Sri Lanka Tour

HIGHLIGHTS

Attend Navam Perahara with the locals on full moon night, an exciting grand procession with dancers, fire performers and over 60 decorated elephants
Visit the Cultural Triangle of Sri Lanka: Anuradhpura, Polonnaruwa, Sigirya and Dambulla
Explore the World Heritage City of Kandy and see traditional Kandyan dance performances
Attend puja at the Dalada Maligawa where the Sacred Tooth Relic of Buddha is preserved

Travel to Sri Lanka and journey through history from delightful Colombo with its contemporary cafes and art galleries to Anuradhapura, the first capital of Sri Lanka in the 3rd century BC. We visit the enchanting medieval capital of Polonnaruwa, the 5th century Sigirya, a complex of caved temples, bathing pools, lovely ponds and Asia's oldest surviving landscaped gardens. Enroute to Kandy, we will enjoy visits to Pinnewala Elephant Orphanage, tea plantations, spice gardens, museums and art galleries and revered sites such as the Sri Maha Boddhi, the oldest historically documented tree in the world, dating back over 2000 years. We end our tour in Kandy, a World Heritage City which is surrounded by mountains, green velvet tea plantations and the Mahaweli River. Kandy is a fascinating city rich in cultural heritage, arts and crafts, music, and dance.

Full moon poya parade in Colombo

ITINERARY

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Day 1-3: Meet in Colombo
Tour the vibrant city of Colombo including art galleries, posh Cinnamon Gardens and Gangaramaya Temple. Attend the full moon poya with the locals.

Day 4-7: Anuradhapura - Sigiriya - Polonnaruwa
Visit the fascinating and beautiful cultural triangle. The island's Buddhist influence has produced magnificent architecture as seen in the massive Dagabas, the ornate pleasure gardens and palaces decorated with excellent sculptures. One of the most important places of worship is the Sri Maha Bodhi in Anuradhapura. Sigiriya, a 5th century massive rock fortress rising 183 meters above the surrounding green scrub jungle, perhaps the most memorable place for visitors to Sri Lanka, was just declared a world heritage site.

Rarely visited by tourists, Polonnaruwa is a mystical place, incredibly beautiful and unspoiled, with shady forests filled with streams, pools and granite boulders. Its ancient, elegant stone pathways wind through the forest to well-preserved palace ruins, bathing pools, stupas and exquisite rock sculptures of the Buddha.

Day 8-10: Kandy
Enroute to Kandy we visit Dambulla Golden Temple, Pinnewala Elephant Orphanage in time for the bathing, and Spice Gardens. Kandy is a fascinating city rich in cultural heritage of arts and crafts, music, and dance. We visit the main temples and attend puja at the “Dalada Maligawa”, the city's greatest attraction, where the Sacred Tooth Relic of Buddha is preserved.

Day 10: Evening Departure