Discover Sri Lanka
Discover Sri Lanka
Discover Sri Lanka
15 Days Starting in Veyangoda and ending in Colombo
Visiting: Veyangoda, Dambulla, Sigiriya, Girithale, Polonnaruwa, Kandy, Kitulgala, Nuwara Eliya, Bandarawela, Kataragama, Yala National Park Sri Lanka, Ahangama, Tangalle, Galle, Colombo
Tour operator:
Tour code:
AIL
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
4 - 18
Physical rating:
Leisurely / Moderate
Age range:
16 to 99
Special diets catered:
Please inform Exodus of specific dietary requirements
Tour operated in:
EnglishTrip Styles:
Interests:
Activities:
From:
$2920 (USD)Tour Overview
Lapped by the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka is a natural paradise with a landscape of verdant mountains, rainforests, paddy fields, tumbling waterfalls and sweeping gorges. From ancient Buddhist temples, the fortress of Sigiriya, the towns of Kandy and Nuwara Eliya in the hill country, the wildlife of Yala National Park (which has one of the highest concentrations of leopards in the world), to the idyllic palm-fringed beaches of the south coast, this small island offers incredible variety, made extra special by its laid back atmosphere and hospitable people.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1 : Start Veyangoda
Location: Veyangoda
Accommodation: The Covanro or alternative accommodation in the area
Accommodation Name: The Covanro (or similar)
Meals Included: No Meals
The group flight arrives at Colombo's Bandaranaike Airport and we transfer to
our hotel approximately 30 minutes away. Those not flying with the group will
meet us at the hotel.
Day 2 : Visit Cave Temples At Dambulla; To Sigiriya
Location: Dambulla
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hotel Sigiriya (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast
We depart after breakfast for the drive (approx. 4 hours) through lush green
countryside (a mix of coconut palms, paddy fields and banana plantations)
through Kurunegala to Dambulla. Here we visit the magnificent Cave Temple,
for some, the most impressive sight in Sri Lanka. There are colourful, well
preserved paintings and statues of Buddha inside the caves, which date back
to the 1st century BC. After lunch we continue to Sigiriya where we stay for
the night. From our hotel we can see Lions Rock rising up from the plains
(occasionally we may stay nearer to Dambulla due to hotel availability).
Day 3 : Morning Climb To The Rock Fortress; Optional Afternoon Game Drive
Location: Sigiriya
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hotel Sigiriya (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast
This morning we drive to the foot of the Lions Rock at Sigiriya. The imposing
5th century rock fortress of Sigiriya rises 600 feet from the plains
overlooking the surrounding countryside and giving far-reaching views. Used
as a safe haven from invaders, the route to the top goes via a series of
steep steps and gangways. From the base, where a moat surrounds impressive
water gardens, we ascend 200m, passing an overhanging rock under which superb
portraits of native maidens holding flowers and temple offerings still adorn
the rock wall. Crowning the flat-topped summit of the rock are extensive
remains of the King's Summer Palace.
During the afternoon, there is a chance to enjoy an optional game drive in
either Minneriya or Kaudulla National Park or the Hurulu Eco Park to see
elephants in their natural habitat. For those who don’t want to take part,
there is time to relax at the hotel.
Day 4 : To Giritale; Bike Ride Through Country Villages
Location: Girithale
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Giritale Hotel (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
This morning we have a short drive to Giritale where our usual hotel
overlooks the scenic Giritale Tank. The island’s early inhabitants solved
the dual problem of heat and lack of water in this dry area by constructing
large tanks to act as reservoirs and cool the warm breeze. Nowadays they
provide an important habitat for bird life, particularly from August to
April. Today we take to bikes and cycle at a leisurely pace through a series
of small villages and lakes (if you do not wish to participate you can hire
a tuk tuk locally for approximately £10 per tuk tuk and follow the group but
not cycle). We should see plenty of bird life including Egrets, Brahmany
kites, Kingfishers and Bulbuls. Stopping for lunch in a traditional village
will break up the journey. In the late afternoon we return to our hotel in
Giritale.
