Sri Lanka Island Special - 7 days

Overview
Sri Lanka Island Special 7 days - Ideal for those short of time. You will see most of the highlights of Sri Lanka on this tour. There is a beach stay towards the end of the tour which will give you time to relax before you take your flight back home.
​Destinations visited: Dambulla/Sigiriya/Kandy/Nuwara Eliya/Yala/Galle/Hikkaduwa/Colombo​

DAY 01: ARRIVAL/NEGOMBO

Program for the day
  • Pick up from airport
  • Transfer to a hotel in Negombo
  • Check into your hotel & relax for the day

Accommodation type 
Budget: Avenra Garden/Goldi Sands/Hotel Covanro
Standard: Amora Lagoon/Pledge Scape/Club Dolphin
Luxury: ​Heritance Negombo/Jetwing Blue/Jetwing Beach
Meals: Breakfast
Negombo
Negombo - Negombo - a famous fishing village North of Colombo. You will see a Dutch built Canal leading all the way to Colombo and the famous 17th century Dutch Fort bordering the beach. The canal itself is a hive of activity with all the fishermen traveling up and down in their adorned boats. This quaint town is also famous for its noisy fish market. Many churches in the area remind us of early conversions to catholicism during Portuguese occupation. East of the town at the Angurukaramulla temple is a 6 metre long reclining statue of the buddha worth seeing. South west of the town you will see the Negombo Lagoon which is surrounded by a densely populated ethnic mix of Sinhalese and Tamils people and a coastline brimming with hotels of all categories. The mangrove swamps attract a huge variety of water birds including cormorants, herons, egrets and  waders. You can tour the mangroves by hiring a boat (For your safety check for boats that provide life jackets )​​​

DAY 02: NEGOMBO/SIGIRIYA

Program for the day
  • Early breakfast
  • Visit the fishing village in Negombo
  • Proceed to Sigiriya
  • En route visit the elephant orphanage at Pinnawala
  • Lunch your own arrangment
  • Climb Sigiriya Rock Fortress
  • Check into your hotel in Sigiriya'
  • Relax for the day
​Accommodation type 
Budget: Sigiriya Village/Sigiriyana/Saunter Paradise
Standard: Amaya Lake/Deer Park/Habarana Village/Kaveri Resort
Luxury: ​Heritance Kandalama/Cinnamon Lodge/Aliya Resort/Sigiriya Jungles
Meals: Dinner/Breakfast
SIGIRIYA
Sigiriya - Sigiriya is a massive rock, which was transformed into a citadel during the reign of King Kasyapa. The capital and the royal palace were abandoned after the king's death. It was used as a Buddhist monastery until the 14th century. The rock fortress is famous for its frescoes and the mirror wall. Sigiriya today is a UNESCO listed World Heritage Site. It is one of the best-preserved examples of ancient urban planning. It is also the most visited historical site In Sri Lanka.

Elephant orphanage visit 
En route visit Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage. This orphanage was started in 1975 to house the abandoned and wounded elephants. As a result of the captive breeding programme you will see lots of baby elephants. The best time to visit is the feeding time from 09:30-10.:00 am and the bathing time from 10:00-10:30 am when all the elephants are taken to the river close by for their daily baths.

DAY 03:  DAMBULLY/KANDY

Program for the day
  • Early breakfast
  • Visit Dambulla cave temple
  • Visit spice garden
  • Lunch own arrangement
  • Proceed to Kandy
  • Check into your hotel & refresh
  • Visit the sacred temple in the evening
  • Witness a cultural show
  • Return to your hotel & relax
Accommodation type
Budget Accommodation: Royal Kandyan/Suisse Hotel
Standard Accommodation: Cinnamon Citadel/Earl's Regent
Luxury Accommodation: Golden Crown/Grand Kandyan
​Meals: Dinner/Breakfast
DAMBULLA/KANDY
Kandy - Sri Lanka's hill capital. Once a stronghold of the Sinhala Kings, is a very beautiful town. It is 488 meters above sea level and next to Colombo is Sri Lanka's most visited town. The main attraction of this town is without doubt the golden roofed Sacred Temple where the Tooth Relic of the Buddha is enshrined. There are many shrines and temples in and around Kandy, showcasing rare paintings, frescoes, wood and stone carvings. 
Dambulla stands as an isolated rock mass 500ft high and a mile around the base. This rock temple dates back to the First Century BC. The caves of Dambulla sheltered King Walagamba during his 14 years of exile from Anuradhapura. When he regained the throne he built the most magnificent of Rock Temples in Sri Lanka, at this site. Also known as the Golden temple it remains well preserved throughout the centuries. There are a total of 153 Buddha statues, three statues of Sri Lankan kings and four statues of gods and goddesses and Hindu deities Vishnu and Ganesh. The buddha's first sermon and temptation by the demon Mara could be seen illustrated on the walls of the cave. Skeletal remains of pre-historic human burial sites have been discovered by archeologists in this cave dating back 2700 years.  ​

DAY 04: NUWARA ELIYA

Program for the day
  • Early breakfast
  • ​Do a city tour of Kandy
  • ​Visit the Peradeniya botanical gardens
  • Continue to Nuwara Eliya
  • Lunch own arrangement at Labokelle Tea factory
  • Visit tea factory
  • Proceed to Nuwara Eliya
  • Check into your hotel and relax

Accommodation type
​Budget accommodation: Qantara Hotel/Queensbury Hotel
Standard accommodation: Hill Club/Jetwing St. Andrews
Luxury Accommodation: Heritance Tea Factory/The Grand
Meals: Breakfast/Dinner

