Best of Sri Lanka – 9 Days

Welcome to Sri Lanka.

Upon your arrival at Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo, be greeted and picked up by your chauffeur guide. Then take a private vehicle to your hotel in Negombo, a seaside town known for its centuries-old fishing industry. It will take about 20 minutes on the road. Check in to the hotel and have some rest.

Today, take an early morning visit to a local Negombo Fish Market. It's interesting to walk into the alive market near the seaside to see how the fishermen harvest and sell fish, you may have a further understanding of the traditional fishing industry after the visiting.

In the afternoon, be transferred to Sigiriya where the famous landmark - Lion Rock is located at. It takes about 5 hours from Negombo to Sigiriya, you can stop en route for a short break.

After breakfast, head for the Sigiriya Rock Fortress (Lion Rock), which is a UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site. The rock is surrounded by an extensive network of gardens, lily-covered moats, ponds, canals, alleys and fountains, where you can spend some time. Climb up to the top of the rock, you will see the renowned frescoes, in particular a gallery of the ladies' figures. At the top, the ancient urban planning will be shown in front of you.
In the afternoon, have a glance at the rural area by taking a jeep or a tuk tuk into the village of Hiriwadunna. En route, you will see paddy fields and rural vegetable plantations. Row across the lake to the other side and you may enjoy a stunning sunset view in fine weather.

On this day, pay a visit to the Dambulla Cave Temple, also known as the Golden Temple of Dambulla, which represents one of the oldest sites for Buddhist monasticism.
After that, set off to Kandy and stop en route for visiting a spice garden where you can enjoy a complimentary Ayurveda Massage. Once you arrive in Kandy, watch an interesting Kandyan cultural dance before walking to the nearby Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. The temple was built for housing and honoring the sacred tooth relic. The rest of the day is for your own exploration.

Start today's sightseeing from the Royal Botanical Garden in Peradeniya near Kandy. Occupying 59 hectares (146 acres), it home to over 300 species of plants. There is an avenue of coconut palm trees, a spice garden, giant bamboos, rubber trees, an orchard collection and a giant Javanese fig tree.
The afternoon is your free time. Either strolling around Kandy Lake or shopping in the downtown market depends on you.

Head to Galle in the morning. The 6-hour drive may not make you tired as there are many tea plantations along the way making the view outside the window beautiful and special. If you are interested, we can arrange a tea plantation visit for you. When arriving in Galle, check in to your hotel and enjoy some leisure time.

Declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Galle is delightful for exploring on foot. Feel the exotic architecture style at the Galle Dutch Fort differing from the other of the local. Strolling along the coast with the coming sea wind, you will see some Dutch churches and find the charm of this former colonial town.

Get on a train at Galle Railway Station to Colombo. The 3-4 hours' train journey along the beautiful coastline will be one of the most memorable parts of your whole trip. You will view the blue Indian Ocean all along the way.

As soon as you arrive at the railway station of Colombo, be picked up by your local chauffeur guide and then be escorted to your hotel.

Note: The train is mainly for local passengers and it couldn't be pre-booked. If the tickets were sold out, we will change the train into the private vehicle.

A morning guided tour for exploring the city of Colombo will take you to the Independence Square, the Gangaramaya Temple, the Galle Face Green, the Colombo National Museum and the former British Administrative Center, etc.
In the afternoon, leave for the airport for your flight back home. Say goodbye to Sri Lanka.