Classic Family Tour in Sri Lanka

Upon your arrival at the Bandaranaike International Airport, you will be welcomed and assisted by a Representative of Silver Tree Travel. You will then be escorted to your vehicle and transferred to Negombo. Check in to the hotel. The true life of Negombo can be easily observed at its fish markets. These markets are always full of life and are at their peak with much action taking place in the early hours of the day when the fresh catch is brought in, as the vendors voice their prices at the top of their lungs and the buyers bargain for the best deals.

After an early breakfast, proceed to visit Pinnawala Elephant millennium. You will get an Elephant walk experience and take part in bathing the giant beast. End the tour with a lunch at the foundation. Continue your journey to the cultural triangle of Sri Lanka. Check in at hotel and relax during the rest of the day.

In the early morning, visit the rock fortress of Sigiriya. The legendary sky citadel of Sigiriya, the “Lion Rock” famous for its frescoes of ‘Celestial Maidens’ is the most impressive site in Sri Lanka. Built by King Kasyapa in the 5th century on top of a vast 200m granite rock it took seven years to build and was abandoned after ten years of occupation when the King, defeated by his brother, committed suicide. Although it is a steep climb, the views and frescoes are definitely worth the effort. Sigiriya is best visited first thing in the morning or just before sunset when it is cooler and less crowded. Take a tour of a local village nearby, enjoying the walks through paddy fields and the cool breeze. It is an opportunity to get acquainted with the typical village life, as you meet village folk and their families. You will engage in cookery demonstration along with a bullock cart ride. Just after the bullock cart ride you will also have a boat ride end to the with an authentic Sri Lankan lunch. Located between Habarana and Polonnaruwa, the 8,890 hectares of Minneriya National Park consists of mixed evergreen forest and scrub areas and is home to favorites such as Sambhur deer and elephants. However, the central feature of the park is the ancient Minneriya Tank (built in 3 rd. century AD by King Mahasena). This tank is an incredible place to observe the elephants that come to bathe and graze, as well as the huge flocks of birds (cormorants and painted storks to name but a few) that come to fish in the shallow waters.

After breakfast, checkout from the hotel and proceed to Kandy. Afterwards your next stop will be at a spice plantation in Matale where they grow a variety of spices such as cinnamon, pepper and nutmeg, for which Sri Lanka was renowned and initially colonized by the Portuguese, Dutch and British. You could also visit a batik factory and watch the production of the artistic fabric. En route visiting the cave temples of Dambulla. Dambulla is renowned for its Cave Temples, which were built by King Valagambahu in the 1st century BC in gratitude for the shelter he sought in the caves when fleeing from Indian invaders. Sited on a gigantic granite outcrop, which towers more than 160m above the surrounding land, the caves are completely covered by ancient frescoes depicting religious and secular scenes. Protected within the caves are hundreds of statues of Buddha, many carved out of the rock itself, of which the largest is the 15m long reclining Buddha. Arrive in Kandy. Kandy is the old capital of Ceylon and the seat of the last Singhalese kingdom. It is a charming city with the most important Buddhist temple in the country and is set around an ancient artificial lake amongst rolling hills that are covered by forests and tea plantations. Set in the mountainous area of the island, there are fantastic views over the city from some of the hotels. Kandy is a great place to buy gemstones. Sapphires of all colors, rubies, tourmalines and spinel’s can all be found here. Visitors are also invited to have a look around their workshop, where they will be able to see the design, and cutting, polishing and setting processes.

Visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha in the late afternoon. Ever since it was founded in the 16th Century, it has housed one of the most sacred relics of Buddhism – a tooth of Buddha collected from his funeral pyre and which is now protected within the gold-roofed Temple of the Tooth. At 1600hrs take part in a cultural dance show.

After early breakfast check out from the hotel and proceed to Nuwara Eliya by train. You will board the Badulla Train and enjoy a brief train ride to Nanu Oya station. Your vehicle will travel ahead of you and pick up from this station. Continue the rest to Nuwara Eliya by your vehicle. En Route you will visit a local tea factory and plantation. Rest of the day is free to relax.

After early Breakfast at the hotel. Leave for Horton Plains National Park is a protected area in the central highlands of Sri Lanka and is covered by montane grassland and cloud forest. The Horton Plains are the headwaters of three major Sri Lankan rivers, the Mahaweli, Kelani, and Walawa. In Sinhala the plains are known as Maha Eliya Plains. Stone tools dating back to Balangoda. This region was designated a national park in 1988. It is also a popular tourist destination and is situated 32 kilometres (20 mi) from Nuwara Eliya and 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from Ohiya. Return to Nuwara Eliya and have lunch at the Nuwara Eliya golf club. Rest of the day is at leisure.

After Breakfast, at the hotel. Check out and proceed to Tissamaharama via Ella. Lunch stop at 98 Acres hotel Ella. After exploring the scenic lounge at the hotel continue to Tissamaharama and Yala. Check into the hotel. Proceed to visit Kataragama.

With a packed breakfast, make a morning safari in Yala National Park. Yala National Park (1,570 sq. km) was created in 1938 and is located in the south-eastern corner of the island. Its diverse range of habitats, including scrub jungle, brackish lagoons, lakes and rivers are home to 400 elephants and around 40 leopards in addition to wild buffalo, Sambhur deer, musk deer, black bears, macaques, jackals and a numerous variety of birds. Rest of the day relax at hotel and enjoy the local area. Overnight stay at the hotel.

Check out from hotel and proceed to a western or southern beach resort. Enjoy the sun and sand and relax. You may explore the local area of the resort. These resorts have many water sports activities, so you may choose according your expertise and liking.

Enjoy the sun, sea, and just relax.

Enjoy the sun, sea, and just relax.

Check in to the hotel for overnight stay.

Breakfast in the hotel. Then you’ll be picked up from the hotel and transferred to the airport based on your flight departure time. Please do note that you must be at the airport three hours before the flight. Check out time at 11:00HRS. Late check can be arranged based on availability or prior notifications.