Watch a Kandyan cultural dance performance in Kandy, where drummers set the pace for dancers in elaborate costumes. Acrobatic movement and fire acts add to a programme rooted in Sri Lanka’s performing traditions.

Kandyan dance has connections to ritual and royal court performance. Seeing its rhythms and precise movements on stage offers a lively introduction to an art form that remains an important expression of the island’s cultural heritage.

• 7 Dinner (D)
• 10 Breakfast (B)
• 4 Lunch (L)

• Colombo: Explore Colombo on foot, where history and modern life sit side by side. You’ll visit Independence Square, a symbol of Sri Lanka’s freedom, before weaving through the lively streets of Pettah. Stop at the Red Mosque, a striking landmark, then step into Gangaramaya Temple, known for its mix of architectural styles. You’ll pass the old and new Parliament buildings before viewing the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall, a gift from China.
• Sigiriya: Climb to the top of this UNESCO World Heritage Site, a royal citadel that towers over the jungle. You’ll pass ancient frescoes and the lion’s paws before reaching the summit, panoramic views make the ascent worthwhile.
• Polonnaruwa: This UNESCO World Heritage Site showcases the grandeur of Sri Lanka’s medieval capital. Explore the Royal Palace complex, walk through the ancient Quadrangle and see the Gal Vihara, where four massive Buddha statues are carved from a single granite slab, a remarkable example of Sri Lanka’s artistic heritage.
• Dambulla: Step into Sri Lanka’s largest and best-preserved cave monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with over 150 Buddha statues and centuries-old murals. Sitting high above the plains, this sacred site has been a place of worship for over 2,000 years.
• Kandy: Visit one of Buddhism’s most important pilgrimage sites, where a tooth believed to belong to the Buddha, Sri Lanka’s most sacred relic, is kept inside a golden casket. Walk through the temple’s halls, see its detailed carvings and take in the atmosphere of this deeply spiritual place.
• Kandy: Watch a vibrant display of Sri Lanka’s cultural heritage as Kandyan dancers take the stage. Once performed in royal courts and sacred rituals, this energetic tradition comes to life with rhythmic drumming, acrobatic leaps and striking costumes. Fire-breathers and drummers add to the spectacle, making it an unforgettable experience.
• Nuwara Eliya: Wind through Sri Lanka’s hill country on one of the world’s most scenic train rides. Rolling tea plantations, misty mountains and cascading waterfalls unfold outside your window as the train climbs towards Nuwara Eliya, the heart of the island’s tea industry.
• Nuwara Eliya: Visit a Ceylon tea estate to see firsthand how Sri Lanka’s world-famous tea is made. Walk through the plantations, watch the leaves being processed and learn about the different stages of production, finishing with a freshly brewed cup.
• Nuwara Eliya: Explore Nuwara Eliya, a town shaped by its British colonial past. Stroll past the Tudor-style post office, through the landscaped paths of Victoria Park and to Gregory Lake. Stop by the historic Grand Hotel and the exclusive Hill Club, both echoes of a bygone era.
• Tissamaharama: Stop in Tissamaharama to see how Sri Lanka’s famous buffalo curd is made. Walk through the farm, watch fresh milk strained and boiled before it’s set to ferment in clay pots. Finish with a taste: thick, creamy curd topped with sweet treacle, a simple yet delicious treat.
• Yala National Park: Venture into Yala National Park, home to Sri Lanka’s most diverse wildlife on a guided game drive. Keep your camera ready because this is one of the best places in the world to spot leopards in the wild.
• Galle: Along the shores of Weligama, see one of Sri Lanka’s most iconic sights, stilt fishermen balancing on wooden poles, casting their lines into the Indian Ocean. This centuries-old tradition, passed down through generations, is a testament to the island’s deep connection to the sea. Watch as they skilfully fish in the shallows, a unique and timeless practice found only in this region.
• Discover the history of Galle Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Walk along the Dutch-built ramparts, past colonial-era buildings, cafes and boutiques. Visit the famous Galle Lighthouse, the oldest in Sri Lanka and learn how this centuries-old fort has shaped the city and its people.

• Selected hotel dinners plus a locally hosted meal
• 4-star stays
• Deluxe coach and train travel

Trafalgar

Meet your Travel Director and fellow travellers over a welcome dinner in Colombo. Taste Sri Lankan-style hoppers: delicate, bowl-shaped pancakes made from fermented rice-flour batter, often served with savoury accompaniments.

