Colombo Trip Overview
Sri Lanka has absolutely everything” cited as the 2nd best place to visit in the world by National Geographic channel, Sri Lanka is the best place to have your dream holiday, whatever your requirement is Sri Lanka has it all. Whether you prefer the west coast or the east coast, you’ll find extensive lush coconut palm-fringed tropical beaches for sun basking, a living heritage of 2500 years, Colourful Wildlife, mist capped mountains with rolling tea estates and host of adventures for the thrill seeker. Sri Lanka trip encompasses visit to prime tourist hotspots such as its capital city Colombo, Kandy, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa which is UNESCO World Heritage Site and Trincomalee which is the main hindu beach town of the country. So, book your Sri Lanka tour package and have a lovely holiday.
• Enjoy personalized attention on a private tour
• Hassle-free hotel pickup and drop-offs
• Travel comfortably in an air-conditioned vehicle with a travel guide driver
Additional Info
Duration: 6 days
Starts: Colombo, Sri Lanka
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Cultural Tours
Explore Colombo Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Colombo, Western Province, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka has absolutely everything” cited as the 2nd best place to visit in the world by National Geographic channel, Sri Lanka is the best place to have your dream holiday, whatever your requirement is Sri Lanka has it all. Whether you prefer the west coast or the east coast, you’ll find extensive lush coconut palm-fringed tropical beaches for sun basking, a living heritage of 2500 years, Colourful Wildlife, mist capped mountains with rolling tea estates and host of adventures for the thrill seeker. Sri Lanka trip encompasses visit to prime tourist hotspots such as its capital city Colombo, Kandy, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa which is UNESCO World Heritage Site and Trincomalee which is the main hindu beach town of the country. So, book your Sri Lanka tour package and have a lovely holiday.
• Enjoy personalized attention on a private tour
• Hassle-free hotel pickup and drop-offs
• Travel comfortably in an air-conditioned vehicle with a travel guide driver
Itinerary
Day 1: Negombo/Colombo – Wilpattu – Anuradhapura
Stop At: Wilpattu National Park, Sri Lanka
Wilpattu National Park has a good network of gravel roads, particularly between the water holes which are the best places to observe wild life. A unique complex of over 50 wetlands like “everglades” called “Villu” is the most prominent feature of the national park jungle. Jeep Safari is the regular norm in exploring the Wilpattu National Park. While the big 4 of Sri Lankan wild life the Leopard, Elephant, Sloth bear, Deer, endemic birds can be sighted easily during a half day safari, During the safari, the tourists aren’t supposed to get off the jeep at the tracks of the wild animals and expose themselves to the possible encounters in the wilderness. With the trackers at the Wilpattu National Park guiding the wildlife safaris, the visitors are always safe though in the thick of wilderness.
Duration: 6 hours
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight stay in a 3 Star Hotel in Anuradhapura
Day 2: Anuradhapura – Mihintale
Stop At: Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, Anuradhapura Sri Lanka
Located in Anuradhapura and believed to be the oldest planted tree in the world, the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi goes all the way back to the 3rd century BC. The sacred fig tree signifies the religion of Buddhism as the official religion of the country, as it is the sapling of the very tree Lord Buddha attained enlightenment in Buddha Gaya, India. It was eventually brought by the daughter of the emperor, Sangamittha Thera and planted in the Royal Gardens of Anuradhapura. The Jaya Sri Maha Bodhiya today is visited annually by devout Buddhists to pay homage and perform rituals for good fortune and blessings.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Ruwanweli Maha Seya, Abhayawewa Road, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka
Standing majestically in the hallowed precincts of the Anuradhapura Sacred City is the Swarnamali Stupa, the emblem of sanctity, blessed with the presence of the Buddha and venerated by gods, great kings and Buddhists for over centuries and beyond.The immaculate dagaba reaching to the cloud laden sky appeared almost like part of the sky, harmonising with the spiritual and celestial worlds above. The Ruwanweliseya enshrined with the sacred relics of the Buddha evokes reverence and instills a sense of tranquillity in the hearts of the Buddhist devotees converging on the sacred site.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Jethawanaramaya Stupa, Watawandana Road B341, Anuradhapura 50000 Sri Lanka
The Jetavanaramaya is a stupa located in the ruins of Jetavana in the sacred world heritage city of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. Mahasena of Anuradhapura (273–301) initiated the construction of the stupa following the destruction of the mahavihara. His son Maghavanna I completed the construction of the stupa. A part of a sash or belt tied by the Buddha is believed to be the relic that is enshrined here.The structure is significant in the island’s history for it represents the tensions within the Theravada and Mahayana sects of Buddhism; it is also significant in recorded history as one of the tallest structures in the ancient world; the height of the stupa is 400 feet, making it the tallest stupa in the ancient world. The structure is no longer the tallest, but it is still the largest, with a base-area of 233,000 m2 .
