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7 Days from$900 p/p in USD -
DeparturesYear Round
Destinations
Sri Lanka,
Tour Type
Guided, Large Group, Small Group
Safari Standard
Mid Range
Tour Overview
Experience the very best of Sri Lanka: for such a small country, the emerald isle has a lot to offer in terms of culture, heritage, wildlife and beaches. The ancient Sigiriya Rock Fortress dazzles with its impressive size and remarkable story while the Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy is the most sacred place for Buddhists with an enshrined fragment of a tooth recovered from the funeral pyre of the Buddha himself. Take a scenic hillside train ride from Kandy to Nanu Oya through tea plantations and past waterfalls and small villages. Yala National Park is the best place in the world to see wild leopards as well as sloth bears, elephants and diverse bird life while beach lovers will embrace the south of Sri Lanka with some of the best beaches and a hotspot for whale and dolphin watching in Mirissa.
General Information
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Safari types:Family Safari, Guided Safari, Whale Safari, Wildlife Safari
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You will visit:Yala National Park, Mirissa, Sigiriya Archeological Site, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Galle , Negombo , Ella
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Wildlife:Leopard, Elephant, Sloth Bear, Spotted Deer, Wild Water Buffalo, Birds, Wild Boar, Jackal, Toddy Cat, Dolphin, Whale, Monkey, Blue Whale
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Activities:Game Drive, Sightseeing Tour, Optional Activities, Whale Watching, Cultural Experience, Tea Plantation, UNESCO Site
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Getting around:4x4 Safari Vehicle, Train
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Start/end:Start in Colombo, end in Colombo or Negambo
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Minimum age:2
Highlights
- Enjoy 4×4 jeep safaris through stunning national parks, home of Asian wild elephant families, while seeing hunting leopard is unforgettable
- Drive through the cold and misty hills that host lush green tea plantations. Stop at a tea factory to observe the tea processing technique
- Explore the UNESCO World Heritage splendors, Sigiriya Lion Rock fortress architectural wonder. Amaze through the golden-roofed Temple of the Sacred Tooth in Kandy
- Get first-hand local knowledge, with on-the-ground expert’s guidance and the freedom and privacy to explore at your will
Overview
- Day 1 – Airport – Sigiriya
- Day 2 – Sigiriya – Kandy
- Day 3 – Kandy – Nuwara Eliya
- Day 4 – Yala
- Day 5 – Yala – Galle Or Unawatuna
- Day 6 – Mirissa – Colombo
- Day 7 – Colombo – Airport
4 Star Standard Hotels in Winter - 01 November to 30 April
USD Price Per Person, based on shared rooms
| From Price | Dates | No. travelling | Single Supplement |
|---|---|---|---|
| USD 2000 | 01 November - 30 April | 1 | From USD $ 2000 |
| USD 1000 | 01 November - 30 April | 2 | From USD $ 1000 |
| USD 940 | 01 November - 30 April | 3 | From USD $ 940 |
| USD 820 | 01 November - 30 April | 4 | From USD $ 820 |
| USD 834 | 01 November - 30 April | 5 | From USD $ 834 |
| USD 760 | 01 November - 30 April | 6 | From USD $ 760 |
4 Star Standard Hotels in Summer - 01 May to 31 October
USD Price Per Person, based on shared rooms
| From Price | Dates | No. travelling | Single Supplement |
|---|---|---|---|
| USD 1800 | 01 May - 31 October | 1 | From USD $ 1800 |
| USD 900 | 01 May - 31 October | 2 | From USD $ 900 |
| USD 840 | 01 May - 31 October | 3 | From USD $ 840 |
| USD 720 | 01 May - 31 October | 4 | From USD $ 720 |
| USD 735 | 01 May - 31 October | 5 | From USD $ 735 |
| USD 660 | 01 May - 31 October | 6 | From USD $ 660 |
Supplements Per Person
- Winter Peak Supplement from 20 December – 15 January
- Christmas Eve Gala Dinner Supplement 24th December
- New Year’s Eve Dinner Night 31 December
- Summer Peak Supplement from 1 July – 31 August
What's Included
- 4 Star standard accommodation with half board (breakfast & dinner)
- Transport by private (A/C) vehicle
- English speaking driver/guide
- Hotel or airport pickup & drop-off
- All taxes, fees and handling charges
- Bottled water (500 ml per person per day)
- Free Wi-Fi during the whole tour
- Local insurance for the vehicle/passengers
What's Excluded
- Flights & visas
- Lunch & alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
- Souvenir photos (available to purchase)
- Excess luggage charges (where applicable)
- Entrance fees at interest places and historical sites
- Gratuities
Disclaimer
- This itinerary is owned and delivered by ‘Ceylon Classic Tours‘
- All prices are ‘From’ and may vary at the time of booking
- Display price is usually based on two people sharing
- ‘Ceylon Classic Tours‘ reserves the right to change the content and price of the itinerary
- All itineraries are subject to availability
Day by Day Overview
On your arrival at Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport, you will receive a warm welcome to Sri Lanka. From here, you will be transferred to Sigiriya, which is a 4 to 5-hour road trip. On arrival, you will spend the night at a hotel close to Sigiriya. Recovering from a long flight is important as you prepare for a busy tour over the next few days, so the first night will be spent relaxing and acclimatizing.