Day 5 : Visit Ancient Capital Of Polonnaruwa; Drive To Kandy Via Spice Garden
Location: Polonnaruwa
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Earl’s Regent Hotel (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast
After breakfast, we take a short drive to the 10th century capital of Sri
Lanka; Polonnaruwa, the ancient capital of the Sinhalese. Here there are many
Buddhist relics and ruins dating from a thousand years ago when Sinhalese
culture reached its zenith. The city flourished in the 12th century after the
decision was made to move the capital from Anuradhapura, so it was further
away from incursions from Southern India. The ruins are therefore younger and
better preserved than those at Anuradhapura. We visit many of the temples,
palaces, huge dagobas (Buddhist stupas) and remarkable Buddhist sculptures.
After lunch, we head into the hills to the picturesque town of Kandy. On the
way we stop at a spice garden near Matale where we can see various spices and
herbs growing, and there is a chance to stock up on massage oils, spices and
Ayurvedic medicines. This is a long but fascinating day and we arrive at
Kandy in the early evening.
Day 6 : Free Time In Kandy To Explore Or Relax
Location: Kandy
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Earl’s Regent Hotel (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast
Kandy is located by a small lake and we spend two full days in and around the
town. On the first day, we will visit the Temple of the Tooth, which houses
Sri Lanka's most important Buddhist relic. The Tooth of Buddha was taken from
the funeral pyre in 543 BC and only found its way to Sri Lanka in the 4th
century AD. There are literally hundreds of worshippers who visit the temple
each day and in August the most spectacular ceremony takes place. Some of our
trips in August should coincide with the Kandy festival, but the exact dates,
decided by priests, are not known until 5 months prior to the event. After
our visit, we drive to a beautiful viewpoint over Kandy overlooked by a huge
Buddha, and visit a gem museum where you can see the products of the
traditional methods of gem extraction. Another highlight is the vast
Peradeniya Botanical Garden with species of orchid that are endemic to Sri
Lanka. In the evening, we may have the chance to attend a performance of
dancing and fire walking.
The second day is free to explore this wonderful town. The surrounding hills
are wonderful, offering fantastic views of the town below and there are many
handicraft stores and antique shops in which to browse.
Day 8 : To Nuwara Eliya Via Kitulgala; Optional Adams Peak Climb (Dec-Apr Only)
Location: Kitulgala, Nuwara Eliya
Accommodation: Mirage Kings Cottage (or similar)
Accommodation Name: Mirage Kings Cottage (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast
Leaving Kandy early, we have a spectacular drive through the countryside on
the way to Kitulgala. Here we have the opportunity of going on a walk through
the jungle or local villages followed by an optional white water rafting
excursion. The rafting costs extra (see the Optional Excursions section),
lasts a maximum of 1.5 hours and there is a choice of gentle or wild water
(grade 3 rapids) depending on your preference. Those of us who do not wish to
go rafting will be able to freshen up and relax by the water until the
rafters return in time for lunch. Afterwards we will drive to our hotel in
Nuwara Eliya.
(Please note that from the full moon day of December to the full moon day of
May it is possible to climb Adams Peak. This is optional and you need to be
very fit to attempt this. You would leave Nuwara Eliya around midnight on day
8 and drive to the base of the peak. The drive takes approximately 2 hours.
From here it is a strenuous 4 hour climb to the top in time for sunrise. We
then return to Nuwara Eliya to join the group for lunch on day 9).
Day 9 : Free Morning In Old Colonial Hill Station Of Nuwara Eliya. Visit Tea Factory In Afternoon.
Location: Nuwara Eliya
Accommodation: Mirage Kings Cottage (or similar)
Accommodation Name: Mirage Kings Cottage (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast
This morning we will have free time to explore the beautiful town of Nuwara
Eliya. Nuwara Eliya was a popular hill station during the British era and is
situated in the cool highland air at 1890m. Known locally as 'Little England'
it is dotted with British style houses and parks and features a golf club and
a racecourse! Following lunch, we will visit a nearby tea factory and learn
about the process of tea production.
Day 10 : Early Morning To Horton Plains; Walk To World's End Viewpoint; To Bandarawela By Train
Location: Bandarawela
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Mandara Rosen (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast
We have an early start this morning and take a 30km drive south to Horton
Plains, a large plateau over 2,000m high, overlooked by the second and third
highest peaks in Sri Lanka. The scenery is beautiful and the best way to
explore is on foot. We take a guided walk through the rolling grasslands
where we hope to see such as the Sambur and Purple Faced monkey. We also
visit 'World's End', which is one of the most stunning sights in Sri Lanka
where the ground drops 1050m to the plains. Following this, we catch a train
from the highest railway station in the country - within an hour and a half
we drop from 1889m to 1097m. The train travels through the cloud forest into
the tea plantations, with breath-taking views of the lush valley below.
