Set out on a 4×4 safari across Udawalawe’s open grasslands and reservoirs, a haven for wildlife framed by the distant Central Highlands. Scan the scrub and lakeshores for herds of Asian elephants moving between water and forest.

Your ranger helps spot bee-eaters, eagles, crocodiles, water buffalo, and deer, sharing insights on habitats and conservation. Golden light and wide skies make this a photographer’s delight.

Unwind in nature with riverside glamping beside the Walawe River. Canvas tents and lantern-lit paths set a safari mood, with the murmur of water and rustling palms as your soundtrack.

Gather by a starlit campfire, listen to the chorus of the jungle, and drift to sleep beneath an immense southern sky. This evocative stay pairs creature comforts with the wild soul of the southern plains.

Explore the UNESCO-listed Galle Fort, where cobbled lanes meet sea-battered walls. Stroll the Dutch ramparts and bastions, pause at the Galle Lighthouse, and browse boutiques tucked inside centuries-old warehouses.

History lingers at the VOC-era museum, the 18th-century Dutch Reformed Church, and the VOC-inscribed Old Gate. Ocean views, gelato kiosks, and spice-laden cafés add a relaxed coastal rhythm to this storied enclave.

Step into a sanctuary of rock-hewn devotion at the Dambulla Cave Temple, a World Heritage site famed for its five sanctuaries. Marvel at gilded Buddha statues and miles of painted cave ceilings that glow in lamplight.

Ancient inscriptions and Kandyan-era murals trace more than two millennia of worship in this cliffside complex. This experience is available at additional cost and is bookable on tour.

Rise early for a sunrise hike up Pidurangala, following a forest path and short boulder scramble to the summit. Greet daybreak with panoramic views of Sigiriya and a sea of treetops washed in gold.

Explore remnants of an ancient cave temple near the base and feel the cool morning breeze at the top. This experience is available at additional cost and is bookable on tour.

Join a hands-on cooking class to decode coastal flavors—toast and grind spices on a miris gala, crack fresh coconut, and simmer fragrant curries to serve with herbs and rice.

Prepare staples like hoppers or coconut sambol under friendly guidance, then dine on your creations as stories of family recipes and island produce unfold. This experience is available at additional cost and is bookable on tour.

Head to a palm-lined cove for a beginner-friendly surf lesson on Weligama’s gentle sand-bottom break. Warm Indian Ocean swells and soft rollers make for easy starts and confidence-building rides.

Learn pop-ups, stance, and safety with local instructors who know the banks and tides. Boards and rash vests are provided. This experience is available at additional cost and is bookable on tour.

Visit the spiritual heart of the hill capital and visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, a serene complex of whitewashed shrines and a golden roof beside Kandy Lake. Walk incense-scented corridors as devotees offer lotus blossoms and oil lamps.

During puja rituals, the temple drums quicken and a revered casket said to enshrine the Buddha’s tooth is venerated. The site’s layered Kandyan artistry and royal history illuminate Sri Lanka’s living Buddhist traditions.

Settle into a window seat and board the scenic hill-country train bound for the tea highlands. Watch misty tea estates, forested ridges, and waterfalls slip by as the line threads mountain tunnels and viaducts.

This legendary route reveals the island’s dramatic topography and colonial-era engineering, with cool upland air and villages perched above sweeping valleys. It’s Sri Lanka’s landscapes in cinematic motion.

Explore the craft behind world-famous Ceylon tea as you tour a working tea estate in the cool highlands. Walk the withering floors, learn the art of withering, rolling and firing, and meet pluckers moving rhythmically through emerald bushes.

Finish with a guided tasting that spotlights terroir, aroma, and strength—from delicate high-growns to robust breakfast blends—while hearing how tea shaped the region’s culture and economy.

Experience the island’s pageantry at a traditional Kandyan dance show. Costumed troupes whirl to rhythmic drumming, masks flash, and acrobats leap in a spectacle rooted in temple ritual and royal court ceremony.

Expect hypnotic beats, vibrant silks, and daring fire-eating and acrobatics, with temple-inspired costumes and stories drawn from myth and devotion. It’s a vivid celebration of Sri Lankan heritage.

Climb the stairways to ascend Lion’s Rock, Sri Lanka’s iconic citadel rising above emerald forests. Pass the colossal lion paws guarding the summit and take in sweeping views across water gardens and distant hills.

Trace the 5th-century palace of King Kashyapa, pausing at the polished Mirror Wall and the celebrated heavenly maidens frescoes. On the summit plateau, imagine royal life in this sky-high refuge of moats, terraces, and wind-scoured boulders.

• 8 Breakfast (B)
• 2 Dinner (D)
• 1 Lunch (L)

• Sigiriya: See rice fields and jungle landscapes as you ramble around this rural Sri Lankan village. Then refuel with a traditional lunch.
• Sigiriya: A fortress on top of a giant rock. And did we mention it has massive lion’s paws at the front? Amazing! 
• Kandy: Fire-eating. Acrobatics. Epic costumes. All based on the dances of Indian shamans. Local traditions don’t get hotter than this!
• Kandy: This pristine-white sanctuary is an ultimate pilgrimage for Buddhists. It holds a relic of Lord Buddha’s tooth. 
• Kandy: One of the world’s most scenic train rides. Pass tea plantations and lush greenery, via mountain tunnels and steep valleys. 
• Ella: Who doesn’t love a nice cuppa? And now you’ll get to see where the magic happens.  
• Udawalawe National Park: Hang out with elephants, leopards, crocodiles – the whole jungle crew.   
• Udawalawe National Park: Spend the night surrounded by nature on the edge of Udawalawe National Park at our hand-picked Special Stay, Athgira River Camp — where riverside views and safari vibes take centre stage.
• Unawatuna: Colonial buildings meet modern life in this UNESCO-listed spot. There are heritage walks, foodie hotspots and fun nightlife, all up for grabs. 

Contiki

Discover rural life on a guided village visit through Hiriwadunna’s paddy fields, red-dust lanes, and forest-ringed irrigation tanks. Listen for the birdsong over the lake as water buffalo wallow and farmers tend vegetable plots beneath tall palmyra palms.

Share a traditional Sri Lankan lunch prepared over clay hearths: fragrant rice, gently spiced curries, and zesty coconut sambol, often served on banana leaves. This authentic encounter opens a window onto everyday village rhythms and age-old hospitality.