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Isurumuniya Temple, At Royal Pleasure Gardens, Anuradhapura 50000 Sri Lanka
The Isurumuniya Viharaya was constructed during the reign of Devanampiya Tissa who governed in Anuradhapura, the country’s capital. During his reign 500 high caste children were ordained, and Isurumuniya was built as a monastic complex to house all of them. The temple is most famous for the stone carving called Isurumuniya Lovers, this was originally found in Royal Pleasure Gardens and brought here.The carving of the “Isurumuniya Lovers” has sparked many legends over the centuries. The carving depicts a woman sitting on a man’s lap, lifting a finger in what some people interpret as a manifestation of her coyness. There are few interpretations surrounding the carvings, since there are no records exist of whom exactly unraveled in the carving. Isurumuniya Temple is also known for few other carvings such as the bathing Elephants and Horseman which is believed Parjanya, the rain God and The Royal Family.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Mihinthale, Sri Lanka
Mihintale is a mountain peak near Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka. It is believed by Sri Lankans to be the site of a meeting between the Buddhist monk Mahinda and King Devanampiyatissa which inaugurated the presence of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. It is now a pilgrimage site, and the site of several religious monuments and abandoned structures. The traditional spot where this meeting took place is revered by the Buddhists of Sri Lanka.The climb to Mihintale is not strenuous – it takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes. The best time to climb is in the early morning or the late afternoon. Mihintale is a fabulous place to see the sunset. Mihintale is not touristy at all. Archaeologists and historians say that the ruins of the great 40 foot stupa and the surrounding caves date back to the 1st century B.C.
Duration: 1 hour
Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight Stay in a 3 Star Hotel in Anuradhapura
Day 3: Anuradhapura – Trincomalee
Stop At: Pigeon Island National Park, Public Beach Road, Nilaveli 31010 Sri Lanka
The island just one kilometre and a few minutes by boat, from Nilaveli Coast, Trincomalee is in itself a unique destination. Lush greenery and white sandy shores enveloped by the foaming waves of the bright sapphire ocean, The Pigeon Island Marine Park is a must visit for the ocean lovers and the adventerous; snorkelling amidst the colourful schools of fish and the conserved coral reefs is an exhilarating experience! Used as a shooting ramge in Colonial era the Pigeon Islan National park is a famous site with both Locals and tourists.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Trincomalee War Cemetery, Nilaveli Road, Trincomalee 31000 Sri Lanka
The Trincomalee war cemetery is a British war cemetery located in the Trincomalle – Nilaweli road. It was built for British Soldiers who died during the world War II. The cemetery is one of the six Commonwealth war cemeteries in Sri Lanka. Established in 1948, the British War Cemetery is owned by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and maintained by the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defense. There are 303 graves in the cemetery.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Fort Frederick, Trincomalee Town, Trincomalee 31000 Sri Lanka
This was built in the 1600s, Ford Frederick is a colonial fort by the Portuguese in the Trincomalee Town. The Fort is well known to house within it, the Koneswaram Temple, yet another attraction in this area. Captured by a Dutch fleet, the Fort was re-created, to defend against any threats from the British and the French. Currently, it is manned by the Sri Lankan Army and is an alluring tourist destination depicting the footprints left behind by the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Koneswaram Temple, Trincomalee Sri Lanka
Located 4000 feet above the sea, at the southern extremity of the peninsula that separate the inner from the outer Trincomallee harbor lies a magnificent Hindu Temple which is built for Lord Shiva. According to legend a Hindu Prince sailed to Sri Lanka to built a temple for Lord Shiva on the Swarmi Rock after learning that it was a fragment of Holy Mountain Meru. The temple became popularly known as Koneswaram Temple Trincomalee.
