Grand Tour of Sri Lanka

Colombo - Dambulla - Sigiriya - Kandy - Nuwara Eliya - Beruwela - Colombo

Overview

Sri lamkavata sadarayen piliganimu (Welcome to Sri Lanka) this is what you will hear often in this hospitable country. Sri Lanka- the ‘Island of Pearls’ they say is one of the most ravishing countries in the world with mystic Buddhist culture and gorgeous beaches. You are bound to be smitten by this island nation’s beauty. We have prepared the Grand Tour of Sri Lanka where you will bathe with the elephants, get enchanted with Buddhist images painted on rock and visit the temple of tooth relic. Our best itinerary for Sri Lanka allows you to climb the highest mountains of this little nation and soothe your senses with the tantalizing tea. And, yes the beaches! Don’t forget to wash all your tensions away in the crystal clear waters of Sri Lankan beaches. Life in Sri Lanka is just one big vacation with people lazing around on the beaches and everything just going ever so slowly. Come let us take you on a soulful journey through this captivating country as you feel the oozing warmth of Sri Lankan hospitality.

Trip Highlights
  • Meet and greet elephants at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage
  • Visit the Dambulla Rock Temple
  • Get bewitched by the beautiful frescos at the Sigiriya Rock Fortress
  • Explore ruins of the Royal Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • Relax and play some watersports at the Beruweala Beach
  • Visit the Lotus temple at Polonnaruwa
  • Excursion to Temple of the Tooth Relic
  • Soak in the beauty of Nuwara Eliya
  • Spend leisure time at Beruwela
  • Pick up some souvenirs from the Kandy art and crafts center
Tour Map route map
Itinerary Details

Although an entire lifetime is not enough to soak in the beauty of Sri Lanka but our experience suggests that you visit the country for a week at least. Hence keeping this statement in mind, we have prepared a Sri Lanka tour 1-week itinerary.

You will straight away get to the action on the first day of your grand tour of Sri Lanka as you begin your adventure after arrival at the Colombo airport. We will depart for Dambulla and on the way, we shall visit Pinnawela.

Around 96 elephants call this city home. Pinnawela boats of being the largest breeding center for captive elephants. Feel the gentleness of these massive beasts as they go around for their daily activities which includes eating a measly 76 kg of fodder. The baby elephants are especially naughty and you will develop an affectionate bond with them as you caress their little brown hairy heads. After feeling all warm and fuzzy, we will leave towards Dambulla.

Overnight stay at hotel in Dambulla.

Your sumptuous breakfast awaits you at the hotel. Fill your tummies because it's going to be a "Rocking day", quite literally. Thereafter, we will head towards Dambulla sightseeing tour on the second day of your Sri Lanka package. You will find serenity here in the lap of nature as you marvel at the epitome of human ingenuity, the rock temple of Dambulla. The history of these rock temples is relatively new, just two thousand years old! These temples consist of more than 150 alluring images of Lord Buddha created by generations of Sri Lankan Kings. This temple represents Sri Lanka's fascination with Buddha in the most eloquent manner. You will find murals related to every aspect of the Lord's life here.

Then we move on to visit the Sigiriya Rock Fortress. It was built by King Kashyapa to safeguard himself from his brother's attacks. The most amazing site that you encounter while you try to enter this fortress is a huge lion welcoming you. As you enter this UNESCO World Heritage Site you will encounter rows of frescoes. You are bound to feel like you have entered the court of Indra. Apsaras welcome you with flowers and their oomph-worthy beauty awestruck you. Feast your eyes with the beauties of Sigiriya as your mind wanders into the old times trying to conjure up an image of Kashyapa's court.

Overnight stay will be at the hotel.

After having your gastronomically delighting breakfast on the third day of your Sri Lanka tour package we move ahead towards Polonnaruwa - the ancient city. This city was once the capital of Chola Kings and the royal palace still holds many treasures for a history lover. The massive palace although in ruins today, it still a majestic place and if you let the horses of your imagination stray into the sands of time you might just find the king in his full royal attire in this very place!!

