14-Day Sri Lanka Highlights Tour with Sigiriya and Passekudah

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

Overnight stay at Hotel Jetwing Beach or similar.

• Embark on a 6-hour drive with your Sri Lankan guide/driver into the heart of Sri Lanka's tea country.
• Stop en route at Kithulgala, the location for the 1957 movie 'Bridge on the River Kwai', with an optional chance to go whitewater rafting on the Kelani River.
• Continue with stops at Devon Falls and St. Clair's Falls.
• On arrival at the hill station of Nuwara Eliya, walk around the town centre, passing the Victorian post office, the old Hill Club, and the quaint Holy Trinity Church, constructed by the British in the mid-19th century.
• Continue to your hotel and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

Overnight stay at the Grand Hotel or similar.

• Set off early this morning for Horton Plains National Park and enjoy an easy 6-mile hike to the edge of the escarpment at World's End and on to the lovely Baker's Falls.
• Return to Nuwara Eliya for the afternoon at leisure.

Overnight stay at the Grand Hotel or similar.

• Head to the hill-country capital of Kandy, with a stop at a tea factory en route.
• Upon arrival, take a tour of the city, including the local market, the British Garrison Cemetery, and the Ceylon Tea Museum (closed Monday).
• Later, enjoy a Sri Lankan dance and drumming show before visiting the Temple of the Tooth Relic.

Overnight stay at Hotel Cinnamon Citadel or similar.

• Drive north to the Cultural Triangle, with an optional stop along the way to discover the tastes of Sri Lanka at a spice garden.
• Stop at the Dambulla Cave Temples, a complex of five caves filled with Buddha images and statues, reached by a hike to the top of a sloping rock before checking in to the hotel.

Overnight stay at Hotel Cinnamon Lodge or similar.

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

Overnight stay at Cinnamon Lodge or similar.

• Visit the former capital of Polonnaruwa, built during the 11th and 12th centuries and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Explore the ruins of its ancient Royal Palace and temple before an afternoon at leisure.
• Optional - take a village nature trail. Experience the reservoir as the fishermen would by taking a catamaran ride on the pool and gliding through the 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 a bowl of traditional rice and curry.

Overnight stay at Cinnamon Lodge or similar.

• Drive to the east coast and check in to your beach hotel set on the wide bay at Passekudah/Pasikuda.

Overnight stay at Cinnamon Lodge or similar.

• Enjoy a few days relaxing by the pool or on the beautiful white sandy beach.

Overnight stay at Sunrise by Jetwing or similar.

• Relax on the beach.

Overnight stay at Sunrise by Jetwing or similar.

• Relax on the beach.

Overnight stay at Sunrise by Jetwing or similar.

• Relax on the beach.

Overnight stay at Sunrise by Jetwing or similar.

• Go on a 7-hour drive back to Negombo for your final night in Sri Lanka. You can ask your consultant about a scenic light aircraft from Batticaloa to Colombo to cut your journey time to 3 hours.

Overnight stay at Hotel Jetwing Beach or similar.

• Transfer to the airport with unforgettable memories.