Bestseller of Sri Lanka, Private Car and 3 Star Hotels

11 Nights / 12 Days Colombo - Anuradapura - Mihintale - Polonnaruwa - Minneriya - Sigiriya - Dambulla - Kandy - Nuwara - Eliya - Ella - Yala National Park - Galle - Mirissa - Colombo Indian Family Homestay Private AC Car
Bestseller of Sri Lanka, Private Car and 3 Star Hotels
Overview Inclusions Highlights Itinerary Tour Map Book This Tour
Tour overview

A journey into the real India.

On this wonderful tour, called Essential Sri Lanka, one will have a unique opportunity to see the most significant and beautiful monuments, natural spots, mountain villages and beaches in this lush green country, tasting Sri Lankan food and taking part in different attractions. This is a private tour organized by AC transport and a tour escort with accommodation in nice and comfortable three-star hotels.

Higlight of this tour:

  • Travel with your personal driver and a tour escort by AC personal private car
  • Stay in comfortable selected 3 - star accommodation with breakfast
  • Try Sri Lankan cuisine 
  • Admire Buddist monuments - stupas, temples and caves 
  • See Unesco heritage sites
  • Travel one of its kind train from Nuwara Eliya to Ella 
  • Sigiriya Rock climbing 
  • Tooth relic temple in Kandy
  • Relax on the most beautiful Mirissa beach
  • Safari in the National Park
  • Sigiriya village tour with lunch
  • Admire beautiful scenery of the tea plantations, mountains and lush green landscape
  • Try water sports
  • Visit Turtle hatchery centre

What is included: 

  • accommodation in 3 - star hotels with breakfast
  • transport by AC car with an English-speaking driver/guide
  • local guide in Anuradapura, Sigiriya Rock and Kandy
  • transfers - pick up and drop off
  • Cultural dance show in Kandy
  • train journey to Ella
  • Sigiriya village tour with lunch
  • Bottle of water - one bottle of water per day 

 

What is not included:

  • monument tickets
  • jeep safari in Yala (around 170 USD for 2 pax)
  • Minneriya safari ( 150 USD for 2 pax)
  • personal expenditures
  • additional meals 
  • tips (recommended 5 USD per day per person)

 

 

At a glance
  • Duration: 11 Nights / 12 Days
  • Route: Colombo - Anuradapura - Mihintale - Polonnaruwa - Minneriya - Sigiriya - Dambulla - Kandy - Nuwara - Eliya - Ella - Yala National Park - Galle - Mirissa - Colombo
  • Hotels: 3-star with AC private rooms
  • Special stay: Stay with an Indian family
  • Driver: Private AC car, English-speaking
Detailed itinerary

Your 11 Nights / 12 Days journey, day by day.

Each day below has space for a destination photo. Days without an image simply show the description full-width — clean and consistent either way.

Day 1 Colombo

You will be picked up from the central location of Colombo or the International airport the Bandaranaike International Airport by the driver and drive to Anuradhapura. Overnight stay at Anuradhapura. 

Day 2 Anuradapura and Mihintale

After breakfast travel to the ancient city Anuradapura. The place was the First Capital of Sri Lanka in the 3rd Century BC. Declared as a World Heritage Site. It remained residence and royal capital for 119 successive Singhalese kings till the year 1000 AC when it was abandoned and the capital moved to Polonnaruwa.

You will see some of the most famous as well as the tallest Dagoba of Sri Lanka, remains from palaces, temples, monasteries, ceremonial baths and the temple of the holy Bo-tree. This tree was grown from a sapling of the very tree under which more than 2500 years ago the Buddha found enlightenment.

Later on, visit  Mihintale. Mihintale in the Sinhalese language means Mahinda’s hill – a Buddhist monk in the 11th  century. This city was declared a wildlife sanctuary more than 2,200 years ago, making it the oldest of shelters in the world.

Overnight in Sigiriya.

Day 3 Pollonaruwa, Minneriya and Sigiriya

After breakfast drive to Polonnaruwa to see the ancient monuments. If you like in the afternoon go for the Jeep safari at Minneriya where you can see over 50 wild elephants go to the reservoir as the sun goes down. Overnight stay at Sigiriya. 

Day 4 Sigiriya Lion Rock, village tour and Piduragala Rock

After breakfast climb Sigiriya Lion Rock. Participate in a popular village tour during which you will try oxen cart ride, traditional catamaran safari as well as see cooking demonstration on traditional Sri Lankan food and taste delicious authentic Sri Lankan village lunch. In the afternoon climb Piduragala rock to see the sunset. Overnight stay at Sigiriya. 

Day 5 Dambulla and Kandy

After breakfast drive to Kandy. En-route visit Dambulla cave temple, Golden temple, Matale ash monastery and a Hindu temple.

Dambulla which is  a huge town in Sri Lanka is popular for its rock cave temple which is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. This iconic temple also known as Golden Temple of Dambulla has just out of this world architecture. It is a signature tourist spot of Sri Lanka.

The paintings, wall murals and statues related to Lord Buddha which you’ll find in this cave complex here are simply amazing.

Overnight at the hotel.

Day 6 Kandy

 

After breakfast visit Kandy city, Lake, view point, Peradeniya royal botanical garden, Temple of tooth and see a cultural show in the evening. Overnight stay at Kandy. 

Day 7 Nuwara Eliya

After breakfast travel up to the mountains to a picturesque town Nuwara Eliya famouse for its lush green scenic tea plantations.

Visit a famous tea factory with the possibility of buying some very good quality tea. You will also visit the temple of Seetha in Seetha Eliya. This place is believed to be the site where Sita was held captive by king Ravana, and where she prayed daily for Rama to come and rescue her in the Hindu epic, Ramayana.

On the rock face across the stream are circular depressions said to be the footprints of Lord Hanuman. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 8 ELLA, YALA NATIONAL PARK

After breakfast drive to the city called Ella. On the way you will have an opportunity to stop for the picture of beautiful Ravana waterfall. Later on drive to Yala National Park where you will enjoy safari adventure. It’s an experience of epic proportions that brings you up, close and personal with untamed world of wildlife. Whether you are an avid nature lover or visiting a wildlife park for the first time, if you come here with a mind that’s eager to explore and learn, you will go away with new-found meaning to life. Overnight at the hotel.
Please note that

On your request instead of car travelling you can choose travel by local train from Nuwara Eliya to Ella can be organised. Please note that due to a very big number of travellers we don't guarantee a sitting place on the train. The train journey takes around 4 hours and you will get a perfect opportunity to take pictures and admire beautiful and lush green nature of Sri Lanka: tea plantations, mountain views, waterfalls and other landscape. You will be dropped off by our driver at the Ella station.

Day 9 Mirissa and Coconut hill

After breakfast travel to Mirissaa. En-route visit coconut tree hill. Overnight stay at Mirissa. 

Day 10 Mirissa

Rest and relax on a beautiful Mirissa beach where you will have an opportunity to relax and do some of the most popular activities such as: snorkeling, surfing, diving or whale watching. 

Day 11 Galle

After breakfast travel to the city Galle. Enjoy sightseeing of the places like:  the Turtle hatchery centre and enjoy walking in the beautiful Galle fort with the possibility of taking pictures of stunning landscape and doing the shopping.  You can also visit the Dutch and English Church and the Lighthouse. Overnight at the hotel. 

Day 12 COLOBO DROP OFF

After hotel check out you will be dropped off to Colombo airport or another central location in Colombo.

Please note that there is a possibility of extending relaxing stay on Mirissa beach.

Tour map

The route at a glance.

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