The meal offers an introduction to the island’s food traditions and a chance to get to know the people sharing your journey. Hoppers are a familiar sight at Sri Lankan breakfast tables and evening food stalls, making them a fitting first taste of Colombo.

Explore Colombo on foot, taking in Independence Square, Pettah and the Red Mosque. Step inside Gangaramaya Temple, where Buddhist devotional spaces sit alongside an eclectic collection of art and architectural details.

See how Sri Lanka’s capital layers colonial-era streets, places of worship and modern civic landmarks. The route also takes in views of the old and new Parliament buildings and the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall, offering a broad introduction to the city’s public life.

See Kurunegala’s hilltop Buddha statue overlooking this town in Sri Lanka’s north-west. Its elevated setting gives the visit a sense of place, with views across the town and the surrounding countryside.

Kurunegala is known for the great rock outcrops that rise above its streets. Pausing at the statue offers a glimpse of the Buddhist landmarks woven into everyday life across the island, away from its larger pilgrimage centres.

Explore Sigiriya Rock Fortress, the UNESCO-listed royal citadel rising abruptly above Sri Lanka’s central plains. Those who choose to make the climb pass ancient frescoes and the monumental lion’s paws on the ascent to the summit.

At the top, look out across jungle and distant hills from the remains of a fifth-century palace complex. The rock’s gardens, art and defences reveal the ambition behind one of the island’s most distinctive archaeological sites.

Walk through Polonnaruwa’s medieval capital, exploring the Royal Palace complex and the sacred Quadrangle. At Gal Vihara, see four Buddha figures carved from a single expanse of granite, their different poses giving the site a striking stillness.

This UNESCO World Heritage Site preserves the scale and artistry of a kingdom that flourished between the 11th and 13th centuries. Its palace remains, shrines and sculpture make Sri Lanka’s medieval history tangible.

Step inside Dambulla Cave Temple, a UNESCO-listed monastery set high above the plains. Explore rock-hewn chambers filled with more than 150 Buddha statues and painted ceilings that turn the natural caves into richly decorated sacred spaces.

Worship has taken place here for over 2,000 years. The concentration of murals and sculpture, sheltered within the rock, makes Dambulla one of Sri Lanka’s most significant Buddhist sites.

Join a guided walk through a mountaintop farm with views towards the Aluvihare Mountains. Discover gardens growing pepper, papaya and cocoa, and see some of the ingredients that shape local cooking.

Share a traditional Sri Lankan lunch in this rural setting. The combination of cultivated gardens, mountain scenery and regional flavours offers a closer look at food production beyond the island’s tea estates.

Visit Kandy’s Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, one of Buddhism’s most important pilgrimage sites. Walk through its decorated halls and observe the devotional atmosphere surrounding the shrine that holds a tooth believed to belong to the Buddha.

The relic is kept within a series of caskets rather than displayed openly. For centuries, its guardianship was closely tied to the authority of Sri Lankan rulers, giving the temple profound religious and historical significance.

Ride the train through Sri Lanka’s hill country from Kandy towards Nuwara Eliya. Watch tea-covered slopes, misty peaks and waterfalls unfold beyond the windows as the railway climbs into cooler highland landscapes.

The line passes through the heart of a region shaped by tea cultivation. More than a transfer between towns, this rail journey offers an extended view of the plantations and mountain scenery that distinguish central Sri Lanka.

Visit a working tea estate and factory in Sri Lanka’s hill country. Walk among the plantations, learn how picked leaves are processed and finish with a freshly brewed cup of Ceylon tea.

Tea has shaped the highland landscape and Sri Lanka’s export economy for generations. Seeing the stages between leaf and cup gives the familiar drink a new context, grounded in the craft and labour of the estate.

Explore Nuwara Eliya, a highland town whose streets reflect its British colonial past. Stroll past the Tudor-style post office, Victoria Park and Gregory Lake, and see the historic Grand Hotel and Hill Club.

Cool mountain air and landscaped public spaces set this tea-country town apart from Sri Lanka’s tropical lowlands. Its surviving buildings and gardens offer a window onto the colonial era and the resort town that grew around the plantation economy.

Visit a traditional buffalo curd farm near Tissamaharama to see how this southern Sri Lankan speciality is made. Watch fresh milk prepared and set to ferment in clay pots, a process that produces its thick, distinctive texture.

Taste the finished curd with sweet treacle, a pairing enjoyed across the island. The visit connects a simple local dessert to the farming methods and everyday food traditions behind it.

Set out on a guided game drive through Yala National Park in the early morning. Scan the varied terrain for elephants, crocodiles and birdlife, with a chance to spot the elusive leopard.

