Your Itinerary
Welcome to Sri Lanka. On arrival at Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake, you will be met and transferred to your hotel in Colombo.
Check in and relax after your international flight. As most flights arrive late in the evening, we recommend booking a night prior to your tour commencing to ensure you are well rested
Special Information
Arrival airport transfers are included as part of your package. You will be met upon arrival at the airport and transferred to your hotel with other members of the group.
If Inspiring Vacations has not provided your international airfares, please ensure you provide your flight details via your Traveller Hub portal no later than 90 days prior to travel so that your transfers can be confirmed. If you are arriving early and have made your own arrangements prior to your tour commencing, or booked pre-accommodation through Inspiring Vacations, airport transfers will not be included.
This morning after breakfast, meet your tour leader and the rest of your group for a welcome meeting and an overview of the days ahead.
Afterwards, set out on a tour of Colombo, taking in the highlights of Sri Lanka's capital. Stops include Galle Face Green, the Red Mosque, Independence Square and the busy Pettah market area.
You will return to the hotel with the afternoon at leisure to explore at your own pace. The evening is at leisure.
Inspiring Highlights
Colombo city tour
Day 3 - Colombo [Bus] Galle
After breakfast, depart Colombo for Galle on the south coast.
En route, enjoy a boat ride on the Madu River, travelling through mangroves and past small villages and coastal scenery for a glimpse of rural life before reaching the mangrove lagoon.
On arrival in Galle, check in and relax. Dinner is at your hotel this evening.
Inspiring Highlights
Madu River boat ride
Special Information
Your travel time today will be approximately 4 hours.
After breakfast, enjoy a tour of the historic coastal city of Galle.
Highlights include the UNESCO-listed Galle Fort, with its colonial-era architecture and ramparts, and a walk through the fort's cobblestone streets with views over the Indian Ocean.
Return to the hotel with the afternoon at leisure. Dinner is at your hotel this evening.
Inspiring Highlights
Galle Fort tour
After breakfast, travel to the Yala region.
En route, visit the Elephant Transit Home at Udawalawe, a care centre for orphaned elephant calves that are looked after until they are strong enough to be released into the wild. You can watch the feeding from the viewing area.
On arrival, check in and enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure. Dinner is at your hotel this evening.
Inspiring Highlights
Elephant Transit Home
Special Information
Your travel time today will be approximately 4 hours.
Set out early this morning on a guided game drive in Yala National Park, one of the largest parks in Sri Lanka and among the best places to spot leopard, alongside a wide range of other wildlife.
Return to your hotel for breakfast, with the afternoon at leisure.
Dinner is at your hotel this evening.
Inspiring Highlights
Yala National Park guided game drive
Day 7 - Yala [Bus] Nuwara Eliya
After breakfast, travel to Nuwara Eliya in the hill country.
En route, stop in Tissamaharama for a curd-making experience, where fresh buffalo milk is prepared using traditional methods, fermented in clay pots and served with treacle, for an insight into rural village life.
In the afternoon, a tour of Nuwara Eliya takes in the hill town known as Little England, with its tea plantations, colonial-era buildings, gardens and Gregory Lake. Check in and relax, with dinner at your hotel this evening.
Inspiring Highlights
Curd-making experience, Tissamaharama
Nuwara Eliya city tour
Special Information
Your travel time today will be approximately 5 hours.
Day 8 - Nuwara Eliya [Bus] Kandy
After breakfast, travel to Kandy, a hill country city set around a lake and home to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, one of the most important Buddhist sites in Sri Lanka.
En route, visit a tea plantation and factory to see how tea is grown, picked and processed, with the chance to buy tea on site. There are scenic photo stops along the way through the hill country.
On arrival in Kandy, check in and relax. Dinner is at your hotel this evening.
Inspiring Highlights
Tea plantation and factory visit
Special Information
Your travel time today will be approximately 4 hours.
This morning after breakfast, enjoy a tuk tuk ride through the streets of Kandy, with a tour of the city and the local bazaar for a look at daily life.
Afterwards, take part in a hands-on cooking experience in a local home, learning to prepare traditional Sri Lankan dishes with fresh spices and coconut, followed by a home-cooked meal.
Return to the hotel and relax. Dinner is at your hotel this evening.
Inspiring Highlights
Tuk tuk ride through Kandy
Sri Lankan cooking experience
Special Information
Today, optional activities are available and can be arranged and booked through your tour leader on the ground: the Temple of the Tooth and a Sri Lankan Cultural Dance performance (approx. LKR 3,500 per person). Please speak with your tour leader to organise.
Day 10 - Kandy [Bus] Sigiriya
After breakfast, travel to Sigiriya.
En route, see the traditional craft of Sri Lankan wood carving, then visit the Dambulla Cave Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site dating to the 1st century BC, set on a rock and holding around 150 images of the Buddha along with Hindu figures.
This evening, enjoy a tropical fruit tasting in the Sigiriya area, sampling a range of freshly picked seasonal fruit. Check in and relax, with dinner at your hotel this evening.
Inspiring Highlights
Sri Lankan wood carving
Dambulla Cave Temple
Tropical fruit tasting
Special Information
Your travel time today will be approximately 4 hours.
Set out early this morning to climb Sigiriya Rock Fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage Site dating to the late 5th century and one of the country's most remarkable historic sites.
Return to the hotel for breakfast. Afterwards, take part in a hands-on session making coconut roti, with the rest of the afternoon at leisure.
Later, enjoy a walking tour of Audangawa village, passing paddy fields, village paths and an irrigation lake, with farming activity and birdlife along the way. Return to the hotel, with dinner at your hotel this evening.
Inspiring Highlights
Sigiriya Rock Fortress climb
Coconut roti making
Audangawa village walk
Special Information
The climb at Sigiriya Rock Fortress involves a large number of steps and is steep in places. Please wear suitable footwear and take your time.
Day 12 - Sigiriya [Bus] Minneriya National Park [Bus] Sigiriya
Enjoy a relaxed morning after breakfast, by the pool or in the grounds.
In the afternoon, set out on a jeep safari at Minneriya National Park to see the gathering of elephants. In the dry season, from June to September, large numbers of elephants gather near the Minneriya Tank.
Return to the hotel, with dinner at your hotel this evening.
Inspiring Highlights
Minneriya National Park jeep safari
Special Information
Depending on elephant migration patterns, the safari may take place at Minneriya, Kaudulla or Eco Park. The elephant gathering is seasonal (June to September) and sightings cannot be guaranteed.
Day 13 - Sigiriya [Bus] Negombo [Bus] Colombo
After breakfast, travel from Sigiriya to Negombo.Enjoy a relaxed day at leisure at the hotel, a late checkout until 8pm is available if required.You will be collected and transferred to Bandaranaike International Airport for your departure flight.Thank you for travelling with Inspiring Vacations. We hope you had a memorable experience.Special InformationYour travel time today will be approximately 5 hours.Departure transfers are included as part of your package. You will be collected from your hotel at the appropriate time and transferred to the airport to meet your flight. If you choose to extend your stay (e.g. departing after the final tour date) and have booked your additional accommodation independently, this included service will be forfeited and no refund will be issued. If Inspiring Vacations has not provided your international airfares, please ensure you provide your flight details via your Traveller Hub portal no later than 90 days prior to travel so that your transfers can be confirmed.It is advisable to be at the airport 3 hours prior to your flight.
