Undiscovered Sri Lanka

Day 1

Arrival Colombo

Upon arrival at the airport, you’ll be escorted by car to your accommodation. The remainder of your day will be spent at leisure.

Day 2

Colombo – Tea Country

This morning your private driver will transport you inland to the Tea Country, passing coconut and rubber plantations and winding alongside the Kelani River. 

Check into your accommodation, a classic colonial bungalow built for the British tea estate managers during the days of the Raj, and enjoy your new surroundings. 

Day 3

Tea Country – Adam’s Peak

Your day starts with a Tea Trails experience, as a resident tea planter demonstrates the tea-making process from planting to picking and tasting. Your tour culminates with a tea tasting. 

After lunch, see one of the most famous peaks in the world, Adam’s Peak, sacred to three major religions.

Day 4

Tea Country – Kandy

Day 4 starts with a scenic train journey from the Tea Country to Kandy, passing lush tea plantations, majestic peaks, and waterfalls. Upon arrival, you’ll be escorted to your accommodation in Kandy. 

After lunch, enjoy a guided tour of the Royal Botanical Gardens with a professor of botany. 

Day 5

Kandy

This morning you’ll enjoy a guided walk around the city, exploring the vibrant Central Market and the Temple of the Tooth, Sri Lanka’s most sacred temple. 

You have some free time in the afternoon. You could explore the atmospheric British Garrison Cemetery or head into the Hunas Mountains. Your Lightfoot Travel Designer can recommend activities that suit your needs prior to departure.  

Day 6

Kandy – The Cultural Triangle

Your private driver will transport you to the Cultural Triangle, home to four of Sri Lanka’s eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya, and Dambulla. 

Throughout the next two days you’ll enjoy guided tours of each site, along with a visit to a working spice garden and lunch at Ena de Silva’s estate, a Sri Lankan artist and renowned batik maker. 

Day 7

Kandy – The Cultural Triangle

Continue to explore the Cultural Triangle, home to four of Sri Lanka’s eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

If you have time, you can also visit the Minneriya National Park, home to the world’s largest gathering of wild Asian elephants. 

Day 8

The Cultural Triangle – Trincomalee

Time for a change of pace as you’re transported to Trincomalee in the northeast of Sri Lanka, home to some of the country’s most spectacular beaches. 

Relax on the beach, go swimming and snorkelling, bathe in hot springs and explore the local temples. If visiting between May and October, embark on a whale-watching excursion. 

Day 9

The Cultural Triangle – Trincomalee

Time for a change of pace as you’re transported to Trincomalee in the northeast of Sri Lanka, home to some of the country’s most spectacular beaches. 

Relax on the beach, go swimming and snorkelling, bathe in hot springs and explore the local temples. If visiting between May and October, head out on a thrilling whale-watching excursion. 

Day 10

Trincomalee – Jaffna

Enjoy one final morning of lazing on the sand beach before your flight to Jaffna in the Northern Province. Check into your hotel and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

Day 11

Jaffna

Today you’ll visit the magnificent Hindu temple of Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil at puja time, when at its most atmospheric. Enjoy lunch in a local restaurant before visiting Jaffna library and taking a stroll past the fort and along the edge of the Indian Ocean.

Day 12

Jaffna – Colombo

The day starts with a short flight to Colombo. You have time to relax and enjoy lunch before meeting a local photographer who’ll take you on a guided tour of the city while explaining its history and culture.  

Round off your trip with a visit to one of the top seafood restaurants in the world to try their speciality: crab. 

Day 13

Departure

Today you’ll be escorted to the airport for your onward journey.