ITINERARY 12
Natural and Cultural Glory - 10 Days / 09 Nights
01
- Arrival at the Bandaranaike International airport Katunayake
- Meeting you on arrival – Our airport staff members will meet you and provide all assistance
- Transfer to Negombo – Sightseeing tour of the town, known as ‘Little Rome’
- Overnight stay at a hotel in Negombo.
02
- Early breakfast at hotel. leave for Yapahuwa (101 km, approx. 2 hour drive), the ancient kingdom with a fortress and capital built in the 13th century, temple with rock carvings
- In the Afternoon, visit Anuradhapura, founded circa 04th century BCE, which abounds with ancient monuments with bear testimony to the rich cultural heritage of Sri Lanka
- Overnight stay at a hotel in Anuradhapura
03
- After breakfast leave for Mihintale (12 km, approx. ½ hour drive), where Buddhism was first introduced to Sri Lanka. View the stairway consisting of 1840 steps hewn out of granite.
- Afterwards, leave for the National Iron Wood Garden. Its geological significance is due to the presence of a unique pink quartz outcrop.
- Leave for Dambulla. Check in at the hotel for overnight stay
04
- Breakfast at the hotel https://merangue.com/7crzr5j Leave for Polonnaruwa (67 km, approx.1 ½ hour drive), the ancient capital of Sri Lanka, which abounds with remains of palaces, shrines, monasteries, pavilions, parks.
- Return to Dambulla and visit the Golden Rock cave temple, renowned for its 157 statues of Lord Buddha and murals covering an area of 2,100 sq. meters
- Overnight stay at a hotel in Dambulla
05
- Breakfast at the hotel
- Leave for Sigiriya (24 km, approx. ½ hour drive) and climb the Rock Fortress built in 05thcentury CE, with its intricate water gardens and frescoes of ‘Heavenly Maidens’
- Proceed to Kandy (92 km, approx. 3 hour drive), while visiting a Spice garden in Matale enroute
- Check in at hotel. Sightseeing tour of the city of Kandy. Established around1357–1374 CE, Kandy was the last capital city to fall to the British.
- Visit the famous Temple of the Tooth Relic. This building houses the most sacred Tooth Relic of the Lord Buddha.
- Drive past the University of Peradeniya
- Visit the Market Square and Arts & Crafts Showroom.
- Drive along the Upper Lake road for a view of the Kandy Lake built in 1807 which is an attractive centerpiece to the town.
- During the month of July/August you will be able to watch the spectacular Esala Perahera, with elephants, drummers, dancers
- Enjoy the Kandyan Cultural Show at the Kandyan Arts & Cultural Centre. Performance by graceful and rhythmic dancers and drummers ending with a fire walking show.
- Overnight stay at a hotel in Kandy.
06
- Breakfast at the hotel
- Visit the famous Royal Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya. View a rare collection of tropical exotic and indigenous flora including the famous Orchid House
- Proceed to Nuwara Eliya (77 km, approx.3 hour drive). Located at an altitude of 1,868 m (6,128 ft) in the heart of the Tea Country, Nuwara Eliya is a picturesque town
- Sightseeing tour of Nuwara Eliya Town, market place, Golf Course, the Hill Club, and drive around viewing Lake Gregory
- Overnight stay at a hotel in Nuwara Eliya
07
- After breakfast at the hotel, leave for Ratnapura, renowned worldwide as the ‘City of Gems’, via Kitulgala (148km – approx. 4 hour drive).
- Visit the Belilena in Kitulgala where the 12,000 year old skeletal remains of the prehistoric ‘Balangoda man’ have been found in a very large cave
- Visit the location where the famous World War II movie “Bridge on the river Kwai” was filmed.
- White water rafting can be arranged for the energetic and adventurous
- Proceed to Ratnapura, the city of gems and check in at the hotel.
- Overnight stay at a hotel in Sinharaja or Ratnapura.
08
- Breakfast at the hotel
- Leave for Sinharaja Rain Forest, which has been declared a Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Sinharaja is home to 95% of the endemic birds of Sri Lanka
- Overnight stay at a hotel in Sinharaja.
09
- Breakfast at the hotel
- Leave for Colombo
- Check in at hotel. Enjoy a sightseeing tour of the city of Colombo by evening
- Drive through the city’s main commercial area, known as ‘Fort’, drive past bustling bazaars, National Museum Town Hall, Independence Square, the B.M.I.C.H (International Convention Centre), Cinnamon Gardens residential area
- Visit a Buddhist Temple and a Hindu Kovil
- Overnight stay at a hotel in Colombo.
10
- Breakfast at the hotel
- Leave for the airport for your departure. Our staff will accompany you to the Bandaranaike International Airport and help you complete all formalities.