Kandy Trip Overview
Considered to be off-limits for years due to the civil war, the gates to culture filled Jaffna are open to adventurers once more. Discover Tamil culture in this colourful city
Open skies, swaying palm trees and glittering waters – Trincomalee beach is a postcard-perfect landscape for relaxation. Kick back in the sun on this bright and sandy shoreline
Witness ritual and devotion in the spiritual heart of the country during a visit to Kandy’s Temple of the Tooth
Observe wild elephants from basic ‘tree houses’ and hopefully catch an outstanding sunset in Wasgamuwa National Park, one of the most biodiverse protected areas in Sri Lanka
Additional Info
Duration: 12 days
Starts: Kandy, Sri Lanka
Trip Category: Transfers & Ground Transport >> Bus Services
Explore Kandy Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Kandy, Central Province, Sri Lanka
Considered to be off-limits for years due to the civil war, the gates to culture filled Jaffna are open to adventurers once more. Discover Tamil culture in this colourful city
Open skies, swaying palm trees and glittering waters – Trincomalee beach is a postcard-perfect landscape for relaxation. Kick back in the sun on this bright and sandy shoreline
Witness ritual and devotion in the spiritual heart of the country during a visit to Kandy’s Temple of the Tooth
Observe wild elephants from basic ‘tree houses’ and hopefully catch an outstanding sunset in Wasgamuwa National Park, one of the most biodiverse protected areas in Sri Lanka
Itinerary
Day 1: NEGOMBO
Stop At: Negombo Beach, Negombo Sri Lanka
Negombo, Situated six kilometres, a mere stones throwaway from the International airport of Sri Lanka, is a characteristic predominantly Christian fishing town with narrow streets and small boutiques and many a historic churches to visit and see, with its routes running back to the arrival of the Portuguese. Negombo is an ideal place to enjoy the traditional fishing methods of Sri Lanka, the out rigger canoe, the swifter catamaran and the lagoon famous for its promfret, lagoon crab & lobster during season. A resort town dotted with many hotels and restaurants and the famous lagoon, where one could take a ride in a out rigger sailing canoe and experience the authentic fisherman’s life.
Duration: 1 hour
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight in Negombo but hotel charges not include this price
Day 2: ANURADHAPURA
Stop At: Anuradhapura, Anuradhapura, North Central Province
Anuradhapura is a city in Anuradhapura District of North Central Province of srilanka. This sacred city was established around a cutting from the ‘tree of enlightenment’, the Buddha’s fig tree, brought there in the 3rd century B.C. by Sanghamitta, the founder of an order of Buddhist nuns. Anuradhapura, a Ceylonese political and religious capital that flourished for 1,300 years, was abandoned after an invasion in 993. Hidden away in dense jungle for many years, the splendid site, with its palaces, monasteries and monuments, is now accessible once again.
Duration: 6 hours
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight in anuradhapura but hotel charges not include this price
Day 3: Jaffna
Pass By: Jaffna, Jaffna, Northern Province
Jaffna, port, northern Sri Lanka. It is situated on a flat, dry peninsula at the island’s northern tip. The trading centre for the agricultural produce of the peninsula and nearby islands, it is linked with the rest of the country by road and a railway. Jaffna is no longer a major port but conducts some trade with southern India. Fishing is important in the economy.
Jaffna was the capital of a Tamil kingdom for centuries before it was conquered by Europeans, and the city still has many distinctive Tamil cultural characteristics. Jaffna fell under Portuguese rule in 1619 and was their last possession in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) before its capture by the Dutch in 1658. The name Jaffna is a Portuguese adaptation of a Tamil word meaning “port of the lyre.” A fort and a church remain from the Dutch period, and near the fort is a famous Hindu temple, Kandaswamy Kovil. The British held Jaffna after 1795 until they relinquished control of the island in 1948.
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight in Jaffna but hotel charges not include this price
Day 4: Jaffna
Stop At: Jaffna, Jaffna, Northern Province
Jaffna, port, northern Sri Lanka. It is situated on a flat, dry peninsula at the island’s northern tip. The trading centre for the agricultural produce of the peninsula and nearby islands, it is linked with the rest of the country by road and a railway. Jaffna is no longer a major port but conducts some trade with southern India. Fishing is important in the economy.
