Jewels of Sri Lanka

On arrival you will be met by your local guide and transferred to Dambulla which will take approximately 4 hours. The rest of your evening at leisure.
Meals Included: D

Depart in the morning to explore the stunning Sigiriya Rock Fortress, a World Heritage Site dating back to the 5th century AD. Also known as the 'Lion Rock', it is a citadel of unusual beauty rising 200 metres from the jungle. Following lunch continue on to the ancient city of Polonnaruwa which was once a royal capital of the Sinhalese kingdom and is over 1000 years old. It was chosen as the capital as it was advantageously positioned to safeguard against possible attacks from the southeast, as well as supposedly having fewer mosquitoes! Here you can admire the ruins of the Royal Palace and wander around the Gal Vihara, famous for its splendid carved Buddha statues. Please note: photography is prohibited in parts of the Sigiriya Rock Fortress. Prohibited areas will be clearly signposted.

Meals Included: B, L, D

After breakfast, visit the Dambulla Rock Temple, where the impressive caves contain over 2000sq metres of painted walls and ceilings which were once gilded by the ancient King to mark his place of worship. You will then travel to Kandy en route visiting a spice garden followed by lunch and check in at your hotel. Continue to the famous Temple of Tooth Relic in the afternoon - Sri Lanka's most important Buddhist relic and one of the holiest shrines in the Buddhist world. Before dinner relax whilst watching an eclectic cultural show, where performers will dazzle you with ornate costumes and traditional dances.

Meals Included: B, L, D

Today you will travel to the beautiful botanical gardens in Peradeniya, boasting more than 4,000 species of trees, plants, orchids and creepers. Next, a highlight of this tour is a trip to the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, established in 1975 to care for abandoned and wounded elephants. Witness these magnificent creatures in close quarters and see elephants being fed, bathed and trained by the wildlife authorities. This evening enjoy a city tour of Kandy, including the bazaar and arts and crafts centre and a gem museum. Kandy was the last capital of the ancient kings and after defending themselves for over three centuries from the Dutch and Portuguese it finally fell to the hands of the British in 1815.

Meals Included: B, L, D

Departing Kandy this morning, breathe in the divine scent of Ceylon tea on a morning tour of a sweeping tea plantation, before participating in a walking tour of Nuwara Eliya, whose idyllic mountainside setting strikingly overlooks its neighbouring valleys, meadows and peaks. A truly tranquil district often referred to as the ‘Little England’ of Sri Lanka, take in vistas of misty hillsides, peppered with brightly dressed tea pickers en route to your hotel near Yala.

Meals Included: B, L, D

Meals Included: B, L, D

Following breakfast, you will arrive in Galle, once the chief port of Ceylon and the centre of the Dutch regime in the 17th century. A city tour lets you discover the majestic Galle Fort and the surrounding historic buildings which reflect the Dutch heritage which once reined the country. Travel north, to Colombo, for your final night.

Meals Included: B, L, D

Transfer to the airport for your flight to the UK.

Meals Included: B