Duration: 1 hour
Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight Stay in a 3 Star Hotel in Trincomalee
Day 4: Trincomalee – Polonnaruwa
Stop At: Trincomalee Harbour, Trincomalee 31000 Sri Lanka
Trincomalee harbour is a seaport situated in Trincomalee Bay or Koddiyar Bay. This a large natural harbour situated on the northeastern coast of Sri Lanka. The importance of this natural harbour is immense as it has the capacity to anchor large number of ships. Currently there are some ships anchored in this harbour. Boat rides are arranged by the Navy Base of Trincomalee. Permissions has to be granted to enter the Naval Base. There are some historical stories related to this harbour. The Trincomalee harbour is one of the largest natural harbours in the world with 1630 hectares of water and an entrance channel which is 500 m wide
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Trincomalee Harbour, Trincomalee 31000 Sri Lanka
Trincomalee harbour is a seaport situated in Trincomalee Bay or Koddiyar Bay. This a large natural harbour situated on the northeastern coast of Sri Lanka. The importance of this natural harbour is immense as it has the capacity to anchor large number of ships. Currently there are some ships anchored in this harbour. Boat rides are arranged by the Navy Base of Trincomalee. Permissions has to be granted to enter the Naval Base. There are some historical stories related to this harbour. The Trincomalee harbour is one of the largest natural harbours in the world with 1630 hectares of water and an entrance channel which is 500 m wide.
Duration: 1 hour
Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight Stay in a 3 Star hotel in Polonnaruwa
Day 5: Polonnaruwa – Kandy
Stop At: Vejayanta Pasada,King parakramabahu, W2V2+282, Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka
The Royal Palace constructed by Parakramabahu I was a magnificent structure measuring 31m by 13m, and is said to have had seven storeys. Today its crumbling remains look like giant cavity-ravaged molars.The 3m-thick walls have holes to receive the floor beams for two higher floors; however, if there were another four levels, these must have been made of wood. The roof in this main hall, which had 50 rooms in all, was supported by 30 columns.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Gal Viharaya, Unnamed Road, Sri Lanka
The Gal Vihara, also known as Gal Viharaya and originally as the Uttararama, is a rock temple of the Buddha situated in the ancient city of Polonnaruwa in North Central Province, Sri Lanka. It was fashioned in the 12th century by Parakramabahu I. The central feature of the temple is four rock relief statues of the Buddha, which have been carved into the face of a large granite rock. The images consist of a large seated figure, another smaller seated figure inside an artificial cavern, a standing figure and a reclining figure. These are considered to be some of the best examples of ancient Sinhalese sculpting and carving arts, and have made the Gal Vihara the most visited monument at Polonnaruwa.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Polonnaruwa Vatadage, Sacred City, Polonnaruwa Sri Lanka
The Polonnaruwa Vatadge is an ancient structure located in a quadrangular area, Dalada Maluva in the ancient city of Polonnaruwa in Sri Lanka. The Vatadage occupies most of the southwestern area of Dalada Maluva and is the prominent structure among other oldest and most sacred monuments of the city. The Vatadge has a similar design with that of the structures belonging to the Anuradhapura period, especially Thuparamaya and Lankaramaya.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Lankathilaka Image House, Polonnaruwa Sri Lanka
Polonnaruwa Lankathilaka Image House is a monolithic Buddha image house built by king Parakramabahu (1153-1186) lying on the South of Kiri Vehera. The building is complete made out of bricks and the outer walls are covered with elaborate designs and carvings. The Buddha statue is also completely made out of clay bricks and it has been 41 feet in height. Specially made flat bricks have been used to build this statue and today the portion above the shoulder is destroyed. Polonnaruwa Lankathilaka Image House is a monolithic Buddha image house built by king Parakramabahu (1153-1186) lying on the South of Kiri Vehera. The building is complete made out of bricks and the outer walls are covered with elaborate designs and carvings. The Buddha statue is also completely made out of clay bricks and it has been 41 feet in height. Specially made flat bricks have been used to build this statue and today the portion above the shoulder is destroyed.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Parakrama Samudra, Sri Lanka
Another ancient monument that was built in the 12th century during the reign of King Parakramabahu, the Parakrama Samudra is a testament to the engineers of the ancient kingdom. As Polonnaruwa lies in the dry and arid lands of the island, the area experiences two seasons of monsoon rain, which was never enough to keep the populace healthy.The Parakrama Samudra, sometimes called the ‘Sea of Parakrama’ was built as an irrigation solution, so as to supply water for the many paddy cultivations in the kingdom. Even today, the Parakrama Samudra supplies water to over 18000 acres of neighbouring cultivations. Presently though, the original grandeur has been lost due to the reconstruction of the artificial lake, which isolated two tributary rivers that fed the lake, namely the Kalahagala River and the Bhu River. In other words, the present lake is only fed by the Thopa River, Eramudu River, and the Dumbuthulu River.