In Polonnaruwa, Lotus Bath or Nelum Pokuna is another place worthy of a visit. The Lotus Bath is a small bath made from stone and is in the shape of concentric lotuses in descending form. Even seasoned architects are in awe of this place and the surrounding garden with many varieties of flowers aggrandizes the splendor of this place.

Next, we move on to Galvihariya on our journey of this ancient city. Galvihara or Galvihariya are rock-cut idols of Lord Buddha which consist of a colossal sleeping idol of the Lord which is 14 meters long. The calm and serenity on the Lord's face have been captured perfectly by master sculptors of that age. You can sit here for a while thinking deeply about Buddhism and teachings of Lord Buddha, indeed a perfect place to end your tiring morning. We return for lunch to Sigiriya and you are free to spend the evening in this beautiful town at leisure.

After an exciting day, get back to the hotel in Sigiriya for an overnight stay.

Have your delicious Sri Lankan breakfast at Sigiriya. Later on, we leave for Kandy. Check-in at hotel in Kandy on the fourth day of your Sri Lanka tour itinerary and then leave the hotel for a tour of the city. Kandy boasts of cultural tradition in arts and crafts. You will easily find a perfect souvenir to take home at the arts and crafts center of Kandy which was built in 1882 to rekindle the art culture of this city. Explore the laid back Sri Lankan life in the Kandy town market, smell the tantalizing aromas of all kinds of spices and other goodies in the market as you wish for a stress-free simple life like this.

Next stop is the exhilarating Kandy Lake which is a big artificial lake meant for the beautification of the tooth temple. The benign blue waters of this lake complement handsomely the milky white walls surrounding it. Set against the backdrop of palm trees the Kandy Lake is a reminder of Sri Lanka's glorious past.

The Temple of the Tooth Relic is one of the most sacred places in Sri Lanka and the tooth in question here is the tooth of the Lord Buddha himself. Beautiful white walls support a bright red roof, the walls have small openings in them to house oil lamps during festivals. The temple is bound to enthrall you as you enter the inner area, intricately carved images in wood, lacquer and ivory adorn the temple's interior. White-robed pilgrims offer flowers to the lord on a daily basis, the entire place is full of the sweet smell of incense and flowers. Ah! Such a delight for the senses. After satisfying your spiritual senses give something special to the cultural being inside you as a cultural event awaits you in Kandy.

Overnight stay will be at Kandy.

Fill your tummy and dig your tooth at another plate full of authentic Sri Lankan breakfast as we prepare to move towards Nuwara Eliya. It is a hill resort famous for tea gardens. Often called 'Little England', the Nuwara Eliya grows some of the best tasting tea in the entire country. Taste some nectar of nature as you try to fill your senses and memories with the awe-inspiring beauty of this place. With its lush green-mist clad mountains Nuwara Eliya is guaranteed to take your breath away while you are sipping that hot tea.

We move on the higher ground towards our next stop which is the Pidurutalagala Mountain which also happens to be the highest peak of the country. Sitting tall at 8282 feet, the Pidurutalagala Mountain is lush green. With tall trees on its horizon, the view is picture perfect. Tensions of your daily drudgery in life often melt in the cool misty mountain air.

Return to your hotel for an overnight stay.

Relish your awesome breakfast as you get transferred to Beruwela, the beach town. This beach is also called as the Golden Beach. It gets this name due to the golden-colored sand which reflects the sun's rays and along with crystal clear blue waters gives you a real treat to watch. The beach has many rides including water scooter, windsurfing, and parasailing. If you are interested in finding some interesting jewelry, then go to China Fort. Apart from this, the town is also famous for Kachimalai Mosque and Galapata temple.

An overnight stay at the hotel.

Your dream vacation at the emerald island comes to an end today. Check out from the hotel and head towards the Colombo International Airport where you will bid adieu to this paradisiacal country.

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