Itinerary

1. Day 1: Airport - Negombo

   • Upon arrival at Colombo Airport, transfer to your hotel nearby Negombo.

2. Day 2: Negombo - Cultural Triangle

   • Rise early for a chance to visit the local fish market and see traders selling the catch of the day.
   • Return to your hotel for breakfast.
   • Later, set off for a 4-hour drive northeast to the Cultural Triangle. (your base for the three nights)

3. Day 3: Habarana - Polonnaruwa

   • Explore the former capital of Sri Lanka, Polonnaruwa, built during the 11th and 12th Centuries and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
   • Explore the ruins of its ancient Royal Palace and Temple before enjoying an afternoon at leisure.
   • Experience a reservoir as the fisherman would do by taking a catamaran ride and gliding through the still water and abundant lotus plants. At the end of the catamaran ride, experience another form of the ancient village. Take a ride in a bullock cart to the mud house for traditional rice and curry lunch. (All is optional)

4. Day 4: Sigiriya - Minneriya National Park

   • Start the day at Sigiriya or "Lion Rock" (UNESCO World Heritage Site). The hike to the top is pretty strenuous but worthwhile to see the rock frescoes, the ruin of the 5th-century palace, and the surrounding countryside's spectacular views.
   • Later, drive to Minneriya National Park for a game drive.

5. Day 5: Cultural Triangle - Kandy

   • Head to the Dambulla Cave Temples, five caves filled with Buddha images and statues. It is to be reached by a hike to the top of sloping rock.
   • Continue to the hill-country capital of Kandy, with an optional stop at a Matale spice garden enroute.
   • Proceed to Kandy, British Garrison Cemetery.
   • In the evening, enjoy a show of Sri Lankan music and dance before visiting the famous temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic.

6. Day 6: Kandy

   • Spend the morning exploring Kandy, visiting the museum, including the famous blue and star sapphires mined, cut and polished using traditional methods, and a bustling market.
   • Later enjoy a stroll around the beautiful Peradeniya Royal Botanic Gardens.

7. Day 7: Kandy - Nuwara Eliya

   • Climb the scenic, winding roads up to Nuwara Eliya in the heart of the tea-producing region, stopping to visit a tea factory to see the manufacturing process in action. 
   • Continue past the waterfalls and take a walk around the town center. Pass by buildings that date from their time as a British hill station before checking in to the hotel.

8. Day 8: Nuwara Eliya - Yala National Park

   • Get on a scenic train ride from Nanu Oya to Ella, a beautiful small town perched on mountain ridge.
   • Continue the drive as you pass by the Rawana Waterfalls.
   • Go on an evening game drive at Yala National Park, home to various wildlife, including the elusive Leopard, Sambar deer, Crocodiles, Buffalo, Macaque and Langur Monkeys, and many kinds of birds.

9. Day 9: Yala - Galle

   • Transfer to Galle, a UNESCO site.
   • Visit a conservation project on a protected stretch of coast, known as a nesting hive for five species of turtles. 
   • On arrival at Galle, take a walking tour of the old fort. 
   • Wander along the ramparts, past the lighthouse and old Portuguese harbour, to see some of the many colonial-era buildings.

10. Day 10: Galle to Colombo

    • Enjoy a relaxing morning before transferring to the airport. 
    • Take a walking tour and explore this cosmopolitan city, historic market Pettah, the eclectic Buddhist Gangaramaya Temple and take a stroll along the Galle Face Green. Pass many colonial-era buildings, a reminder of the city’s past under the Dutch and British before your tour ends. (All is optional)