Sri Lanka Discovery
Overview
This 5-day route runs through the cultural triangle and hill country before ending on the south-west coast — Sigiriya and Dambulla, Kandy's Temple of the Tooth, a working tea estate above Nuwara Eliya, and a final couple of days by the beach at Bentota.
It's a good fit for a first trip to Sri Lanka: enough time to actually see the cultural triangle rather than rush through it, with a proper change of pace at the end instead of flying home straight from the hills.
Gallery
Highlights
- Kandy and Colombo city tours
- Traditional cultural dance performance
- Temple of the Tooth Relic
- Tea plantation and tea factory visit
- Beach time in Bentota
Included & excluded
- Accommodation with breakfast & dinner, DBL/TWIN room
- All road travel by private luxury vehicle per itinerary
- English-speaking chauffeur guide
- All applicable taxes and VAT
- Kandy city tour & a working tea factory visit
- 1 litre bottled water per person per day
- Personal expenses — laundry, telephone, beverages
- Entrance fees to sights in Sri Lanka
- Lunch on tour
- International flights & visa
Day by day
Arrival — Sigiriya / Dambulla
Arrive and transfer to the cultural triangle. Climb the 5th-century Sigiriya rock fortress — the “Lion Rock” — for views over the surrounding jungle, then visit the 1st-century BC cave temples at Dambulla, the largest and best-preserved in Sri Lanka.
Dambulla → Kandy
Travel to Kandy, the last capital of Sri Lanka's ancient kings, set around a highland lake.
Kandy → Nuwara Eliya
Visit the Temple of the Tooth Relic and take in a traditional Kandyan dance performance before driving up into the hill country, stopping at a working tea estate and factory along the way.
Nuwara Eliya → Bentota
Descend from the hills to the south-west coast for a change of pace on Bentota's beaches.
Bentota → Departure
A final morning by the coast before transfer to the airport for your departure flight.
Map
Frequently asked questions
Why does this route end at the beach instead of the airport?
Bentota is a short drive from Colombo, so finishing on the coast gives you a proper wind-down before the flight home instead of a rushed final transfer straight from the hills.
Is the tea factory stop worth including?
Yes — it's a short, guided walk-through ending in a tasting, and a genuinely different look at the island's biggest export than just driving past the plantations.
Can we skip Bentota and add an extra night in the hills instead?
Yes, the itinerary is a starting point — swapping a beach night for more time in Nuwara Eliya or Kandy is a common request.