Sri Lanka Panorama

Colombo – Pinnawela – Habarana - Anuradhapura - Sigiryya - Polonnaruwa – Dambulla – Matale - Kandy – Nuwara Eliya - Yala National Park - Galle

Duration

14 days

Tour Type

Private

Price From

£2,850 pp

Overview: Sri Lanka Panorama

Experience the diverse beauty of Sri Lanka on this unforgettable journey, combining ancient cities, sacred temples, lush tea plantations, spectacular wildlife and relaxing coastal scenery. Discover the cultural heart of the island before venturing into Yala National Park and finishing with time to unwind in historic Galle.

Tour Highlights:

Explore Colombo’s historic Fort, bustling Pettah markets, Kelaniya Buddhist Temple and Hindu temples
Visit Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage and see elephants being fed and bathed
Discover the ancient cities of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa and their remarkable Buddhist monuments
Climb or explore the UNESCO-listed Sigiriya Rock Fortress and admire its famous frescoes
Visit the spectacular Rock Cave Temple of Dambulla, one of Sri Lanka’s best-preserved temple complexes
Explore sacred Kandy and visit the Temple of the Tooth Relic and Natha Devale
Experience a colourful Kandyan dancing and drumming performance
Travel through the scenic tea country to Nuwara Eliya, known as the ‘Little England’ of Sri Lanka
Experience traditional tea plucking and discover how Sri Lanka’s famous teas are produced
Explore Yala National Park on morning and afternoon safaris, with opportunities to see elephants, leopards, deer and abundant birdlife
Discover historic Galle, a UNESCO World Heritage site with fascinating Portuguese and Dutch colonial heritage
Enjoy three nights of relaxation in Galle with time to explore the coast at your own pace
Optional whale watching cruise from Mirissa for the chance to spot whales and other marine life

From ancient kingdoms and sacred temples to misty tea plantations, thrilling wildlife encounters and beautiful southern beaches, Sri Lanka Panorama offers a wonderful introduction to the island’s culture, nature and coastal charm.

Day 1 - UK - Sri Lanka

Day 1 - UK departure

Depart the UK with international economy flight to Colombo. We can also arrange departures from your local airport at no extra cost.

Day 2 - Arrive in Colombo

Day 2 - Colombo arrival

Upon your arrival at Colombo airport, you will be met by our representative and escorted to your hotel.

This afternoon, take a city tour of Colombo visiting Kelaniya Buddhist temple, believed to have been hallowed during the third and final visit of Lord Buddha to Sri Lanka, eight years after gaining enlightenment. The temple is also famous for its image of the reclining Buddha and paintings which depict important events in the life of the Buddha.

Then visit the commercial city centre area known as the “Fort” built by the Portuguese in the 16^th century. See the busy markets and bazaars of Pettah and visit the Hindu temple with magnificent stone carvings. Also visit the old Dutch church built in the 18^th century and drive past the Town Hall, Independence Square and the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall to see the replica of Avukana Buddha.

Day 3 - Colombo to Habarana via Pinnawela

After breakfast embark on your on your drive to Habarana in north central Sri Lanka.

En-route to Habarana, visit Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage, set up by the Sri Lankan government to rehabilitate orphaned elephants. Spend some time at the orphanage, seeing elephants being fed and bathed by the orphanage staff.

Upon arrival in Habarana check into your hotel for overnight stay.

Breakfast

Day 4 - Habarana - Excursion to Sigirya & Polonnaruwa

Day 4 - Habarana - excursion to Sigirya & Polonnaruwa

After breakfast visit the UNESCO World Heritage site of Sigiriya Rock, built by King Kassapa in the 5th century AD. Today the rock is a treasure trove of rare art. In a pocket of the giant rock are the famous frescoes of the heavenly maidens of Sigiriya. Also called ‘the Lion Rock’ or the ‘Rock Fortress’ this citadel rises more than 1000 ft from the jungles below. If you wish to climb Sigiriya Rock, there are approx. 1200 steps and on an average it takes approx. 1.5 hrs to climb the rock (actual time varies from person to person).

Later embark on your scenic drive to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Polonnaruwa, the 2^nd capital of Sinhala kings dating back to 11th & 12th century A.D. The entire landscape of the region is punctuated by huge man-made reservoirs, the most famous of which is the ‘Parakrama Samudra’. Numerous monuments are found in this city & ‘Gal Vihara’ complex is one of the best among them with fine sculptures of standing and seated Buddha. Also visit the Polonnaruwa museum here.

