7 days · Cultural Triangle, hills and south coast
Island Essentials
The classic loop for a first visit: Sigiriya at dawn, the Kandy to Ella train, a Yala safari and two nights by the sea at Galle. Fast-paced but not frantic.
Highlights
- Sigiriya at opening time
- Reserved seats on the scenic train
- Leopard safari in Yala
- Sunset on Galle ramparts
Day by day
- Day 01
Arrive and head straight for the ancient cities
Your driver meets you at arrivals with a SIM card and cold water. We drive 3.5 hours north to Sigiriya, stopping for lunch and a first curry on the way. Evening free by the pool.
Sleep in Sigiriya - Day 02
Lion Rock and the cave temples
Climb Sigiriya at 7 am with a site guide, before the sun and the crowds. Afternoon at the Dambulla caves, then a village canoe and bullock-cart supper.
Sleep in Sigiriya - Day 03
Spice gardens and the Temple of the Tooth
Stop at a Matale spice garden for real cinnamon, then Kandy. Evening puja at the Temple of the Tooth, with drummers and the relic chamber open.
Sleep in Kandy - Day 04
The train through the tea
Peradeniya gardens in the morning, then the reserved-seat train from Kandy through Nuwara Eliya to Ella, 6 hours of tea gardens and cloud forest. Your driver meets you with your bags.
Sleep in Ella - Day 05
Nine Arch to leopard country
Sunrise on Little Adam's Peak, the Nine Arch Bridge, then down through Ravana Falls to Tissamaharama. Afternoon jeep safari in Yala.
Sleep in Yala - Day 06
Dawn safari, then the coast
A second safari at 6 am for the best leopard odds, then along the coast road via Mirissa to Galle Fort. Stay inside the walls.
Sleep in Galle - Day 07
Rampart walk and departure
Sunrise walk on the ramparts, breakfast in a courtyard cafe, then 2.5 hours to the airport by expressway. If your flight is late we add a stop at Bentota.
Departure
Included
- Private air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking chauffeur-guide for the whole trip
- All fuel, parking, tolls and the driver's meals and accommodation
- Hand-picked hotels with daily breakfast
- Airport pick-up and drop-off, whatever time your flight lands
- Reserved-seat train tickets where the route includes the hill-country train
- Licensed site guides at UNESCO sites
- Unlimited bottled water in the vehicle and a local SIM card on arrival
- 24-hour WhatsApp line to a real person in Colombo
Not included
- International flights
- Entrance fees (we list every one in your quote so there are no surprises)
- Lunches and dinners, unless stated
- Jeep safari fees and boat charters, unless stated
- Travel insurance and visa
- Tips