Please note that at times, particularly in peak season, the train may be
extremely busy with standing room only. As a result, you may get a choice
between taking the train or going by road, and in extreme cases the leader
may decide that the whole group should go by road and avoid the train. We
get off at Bandarawela, a town relatively untouched by tourism.
Day 11 : Scenic Drive Through Ella Gap To Kataragama; Game Drive In Yala N.P.
Location: Kataragama, Yala National Park Sri Lanka
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Mandara Rosen (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast
Today we continue on to Ella Gap where we have spectacular views of the
coastal plain nearly 1,000m below. Almost the entire southern part of the
island is in view and on a particularly clear day, the shimmering silver of
the Indian Ocean is visible. Heading south out of the hills we travel to
Kataragama on the plains; this is our base for visiting Sri Lanka's best
known national park, Yala. The park is popular for elephant, leopard, bear,
crocodile and Wild boar. At 97,800 hectares, this is the second largest of
Sri Lanka's national parks. Its open undulating terrain made it famous for
elephants for many years, but recently the park has also become better known
for leopard. The park, which is primarily shrub jungle with several salt and
fresh water lagoons, has one of the highest concentrations of leopard per
square kilometre in the world. (Please note that the sanctuary may be closed
for 4-6 weeks from September to October allowing the park authorities to
check the welfare of the animals. We therefore go to an alternative area
close by, usually Udawalawe National Park).
Day 12 : Drive To Tangalle And Walk Through Rice Paddies; Coastal Drive To Ahangama
Location: Ahangama
Accommodation: Insight Resort or alternative accommodation in the area
Accommodation Name: Insight Resort (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast
Today we leave for the coast, with its beautiful palm fringed bays. Stopping
on the way at Hambantota and walking to a nearby farm house where you'll be
offered tea in a coconut shell along with a local snack. We will mix with
real Sri Lankan life and take part in some traditional Sri Lankan games,
returning to our bus in tractors used by the farmers. Continuing on to
Ahangama, in the afternoon we arrive at our coastal hotel and you can relax
for the rest of the day.
Day 13 : Free Day To Relax On The Beach Or Optional Activities Including Whale Watching (Nov To April)
Location: Tangalle
Accommodation: Insight Resort or alternative accommodation in the area
Accommodation Name: Insight Resort (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast
Today is a free day to relax on the beach or by the hotel pool. There are
also optional activities during the day including a boat ride through
mangrove swamps to a cinnamon plantation or, from November to April you can
go whale watching off Dondra head, one of the best places in the world for
seeing Blue and Sperm whales. Huge pods of dolphins are also often seen
playing alongside the boats.
Day 14 : To Galle; Visit Old Fort; Transfer To Colombo
Location: Galle
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hotel Cinnamon Red (or similar)
Meals Included: Breakfast
We set off today and drive along the coastal road to the historic port of
Galle, which dates back to the 17th century, and now a UNESCO world heritage
site. On the way, we stop at a small folk museum inspired by the local writer
Martin Wickramasinghe. The museum is a typical house from the Koggala region
and is set amongst beautiful gardens. We continue along the expressway to
Colombo reaching our hotel in the late afternoon.
Day 15 : End Colombo
Location: Colombo
Meals Included: Breakfast
The trip ends after breakfast. Those on the group flights will be taken to
the airport in time for their flight home
What's Included
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Tour leader throughout
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Arrival & departure transfers
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All breakfasts and 1 lunch
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All accommodation
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All transport and listed activities
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Flights from London (if booking incl. flights)
What's Not Included
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Visas or vaccinations
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Single accommodation (available on request)
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Travel insurance
Food
All breakfasts and 1 lunch is included.
We suggest allowing about GBP 15-17 (approx. USD 24 - 27) per day for all
other meals. Sri Lankan cuisine is a fascinating reflection of the island’s
heritage; there is a unique fusion of fresh local produce with spices brought
to the island over the centuries by Malays, Arabs, Indians as well as the
Dutch, Portuguese and English. Despite (or perhaps because of) these
influences, Sri Lankan cuisine is often referred to as simply ‘Rice and
Curry’. This is the staple dish in most restaurants and is usually a
serving of rice accompanied by assorted meat and vegetable curries as well as
various pickles, ‘sambols,’ and a handful of tiny poppadum’s – all
using the contrasting flavours of coconut, chilli, curry leaves, cinnamon and
garlic.
