ASIA & BEYOND

Cultural Tour of Sri Lanka
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15 Days

14 Nights

tour itinerary

Day 1 : Arrive Colombo International AirportArrive Colombo International Airport - the entry and exit point for all visitors to Sri Lanka, Colombo is a small capital, divided by parks and wide streets with parliament and other government offices still housed in grand colonial buildings. Downtown Colombo abounds with shops selling crafts, textiles and jewels with plenty of good restaurants available serving an array of Sri Lankan and international cuisines. On arrival check in. Evening is free for leisure. Overnight stay at Colombo.
Day 2 : Tour ColomboAfter breakfast proceed on sightseeing tour of Colombo - the trade and commercial capital has long been the traditional gateway to the Orient. Sri Lanka’s largest city, it is located on the west coast and draws together all the cultures, religions and influences of foreign lands into a pot-pourri of sounds, smells and a kaleidoscope of colour. The original traders and settlers - the Arabs, Portuguese, Dutch and the British have left in their wake churches and monuments, names and religions, costumes and food and smatterings of their languages which have been absorbed into the speech of the Sri Lankan. The main seaport of Sri Lanka is in Colombo & adjoining it, is Pettah, a local bazaar & trading area. Other places of interest are the beautiful Buddhist temples, Hindu temples, mosques, the historic Wolfendhal church, (1749) residential areas where you find the stately homes of the affluent, the Colombo Museum, the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall, the New Parliament in Sri Jayewardenepura, the Folk Art Centre, Art Galleries, Parks, Independence Square, the Zoo, the Ceramic Corporation famous for its well-known brand “Noritake” and ODEL the renowned shopping centre. Overnight stay at Colombo.
Day 3 : Drive Colombo - Anuradhapura (04 hrs)After breakfast drive to Anuradhapura visiting Dambadeniya, capital of the island after the fall of Polonnaruwa in the 13th century. Its principal surviving ruins are a two-story Dalada Maligawa temple and the dagoba revered by the locals for the 60 corporeal relics of the Buddha it is said to contain. Also visit Panduvas Nuwara, featuring a well-preserved walled citadel, Padeniya, Arankele, and Yapahuwa, a rock fortress - the stone ruins of the steps are reminiscently Cambodian. Overnight stay at Anuradhapura.
Day 4 : Tour AnuradhapuraAfter breakfast visit Anuradhapura - which was the first capital and undoubtedly the grandest city of the ancient Sri Lanka. It is the home of two World Heritage sites. Visit many places of historical and archaeological interest could be visited. Sri Maha Bodhi (Sacred Bo-Tree) was brought as a sapling of the tree under which prince Siddhartha attained to enlightenment and it is over 2,200 years old and is the oldest historically documented tree in the world. At Brazen Palace (2nd century B.C), the 1600 stone columns you see are all that is left of a magnificent multi-storied residence for monks. Ruwanweliseya (2nd century B.C) isthe most famous of all the Dagobas. It originally depicted the perfect ‘bubble shape” that modern restoration has not been able to accurately reproduce. ‘Samadhi’ Buddha statue (4th century AD) is one of the most famous statues, depicting the Buddha in a state of ‘Samadhi’ or deep meditation. Isurumuniya rock temple (3rd century B.C) is well known for its rock carvings of ‘The Lovers’. Kuttam Pokuna - twin ponds (6th century AD) was used by the Buddhist monks as a bathing pool. Thuparama Dagoba (3rd century B.C) is the oldest Dagoba in the island, which enshrines the right collarbone of the Buddha. Overnight stay at Anuradhapura.
Day 5 : Drive Anuradhapura - Polonnaruwa (03 hrs)After breakfast proceed to visit Polonnaruwa en route visit the Dambulla Rock Temple. Climb up to the temple, which was donated by king Walagambahu in the 1st century BC to Buddhist monks. Dambulla is a World Heritage site and is the most impressive of Sri Lanka’s cave temples. The complex of five caves with over 2000 sq. metres of painted walls and the ceiling is the largest area of paintings found in the world. These caves contain over 150 images of the Buddha of which the largest is the colossal figure of the Buddha carved out of rock spanning 14 metres. Afternoon visit Polonnaruwa which was the 2nd capital city of Sri Lanka, built in the 11th and 12th centuries AD, and which is a world heritage site - Here you can see the ruins of the Royal Palace, the Gal Viharaya – where 4 splendid statues of the Buddha in ‘Upright’, ‘Sedentary’ and ‘Recumbent’ postures carved out of rock, the Audience Hall, the Lotus Bath, king Parakramabahu’s statue, and the Parakrama Samudraya lake built by King Parakramabahu the great. There are also monuments of famous places of worship such as the Shiva Temple, the Lankathilake, the Watadage, the Galpotha, the Kiri Vehera and the remains of a former Temple of the Tooth Relic. Overnight stay at Polonnaruwa.