NUWARA ELIYA
Nuwara Eliya - Today after Breakfast you will travel uphill to the central highlands - a stirring land of lush tea plantations, majestic peaks and gushing waterfalls. Nuwara Eliya - The ‘Little England’ of Sri Lanka, is set against beautiful backdrops of Mountains, Valleys, Waterfalls and Tea Plantations. All around Nuwara Eliya you will see evidence of  British influence. 
Sri Lanka Tea was first planted in 1824. In 1867, a Scottish Planter named James Taylor planted tea seedlings on 8 hectares of forest land, in the Loolkandura Estate. In 1873, the tea export industry of Sri Lanka began with a modest 23 lbs being shipped to London. Today Ceylon tea is being sold all over the world.
​
Optional Activities
  • Play Golf at Nuwara Eliya
  • Watch Horse racing at Nuwara Eliya
  • Enjoy hiking or a cycling tour in Nuwara Eliya​ ​

DAY 05: YALA

Program for the day
  • Early breakfast
  • Proceed to Yala
  • Lunch own arrangement
  • Visit Buduruwagala rock carvings
  • Check into your hotel
  • ​Relax for the day

Accommodation Type
Budget Accommodation: Oakray Lake/Tamarind Lake
Standard Accommodation: The Safari/Kithala Resort
Luxury Accommodation: Cinnamon Wild/Jetwing Yala
​Meals: Dinner/Breakfast
YALA NATIONAL PARK
Yala National Park. This park is famous for the elusive leopard and spotting one could be a nightmare with all the jeeps rushing to spots where leopards have been sighted. You will also see many elephants, deer, sloth bear, crocodile, monkeys and endemic and migratory birds. The park is divided into 5 blocks. Block number one is famous for spotting a leopard.
Buduruwagala Temple
This is a 1000-year-old temple carved on rock with images of the Buddha. The standing Buddha image  is 15m tall bearing traces of its original stuccoed robe, and streaks of orange.  Smaller carved figures standing beside bring back memories of the spread of Buddhism to these remote towns. This temple is situated 9km off a scenic roadway south of Wellawaya.

DAY 06: GALLE/HIKKADUWA

Program for the day
  • Packed breakfast at 6:00 am
  • Proceed to Yala National Park'
  • Do a wildlife safari
  • Check out of hotel
  • Proceed to Galle
  • Lunch own arrangement
  • Visit the Galle Dutch fort
  • Watch stilt fishermen
  • Check into your hotel in Hikkaduwa
  • Go snorkelling or do your own thing.
  • Visit a turtle hatchery (optional) 
  • ​Visit the tsunami museum (Optional) 

​Accommodation type
Budget accommodation: Citrus Hikkaduwa/Earls Reef
Standard accommodation: The Palms/Hikka Tranz
LuxuryAccommodation: Heritance Ahungalla/Avani Bentota/Citrus Waskaduwa
Meals: Breakfast/Dinnner
GALLE/HIKKADUWA
Galle Dutch Fort. Built in 1663, the fort still retains the atmosphere and charm of Dutch days. Many Old Dutch buildings are still intact inside the fort. The best way to see the fort is to walk around until it is time to watch the sunset. The Dutch Museum, which is housed in a restored Dutch mansion of the time, contains paintings, prints, documents, furniture and ceramics from the Dutch colonial era. Dutch Reformed Church, built by a Dutch Army officer in 1754 is a must see building.
Hikkaduwa
Hikkaduwa has been a famous resort area since the 1970's. This seaside resort town in the southwestern province is a coastal town full of fun and activities. You can snorkel the Coral Sanctuary, visit the Turtle Sanctuary and Tsunami Museum during your stay. Lots of shops and restaurants in the town will keep you busy.
Swimming is safe here and you will find the beach attractive and the waters warm. Surfing and other water sports are common here. ​

DAY 07: COLOMBO/AIRPORT

Program for the day
  • Early breakfast
  • Check out of hotel
  • Proceed to Colombo
  • Lunch own arrangement
  • Do a city tour of Colombo
  • Proceed to the airport for your departure
  • End of tour
If your flight is late night please advise if you need a day room close to the airport. This will incur an extra charge.
COLOMBO
Colombo, like many capital cities in developing countries is fast changing its face. Almost overnight, skyscrapers arise from where old buildings once stood. Yet in some parts, the old world charm is retained. For example, there is a 100-year-old clock tower and several British built colonial buildings. Other places of interest are the Pettah bazaar - where one can shop for bargain, a Hindu temple, The Gangaramaya temple, residential areas where you find the stately homes of the affluent, the Colombo museum, the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH)- an outright gift to Sri Lanka from the People's Republic of China, the new Parliament and the Dutch Museum.
INCLUSIONS & EXCLUSIONS
Cost Inclusions
  • Accommodation on HB basis (Breakfast & Dinner) 
  • Entrance fees as per itinerary
  • Transportation (02 Pax – A/C Car with English Speaking Chauffeur Guide)​
  • Local taxes
COST EXCLUSIONS
  • Tips and gratuities.
  • Expenses of personal nature (Telephone calls, Laundry etc.)Any items specifically not mentioned in the itinerary.
  • Video and Camera permits.
  • ​Lunch, Dinner & Mineral water or other beverages.
  • ​Optional tours to turtle hatchery and tsunami museum
Cancellation Policy (Based on hotel cancelation policy)
45 days prior to arrival, no cancellation is allowed.
Important!!!!!!

The above Star classification is based on local industry standard & it’s not based on the International standards.
  • Price is based on 02 Pax.
  • Prices are net in USD and inclusive of applicable taxes as at date.
  • Rates may change without a notice if a significant currency fluctuation , Fuel
  • Increase or Revision of taxes occurs
  • Rooms will be on availability & if in case if the said hotels are fully booked
  • Due to any reason, similar hotels will be provided in the same vicinity or​ Nearest location.

PRICE CHART 
Kindly note these prices are based on per person basis.