Dinner and overnight stay at Hotel in Sigiriya
Day 2 is all about culture and heritage. After breakfast, your morning will include a tour of the Sigiriya Rock Fortress, a monolith converted into a secure fort by King Kashyapa, who reigned for 22 years. The climb to the top includes a number of wonders, from the “Mirror Wall” to the magnificent frescoes. The view from atop the monolith is unlike any other. The highlights of Sigiriya include drawings of “Apsaras” or Celestial Nymphs, of which about 20 remain to this day. It is believed that the entire rock was covered in these drawings, making it the largest single work of art ever created. The mirror wall visited from the 6th to the 14th century, reveals the comments of the impressions made by the damsels depicted on the wall.
From Sigiriya, you will move on to Kandy, where more history and culture await you. The Temple of the Tooth Relic (Sri Dalada Maligawa) is the most sacred site for Buddhists the world over, as this is where the most important object in the Buddhist world, a tooth fragment recovered from the funeral pyre of the Buddha, is located. The relic itself is kept in a golden casket amid heavy security in the Inner Chamber of the temple. The temple complex is adorned with paintings and sculptures depicting the life of the Buddha.
Kandy also offers the opportunity to see a few traditional Kandyan dances at one of the city’s cultural performance centers. A troupe of dancers in vibrant costumes, accompanied by drummers, will give you a spectacular display of Kandyan dancing – leaving you mesmerized. An eventful day will wind down at the hotel you will be spending the night in Kandy.
Dinner and overnight stay at Hotel in Kandy
Day 3 is dedicated to the natural beauty of Sri Lanka. Following breakfast, the morning’s highlight will be the scenic hillside train ride from Kandy to Nanu Oya. Witness the beautiful landscape change and open up before you: from flat terrain to mountains, waterfalls, rivers and lakes. Tea plantations are aplenty, as this area is famous for producing the world’s best tea. Nanu Oya, the final destination, is 5 miles (8km) from the picturesque town of Nuwara Eliya. Look out for a very nice view of the famous Adam’s Peak, about 1½km from the station.
Dinner and overnight stay at Hotel in Nuwara Eliya
After breakfast you will be transferred to Yala National Park. There will be a stop en route in Ella to stop at the picturesque Ravana Falls. Continue to Yala and enjoy an evening safari giving you the chance to see leopards as they come out of their daytime slumber. Leopards may be the star attraction at Yala, but elephants, sloth bears, deer, jackals, wild boar, and a few hundred varieties of birds can be found throughout the national park. After the evening safari, you will head back to the hotel where you will spend the night.
Dinner and overnight stay at Hotel in Yala
You will be transferred to Galle after breakfast, which is the largest city and considered the southern capital of Sri Lanka. The main attractions in Galle include: the 17th Century Dutch Fort (a World Heritage Site) with a culture and style of its own, beautiful and rustic houses and shops built in the Dutch colonial style and narrow lanes paved neatly with cobblestone dating back in time. Galle city itself is a bustling place and due to its location on the coast, it is a major hub for fishing, transport and culture in Sri Lanka.
During the late afternoon, enjoy and relax in Unawatuna; one of the best beaches in the world. The calm waters of Unawatuna Bay and Thalpe offer you a chance to lie down and catch some sun, go for a long walk on a beautiful beach, or just dive into the still waters. Unawatuna is great for diving and snorkeling as well. Look forward to sundown and dinner at your overnight stay at a
Dinner and overnight stay at Hotel in Unawatuna/Galle
Your last full day starts in earnest in the small town of Mirissa, a few kilometres from Galle. It is the perfect place to experience an early morning whale and dolphin watching tour to see marine mammals up close in their natural habitat. Several species of dolphins, such as the bottlenose and spinner, and whales inhabit these waters. Sri Lanka’s coast has the largest colony of blue whales anywhere in the world. They can weigh up to 180 tonnes and as long as 30 metres – and Mirissa gives you the opportunity to see these giants of the ocean.
From Mirissa, you will be transferred to Colombo, the largest, busiest and most populated city in Sri Lanka. Colombo is a colourful city that grew from a small port town to be the most important centre for finance, trade, transport, education, and everything else in the country. A tour of Colombo city and shopping here should be taken up as shopping opportunities are aplenty – from street vendors to the more glitzy shopping malls – and bargains are to be had everywhere. Colombo city is a mix of colonial-era and modern buildings, and rapid development over the past few years. Your adventurous tour will wind down with your last overnight stay in Colombo or Negombo.
Dinner and overnight stay at Hotel in Colombo or Negombo
You will be taken to the Bandaranaike International Airport after breakfast for your departure from Sri Lanka.