Day 6 : Drive Polonnaruwa - Sigiriya (02 hrs)After breakfast drive to Sigiriya - climb the 5th century Sigiriya rock fortress which is a world heritage site, built by King Kashyapa (477-495 AD). The ‘Lion Rock’ is a citadel of unusual beauty rising 200 metres from the scrub jungle. The rock was the inermost stronghold of the 70 hectare fortified town. A moat, rampart, and extensive gardens including the renowned water gardens ring the base of the rock. Visit the world-renowned frescoes of the ‘Heavenly Maidens’ of Sigiriya, which are in a sheltered pocket of the rock approached by a spiral stairway. These frescoes are painted in earth pigments on plaster. proceed to visit a spice garden in Matale to see the different spices, which Sri Lanka is famous for. You will be introduced to different spices and shown how some of these spices are grown and processed. Overnight stay at Sigiriya.
Day 7 : Drive Sigiriya - Dambulla - Kandy (03 hrs)Today we drive to Dambulla - rock temple was built by king Walagambahu in the 1st century B.C. and it is a World Heritage Site. It is the most impressive of Sri Lanka's cave temples. The complex of five caves with over 2000 sq. metres of painted walls and ceilings, is the largest area of paintings found in the world. It contains over 150 images of the Buddha of which the largest is the colossal figure of the Buddha carved out of rock and spanning 14 metres. Transfer from Dambulla to Kandy via Matale. Visit a spice garden in Matale to see different spices for which Sri Lanka is famous for. Here, clients could see different spices and how some of these spices are grown and processed. Witness a Cookery demonstration. Rest of the day at leisure. Overnight at Kandy.
Day 8 : Kandy - Pinnawala - KandyAfter breakfast at hotel, visit the elephant orphanage in Pinnawala. This orphanage is the home for about 89 elephants, out of which some are baby elephants found abandoned or orphaned in the wild. They are being cared, fed and trained by the wild life authorities. The best time to visit is during the feeding times, when one will have the opportunity of seeing the baby elephants being bottle-fed. Also could accompany the elephants to a river close-by and see them having their daily bath. Return to Kandy enroute visit the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens.This botanical garden was first built as a pleasure garden by a Sinhala king and was expanded by the British. It is 147 acres in extent and provides an amazing variety of trees, plants and flowers. Do a city tour of Kandy. Kandy was the last capital of the Sri Lankan kings, and is a World Heritage Site. The name Kandy conjures visions of splendor and magnificence. Many of the legends, traditions and folklore are still lovingly kept alive. Drive around the Kandy Lake built by the last Sinhala king Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe in 1798. Visit the Kandy town and Bazaar, the arts & crafts centre and a gem museum and a lapidary. In the evening visit the Temple of the Tooth Relic and thereafter witness a cultural show featuring traditional Sri Lankan dancing. Return to hotel for overnight stay at Kandy.
Day 9 : Tour KandyAfter breakfast proceed on city tour of Kandy - it was the last capital of the Sri Lankan kings and is a World Heritage Site. The name "Kandy" conjures visions of splendour and magnificence. Many of the legends, traditions and folklore are still lovingly kept alive. Drive around the Kandy lake built by the last Sinhala king, Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe in 1798. Visit the Kandy town and bazaar, the arts and crafts centre, a gem museum and a lapidary. In the evening visit the Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy. Thereafter witness a cultural show. Overnight stay at Kandy.
Day 10 : Drive Kandy - Nuwara Eliya (04 hrs)After breakfast drive to Nuwara Eliya - is often referred to by the Srilankan tourist industry as ‘Little England’. And while the toy-town ambience does have something of an English country village to it, it comes with a disorienting surrealist edge. Three-wheelers whiz past red telephone boxes. Nuwara Eliya (City of Lights), also known as 'Little' England', was the favourite hill station of the British who tried to create Nuwara Eliya into a typical English Village. The old brick Post office, country house like hill club, with it's hunting pictures, mounted hunting trophies and fish, and it's strict formal dinner attire; the 18 hole golf course, race course etc., all remind you of 'England. Sri Lanka is one of the world's largest exporters of tea. Since the introduction of tea to Sri Lanka in mid 19the century Nuwara Eliya has been the capital of the tea industry. For many miles prior to reaching Nuwara Eliya from either direction you will find acres and acres of tea plantations, infact nothing but tea estates. There are many factories open for visitor's which also have tea sales outlets. On arrival check in. Overnight stay at Nuwara Eliya.
