Itinerary

Day 01: Airport – Colombo

Upon arrival at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), you will be met by our friendly English-speaking Chauffeur Guide and transferred to a hotel in Colombo.

Relax, unwind and experience the fine ambience of your luxury city hotel. Enjoy a welcoming dinner and retire for the night.

Day 02: Colombo

Experience Sri Lankan culinary excellence as you enjoy a scrumptious breakfast, served by the friendly F&B staff of the hotel.

Thereafter, your reliable English-speaking Chauffeur Guide will take you on a leisurely paced tour of Sri Lanka’s Commercial Capital Colombo.

Cosmopolitan Colombo is an upbeat, particularly suave and a very tourist friendly metropolis. You will be intrigued by the cultural and topographic diversity this eclectic city offers. Enjoy the clear azure skies and bask in the warm tropical sunshine as you absorb the vibrant colours and sounds of Colombo.

Day 03: Colombo – Kaluthara – Wadduwa

After breakfast, visit the Colombo National Museum.

Thereafter proceed to Kalutara and visit the Richmond Walawwa, a well-preserved heritage mansion built in the early 1900’s, which is open for public viewing.

Night stay at a refreshing resort hotel in Wadduwa.

Day 04: Wadduwa – Ambalangoda – Hikkaduwa

After an early breakfast leave for Ambalangoda.

Visit the Ariyapala masks museum, workshop and resource library and learn all about the craft of traditional mask making in Sri Lanka. Ambalangoda is Sri Lanka’s traditional mask making hub. There are three categories of masks – the Kolam masks used for local theatrical comedy performances, Sanni masks used in traditional exorcism ceremonies to heal people with persisting illnesses and Raksha masks used in cultural festivals, processions and pageants.

Your next stop will be the Sri Vijayarama Purana Viharaya. Meet the clergy who will take you on a tour of the temple premise. Thereafter, leave for the lively and tourist centric beach town of Hikkaduwa.

Hikkaduwa is one of Sri Lanka’s prime beach destinations. It is an upbeat coastal city dotted with many guesthouses, bars and restaurants catering to all budgets. The annual Hikkaduwa Beach Festival held in July/August, featuring international DJs; is a popular event attended by beach-party loving local youth as well as tourists staying in Hikkaduwa.  Hikkaduwa’s star attraction however is the Marine National Park which is a delightful addition to your travel itinerary.

Night stay at a selected hotel in Hikkaduwa.

Day 05: Hikkaduwa

After breakfast, head to the Hikkaduwa Marine National Park. This park protects the captivating coral reef, its colourful tropical fish and visiting migratory turtles. Take a ride in a glass-bottom boat, observing the colourful reef below or opt for a snorkeling expedition and take to the waters yourself.

Return to the hotel and spend some leisurely time prior to dinner. Night stay at the hotel in Hikkaduwa.

Day 06: Hikkaduwa – Galle

Wake up to the lulling sounds of the sea waves lapping against the golden shores of Hikkaduwa. Enjoy a scrumptious breakfast before leaving for Galle.  En-route visit the Martin Wickramasinghe House & Folk Museum Complex, in Koggala.

Martin Wickramasinghe is one of Sri Lanka’s celebrated authors famous for his literary masterpieces that vividly portray the culture and life of southern Sri Lanka. Most of the characters in his timeless novels enjoyed by generations of avid readers portray real people he knew from the picturesque village of Koggala.

The author’s ancestral home, a modest yet pleasant abode featuring Dutch architecture, has been converted into a folk museum. The seven-acre garden surrounding the house has been converted into a beautiful eco system rich with many varieties of indigenous plants and trees, teeming with colourful birdlife chirping in the canopies.

In the evening visit a location where you can view fishermen of Koggalla engaging in the unique technique of ‘stilt-fishing.’ An intriguing sight and an authentic southern coast experience.

Night stay at a selected luxury hotel in Galle.

Day 07: Galle

After breakfast, visit the Galle Fort, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the best-preserved Dutch Forts in Asia. Thereafter, visit a Beeralu weaving (traditional lace making) workshop in Galle and watch the skilled artisan lace-makers weave yards of intricate lace with ease.

Galle is a delightful heritage city in the south coast of Sri Lanka, featuring an intriguing blend of old-world charm and effervescent contemporary appeal. It is one of Sri Lanka’s ancient ports where many foreign seafarers stopped by to trade their commodities in exchange for exotic local merchandise. The city’s strategic location attracted the Portuguese, Dutch and British colonizers who built their administrative bases in Galle, further securing its confines with a fort, which went through a series of fortifications during each subsequent occupation.