Duration: 6 hours
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight in Jaffna but hotel charges not include this price
Day 5: Trincomalee
Pass By: Trincomalee, Trincomalee, Eastern Province
Trincomalee (Trinco) sits on one of the world’s finest natural harbors. This historic city is old almost beyond reckoning: it’s possibly the site of historic Gokana in the Mahavamsa (Great Chronicle), and its Shiva temple the site of Trikuta Hill in the Hindu text Vayu Purana. It makes a great stop over on the way to the nearby beaches of Uppuveli and Nilaveli.
Trincomalee’s superb deep-water port has made it the target for all manner of attacks over the centuries: by the British takeover in 1795, the city had changed colonial hands seven times. It’s easy to spend a day or more exploring the ins and outs of the myriad waterfronts and the fort and its famous temple.
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight in Trincomalee but hotel charges not include this price
Day 6: Trincomalee
Stop At: Trincomalee, Trincomalee, Eastern Province
Trincomalee (Trinco) sits on one of the world’s finest natural harbors. This historic city is old almost beyond reckoning: it’s possibly the site of historic Gokana in the Mahavamsa (Great Chronicle), and its Shiva temple the site of Trikuta Hill in the Hindu text Vayu Purana. It makes a great stop over on the way to the nearby beaches of Uppuveli and Nilaveli.
Trincomalee’s superb deep-water port has made it the target for all manner of attacks over the centuries: by the British takeover in 1795, the city had changed colonial hands seven times. It’s easy to spend a day or more exploring the ins and outs of the myriad waterfronts and the fort and its famous temple.
Duration: 6 hours
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight in Trincomalee but hotel charges not include this price
Day 7: Polonnaruwa
Stop At: Polonnaruwa, Polonnaruwa, North Central Province
Polonnaruwa is the 2nd largest city in north central province in Sri Lanka. The ancient city of Polonnaruwa has been declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO Polonnaruwa has a great history of conquest and struggle behind it and rightfully forms the third element in the Cultural Triangle. Located about 140 kms north east from Kandy,Polonnaruwa offers hours of endless pleasure for history and culture lovers, as there are numerous sights of significance.
Much of the physical ruins standing today are credited to King Parakrama Bahu I who spent many royal resources on town planning, including parks, edifices, irrigation systems and so on. The period of his rule is considered a golden age where the kingdom thrived and prospered under a visionary ruler. The Parakrama Samudra is a mammoth tank and named after its patron. The popular kings Royal Palace, the Audience Hall encircled by beautifully carved stone elephants and the Bathing Pool reflect the superior engineering capabilities times
Duration: 6 hours
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight in Polonnaruwa but hotel charges not include this price
Day 8: Sigiriya
Stop At: Sigiriya The Ancient Rock Fortress, Sigiriya 21120 Sri Lanka
Sigiriya also known as the Lion’s Rock is a rock fortress and a palace located in the Matale district of Sri Lanka. This ruin is surrounded by gardens, ponds and other structures. Sigiriya was built by King Kassapa and it is included as a World Heritage site. Sigiriya is the best preserved city centre in Asia.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Kaudulla National Park, Galoya Road, Habarana 51375 Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka has over 26 national parks and going on a safari is a popular activity during a usual Sri Lanka Route. Kaudulla National Park is one of best national parks to spot Elephants in Sri Lanka. It is home to 200+ elephants, monkeys, crocodiles and even a handful of leopards. The park has opened in 2002, is surrounded by grasslands and can be visited year-round to see elephants and other great wildlife. See why this is the best national park in Sri Lanka.
