Dambulla Rock Temple | Sri Lanka
FROM: USD $1,095 pp

PRIVATE TOUR: Wing your way to Sri Lanka... lush jungles, abundant wildlife, cool mountains and glorious beaches offer instant appeal to the traveller. Ancient cities steeped in Buddhist belief, remnants of the spice trade, tea plantations and elegant colonial hill stations, add history.

Inclusions
Itinerary
Prices & Dates
Covid Safe Guide

Trip Highlights

Polonnaruwa - The 11th century ancient capital city of Ceylon
Dambulla - Famous rock temple
Kandy - Temple of the Tooth, Botanical Gardens and Ceylon Tea Museum
Sigiriya - 5th century fortress ruins
Colombo - The Fort and Gamgarama Temple
Matale - Spice gardens

Included

Breakfast daily
Touring - Colombo, Dambulla, Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya and Kandy
Escorted by a licensed English speaking chauffeur guide
An airport arrival transfer day 1 and a departure transfer day 5
4 nights SUPERIOR hotels. STANDARD and DELUXE hotel options are also available upon request. Accommodation rating – See Trip Notes for details
Entrance fees to all included sights
Specialist local guides at some sites
All transfers and transportation in private air-conditioned tourism vehicles

Not Included

International flights and visa
Tipping - An entirely personal gesture

Itinerary

Day 1

Colombo

Welcome to Sri Lanka and the start of your holiday! Arrival Colombo and included transfer to your hotel. This afternoon, we enjoy a sightseeing tour of Sri Lanka’s capital, including; the Fort, Galle Face Green – a seaside expanse popular for informal cricket games, the Pettah – a viberant oriental bazaar, a visit to Gamgarama Temple, Cinnamon Gardens and lastly today, Independence Square.
Overnight: Colombo

Day 2

Polonnaruwa

Colombo - Giritale. Departing Colombo, we drive to Giritale and check into our hotel. This afternoon we visit Polonnaruwa, an 11th century city of compact size. Polonnaruwa features 12th-century stone sculptures, an old irrigation system with huge tanks, and the Gal Vihara – comprising of three enormous Buddha figures, one reclining (it’s 44 ft/13 m long), one standing and one sitting. The statues are located in a cluster along a dirt road and are revered as being amongst the most sacred monuments in Sri Lanka. There are also palace ruins, great bas-reliefs and friezes. After our time exploring the site, we return to Giritale.
Overnight: Giritale  |  Breakfast

Day 3

Sigiriya & Dambulla UNESCO sites

Giritale - Sigiriya - Dambulla - Kandy. Leaving Giritale, we drive to Sigiriya, the elevated and mysterious 5th century fortress ruins of King Kasyapa, where we view the stunning frescoes. The ‘Lion Rock’ is a citadel of unusual beauty rising 200 metres from the scrub jungle. A moat, rampart and extensive gardens including the renowned water gardens ring the base of the rock.

Next, we visit the impressive Dambulla Rock Temple. Dambulla is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is the most impressive of Sri Lanka’s cave temples. The complex of five caves with over 2000 sq. metres of painted walls, and the ceiling is the largest area of paintings found in the world.

Leaving Dambulla, the final stop of the day is Matale en route to Kandy. Sri Lanka is renowned for its spices and spice gardens are located all over the country. However, the biggest concentration of them can be found around Matale. With a guide, you’ll see first hand how cinnamon, cardamon, curry leaves, peppercorns, saffron and other exotic spices are grown in the wild and then processed for consumption.
Overnight: Kandy  |  Breakfast

Day 4

Kandy sightseeing

This morning we explore the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens, once only exclusively reserved for Kandyan royalty. Back in Kandy, a scenic lakeside town, we visit the lake, colourful bazaar, Ceylon Tea Museum and lapidary workshop. This evening, we tour the Temple of the Tooth Relic and then enjoy a cultural show featuring traditional Sri Lankan dancing.
Overnight: Kandy  |  Breakfast

Day 5

Colombo

Our holiday sadly comes to an end after breakfast and included onward transfer to the airport.
Breakfast

Extend your stay!

Consider spending some extra time exploring Sri Lanka's beautiful tropical coastline or simply relaxing and soaking up the sun with a good book. Alternatively, opt to head to one of the national parks to go in search of Sri Lanka's abundant wildlife. Extend your stay by a day, a week or even two! We offer a variety of hotels for you to choose from. Browse our best places to visit, Sri Lanka's best beaches or wildlife in Sri Lanka pages for suggestions on what to see and do on your holiday. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, please let us know so we can accommodate your request.

For information about visas, top travel tips, best time to travel and much more, take a look at our travel guide.

Prices & Dates

Prices shown are per person when there are 2 persons sharing a room, based on a travelling party of at least 2 adults. The 'Single Room' price is applicable when a single room is required. If travelling solo, an additional ‘1-person’ supplement will apply.

Dates
Twin / Share
Single Room
USD $1095
USD $1455

In Brief

Range
Trip Type
Starts
Colombo
Ends
Colombo
Departs
Any day of the year
Hotel Rating
Our rating: Superior
Tour Guide
Yes - for all included sightseeing
Meals
Breakfast: 4
Visiting
Giritale, Kandy, Colombo, Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya
Countries
Cannon pointing towards the sea in Colombo
The ancient ruins of Polonnaruwa
Iconic rock sitting among lush vegetation in Sigiriya
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