Colombo Trip Overview
Immerse yourself in the historic wonders of Sri Lanka’s last kingdom. As you discover the hill city of Kandy, you’ll find a variety of attractions to visit from the man-made Kandy Lake to the revered Sri Dalada Maligawa; believed to hold a sacred tooth relic of the Buddha. Some days Kandy’s skies seem perpetually bruised, with stubborn mist clinging to the hills surrounding the city’s beautiful centerpiece lake. Delicate hill-country breezes impel the mist to gently part, revealing colorful houses amid Kandy’s improbable forested halo. History and culture are on tap. Yes, the city is renowned for the great Kandy Esala Perahera festival (held annually in July/August), but its vibrant cultural life and attractions more than justify a visit at any time of year.
Additional Info
Duration: 11 to 13 hours
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
Immerse yourself in the historic wonders of Sri Lanka’s last kingdom. As you discover the hill city of Kandy, you’ll find a variety of attractions to visit from the man-made Kandy Lake to the revered Sri Dalada Maligawa; believed to hold a sacred tooth relic of the Buddha. Some days Kandy’s skies seem perpetually bruised, with stubborn mist clinging to the hills surrounding the city’s beautiful centerpiece lake. Delicate hill-country breezes impel the mist to gently part, revealing colorful houses amid Kandy’s improbable forested halo. History and culture are on tap. Yes, the city is renowned for the great Kandy Esala Perahera festival (held annually in July/August), but its vibrant cultural life and attractions more than justify a visit at any time of year.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, Sri Dalada Veediya, Kandy 20000 Sri Lanka
Within the royal palace complex of the ancient Kingdom of Kandy, the Sri Dalada Maligawa (or the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic) is a Buddhist temple that is home to the tooth relic of Lord Buddha. The city of Kandy was the last great capital of Sri Lanka’s ancient kings, and the presence of the temple is a major reason that the city was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The relic that lies within the temple has played a major role in Sri Lanka’s political history, as it was believed that the holder of the relic possessed the right to govern the country.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Kandy Lake, Centre of Kandy City, Kandy 20000 Sri Lanka
Kandy Lake is an artificial lake that is also known as the Kiri Muhuda (or the “Sea of Milk”), and it can be found in the heart of Kandy city. Built in the early 19th century by King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe, the last king of Kandy’s ancient Sinhalese monarchy, the lake is in front of the sacred Temple of the Tooth. Legend has it that the manmade island at the centre of the lake was used by the king’s harem, and was connected to the royal palace complex via a secret passageway. The pavilion at this centre was also said to have been used by the king and his queen as a place of relaxation.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Udawattekele Sanctuary, Lovers Walk, Kandy 20000 Sri Lanka
Once known as the Uda Wasala Watta (or the “garden above the royal palace” in the Sinhalese language), the sanctuary is home to a huge variety of flora and fauna. It was once a pleasure garden for Kandyan royalty, and was reserved for the exclusive use of the royal family. They would use the pond within the forest to bathe in, and the public was forbidden from entering its grounds. It was designated a forest reserve in 1856, before officially becoming a sanctuary in 1938. The forest holds some significance as a religious area, with three Buddhist monasteries and three rock cave dwellings for monks found within it.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Ceylon Tea Museum, Hantana, Kandy 20000 Sri Lanka
Situated around four kilometres to the south of Kandy, the Ceylon Tea Museum occupies a building that was once the Hatane Tea Factory, constructed in 1925. The Ceylon Tea Museum houses exhibits on pioneers of the Sri Lankan tea trade, including James Taylor, who was a Scottish tea planter that introduced tea to Ceylon; and Thomas Lipton, another Scotsman who produced Ceylon tea and distributed it to Western markets from 1890 onwards. There are four floors of the museum; on the ground and second floors, visitors can find antique tea-processing machines such as 19th-century generators, rollers, dryers, fermentation tables and sorting machines. The first floor is dedicated to a library and auditorium with audio and visual presentations, while the third floor features a tea store.
Duration: 1 hour