Galle’s historic monuments and sites, quaint colonial villas, intriguing cobblestone-paved streets, sultry beaches, luxury accommodation, chic restaurants and cafes, captivating ambience and world famed festivals make it an extremely popular and alluring destination for tourists seeking to satisfy their wanderlust.

Night stay at hotel in Galle.

Day 08: Galle – Anuradhapura

Enjoy breakfast at a breezy sea view restaurant of the hotel and leave for Anuradhapura.

Night stay at a selected hotel in Anuradhapura. 

Day 09: Anuradhapura

After breakfast leave for sightseeing in the historic city of Anuradhapura.

Anuradhapura is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the heartland of Sri Lanka’s early civilization. It endured as a royal capital for well over a millennium (377 BCE – 1017CE) under the rule of 113 kings who oversaw the construction of magnificent palaces, colossal stupas, marvelous irrigation systems, ornate pleasure gardens and intricate sculptures.

Visit the Jaya Siri Maha Bodhi Tree (BCE 288, King Devanampiya Tissa), Ruwanweli Seya Dagoba (BCE 140, King Dutugemunu) and Abhayagiri Monastery complex (BCE 89-77, King Valagamba) – some of the main attractions in this historic city.

Night stay at the hotel in Anuradhapura.

Day 10: Anuradhapura – Polonnaruwa

In the morning, visit paddy, vegetable and fruit farmers in Anuradhapura, which is largely an agricultural town. Mingle with these hospitable and charming villagers and learn much about the local culture and way of life.

Proceed to the historic city of Polonnaruwa that served as Sri Lanka’s capital from the 11^th to the 13^th Centuries and explore the relatively well-preserved art and architecture showcased within its archeological sites. King Parakramabahu’s palace and the magnificent sculptures at the Gal Viharaya are must see attractions in Polonnaruwa.

Night stay at a selected hotel in Polonnaruwa.

Day 11: Polonnaruwa – Mahiyanganaya – Kandy 

Leave for Mahiyanganaya after breakfast, where you will meet the Indigenous Veddah People of Sri Lanka. At present there is less than 2000 surviving Veddhas and only a handful of them still maintain their traditional lifestyle. Learn about their intriguing customs, beliefs and way of life, as the island’s indigenous culture stands on the brink of extinction.

Night stay at a selected hotel in Kandy.

Day 12: Kandy

After breakfast, head out for a leisurely exploration of the Kandy town. Alternatively, relax in the pool or merely lounge in its vicinity, sipping your favourite cocktail.

The legendary Kingdom of Kandy was the last stronghold of the local monarchy and the bastion of the native culture, religion and traditions. Protected by impenetrable hills and flanked by rugged woodlands, the autonomous Kandyan Kingdom repelled repeated invasions by the colonial Europeans, until finally succumbing to the British in 1815.

In the evening, visit the Sri Dalada Maligawa Temple Complex which houses the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha, where you will witness many religious and cultural rites and rituals being performed.

Night stay at the hotel in Kandy.

Day 13: Kandy  

Following breakfast, visit a tea planter’s bungalow in Nawalapitiya or Ankumbura. Thereafter, visit a tea plantation worker’s humble abode to experience their way of life.

Night stay at the hotel in Kandy. 

Day 14: Kandy – Negombo

Leave for Negombo. En-route visit a metalsmith in Pilimatalawa, Spice Gardens in Kadugannawa, a handloom factory in Kurunegalle, a wickerwork outlet in Weweldeniya and a pottery workshop in Kalagedihena. These small industrialists showcase a kaleidoscopic cross section of Sri Lankan life, livelihood and culture.

Check in at a resort hotel in Negombo.

Negombo is a cheerful beach town on the west coast of Sri Lanka, with a dab of colonial heritage and a friendly, predominantly catholic community. Negombo has a range of cheerful beachfront hotels and guesthouses that cater to every budget, and a myriad of restaurants, bars and pubs that complement its smattering of nightlife.

Day 15: Negombo

After breakfast head out to the town where you will get an opportunity to explore the colonial era churches and shrines, busy markets and colourful shops and mingle with the local community.

Head out to the Negombo lagoon and watch the colourful outrigger canoes returning home with the rich bounty of the sea. This is also an opportunity to set sail on one of these traditional catamaran vessels with the accommodating and friendly fishermen, whilst learning much about their life, livelihood and adventures at sea.

Enjoy a memorable beach or poolside dinner under the starry skies of Negombo. A time to reminisce your beautiful holiday in Sri Lanka.

Night stay at the hotel in Negombo.

Day 16: Negombo – Airport

Transfer to the airport for departure.