincomalee
After breakfast head out on an excursion to the remote village of Nilaveli, 10 km north of Trincomalee.
Thereafter opt for one of two activities.
Option 1 – lounging on the gorgeous Nilaveli Beach.
Option 2 – visit the Pigeon Islands National Park.
Gorgeous Nilaveli is a beguiling beach, well off the beaten track, ideal for a tranquil and secluded beach experience.
Pigeon Island’s surrounding reef, with its exquisite corals, colourful fish, and various sea turtle species, offer captivating shallow water diving and snorkelling options. Pigeon Islands is an ideal habitat and breeding ground for the blue rock pigeons that inhabit the islet. Both the island and its surrounding reef were declared a national park in 2003, to protect the inhabitant pigeons and marine life.
Return to your hotel in Trincomalee by evening.
Day 04: Trincomalee – Jaffna
After breakfast leave for Jaffna, visiting ancient Velgam Vehera & Girihandu Seya temples en-route.
The historic Velgam Vehera Buddhist temple houses an Ashta Pala Bodhi Tree propagated from a sapling of the sacred Sri Maha Bodhi Tree in Anuradhapura. Here you will also see stone carvings with important facts engraved in Tamil, featuring the South Indian influence following Chola invasions. This is the only Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka that has stone inscriptions in the Tamil language.
Visit Girihandu Seya, the first ever Buddhist stupa constructed in Sri Lanka, by two seafaring merchants Tapassu and Bhalluka, enshrining the Sacred Hair Relics of the Buddha.
Overnight at a hotel in Jaffna.
Day 05: Jaffna
After breakfast head out for a city tour of Jaffna.
A world away from the rest of the island, remote Jaffna is vivid and colourful. A sweeping coastline, rows of towering palmyra palms, multi-hued Hindu temples, a stash of historic sites and sacred springs, make up the unique and less explored ‘Far North Experience’.
South of the town centre lies Jaffna’s expansive colonial era fort. The construction of this fort commenced during the times of the colonial Portuguese administration. It was completed by the Dutch colonists much later. Subsequently, the occupant British named it the Queen’s Palace. The remaining sections of the vast fort have now been restored offering views over the surrounding city and nearby lagoon.
Proceed to the iconic Nallur Kandaswamy Temple, dedicated to the Hindu Deity Murugan. This is one of the finest Hindu temples in the island and is also the venue for the vibrant Nallur Festival.
Visit Kadurugoda Viharaya in Chunnakam, Jaffna, which became a sacred site following a visit by the Buddha. A large community of Arahant Buddhist monks are believed to have resided here. During excavations at the site, archaeologists unearthed ancient ruins of a shrine room, parts of Buddha statues, Bodhisattva statues and ancient coins.
Head over to the Gurunagar Jetty in Jaffna which is a fishing village. Much of the bounty caught here is sent to Colombo or exported.
Visit Point of Pedro, the northern-most point of the island of Sri Lanka.
Overnight at the hotel in Jaffna.
Day 06: Jaffna – Mannar – Negombo
After breakfast leave for mainland Mannar. Mainland Mannar contains remains of an old fort built in the 1560s by the Portuguese during their colonial occupation of Sri Lanka. Visit the Keetheswaram Hindu Temple and the ruins of Doric Bungalow.
Proceed to Mannar island synonymous with charming coastal landscapes, excellent birdwatching, and emerging kite-surfing prospects.
Leave for Negombo thereafter. Negombo is a cheerful coastal city with an array of hotels and guesthouses catering to all budgets, a stash of restaurants and pubs, a wide endless beach, a bounty rich lagoon, saline wetlands teeming with marine life and vibrant aquatic birds, a touch of colonial heritage and a friendly community.
Overnight at a hotel in Negombo.
Day 07: Negombo
After breakfast, head out to the Negombo lagoon. Set sail with the local fishermen in a colourful outrigger canoe and learn much about the life, traditions, and livelihood of the hardworking fisherfolk.
Catch a glorious sunset by the beach. Late evenings at the beach are breathtaking with the distant horizon set ablaze by the last flares of the setting sun. The sand still feels warm and soft under your feet and the sultry breeze envelopes you in a soothing embrace.
Overnight at the hotel in Negombo.
Day 08: Negombo.
Spend a day of leisure, lounging on the Negombo beach. Alternatively, relax in the hotel pool or rejuvenate your senses at the spa.
Enjoy dinner on the beach under the star-studded skies of Negombo, as you bring the curtain down on your memorable tropical getaway.
Day 09: Negombo – Airport
Departure transfer to the airport.
Detailed/tailored itinerary and pricing provided on request.