Vegetarians are well catered for but please inform us before departure of any
special dietary requests. Please note, that in Sri Lanka the availability of
certain products is minimal or non-existent. For example, wheat or dairy-free
options outside of hotels are limited. Please be prepared for this and you
may need to bring these from home. Spicier food can be avoided easily and
lots of the hotels will serve Western options alongside traditional food.
Accommodation
On this cultural adventure in Sri Lanka, we spend 14 nights in hotels, which are generally of a good standard and most have swimming pools. The normal accommodations used on this trip can be found on the day-to-day itinerary; however, below are a few of the notable places we stay.
Sigiriya: Hotel Sigiriya (nights 2-3)
This comfortable four-star property surrounded by nature is the perfect place to ease into our adventure. Unwind with a dip in the freshwater pool (which has near-unbeatable views of Sigiriya Rock) and relax in your spacious room with garden views.
Yala: Mandara Rosen (nights 10-11)
Within a mountain forest, the 58-room Mandara Rosen is our home from home as we explore Yala National Park. It has a swimming pool lined with loungers and araliya trees (underwater music is available) plus a 120-seater restaurant serving a mix of cuisines. The rooms are comfortable, with earthy tones and Kandyan paintings.
Ahangama: Insight Resort (nights 12-13)
Enjoy a spot on the beach, where it is possible to swim in the sea most of the time. Spacious rooms offer sea views and the quiet fishing village is an easy walk for those wishing to explore a local community. There are good photo opportunities with the stilt fisherman nearby and the hotel is close to the optional excursions. Service can sometimes be slow, but it is a small property, so the staff and management are flexible and cater for our group’s needs.
Worth knowing
Hotels in Sri Lanka are becoming increasingly busy and, occasionally, we must find alternatives to the ones we typically use. We endeavour to find the nearest alternative with a similar standard of rooms.
The standards and styles of hotels on this trip vary. Some of our selections are based on location and what is available in the area or the character and atmosphere at the premises. Some properties in the hill region may not have air conditioning in rooms and instead have fans. This is due to the cooler climate.
Paying the single supplement may not mean you receive a double or twin room for sole use. The room you are allocated may differ from hotel to hotel and, on some nights, a smaller one-person room may be allocated.
Check out our Q&As
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Are flights included in this tour?
International flights are not included with this tour.
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Can you assist with pre or post tour accommodation?
We are happy to assist with pre and post tour accommodation. Please enquire for detailed information.
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Who is Exodus Travels?
At Exodus Travels, we've been exploring the world for nearly 50 years. From Walking and Trekking, Cultural and Cycling, Responsible Wildlife, to Polar and our new Premium Adventures, we are proud to offer award-winning small group and self-guided tours to 100+ countries worldwide.
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Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?
Yes, our local guides are English speaking.
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Is there a supplement for solo travellers?
If you would like to be paired with a tour member of the same gender, there is no additional charge. A single supplement can be requested if you would like your own room.
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Are children permitted to take part in the tour?
The minimum age for this tour is 16 years old.
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What happens if I need to change my holiday date once I’ve booked?
If you wish to make any changes to your booking, particularly if you need to alter any flights booked through us, please let us know as soon as possible. There is a booking or flight amendment fee of £40 per change and flight amendments often incur extra airline costs depending on the changes to be made and if the ticket has been issued or not.
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Exodus has been trading since 1974
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What documents will I receive before I travel?
Your final joining instructions and flight details, if booked with us, will then be sent out 2 to 3 weeks before departure. If you would like a hard copy posted, or if you require these any earlier, please contact the customer operations team. We advise that if you are booking connecting travel before receiving these, please ensure you leave plenty of time.
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Travellers are welcome to opt to share a room with a tour member of the same gender for no additional charge. If you'd like your own room, we can request a single supplement so that you will have your own room throughout.
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Can I join the tour once it has departed?
You are welcome to meet the group after the tour has departed however there is no reduction in rate for joining a tour after the departure date.
Reviews from Travellers on this Tour
Dates & Availability
2024 Jul
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Dec 28, 2025 - Jan 11, 2026Book with Confidence
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Transfer as credit to Future Tours
Exodus allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform exodus, 43 days before departure.
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Low Deposit
Exodus requires a minimum deposit of 25% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 90 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of exodus charges.
Up to 70 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.