Duration: 3 hours
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight in Sigiriya but hotel charges not include this price
Day 9: Sigiriya
Stop At: Pidurangala Rock, Pidurangala,Sigiriya, Sigiriya 21120 Sri Lanka
While Sigiriya Rock is rich in history and has some pretty dramatic features such as the lion’s paw and the mirror wall, Pidurangala Rock has a much more natural feel, despite also housing a temple. Pidurangala Rock is adjacent to Sigiriya Rock and is the best viewing spot of Sigiriya Rock as it is only slightly lower. Pidurangala is a popular spot for sunrise as you can enjoy 360-degree views of not only the valleys but also Sigiriya Rock. There is no need to choose between the two. Many travelers wake up for the sunrise at Pidurangala and then head to sunset on top of Sigiriya Rock.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Dambulla Royal Cave Temple, Kandy – Jaffna Highway, Dambulla 21100 Sri Lanka
The beautiful Royal Rock Temple complex sits about 160m above the road in the southern part of Dambulla. Five separate caves contain about 150 absolutely stunning Buddha statues and paintings, some of Sri Lanka’s most important and evocative religious art. Buddha images were first created here over 2000 years ago, and over the centuries subsequent kings added to and embellished the cave art.
Duration: 1 hour
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight in Sigiriya but hotel charges not include this price
Day 10: Kandy
Stop At: Kandy View Point, Rajapihilla Mawatha, Kandy 20000 Sri Lanka
Regarded as the highest point in Kandy, it is an absolutely breathtaking spot which gives a high angle view of the magnificent city. It’s so relaxing that you would want to sit and watch the fascinating view below all day. It isn’t far from the lake, just around walking distance. They have built a proper place to view the gorgeous scenery. It’s a place you should go with a camera so that you can capture gorgeous photos and videos.
Duration: 45 minutes
Stop At: Royal Botanical Gardens, Peradeniya Road, Peradeniya 20400 Sri Lanka
These stunning gardens were once reserved exclusively for Kandyan royalty. Today, even commoners are allowed in to enjoy the most impressive and largest (60 hectares) botanic gardens in Sri Lanka. Highlights include a fine collection of orchids, a stately avenue of royal palms, the extraordinary, aptly named cannonball fruit tree and 40m-high Burma bamboo. Another big hit is the giant Javan fig tree on the great lawn, with its colossal central trunk and umbrella-like canopy of branches. Peradeniya is 6km from central Kandy.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, Sri Dalada Veediya, Kandy 20000 Sri Lanka
The golden-roofed Temple of the Sacred Tooth houses Sri Lanka’s most important Buddhist relic – a tooth of the Buddha. During puja (offerings or prayers), the heavily guarded room housing the tooth is open to devotees and tourists. However, you don’t actually see the tooth. It’s kept in a gold casket shaped like a dagoba (stupa), which contains a series of six dagoba caskets of diminishing size. As well as the revered main temple, the complex includes a series of smaller temples, shrines and museums.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Kandy Lake Club – Cultural Dance Show, 7 Sangamitta Mawatha, Kandy 20000 Sri Lanka
The Kandy Lake Club Cultural Dance Show is a stimulating Sri Lankan Arts, Dance & Cultural Heritage Show that is a must see for any visitor who visits the historic city of Kandy. The Kandy Lake Club Dance started in 1982 with the view of having a cultural dance performance bringing together all Sri Lankan dance types to one platform. It is the first Cultural Dance Show of its kind to be established in Sri Lanka. It has since become a tourist attraction for many people visiting the country and keen on a glimpse of its rich cultural heritage. Hence it has been performing continuously for the last 35 years.
Duration: 1 hour
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight stay in Kandy but hotel charges not include this price
Day 11: Colombo
Stop At: Embilmeegama Tea Factory, 151 Colombo Road Pilimathalawa, Embilmeegame 20450 Sri Lanka
Giragama Tea Factory is one of the oldest in Sri Lanka. The eponymous English “cuppa” might have been somewhat stronger if not for the 1865 coffee blight. Old Ceylon’s up-country plantations were devastated – but not so the spirits of the pioneering planters. They threw in a crop of tea and never looked back. You will visit a tea plantation and observe how the plant is grown and harvested. From here you will travel to a factory and learn about the whole processing procedure and how different types of teas are created.
Duration: 45 minutes
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight in Colombo but hotel charges not include this price
Day 12: Colombo to Airport
Stop At: Colombo National Museum, Albert Crescent, Colombo Sri Lanka
The National Museum of Natural History is a museum that covers the natural heritage of Sri Lanka. The museum is located closer to the National Museum of Colombo. It was established on September 23, 1986 and became only one museum in Sri Lanka that represents natural history and natural heritage.
Duration: 1 hour
No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.