Duration: 1 hour
Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight Stay in a 3 Star Hotel in Kandy
Day 6: Kandy – Negombo/Colombo
Stop At: Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, Sri Dalada Veediya, Kandy 20000 Sri Lanka
Sri Dalada Maligawa or the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is a Buddhist temple in the city of Kandy, Sri Lanka. It is located in the royal palace complex which houses the relic of the tooth of Buddha. Since ancient times, the relic has played an important role in local politics because it is believed that whoever holds the relic holds the governance of the country. Monks of the two chapters of Malwatte and Asgiriya conduct daily worship in the inner chamber of the temple. Rituals are performed three times daily: at dawn, at noon and in the evenings.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Royal Botanical Gardens, Peradeniya Road, Peradeniya 20400 Sri Lanka
As Sri Lanka’s largest garden an elegant and spacious 147-acres plenty of time is needed to stroll Peradeniya’s imposing Avenue of Royal Palms.There are some 4,000 different species of plants at Peradeniya Gardens. The 10,000 or so trees, which are the stars, are mature, lofty giants, many of them tropical timber trees. Highlights of the collection include the Giant Bamboo of Burma, capable of growing to 40 meters height with a 25-centimetre stem diameter. Absolutely sensational is the century old giant Javan fig tree, its tentacle like roots spread across the enormous area of about 1,800 square meters a massive central trunk beneath the tree’s vast canopy ‘umbrella’The gardens showcase all of Sri Lanka’s flora and representative species from around the tropical world. Luminaries as varied as Queen Elizabeth II, Marshal Tito and Yuri Gugarin have planted trees to mark their visits to the garden.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Bahirawakanda Vihara Buddha Statue, Bahirawa Kanda Rd, Kandy, Sri Lanka
The Bahirawakanda Vihara Buddha Statue is situated on a hill named just 2 km from the Temple of the Tooth Relic. This beautifully sculptured white Buddha statue was built in 1972. Standing at 88 feet, it is considered as one of the biggest Buddha statues in Sri Lanka. There is a Buddhist temple located alongside the Buddha statue in the Bahirawa Kanda hill. The hill provides panoramic views of the Kandy city including the mountain range nearby and the Bogambara prison. Devotees can worship in the temple.The Bahirawakanda Vihara Buddha Statue displays Lord Buddha seated in the Nirvana pose and can be viewed from the entire city of Kandy.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Kandy Lake, Centre of Kandy City, Kandy 20000 Sri Lanka
Dominating the town is Kandy Lake. A leisurely stroll around it, with a few stops on the lakeside seats, is a pleasant way to spend a few hours, although diesel-spurting buses careening around the southern edge of the lake can mar the peace somewhat. The nicest part to walk along is the area around the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. Due to some past cases of harassment, single women should not walk here alone after dark. The lake is artificial and was created in 1807 by Sri Wickrama Rajasinha, the last ruler of the kingdom of Kandy. Several minor local chiefs protested because their people objected to labouring on the project. In order to stop the protests they were put to death on stakes in the lake bed. The central island was used as Sri Wickrama Rajasinha’s personal harem. Later the British used it as an ammunition store and added the fortress-style parapet around the perimeter.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Kandy Lake Club – Cultural Dance Show, 7 Sangamitta Mawatha, Kandy 20000 Sri Lanka
With elaborate costumes, gyrating dance moves and show-stopping, fire-breathing stunts, a Kandyan dance performance is one of the defining experiences of a stay in Kandy. Calling it a traditional Kandyan dance performance is something of a misnomer as the shows are very much aimed at audience entertainment and contain dance routines and costumes from across the country, including the famous ‘devil’ dances of the west coast.
Duration: 1 hour
Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.
