Sri Lanka – 8 Day Super Gorgeous Highlights Private Tour

Today you will be collected from your hotel and taken to the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage - a truly wonderful experience.

The drive here is approximately 2 hours. The Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage was established in 1975 to home and nurture young elephants that had lost their mothers.

Baby elephants are dependent on their mothers for the first 2 - 3 years and often stay with them much longer.

The orphanage is also home to injured elephants and those who have been displaced due to loss of their natural environment. Here you can watch the elephants play and bathe in the river - a visit is sure to leave you with a smile on your face.

After your time here, continue on to Sigiriya where your driver will take you to your hotel. The drive is approximately 2.5 hours.

Overnight in Habarana/Sigiriya.

Meals included: Breakfast.

Today visit the World Heritage Sigiriya Rock Fortress, also known as Lion Rock due to the huge lion's paws carved into the bedrock.

A rock that rises out of the jungle with a flat-topped summit, it is home to ruins of an ancient city. The views from the top are astounding and Sigiriya is a highlight of any trip to Sri Lanka.

Please note: To get to the top there are a series of staircases.

Afterwards return to the hotel. In the late afternoon you will be collected for your jeep safari in Minneriya National Park.

The park is something of a transit lounge for elephants travelling from Kaudulla to the Wasgamuwa National Park. In the dry season (June to September) the park has around 200-300 Asian elephants. "The Gathering" refers to the annual meeting of elephants (reported to be the largest known wild gathering of Asian Elephants) who come together at the Minneriya tank where the elephants drink, bathe and keep an eye out for a mate.

Optional: If in addition to the above, you would like to include a visit to Polonnaruwa we can arrange this for you.

It makes it quite a long day as you will be collected from your hotel around 7am and not return until the evening.

Polonnaruwa is where kings once ruled and the archaeological park is filled with the former glory of Sri Lanka.

There are hundreds of ancient structures including statues, stupas, temples and tombs. A highlight of Polonnaruwa is the Gal Vihare complex where you will find four massive images of Buddha that have been carved from a single slab of granite.

Overnight in Habarana/Sigiriya.

Meals included: Breakfast

After breakfast, your driver will collect you and take you to the World heritage Dambulla Cave Temple complex - an amazing temple that is built underneath a huge rock.

This temple is in use today and has been since the 3rd century BC. You can explore the cave temples filled with rock paintings and over 150 Buddha statues. After your time here, continue on to the Matale Spice Gardens en route. Take a tour of the gardens with a local herbalist and discover how cinnamon grows, what vanilla pods look like, the cardamom flower, where cloves come from and more.

Continue on to Kandy where you will be taken to your hotel. The drive from Dambulla to Kandy is approximately 3 hours.

Overnight in Kandy.

Meals included: Breakfast.

Set on a plateau amongst the rainforest with mountain views from every angle, the city of Kandy is a lovely place to visit. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, traditional life, folklore and legends have been kept alive in this small city. The surrounding villages are the heart of Sri Lanka's handicraft industry - these include the world’s best blue and star sapphires as well as many other varieties of precious stones and silver and gold jewellery.

Enjoy a city tour of Kandy including the famous Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic - home to a tooth of Buddha (you won't actually see the tooth as it is kept in a golden casket).

Visit the Royal Botanic Garden in Peradeniya. The history of the gardens goes back to 1371 AD when the garden was only used by the then King and his officials.

It has a collection of about 4000 plant species including Giant Bamboo, over 180 species of orchids and the large Ehetu tree which spreads its foliage out to a staggering 2000 square meters.

In the evening enjoy a cultural dance show.

*For certain departures in July & August, enjoy the Kandy Esala Perahera Festival.It is also known as the Festival of the Tooth and is one of the grandest Buddhist festivals in Sri Lanka. It is an annual procession that pays homage to the Sacred Tooth Relic of Buddha - a colourful and lively festival with traditional dances and costumes, fire-dancing, great food and much more.

*Travel during this time incurs a surcharge, please contact us for dates and pricing.

Overnight in Kandy.

Meals included: Breakfast

After breakfast at your hotel you will be collected and taken to the train station in Kandy for a scenic and famous train ride to Nanu Oya*. This is a wonderful opportunity to sit back and enjoy the scenery - the train route passes through a spectacular part of the countryside.

Your driver will continue by car with your luggage and meet you on arrival in Nanu Oya.

Continue on to Nuwara Eliya. Translating to "City of Light" this lovely town is also called Little England as the effects of colonial days are still felt here and the climate is somewhat cooler.

Home to the famous Ceylon Tea, some of the world's best tea comes from this area. The tea is hand picked and you can see the local women working in the fields. The mountain slopes are a spectacular sight covered in the bright green tea plantations, all adding to the unique character of Nuwara Eliya.

Visit a tea factory and tea plantation (a must do when in Sri Lanka tea country) and see the local sights of this small town.

*Please note: We do our best to book the trains and the majority of the time we can arrange either First Class or Second Class seats. Occasionally we have to book Non AC Class and at times we may not be able to book the train for you - there are some government controls and regulations around the booking process. If we are not able to book you on the train we will arrange your transfer by car - the journey by road is also picturesque and you can stop at various points along the way including some waterfalls.

Overnight in Nuwara Eliya.

Meals included: Breakfast.

Spend the morning at leisure in Nuwara Eliya. Your driver will collect you for the 4.5 hour drive to Colombo.

Enjoy your evening in the capital city - Colombo is a great place to eat, especially in the old quarters.

Overnight in Colombo.

Meals included: Breakfast.

This morning take a city tour to see the highlights of Sri Lanka's capital. Your driver will then take you to the airport in time for your flight.

Meals included: Breakfast