Yala’s scrub, woodland and wetlands support an exceptional range of wildlife. The changing light and sounds of the reserve are part of the experience, while every sighting depends on the movements of wild animals.

See stilt fishermen along Weligama’s coast, where wooden poles rise from the shallows of the Indian Ocean. Observe this distinctive fishing method and the coastal setting with which it has become closely associated.

Stilt fishing is a recognisable tradition of southern Sri Lanka, though its practice today also reflects the changing livelihoods of coastal communities. The stop offers a chance to consider the region’s enduring connection to the sea.

Join Mrs Shahira Mahuroof in her Galle home for a Sri Lankan lunch prepared with the flavours of her family kitchen. Share the meal and hear stories about her life and the influences behind her cooking.

This hosted experience brings Sri Lankan hospitality into a personal setting. Conversation around the table adds meaning to the dishes, offering a perspective on Galle that extends beyond its historic streets and landmarks.

Explore Galle Fort with a Local Specialist, walking its ramparts and streets past colonial-era buildings and the Galle Lighthouse. Discover how shops, homes and cafés coexist within this living historic quarter.

The UNESCO-listed fort bears the imprint of Portuguese and Dutch maritime history, with much of its present form shaped under Dutch rule. Its seaward walls and active streets reveal both a strategic trading port and a neighbourhood still in use.

Visit the Victor Hasselblad Sea Turtle Research & Conservation Centre on Sri Lanka’s southern coast. Learn from a conservationist or caretaker about the centre’s work protecting endangered sea turtles, from hatchling care to rehabilitation.

Founded in 1978, the centre offers a direct look at the pressures facing marine life. Depending on the season, you may witness a hatching or turtle release; these events cannot be guaranteed. Your visit supports its ongoing conservation work.

Sample Sri Lanka’s street food on an optional experience in Colombo. Explore the city through its everyday flavours, with a chance to discover the snacks and dishes sold in its lively food scene.

Colombo’s cooking draws on the island’s varied communities and culinary traditions. Tasting local specialities offers a different way to engage with the capital, through the aromas, textures and conversation surrounding its food. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Discover the architectural legacy of Geoffrey Bawa on an optional Colombo experience. Explore the ideas associated with the Sri Lankan architect, whose work is celebrated for bringing buildings and tropical surroundings into close conversation.

Bawa’s approach helped shape modern architecture on the island, using light, gardens and open space to respond to the climate. This experience offers an architectural lens on the capital; specific sites are confirmed on tour. It is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

See Colombo illuminated from Lotus Tower on an optional evening visit. Take in the spread of city lights from this prominent landmark, whose lotus-inspired form stands out on the capital’s skyline.

The elevated viewpoint offers a different perspective from Colombo’s street-level markets, temples and colonial buildings. Look across the modern city as it settles into evening. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Join a game drive in Minneriya National Park on an optional excursion from the Sigiriya area. Search the park’s grasslands and woodland edges for Asian elephants and other wildlife.

Minneriya is known for elephant activity around its reservoir, although sightings and herd sizes vary with the season and conditions. Exploring by vehicle gives you a chance to observe the animals at a respectful distance in their natural habitat. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Return to Yala National Park for an afternoon game drive and another opportunity to watch for its wildlife. Explore as the day cools, scanning for elephants, crocodiles, birds and, with luck, leopards.

Wildlife movements change throughout the day, so this additional drive offers a fresh perspective rather than a repeatable set of sightings. Yala’s varied habitats make the search rewarding even when its most elusive residents remain hidden. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Travel by boat through the Ahangama backwaters on an optional excursion near Galle. Follow mangrove-lined waterways at an unhurried pace and observe a quieter side of Sri Lanka’s southern coast.

The sheltered channels contrast with the nearby Indian Ocean shoreline. Watch the banks and water for signs of local birdlife while taking in the textures and stillness of the mangrove environment. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Set out on a seasonal whale-watching cruise off Sri Lanka’s southern coast. Watch the open water for dolphins and, with luck, blue whales in the waters beyond Galle.

This early outing offers a chance to encounter marine life in the wild, where sightings can never be guaranteed. Availability depends on the season and sea conditions. The cruise is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Join a mask-painting workshop in Galle Fort and learn from a local artist about this expressive Sri Lankan craft. Try your hand at painting while discovering the forms and colours used in traditional masks.

Masks hold a place in Sri Lankan performance and folk traditions, making this a hands-on way to explore an art form beyond the fort’s architecture. The workshop is at additional cost and bookable on tour.