5-Day Sri Lanka History and Culture Tour from Kandy with Rafting

• Receive a warm welcome and your first taste of Sri Lankan hospitality as you come out of the airport and meet our representative. "Ayubowan" is the traditional way of saying welcome.
• Start your journey with the transfer to Kandy, the last capital and stronghold of the Sri Lankan kings until the British took over in 1815. Kandy is one of the most sacred sites for Buddhists and is the center of Buddhism in Sri Lanka and around the world, as it houses the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha at the temple known as "Dalada Maligawa." Kandy is also famous for arts and crafts, Sri Lankan dancing, music, and culture.
• Take a city tour of Kandy, including a drive around Bogambara Lake, Upper Lake, the busy streets, and a visit to the Gem Museum.
• Attend a cultural show featuring the various dance types of the country, ending with a firewalking performance.
• Visit the "Dalada Maligawa" to witness the Pooja ceremony and see the outermost of the seven caskets that enshrine the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha.
• Check in to the hotel.

Dinner and overnight stay in Kandy.

• Proceed to Peradeniya with your Sri Lankan tour guide.

• Explore the Royal Botanical Gardens, which cover 147 acres and attract over 2 million visitors annually, at an elevation of 460 meters above sea level. The garden includes more than 4,000 plants from all over the world, extensive well-kept lawns, and a pavilion. The Cannonball Tree planted by King George V and Queen Mary of the United Kingdom in 1901, the Giant Java Fig Tree, and the Orchid House are of interest to any visitor to the gardens.

• Proceed to Nuwara Eliya. Nuwara Eliya is known as Little England, as it was established in 1846 by Sir Samuel Baker as a hill country retreat for colonialists and still retains features from the colonial period. The city is overlooked by the tallest mountain on the island, Piduruthalagala. It stands 1,868 meters above sea level and is the most important location for tea plantations. Lake Gregory was constructed during the period of Governor Sir William Gregory in 1873.

• Stop at Ramboda to capture the beautiful waterfall and visit a tea plantation, where you will be given a tour of the factory and can taste a pure BOP cup of tea.

• Do a city tour of Nuwara Eliya and, in the evening, take a walk around Lake Gregory in the cool climate of the city.

Dinner and overnight stay in Nuwara Eliya.

• Proceed to Bentota via Kitulgala after breakfast.

• Stop at St. Clair's Falls and Devon Falls with your English-speaking Sri Lankan tour guide.

• Begin your white-water rafting adventure. Kitulgala is a sleepy village in the west of the island and receives rain from both monsoons that Sri Lanka experiences each year. It lies in the wet zone and is one of the wettest places in the country. The village came to prominence after the award-winning movie "The Bridge on the River Kwai" was filmed on the Kelani River adjoining the village. Today, it is popular for white-water rafting, adventure-based training programs, and birdwatching.

• Head to Bentota, a coastal town in the southwest and a popular tourist destination for all kinds of water sports. If you wish to have some more adventure, para-motoring is available as an optional activity.

Dinner and overnight stay in Bentota.

• Proceed to visit a turtle hatchery after breakfast.

• Travel back to Colombo with a short train ride along the coast. Colombo is the financial and commercial capital and the largest city by population. It was once a small seaport and came into prominence in the 16th century with the arrival of the Portuguese. It was later developed as a major port by the British. Today, the city is a mix of old and new, with red-tiled colonial buildings, new high-rise hotels, apartments, and shopping malls.

Dinner and overnight stay in Colombo.

• After breakfast at the hotel, proceed for a city tour of Colombo.

• Drive through the hustle and bustle of Colombo's roads.

• Visit and see Galle Face Green, Old Parliament, the Pettah and Fort area, Cinnamon Gardens, Independence Square, BMICH, a Hindu temple, Gangarama Temple, and other places of interest to tourists.

• Transfer to the airport in time for your onward journey with unforgettable memories of this island nation.