Day 11 : Nuwara Eliya - Hortan Plains - Nuwara EliyaFollowing breakfast leave for Horton Plains by jeep early in the morning. Horton Plains is located on a high windswept saddle at 2134 meters. These Plains are hard to reach but the scenery is well worth the effort. At Horton Plains hike to the Bakers Fall, passing en route the Gem Pit Pool, the Chimney Pool, and the Leg of Mutton Pool. Return to hotel for overnight stay at Nuwara Eliya.
Day 12 : Drive Nuwara Eliya – Galle (04 hrs)After breakfast we drive to Galle - pronounced gawl in English, and gaar-le in Sinhala is a town of colour, texture and sensation totally unlike anywhere else in Sri Lanka. It is at once endlessly exotic, bursting with the scent of spices and salty winds, and yet also, with its wonderful collection of slowly decaying Dutch-colonial buildings, vaguely familiar, like a whimsical medieval European town unexpectedly deposited in the tropics. Above all else Galle is a city of trade and, increasingly, art. Today the Fort is crammed full of little boutique shops, cafes and hotels owned by local and foreign artists, writers, photographers, designers and poets – a third of the houses are owned by foreigners. Built by the Dutch, beginning in 1663, the 36-hectare Fort occupies most of the promontory that forms the older part of Galle and is an amazing collection of structures dating back through the centuries. Just wandering the streets at random yields one architectural surprise after another. Its glories have been recognised by Unesco, which has made the Fort a World Heritage Site. A key part of the Fort’s allure, however, is that it isn’t just a pretty place. Rather, it remains a working community: there are administrative offices, courts, export companies, lots of regular folks populating the streets and a definite buzz of energy in the air. On arrival check in. Evening is free for leisure. Overnight stay at Galle.
Day 13 : At GalleThis morning we proceed to visit Dutch Fort – one of the most pleasant strolls you can take in town is the circuit of the Fort walls at dusk. The Main Gate in the northern stretch of the wall is a comparatively recent addition – it was built by the British in 1873 to handle the heavier flow of traffic into the old town. This part of the wall, the most heavily fortified because it faced the land, was originally built with a moat by the Portuguese, and was then substantially enlarged by the Dutch who split the wall in 1667 into separate Star, Moon and Sun Bastions. Following the Fort wall clockwise you soon come to the Old Gate. The British coat of arms tops the entrance on the outer side. Inside, the letters VOC, standing for Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie (Dutch East India Company), are inscribed in the stone with the date 1669, flanked by two lions and topped by a cock. Just beyond the gate is the Zwart Bastion (Black Bastion), thought to be Portuguese built and the oldest of the Fort bastions. The eastern section of the wall ends at the Point Utrecht Bastion, close to the powder magazine. The bastion is topped by an 18m-high lighthouse, which was built in 1938. Flag Rock, at the end of the next stretch of wall, was once a Portuguese bastion. During the Dutch period approaching ships were signalled from the bastion, warning them of dangerous rocks – hence its name. Musket shots were fired from Pigeon Island, close to the rock, to further alert ships to the danger. On the Triton Bastion there used to be a windmill that drew up sea water, which was sprayed from carts to keep the dust down on the city streets. This part of the wall is a great place to be at sunset. There’s a series of other bastions, as well as the tomb of a Muslim saint outside the wall, before you arrive back at your starting point. Evening is free for leisure. Overnight stay at Galle.
Day 14 : At GalleToday we visit Dutch Reform Church - Near the Amangalla hotel, this church was originally built in 1640, but the present building dates from 1752 to 1755. Its floor is paved with gravestones from the old Dutch cemetery (the oldest dates from 1662); the friendly caretaker will tell you where remains are held in the walls and under the floor. The organ from 1760 still sits in the building and the impressive pulpit, made from calamander wood from Malaysia, is an interesting piece. Services are held each Sunday.Historical Mansion : If you think you’ve got a lot of clutter filling up the shelves at home, then just wait until you get a load of the Historical Mansion, which is the private collection of one serious hoarding squirrel. Set in a well-restored Dutch house, it’s not really a museum, as many of the exhibits have price tags. It’s a junkyard of colonial artefacts, including collections of antique typewriters, VOC china, spectacles and jewellery. There’s also a gem shop. National Museum : The National Museum is housed in an old Dutch building near the Main Gate. The museum, with just a little more effort, would be superb; however, as it is, it has sad displays of traditional masks, information on the lace-making process, a few examples of the luxury items that once passed through the port, and religious items, including a relic casket. Evening is free for leisure. Overnight stay at Galle.
Day 15 : DepartureBid farewell. Today we transfer to Colombo International airport (03 hrs) for your onward flight.