Breakfast

Day 5 - Habarana to Kandy via Dambulla

After breakfast, embark on your drive to Kandy.

En-route visit another UNESCO World Heritage site, the Rock Cave Temple of Dambulla, which dates back to the first century BC. The temple consists of a series of 5 caves of statues and paintings, including a 47 ft. long statue of Lord Buddha. This is the largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka. (approx. 27 Kms / 45 Mins from Habarana)

Continue drive to Kandy, en-route visiting the Spice Garden at Matale. Upon arrival in Kandy, check in at your hotel for overnight stay.

Breakfast

Day 6 - Kandy

After breakfast, explore the sacred city of Kandy, one of Sri Lanka’s 8 UNESCO World Heritage site.

Today we will visit the Temple of Tooth Relic of Buddha, located in the royal palace complex which houses the relic of the tooth of Buddha. Since ancient times, the relic has played an important role in local politics because it is believed that whoever holds the relic holds the governance of the country. Visitors are not allowed inside the inner chambers and cannot see the tooth relic.

Also visit Natha Devale, located in front of the Palace complex of Kandy. Natha Devale, built in the 14th century, is said to have been in existence even before the Tooth Relic was brought to Kandy.

This evening enjoy a cultural dance show to see the popular Kandyan dancing and drumming of Sri Lanka.

Breakfast

Day 7 - Kandy - Nuwara Eliya

Day 7 - Kandy to Nuwara Eliya

This morning embark on your scenic drive to Nuwara Eliya, the ‘Little England’ of Sri Lanka, set against beautiful backdrops of mountains, valleys, waterfalls and tea plantations.

Today in Nuwara Eliya, enjoy an experience of tea plucking, wearing the local Sri Lankan attire – saree for the ladies, sarong for the men. You will get a small demonstration about how to pluck tea leaves and place them in your basket. Professional tea pluckers will accompany you – you’ll be amazed at how efficiently and quickly they manage to fill their baskets to meet their minimum target of 15kg a day!

After tea plucking, we will arrive at the Mini Tea Factory, where the chief tea taster, will inspect your efforts. Then we take a tour of the Mini Tea Factory and understand the process, from the initial drying (withering) of the leaves, through rolling, fermenting and sifting, to produce the different types of tea. Finally, you can taste the different teas, from flowery pekoe to green tea and teabag dust, to appreciate for yourself the differences in colour, flavour and strength.

Breakfast

Day 8 - Nuwara Eliya - Yala National Park

Day 8 - Nuwara Eliya to Yala National Park

After breakfast, embark on a leisurely drive to Yala, the most visited and second largest national park in Sri Lanka.

The Yala National Park is spread over an area of 979 sq kms (378 sq mi). Yala was one of the first two official designated national parks in Sri Lanka. The park is best known for its variety of wild animals and is important for the conservation of Sri Lankan elephants and aquatic birds. Including the Sri Lankan elephant, 44 other species of mammals are resident in Yala National Park, and the park has one of the highest leopard densities in the world.

Upon arrival, check in at your resort for 2 nights stay.

Breakfast

Day 9 - Yala National Park

Today enjoy morning and afternoon jungle safaris into the Yala National Park. These are interesting safaris and you are likely to see spotted deer, wild boar and wild elephant in addition to a wide variety of birds. There are also high chances of spotting sloth bear and leopard (with an average 1 leopard per sq.km Yala has the highest density of leopards in Asia!).

Breakfast

Day 10 - Yala National Park - Galle

Day 10 - Yala National Park to Galle

After breakfast embark on a drive to Galle, a UNESCO World Heritage site and a thriving beach destination in Sri Lanka.

Galle was the most ancient and important harbour of Sri Lanka, until the Colombo Harbour was established. Galle is identified as the ‘ Tarshis ‘ of the Bible. The harbour was captured by the Portuguese in 1587 A.D, Dutch in 1640 A.D, and British in 1796 A.D. Most of the existing buildings today, date back to Dutch Period.

Upon arrival check in to your resort for 3 nights stay.

Breakfast

Day 11 - Galle

Day at rest and leisure.

Option for whale watching cruise at Mirissa : Early this morning you have the option to enjoy a whale watching cruise in Mirissa (40 kms / 1 hr one way). The boats leave from Mirissa harbor around 07:00Hrs and the tours last 3-5 hours, depending on spotting of whales and wish of passengers (£40 per person)

Breakfast

Day 12 - Galle

Day at rest and leisure.

Breakfast

Day 13 - Galle - Colombo